"Who do you think these flowers are from? If I'd bought it, you would have two daisies, honey. But this is a really expensive arrangement. Those men gave me very specific instructions about what to buy you."
She glanced at the bouquet. They were high end, beautiful and expensive. The vase looked to be crystal. So at least they had wanted to send her something. They hadn't come in person … but she supposed she would have to mean something to them for that. "I'll send them a thank you note."
It would be polite and formal. Dear Dominic, Riley, and Law, Thank you so much for the lovely floral arrangement and for saving my life. It was a kind thing to do. And I truly appreciated the lessons in sexuality and ménage. I will never forget the spankings. They meant so much to me. Sincerely, Kinley Kohl. P.S., you owe me for puppy support.
Annabelle's phone chirped. She fished it out of her purse, then looked down at the screen. Her face lit up. "They made it inside. You have no idea how crazy it is out there. They've been trying to make their way in here for hours. Wait a second."
She turned to the door and opened it. A man walked through wearing scrubs and carrying a clipboard. Two more men in scrubs followed him.
Her heart seized when she realized that under the bland clothes and masks, it was Riley, Law, and Dominic.
Law tore his mask away and stepped up to her side, his eyes wide. His expression softened as he took her in. "Baby, tell us everything. We've been dying. Are you all right?"
They were here. Why? "Uhm, I've been here for days. I'm alive. Don't worry about me."
Dominic took her hand. "And we've been in a forty-eight-hour hold. The FBI has been questioning the hell out of us. They didn't have to give us a phone call or any rights. And the hospital is in virtual lockdown because of the media frenzy out there. Annabelle only got in because Tate threatened to sue the hospital. We had to sneak in to see you, Kinley."
Riley moved around to her opposite side and cupped her cheek. "Are you okay? They wouldn't tell us anything. They said we weren't husbands or family, so we didn't have rights to your information. God, I hated every moment they kept us away from you. We need to fix that."
He tried to pull her gently into an embrace.
What the hell were they talking about? She held herself stiffly until Riley eased back with a frown. "Who kept you away?"
She still didn't quite understand why Law, Dominic, and Riley had come. When she'd awakened alone, that had felt like a statement-one full of finality. She'd heard all those voices in her head that told her she wasn't good enough or pretty enough. That she would never be what three incredible men wanted. No one had been there to hold her hand or talk to her or reassure her that everything would be all right. Because no one cared.
"We've been saying that we were held for questioning, pet." Dominic reached for her other hand. "Do you understand? They held us the full forty-eight hours because your doctors wouldn't allow you to answer questions. And our lawyers took their damn time getting here."
Tears threatened. She couldn't deny how much she loved seeing them, even if she wasn't sure why they'd come. Guilt? "No one said anything. They wouldn't even tell me what happened to Gigi."
"We hired a dog sitter," Law said quickly. "We flew them out on a private plane. She's fine. She and Butch are going to be here tomorrow so we can all fly out together."
So they planned to take her home. That was nicer than making her find her own way back. She supposed that was the polite thing to do, given that they weren't really in the kidnapping business. "It will be good to get back to New York."
"You're not going to New York." Law crossed his arms over his chest in a deeply forbidding gesture. "You're going to Dallas."
Riley's jaw firmed stubbornly. "You're not going anywhere but home with us, Kinley. I know you'll have things to clear up there, but not until the press's interest dies down. We're going to hole up at Dominic's."
"It's our place, not just mine anymore. It's our home, and we want to take you there with us." Dominic took her hand.
Why? The question floated through Kinley's head, but she didn't speak it. What was the purpose? To put them in the position where they had to explain the duty they felt to her, the responsibility to make sure she was safe from the media, the feds, and whoever else wanted a chunk of her?
"Kinley, we're going about this all wrong." Dominic raked a hand through his hair.
Annabelle rolled her eyes. "You sure are."