“I’m no expert in that department, Fiona. So far as I know, there are no hard and fast rules for coma patients.” Shawn wished there were more he could say, more he could promise. But he never gave false promises.
“I understand,” Fiona replied. “And I know you have done enough. But I’m asking you all the same.”
“Why did you ask me to care for Jane?” Shawn asked. “You could have found her a home with a nice couple somewhere. But instead, you asked me to care for her and protect her.” His eyes widened as it suddenly became clear why he’d been chosen. “You wanted her close just in case something like this happened. It was convenient.”
“Yes,” Fiona agreed. “And no. Your proximity to Bear Creek was advantageous. But that was never my primary concern.”
“Then why?” Shawn needed to know.
“I knew you were the best person for the job. I knew you would care for her because that is what you do. I’d seen you in the hospital.” She waved her hand at Shawn. “There was an incident with a child. She was brought into the hospital with a broken arm. The way you spoke to her. She was so scared, but you set her at ease. That is when I knew you were the man for the job.”
“You were at the hospital where I worked?” Shawn asked. “Is that where Yvette is?”
Fiona shook her head. “No, this was a couple of weeks before. I was there to pick up a little shifter boy whose mom and dad had died in a car accident. I’d arranged foster care for him, and I was waiting for the doctors to release him into my care. So when I was suddenly given this small helpless baby, it was like fate had brought us together and shone a light on you.”
Joanna shook her head. “This is all kinds of crazy. You picked Shawn out to be Jane’s dad. Just like that?”
Fiona leaned forward, her elbows on the table, her eyes narrowed. “Yes. I’m old enough to be an expert judge of character. When I found out Shawn originally came from Cougar Ridge, it seemed like a perfect choice.” She sat back in her seat. “Then I had him thoroughly investigated.”
“Wow. You checked me out?” Shawn’s shock was evident.
“I had to be sure you were the right man for the job. The right person for the job,” she corrected herself. “And I believe you were and still are.”
“Okay. Let’s get back to the present. Yvette is waking from a very long coma. You want Shawn to go to the hospital. And then what?”
“Yes, I want Shawn to go.” Fiona tilted her head to one side. “But you seem to be a good candidate for the job, too. A police detective. What more could I ask for?”
“I can go alone. Joanna doesn’t need to get caught up in this. She could be risking her career,” Shawn said quickly.
“So could you,” Joanna replied.
“If this gets out, I’m already going to have some awkward questions to answer. No one knows you are involved,” Shawn said gently. He wanted to save his mate from any possible fallout from this.
“Shawn…” Joanna began.
“It’s better this way,” Shawn insisted.
“We go together.” He could tell by her tone there was no point arguing.
We are better together, his cougar agreed.
“Perfect. I need to know if she’s likely to wake up,” Fiona told them. “If she does, I need to know what she knows.”
“Because whatever she knows is the reason she is in the coma.” Then Joanna asked, “What did the doctors say at the time?”
“Blunt force head trauma,” Fiona replied. “The doctors believed she’d possibly tripped and fell. I think she was assaulted.”
“And you think the him Yvette referred to was either Ostabell or the CEO?” Joanna asked, keeping her voice calm even though her eyes crackled with anger.
“I don’t know.” Fiona rubbed her hand over her eyes, looking as if the early morning, or late night, had caught up with her. “For all I know it could have been someone else. That’s why I could never pursue this further. Without the information stuck inside Yvette’s head, there was nothing for me to work on.”
“She didn’t tell you anything useful?” Joanna asked. “Before the accident, she didn’t give you any leads? Anything that might give us a place to start?”
“Do you think I would have waited this long if she had?” Fiona snapped.
“I’m just checking,” Joanna replied calmly. “The slightest piece of information might prove to be the biggest clue.”
“Nothing.” Fiona shook her head in frustration.
“And neither the CEO nor Ostabell ever went after her to finish the job?” Shawn asked. This was beyond belief. He always knew there must have been a good reason Fiona gave Jane to him to care for, but he had no idea it was this involved.
“No. Because I made her disappear. When she arrived at the hospital, I gave them a different name. It was an alias I sometimes used.” Fiona lifted her head and locked eyes with Joanna as if challenging her to ask further questions. She didn’t. “Then I paid for Yvette to be moved to a private medical facility, where she has continued to receive all the care she needs. No one knew her true identity.”
“You paid for that?” Joanna pointed a finger at Fiona. “That’s not cheap.”
“No, it’s not,” Fiona confirmed.
“Fiona has treasure,” Shawn explained quickly. “Dragon treasure.”
“Of course. Don’t they all.” Joanna shook her head. “Sorry, that was rude.”
“Don’t worry about it. I’ve heard much worse.” She shook off Joanna’s comment. It was unimportant.
“So you paid for Yvette to be cared for privately. And you handed the baby to Shawn to raise.” She pointed at Shawn. “Now Yvette is waking up and you are worried that someone will get to her and try to silence her. And perhaps this will put Jane in danger, too.”
“That just about sums it up. Yes.” Fiona nodded. “We need to know what she’s said, if anything coherent… And if she wakes up, we need to know what she knows. Then we can take action and finally get justice done.”
“And the best person to send is a doctor who can read charts and make sense of her condition. And a police detective who knows the right questions to ask.” Joanna nodded. “Makes sense. We can leave first thing.”
“You don’t have to get involved in all of this.” Shawn hated the idea of Joanna being in pain and if this guy Ostabell was involved, it would cause her pain. Old wounds would be torn open. He didn’t want that for his mate. He wanted to protect her.
“No, I don’t. But I am. And if Roman Ostabell has anything to do with this and I can find the proof, I will make sure he pays. Along with this CEO. What’s his name?” Joanna asked.
Fiona ground her back teeth together. “He isn’t a CEO any longer. And there is slim chance we can find the proof we need and get anything to stick after so long.”
“Who is he?” Joanna asked firmly.
“He’s Gerald Comer. Mayor Gerald Comer.” Fiona tilted her head to one side. “This is not going to be easy.”
“Shit!” Joanna dragged a hand through her hair. “The mayor. That explains so much. I always knew the corruption in the police force went high up but I never guessed the mayor was involved, too.”
“He’s built himself a reputation for being respectable. But that respect was built by inflicting misery on others.” Fiona’s eyes flashed amber again.
“What is the plan? For Yvette. And Jane. What is the plan for their futures?” Shawn hated the idea of putting Jane in danger.
“The plan is to make sure Yvette is safe. Find out what she knows. If there is any proof of her suspicions, then we decide how to proceed. But above all, keeping Yvette and Jane safe is our priority. Even if that means walking away. But that would be the very last resort.” Fiona pressed her lips together. “I know this is personal for you, Joanna. But we do have to be prepared to walk away.”
“I get it.” Joanna nodded. “I agree that we do nothing that would put Jane and Yvette in danger. But I also believe that corruption needs to be swept
away. And if there is any way of taking down the mayor, I’m going to pursue it.”
Fiona looked dubious but she nodded her head. “We only act on exposing the mayor if we have enough evidence that does not put Yvette in danger. She needs to be kept out of this. And so does Jane.”
“And Jane?” Shawn asked the most painful question. “If Yvette does remember. If she makes a full recovery?” As a doctor that was always his wish. He worked tirelessly to help his patients regain their life. “What if she knows who Jane’s mother is? Who her parents are?”
If Yvette regained her memories, then he could lose the child he’d raised as his own.
“We’ll deal with that when and if the time arises. But I promise you, Shawn, the adoption was completely legal. She is your daughter.” Fiona’s expression expressed pity and a hint of remorse laced her voice as she said, “I’m sorry I dragged you into this without you knowing the full details. But I did it for your own protection.”
“I don’t regret a single moment,” Shawn admitted. “Given the same choice and even with the knowledge of who Jane is and what I was risking, I would do it all again.”
Fiona smiled sadly. “And that is why I chose you, Shawn.”
“And that is why I’m lucky to have you as a mate.” Joanna turned around and linked her arm with his. “We’ll get through this together.”
Shawn nodded. “Together. And I only want what is best for Jane.”
“I’ll text you the details of the hospital. Can you arrange childcare for Jane? If not, she can come and stay with me.” Fiona headed for the front door.
“I can ask Joey. They have fun together.”
“Are you saying I am not fun?” Fiona asked bluntly.
“No, I’m just saying we don’t know what is ahead of us and it’ll be easier if Jane isn’t around to overhear conversations. Joey has no clue. I can just tell him I want to take my new mate away for a couple of days.”
“Will Jane be okay with that?” Joanna asked. “I’d hate for her to think I was taking you away from her.”
“I’ll make sure she’s okay with it. We can bring her back a gift.” He smiled. “But honestly, she loves Joey. She’ll probably thank you.”
“Aw, she loves you the best,” Joanna told him. “It’s not all about fun. It’s about knowing that someone is there for you no matter what.”
“As a parent or a mate, that is very true,” Fiona agreed.
“I know.” He inhaled deeply and ran his hand over his face. It wasn’t even light yet and he was already emotionally drained. “We have a long day ahead of us. Maybe we should go and get some more rest.”
“Yes, I’ll leave you two in peace.” Fiona headed toward the front door with Shawn following. “Thank you.” She glanced up at him, the dragon shifter looked old and tired, as if she carried the weight of the past on her back.
“Don’t be sorry,” Shawn told her gently. “I should be thanking you for giving me the chance to have a daughter as wonderful as Jane. She’s the best thing that ever happened to me.”
“One of the best things.” Fiona nodded toward Joanna who was still in the kitchen.
“One of the best things.” He grinned. “I still have not gotten used to having a mate.”
“You will.” Fiona took hold of his hand. He’d never seen the dragon shifter so openly emotional. “Whatever happens, Jane will always be your daughter.”
He pulled his head back and swallowed down the lump of emotion in his throat. “I just need to process all this.”
“Whatever happens, it’s going to be a long, long process. Yvette might have opened her eyes but it’s a long road to recovery. If she’s mentally aware.” Fiona’s mouth drooped down at the corners. “But Joanna is right. Gerald Comer needs to pay for what he’s done. He broke Yvette and he’s ruined lives. Every time I see him in the press or on social media, smiling as if he’s the good guy, I want to shift into my dragon and fly over there and bite his head off.”
“Remind me never to get on the wrong side of you, Fiona.”
“Never going to happen, Shawn.” She let go of his hand. “Now, go and talk to your mate. I’ll send the address to you. Let me know when you get there and keep me updated.”
“Will do.” Shawn lifted his hand and waved to Fiona as she crossed the street and melted into the darkness down an alleyway. He stood still, watching the skyline until the faint outline of a dragon appeared against the inky blue sky.
That never gets old, his cougar said.
Dragons are special, Shawn agreed as he closed the front door and turned around. But so is our mate. And so is Jane.
We just need to find a way through this, his cougar said. A way in which we all get what we want.
I didn’t know you believed in miracles, Shawn said drily.
I didn’t. Then we met our mate and now everything seems possible, his cougar replied.
Chapter Ten – Joanna
“How are you doing?” Joanna asked as Shawn came back into the kitchen. “I’m only asking since you look like crap.”
“Back at you.” Shawn cracked a grin when she widened her eyes in mock offense. “I’m only joking.” He came to her and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. “You look amazing.”
“No, I don’t.” She ran her hand through her hair. “I look terrible.” Then she gave him a light punch on the arm. “And you are not supposed to lie to me.”
“I wasn’t lying.” He held her closer and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “You will always look amazing to me.”
“Thanks.” She lifted her chin and looked into his eyes, trying to figure out if he was all right since he hadn’t answered her question. Stroking his cheek with her hand, she kissed his lips. “Whatever happens, I’m there for you.”
“I know.” He nodded and glanced toward the stairs. “I’m scared.”
“I understand why.” She took a step back and held his hands in hers. “It’s tough. You want Yvette to be okay but at the same time you know that she might hold information that could cause you to lose your daughter.”
“That just about sums it up. My job, everything I believe in, everything I work for is about saving lives. I want Yvette to wake up and be well.” He sighed, his chest rising and falling as he stood in silence for a long moment. “But it’s not that simple. There are bigger repercussions and they scare the hell out of me.”
She nodded. “You’re worried that this will bring trouble. That the mayor is not going to roll over when…if he’s accused of…” She shook her head. “I don’t even want to think about it.”
“Yes. I’m scared about the trouble this might cause. The danger it might put Jane in.” He shook his head and pulled away from Joanna. “We don’t know the true story about Jane and Yvette. We don’t know who Jane really is. I don’t think I could bear to lose her.”
“We won’t let that happen,” Joanna said firmly.
“You don’t know that we’ll be able to stop it. Or that Gerald Comer won’t come after Jane and use her as leverage.” The pain in Shawn’s eyes was almost too much for Joanna to bear. She wanted to tell him this would be okay. She wanted to promise him that she would protect them. That the law would protect them. But Mayor Comer was a man of influence.
We could always just run somewhere far away, her wolf insisted. We know a dragon or two who would carry us across the ocean. We can find somewhere safe to live away from this all.
Maybe one of those dragons owns a nice secluded island we could live on. Joanna caught sight of a drawing stuck to the front of Shawn’s fridge. It was a picture of Jane and a group of friends, smiling and happy as they played in a pool. But that would not be fair for Jane.
None of this is fair, is it? Her wolf snarled fiercely as she paced up and down inside Joanna’s head. The mayor has a lot to answer for.
If it weren’t for the mayor, Jane would never have had a father like Shawn. Joanna huffed. I hate these conundrums. I like my life simple.
Then you shou
ldn’t have chosen to be a cop, her wolf answered.
“Let’s go and get some sleep,” Shawn suggested as he put the cups in the sink.
“Do you think you can sleep with all this in your head?” Joanna asked.
“I’m going to try.” He slipped his arm around her shoulders. “Maybe if you hold me close, I’ll forget all about it.”
“I’m willing to test that theory.” She put a bright smile on her face even though she didn’t feel like smiling.
“And what about you?” he asked as they reached the kitchen doorway.
“What about me?” She swallowed down the lump in her throat. She’d cried so many tears over her dad’s death. The recent court case where Roman Ostabell had been sentenced to life imprisonment for his crimes, including the murder of her father, had given her some kind of closure.
With the news that Mayor Comer might be the man pulling Ostabell’s strings, the wound had been ripped wide open once more. It hurt so much, and her inner rage threatened to consume her. However, she’d lived with her father’s murder for so long, she was certain she could keep it together.
At least until the situation with Yvette and Jane was resolved. Then, maybe they could take a vacation and she could put it all behind her before she started a new life with Shawn.
A new life here in Cougar Ridge? her wolf asked.
Just because you like the idea of running free whenever you want, Joanna replied.
I like the idea of freedom, her wolf admitted. Not just freedom to become a wolf, but freedom from the past. Perhaps it’s time to start a new life here. And leave our old life behind.
Perhaps, Joanna agreed.
“It can’t be easy hearing this news about your father’s murderer.” They stood at the bottom of the stairs. All she wanted to do was go to bed and get some sleep, but she doubted she would. If the news about their upcoming visit to the hospital to see Yvette wasn’t enough to distract her from sleep, then the news about the mayor would be.
Shawn Spring Shifter Seasons Page 7
