The ambulance must have blown some land speed record, arriving at the hospital in no time. True to Jack's word, a towering black man greeted them at the curb, introducing himself as Dr. Ethan Collins and looking like he'd recently strolled off the golf course, dressed in a teal polo shirt and light grey slacks. Solana released her abuela's hand as they lowered her out of the ambulance and was shocked as the doctor addressed her.

"Solana, is it?" A hand on her back guided her through the wide hospital doors. "I'm Ethan Collins and I'm going to take good care of your grandmother. What can you tell me about her medical history?"

Well, this was different. Any other time they'd ended up in the emergency room, the first question was always did they have insurance. An expression of dismay usually followed this after the nurse at reception learned there was none, and they'd be paying out of pocket. Next there would be forms to fill out and hours to wait before they got near a doctor.

Panic licked at the back of Solana's throat. How were they going to pay for this? She couldn't afford the ambulance ride, never mind whatever this special treatment was about. The hand resting between her shoulder blades moved in a gentle stroke and some of the tension eased despite her trepidation.

Dr. Collins repeated his request. "Solana, anything you can tell me about your grandmother would be very helpful."

"She has onset diabetes, type two and takes pills to manage it."

A young woman glared daggers at Solana and glanced longingly at the doctor as they bypassed the waiting room, following the gurney down a long corridor. "And has she been taking them regularly, as prescribed?"

"I... I don't know. She should, but sometimes she forgets." Lie. Ximena had a mind as sharp as a tack. What she lacked was the funds to buy her medication. Solana transferred money to her every month to help however, there never seemed to be enough. Every time they thought they were ahead, the oven broke or Luc needed new shoes, draining any savings. Solana had a suspicion her abuela was eeking out her medication, taking fewer pills, trying to save money.

A knot eased in her gut as Dr. Collins' dark eyes didn't judge. "I see."

They'd arrived at a T in the hallway. The paramedics went left, yet Dr. Collins opened the door directly across from them. "You can wait in here and I'll be back as soon as there's news." He pointed to the opposite wall covered in white cabinets and a chrome clad machine resting on the counter. "There's coffee, tea etc. Help yourself."

"Wait." Solana hesitated in the doorway; her purse pressed against her chest. This was too easy. He was too... kind. Where was the catch? Why was she not back in the crowded waiting room with the other family members and patients in distress? She wanted to ask how much all this would cost. The questions got stuck in her throat. "Thank you."

His expression softened. "Take a seat. We'll talk soon."

The door closed, and she was alone. In a private waiting room, air conditioning blasting on her bare arms. Solana touched the armchair before her, confirming the light beige material was indeed real leather. No duct tape holding together the collection of overstuffed chairs, no gum covering the plush arms of the two-seater couches. In fact, everything in the room looked barely used.

Beside the chair on a glass table sat an array of magazines from this month, not last year. She picked one up and flipped through. No mustaches etched on to the face of the man selling pain medication, no sexual anatomy parts added to the woman smiling over her new car.

Silence reigned as Solana stood stunned, not sure what to do with herself. They hadn't even asked her to fill out any forms. Her instinct was to run, leave the room and take her rightful place back in the overflowing waiting room down the hall. Instead, she dropped her purse on to the couch by the window and tried to figure out the metal contraption that most likely dispensed coffee. Coffee, she understood. Coffee was normal. Coffee she could control.

Turned out the process was as easy as pressing a few buttons. There was a selection of various flavours and concoctions, such as cappuccinos and lattes, even hot chocolate or tea.

Black coffee in hand, she sat. Panic had her standing again as Solana realized Luc wouldn't know where to find her. She crossed the room, intent on leaving when the door opened, and a woman dressed in pale green ushered Luc in.

"Solly." Her brother lunged for her. "We rode in Jack's limo."

Bram framed the door, and Solana caught herself scanning the hallway behind him for Jack. The lanky man was nowhere to be seen and a tinge of disappointment settled in her stomach, quickly drowned by the worry and fear swirling fighting for dominance. Her long-time next-door neighbour and best friend crossed the space, engulphed her in his muscular arms and pressed his cool lips on her forehead. "How is she?"

All her life Bram had been there, through the good and bad. At age eight, she fell off her bike and Bram walked both their bikes home as she limped beside him. Ten years later, when she crashed her motorcycle and broke her ankle, Bram carried her up and down her abuela's stairs for weeks. He missed Solana's wedding but picked her up when she called upset but finally making the decision to leave Cassius.

Born a week apart, they'd celebrated every birthday together, joint parties, shared vanilla birthday cakes with chocolate frosting. Every year until three years ago. She'd made a mistake and run away to Vegas. They'd talked the few times she came home to visit, yet things weren't the same.

Despite the tension, he was here, and Solana leaned into his embrace. "She didn't wake up." The picture of Ximena's grey face in the back of the ambulance made Solana's stomach drop, fear filling her belly. She wanted to say more, but was conscious of the fact Luc was listening. "The doctor is with her now."

"Is it Ethan?"

She left Bram's hold and knelt down to Luc's level to answer him. "Yes. Dr. Collins is looking after abuela."

"Good. Jack said he's the best..." Luc looked up at Bram "what was the word he used?"

"Can't remember. He's some big deal in this place. Probably pawned Ximena off to some orderly."

Ire bristled up Solana's spine. This was why she and Bram could never be together. For all their similar backgrounds and shared adventures, they were too different on a fundamental level. Life never worked out for either of them, but at least she didn't blame other people for her problems. She was perfectly aware half the crap that befell her was her fault. Her marriage quickly disintegrated, but it was her choice to marry the wrong man for all the wrong reasons. She'd lost her temper with Jack at the club, sprayed him with champagne. Sure, Jack was an arse, but she couldn't control him or any other arrogant customer. She could only control her own reactions.

Bram, on the other hand, had someone else handy to blame for every bump in the road he hit. In high school, his best friend stole the girl he had the hots for, even though Bram never once asked Felicia out. His mobile car detailing business failed because the right clientele didn't notice him, never considering it was because his prices were too high for regular folks and those with Lamborghinis didn't need his services.

"Luc, I think there's hot chocolate over there. Wanna check?" She rose and addressed Bram. "Dr. Collins is really nice, actually. Let me stay in this private room and promised to give me an update."

"Sure. With that ass—" Bram glanced at Luc "—wipe like Jack I bet their laughing at us right now as they rack up the bill."

Irritation flared again but Solana pushed it down. "Hey. He helped."

"How do you really know this man?" Bram ground the last word out through gritted teeth like the three letters strung together were razor blades in his mouth. The judgemental attitude rolling off her oldest friend bristled along her skin and Solana stepped away. He had no right to judge who she hung out with. Not that she was friends with Jack. Still, it was none of Bram's business.

"I told you. We met last night in Vegas and then again on the plane." Solana focused on Luc. "Can we not fight?" Not giving Bram a chance to respond, she turned her back on him, wandering over to help Luc figure out the machine.

"Jack only had water in the limo. No Brio. I asked." Luc held the paper cup under the spout as the machine whirred to life. "Did you know he's richer than Iron Man?"

Of course, Jack thought he was better than Ironman. Jack thought he was better than any man. Yet she couldn't deny he'd done something a lot of other people in her life didn't do—when a crisis arose, he stayed. A small part of her wished he were here now.

"You like Jack, huh?" Solana ran her fingers over her baby brother's brush cut.

Luc nodded. "He's funny."

"Funny?"

"Yeah, he told me a joke. Wanna hear it?"

"You bet I do." Solana held the hot chocolate as Luc climbed into one of the oversized couches. The warm cup in her hand felt good, like the warmth of Jack's chest against her back in the kitchen as the paramedics attended her grandmother. The pressure of his hand on her waist helped combat the fear her legs would give way. He'd offered strength, and she'd taken it. Gladly. She shivered, goosebumps forming on her bare legs due to the air conditioning.

"How do you get a squirrel to like you?"

"I don't know. How?"

"You act like a nut."

Solana hid her smile by taking a sip from her cup. The corny joke seemed so out of character with the cocky attitude Jack portrayed since she'd met him. Luc beamed at her like he'd just discovered the meaning of life.

"Every minute we're in this place is adding to the hospital bill." Bram leaned against the wall. "Probably charge us for the hot chocolate."

Solana plopped into a seat, picked up a magazine and opened it to the middle, feigning interest in an article. "Cool your jets."

Still, Bram's words caught in her brain. Obviously, Jack pulled some string to get her preferential treatment upon arrival. How much was all this costing? How would she pay him back? And what was his angle?

Luc's hot chocolate had gone cold when Dr. Collins opened the waiting room door. "Solana?"

She shot out of her seat, expecting the worse. Bram's hand landed on her hip and Luc's arm circled her left leg. Whatever the news, they'd handle it together. "How is she?"

Dr. Collins' kind eyes surveyed the group. "Your grandmother is awake." Oxygen returned to Solana's lungs. "We've got her on a treatment to return her insulin levels to normal."

"When can we take her home?"

Bram's question seemed to catch the doctor off guard. "I'm concerned about the fall and subsequent blow to her temple. I'd recommend we keep her overnight for observation."

Bram's hand left her hip as he took a step toward the doctor. "And how much is that going to cost us?"

Solana stepped between Bram and the doctor, pushing Bram back with a hand on his chest. "If it's what she needs, we're sticking around."

"Of course, you can take her home." Dr. Collins addressed Solana, "Know that you don't need to worry about costs, Jack has everything covered."

"Excuse me?" Relief at there being no cost was quickly overrun by irritation at Jack for thinking her so poor she couldn't pay her own hospital bills. He was right, but that had nothing to do with this. She had always found a way to survive and didn't need his help. "What do you mean?"

"Jack insisted we treat your grandmother like she was a member of the Blackhorne family. Quite the statement, as Jack doesn't have any relatives aside from a few long-distance cousins." Dr. Collins put his hands into the large pockets of his oversized white coat. "Frankly, I was surprised when he called me."

Irritation morphed into concern. No one helped like this unless they had an ulterior motive, and Jack didn't seem like the kind of man to do something without expecting something else in return.

Bram yanked on Solana's arm, dragging her away and whispered. "Wait. Are you telling me Jack is Jack Blackhorne? Of Blackhorne and Caldwell?"

Solana cursed internally. She'd hoped Bram wouldn't make the connection between the man in the limo and the man with the billions. Now he had, she could practically see the wheels of manipulation turning inside Bram's mind. "Seems so."

"This could be big. If he's..." — Bram licked his lips — "interested in you, then maybe we can use him."

Solana jerked her arm out of Bram's grip. "We aren't using anyone. I'll simply find a way to pay him back. Abuela is our concern. Right?"

Bram nodded, but the faraway look in his dark eyes convinced her otherwise. She filed that away for later. Whatever scheme he came up with, she could dismantle it when the time came. "Dr. Collins, when can we see my Abuela?"

"I'll escort you to the suite your grandmother's resting in."

"Suite?" Tension pulled her shoulder blades together. A private room was beyond expensive. How much would a suite cost?

"Yes, Jack insisted we put her in the Blackhorne wing."