“We’ll keep her overnight. Assuming she doesn’t show any latent problems, she can go home tomorrow. However, she’ll need to take it easy for the next week. No strenuous activities. She may be a little short of breath for a bit. It takes time for the lungs to fully heal. Based on what we’ve seen so far, I don’t expect any scarring or persistent hoarseness. She’s damn lucky.”
“If she were lucky, she wouldn’t be in the hospital,” Matt snarled. “If she were lucky, there wouldn’t be some asshole trying to kill her.”
Markum sighed, as if dealings like this occurred on a routine basis where the brothers were concerned. “I assume she’ll have a police presence overnight?”
“She’s not getting out of my sight again.”
Billy elbowed Matt toward Katt’s room. “Go, hold her hand and talk to her. Reclaim what’s left of your sanity.” Turning to the physician again, Billy asked, “What else should we expect in the following days?”
His brother’s conversation tuned out as Matt closed the distance to Katt’s bedside. Her eyes remained closed. With her dark hair a tangled mess around her pillow, she looked like a lost waif rescued from the street.
The chair’s cushion squeaked under his weight as he leaned back and rested his head. He’d delayed medical treatment for himself after a brief assessment, insisting he’d escaped the worst of it by covering his mouth and nose when entering the blazing trap.
As if feeling the weight of his gaze, Katt opened her eyes. “Hey.” Confusion knit her brow as she lifted her hand to examine the attached IV.
“Hey. How’re you feeling?” Matt took her other hand and placed it on the bed but kept it snug in his own.
“Like I ran a marathon through a forest fire. Thanks for the rescue. Gila?”
“Fine. He’s with Megan’s partner at the animal hospital.” A weak cough had him up and hovering before she could finish.
“How about some water? It’ll soothe your throat.” The nurse had left a pitcher and cup with a straw on the nearby table after explaining the necessity for hydration. He helped her take a few sips before she pushed the cup away.
“Enough.”
“For now. But you’re going to be drinking a lot.”
“It’ll make me have to pee.”
“Then I’ll make sure you get to the bathroom.”
“Ugh. You’re mean.”
“You’re going to recover.”
Within the next several heartbeats, her eyes closed and soft snores drifted to his ears.
The gentle rise and fall of her chest, along with various beeps and blips of light provided little assurance. Not only was Katt not out of the woods, but a killer had lined her up in his sights.
Two nurses came in to transfer them to a room on the second floor. Since death had almost claimed her, he thought of himself and Katt as one unit. Together. Ethan and Billy followed them, firming up their plan going forward while the others trailed behind, their low murmurs drifting off when the nurses rolled Katt’s bed into the elevator.
It didn’t take long for the admitting nurse’s assessment. The late hour and meager activity ensured others helped get the new arrival settled with little fanfare. Again, they took her blood pressure, listened to her heart and lungs, and tested her reflexes while listening to her mumbled responses to questions concerning orientation.
Before leaving, they turned on the attached bathroom light and closed the door to a narrow gap. The amber strip pooled in the far corner but provided enough illumination to let him keep an eye on his heart’s desire. His brothers left after deciding on a rudimentary plan.
As a K9 handler, he hadn’t pulled all-nighters for a few years. Tonight, he had no difficulty staying awake. His thoughts fixed miles away, but his gaze remained on the gentle ebb and flow of air from her body.
She stirred long enough to ask again about Gila before drifting off.
He thought about the days to come. After this night, she wouldn’t give him any guff about staying for the short run, but what about after that? She wasn’t a dalliance he could discard. No, she was the ultimate prize, a treasure for all time.
They fit together like pieces of the puzzles they both enjoyed solving.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Katt opened her eyes to look around. Memories came back with the aches and pains of finding a position of comfort. Beside her bed, Matt lay sprawled in the chair, his six-foot-three frame reducing the furniture to child-size. His look of concentration rivaled anything she’d ever seen. He didn’t speak.
“Hey.” Her semi-private room lacked a roommate, which was probably his doing.
Matt frowned as her voice cracked. She didn’t remember much, but did recall the doctor saying it might take a few weeks for her to sound normal.
“Good morning to you, too.” Matt shifted position to reach her water cup.
“No. No more. Please.” Every time she opened her eyes, he shoved that damned cup of water in her face.
“Drink. It flushes the shit out of your system faster.”
“I like my shit just where it is. It means I won’t blow over in a windstorm.”
“I didn’t risk my neck to pull your ass out of the fire to watch you ignore your doctor’s orders. Drink now, or I’ll tell the staff you refuse to stay hydrated. You think you have to pee frequently now? Wait till they open up that IV. You’ll live in the bathroom.”
She took a few sips to placate her tormentor. “Ya know, I bet you were the kid in school voted most likely to hand out fun size packages of mini salad on Halloween.”
“Yeah, right. Speaking of food, are you hungry?”
“Starving.”
“This room is right across from the nurses’ station. I’ll stick my head out and tell them you need something to eat.”
“Don’t do something stupid—like telling them I’m a vegetarian.”
“Wouldn’t dream of it. I know how much you enjoy animal crackers.” He’d cleaned his face, but his clothes were torn and filthy.
His idea of lightening the mood worked, lifting the corners of her mouth. “As long as it’s not gelatin.” A push of the button on the side rail raised the head of her bed and provided a nice view of his retreating ass.
Various vases of flowers on the side shelf caught her attention. Imagination supplemented her inability to scent the roses. Smoky aroma filled the room. No doubt, it would last a while.
One vase took center stage, a large hand-painted, tapered globe in teal and bronze. Bright orange gerberas, chrysanthemums, oak leaves, and huckleberry spilled over its edges. They reminded her of Matt’s quiz concerning the plant life along a hiking trail. Identifying the varied life came through experience, where she learned the hard way some of the most beautiful things in life are ones you can’t touch. Or have.
Vertical PVC blinds had blocked most of the sun’s shafts from disturbing her rest, but strong rays seeping around their edges proclaimed the day waxing into late morning.
The thud of fist striking flesh shot her upright in bed. “Hey, what’s going on out there?”
No further sounds of a scuffle ensued. It was the ominous silence before an all-out brawl.
Around the edge of the hanging curtain, she could make out a small slice of the doorway. Matt’s rigid form spelled trouble. The other voice, one recognized since grade school, belonged to her longtime confidant.
“What the hell have you been doing? You’re supposed to protect her—not land her in the hospital.” Laredo’s anger slipped through stilted words.
“I pulled her out of the house.”
“She’s a patient in the hospital! That’s the best protection you can provide? You’re fucking useless.”
Pain throbbed through her skull, but the anguish of listening to her best friends argue overrode words seethed in anger.
“There was a fire. By the time I got inside, she’d inhaled smoke. Hence, she’s here for observation.”
“You were outside her house? Why? You know she’s in love
with you. You dumb son of a bitch. What the hell are you doing?”
The bitterness in Laredo’s words carved a path to her heart, leaving her soul raw and exposed. Until sitting on the bench behind the diner, she’d been blind to the extent of her best friend’s feelings. Years of shoulder-to-shoulder comradery, and she hadn’t picked up the signs. She knew the pain of rejection, and so had he. Yet, in her time of greatest sorrow, he’d been there for her, helping her in whatever capacity needed. What had she done for him—and to him?
“It... it’s neither the time nor the place for this conversation.”
“You better believe we are going to have it, prick. Privately and soon. If you can’t protect her, I can. I’m not hindered by pesky things like laws where her safety is concerned.”
Matt’s low snarl preceded him stepping back in the room. His expression smoothed into one of concern when seeing her standing at the bedside, yet a strange anxiety-filled silence hung in the air. “You. Back in bed.”
Her muscles protested the abuse of the simple moves. “Nothing like lying around all day to make you sore.”
Laredo followed him in, stepping aside and frowning his displeasure. “What’d you get into now, Nugle?” A higher level of concern rated address by surname.
“I didn’t do anything.”
“Then why did someone burn your house to the ground? And why didn’t I hear about it until this morning?” Laredo stepped to the bedside and took her hand.
“Sorry, Ray-ray. I just woke up. I was a bit out of it when they brought me in last night.”
“You all right?”
“Yeah, I’m going home in a bit.”
“To the imaginary house with invisible walls? The one of ash beams, a chimney, the one that stinks of smoke and charred remains?”
“Oh, yeah. Well—”
“She’s staying with me.” A muscle near Matt’s temple ticked when his gaze fell to Katt and Laredo’s joined hands.
“Because that worked out so well in the past? I don’t think so.” Years of friendship filled Laredo’s gaze with heartfelt concern. “Come with me, Katt. There’s nothing left for you here.” Determination flattened his lips when he jutted his chin at Matt. “Let the cops figure out what’s going on in their own good time. We can disappear in plain sight, in southern California.”
“No.” Matt fisted his hands at his sides. “She’s a material witness, and we don’t know the extent of these bastards’ reach. She’s staying with me. End of story.”
“Guys. Listen up. I’ll be the one to decide where I go from here. Nobody tells me what to do or how to do it. Never has and never will.”
“Katt, you’ve lost everything, and you didn’t carry renter’s insurance. We can start fresh elsewhere.” Laredo sat on the edge of the bed.
To make matters worse, the McAllister crew, each brother and their significant other, entered the room in twos. Darting looks between the two men present revealed their uncertainty. Laredo kept hold of her hand, raising the eyebrows of her visitors.
She couldn’t hurt him by pulling away, yet the strain in Matt’s shoulders and the tightness around his mouth betrayed his agony.
“Hi, guys. Thanks for stopping by. How’s it going?” Katt wanted nothing more than to pull the covers over her head and hide the tears threatening to spill over her cheeks.
“Hey, we brought you some necessities.” Kaylee motioned Caden to set the paper bag at the foot of her bed. “We have Crunch bars, chocolate covered raisins, blueberry pies, and of course, the all-time fave, soft gummies.” Depression of the mattress signaled the weight of the bag at her feet.
“Jeez. There’s enough to feed us all.” Leaning forward to tip the bag over camouflaged her letting go of Laredo’s hand.
“Well, we’re here, too. We all need to eat... so, there’s enough for everyone.” Kaylee’s pointed if sidelong glance stopped on Matt’s relaxing shoulders.
Lexi and Ethan nudged Caden aside to deposit a small duffle bag on the bed. “It’s filled with clothes. Ethan and I went shopping. I brought you some jeans, sneakers, T-shirts, and um, other stuff.” A sly grin foreshadowed the contents of the unmentioned items were rated for mature women only.
Remie and Billy moved closer and stood beside Matt. “Billy and I picked up Gila and Damien and will keep them until you’re out. Megan said your ferret will recover and be fine.” Remie’s assessment took in Laredo’s confusion. “You’ll have to excuse us. We tend to congregate whenever and wherever necessary.”
Luc brought his arm around Megan and held her close. Each smiled, albeit a bit stilted when taking in Katt’s oldest friend. Laredo’s posture tightened with the McAllisters visually dissecting him.
“How close are you to catching the bastard gunning for her?” Laredo’s open hostility filled the air.
“We—” Matt began, his gaze sliding to the closed door before hardening and facing Laredo on the opposite bedside.
“We found a container, the accelerant used to start the fire. Your arsonist was careful about his choices.” Luc faced Matt as he continued, “The fire marshal’s still combing the area, but thinks the mix was a combination of commonly found chemicals which will be hard to trace. They’ll have to finish chemical testing for definitive results.”
“If you have no idea who’s after her, then you can’t provide protection.” Laredo’s challenge stiffened all their postures.
“She’ll be safe with me.” Matt’s barely restrained anger hummed just under the surface, like the mega voltage leading to the electrode worn by one strapped to a chair. The flip of a switch, or ill-spoken word could spell disaster.
“And what about while you’re working?”
“We’re a team,” Kaylee replied, stepping around Caden to stand before Matt and placing her hand on his chest to halt him in his tracks. “We are all concerned about Katt’s safety.” As the most empathetic of the group, she often kept the peace with a soft touch.
“We stand together. Katt’s part of the family.” Billy’s assertion received agreeing murmurs except for one blond-haired, wiry, construction supervisor.
“Laredo, I’ll be fine. I’ll come visit when this mess is finished. I promise.” She’d never been the center of attention or the focus of anyone’s world. For friends to argue over her welfare ground the shame of her ineptitude deeper into her spirit. Her heart had claimed the McAllister family over her drunken father or absentee mother. She wanted them to see her as an equal.
“Let me know what you need, Katt. You know I’ll always be there for you.” The glare Laredo turned on Mathew McAllister held meaning they all understood.
The sudden vacuum created by Laredo’s turning to leave shot her moral compass straight to Hell. She’d never intended to hurt such a dear friend. By not agreeing to go with him, she’d stated her intent as loudly as if she’d shouted it from the rooftop. The charred odor encompassing her spirit would never wash clean.
“Thank you for not taking off again.” Matt’s death grip on the steering wheel failed to bleed off his anxiety. Lack of the anticipated argument left him with an adrenaline surge he couldn’t disperse or consume. Tears had brimmed her eyes yet failed to fall when her friend left with his shoulders slumped in defeat.
“I figured if I ran, you’d just follow.” Dejection and something darker, something ominous, smoldered in her voice.
To the ends of the earth, Nugget. “I did tell you I’d keep you safe, remember? I also encouraged you to follow-up when Denny terminated your employment. I’m in this mess just as deep.”
“He would have come after me either way—for the jacket and the picture I took of him with my phone.”
Matt grunted and shook his head.
“I need to stop by my father’s house, if you don’t mind? There’s something I left there I’d like to have.” Her gaze drifted out the window at the passing city streets, a constant since leaving the hospital.
“Sure. Is he home now?” Since she always avoided speaking about
the man who’d withdrawn after her mother left, Matt assumed old hurts ran deep and had never pushed the issue. It appeared she needed a buffer to face him.
“Probably. He used to work evenings and had weekends off. If he’s still at the same job, then yes, he’ll be home.” Midday sun shimmered off her silken locks. Lexi’s thoughtfulness in including scented shampoo along with the comb and brush had elicited a thankful grin when she’d stepped into the small hospital shower.
In a monotone trickle of words, she directed him to her childhood house. The surrounding neighborhoods featured like homes, each showing signs of long-term neglect.
It was her tone, riding the air in chilled waves that whispered a doom fast approaching. She was planning something, yet her lips remained tucked between her teeth, as if preventing damning words from spilling.
An unkempt yard and a picket fence missing a large percentage of slats fronted the bungalow in dire need of paint. Katt said nothing as he pulled onto the dirt shoulder.
Expecting the worst and receiving more of the same left him without words of consolation. Katt’s averted gaze and crimson cheeks said it all. Since meeting her, he’d expected she came from a neglectful home more than an abusive one. He’d ached to delve into her past, but respected her privacy, looking forward to the day when she opened up to him. Mixed feelings left his anger in need of a target. The very idea of siring kids, though scary, encompassed a distant hope, one he’d seldom entertained until pulling a coal-haired bundle of determination from the jaws of a fiery death.
Her current misfortune, caused by his neglect, furthered his understanding. At a great cost. Pride. Rare was the occasion that she spoke of her father. Now, he understood why.
At one time, she’d wanted help in finding her mother, but on her own terms. The information she’d sought included how to find the woman, not assistance in the actual legwork. It wouldn’t have surprised him to learn Katt spent every spare moment scouring the net and speaking with friends of the family, if such people existed.
McAllister Justice Series Box Set Page 20
