Emily Blair tugged Ashley Gomez along until they found a quiet spot some distance away—far enough that they couldn’t hear what Benjamin Gomez and Alex White were saying.
From where they stood, Emily could only see Alex’s back and Benjamin’s face; all she could tell was that the two men were deep in conversation.
Ashley stared in their direction, clearly worried. It took several gentle reassurances from Emily before Ashley finally, reluctantly, tore her gaze away.
Just as Emily was about to suggest a game to distract her, there was a sudden commotion nearby.
Without warning, Alex lunged forward, grabbed Benjamin by the collar, and yanked him up before landing a vicious punch squarely on Benjamin’s cheek.
Benjamin crashed onto a nearby bench with a thud—not loud enough to draw the whole floor’s attention, but loud enough to make Emily’s heart leap. She quickly cupped her hands around Ashley’s face, gently turning her away so she wouldn’t see or hear what was happening.
Ashley blinked, puzzled. “What’s going on?”
Emily scooped her into a hug. “Something came up, sweetheart. How about we go find Nurse Emily at the station? She’d love to play with you for a bit, wouldn’t that be fun?”
Ashley frowned. “Why do all you grown-ups always have stuff to do?”
For once, Emily was at a loss for words.
Truthfully, she just wanted an excuse to eavesdrop.
From the sound of it, things between Benjamin and Alex had escalated from arguing to an all-out brawl. Thankfully, they seemed aware they were still in a hospital, so they were keeping it relatively quiet—no shouting, just the dull thud of fists landing.
Emily waited for a lull, then picked Ashley up and whispered, “You’re such a good girl, Ashley. As soon as Daddy and I finish up, we’ll come get you, okay?”
Ashley clung to her shirt. “Promise you’ll be quick.”
Even while struggling, Alex spat out, “You really think you can show your face here after what you did? You should’ve stayed gone!”
He managed to grab Benjamin’s arm, twist, and flip him over, pinning him down.
Benjamin sneered, spitting to the side. “And who the hell are you to judge?”
Alex cursed under his breath, then drove his fist into Benjamin’s side. “You better explain how your daughter came to be.”
Benjamin just laughed, his meaning obvious. “You’re a doctor and you still need an explanation for where babies come from?”
That pushed Alex over the edge.
The commotion drew even more onlookers. It took a real effort to separate the two men—by the time they were finally pulled apart, both were battered and bruised, faces swollen and glaring daggers at each other. They looked downright frightening.

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