She folded her fingers and rested her hand against his cheek. “We’ll figure it out, Jude. I haven’t felt this way, this strong, this real before either, and I was married.”
He placed his hand over hers, savoring her caress. “Yeah, I know, honey.”
“There’s a lot you don’t know, but I want you to,” she told him.
“I’m ready to listen whenever you want to talk. I need to tell you why I’m here and what I’m doing, too, Nicole. But like I said, you can’t tell anyone any details.”
“I won’t. And I know you’ll do the same. There are things I’d rather most people don’t know about my ex and what he did. It’s one reason I left Memphis and why I’ve stayed so long.”
She’s gonna talk about it. Relief tasted sweet in his soul but it was short-lived. They had baggage to handle and obstacles to overcome. Jude had no idea how they would get past all of it but he resolved to make every effort. He opened his mouth to speak and his cell phone buzzed. With a sigh, he answered without bothering to check the caller ID. “Ryker.”
“Jude, are you coming back to the hospital anytime soon?” His brother Elijah sounded both frazzled and frantic.
“Sure, whenever you need me. How’s it going?”
Elijah sighed. “David’s holding his own, no change, but I’m worried about Tania. She’s a total mess. She can’t stop crying and when she’s not crying, she’s puking. I need to get her home and I could use a little sleep, too. I’m dead on my feet. I hate to ask but Adam and Noah both had to work, Esther’s got the kids, and Abigail’s working, too.”
“No problem, brother. I’ll be there. Give me half an hour to shower and get over there.”
“Thanks, Jude.”
The talk with Nicole had to wait. “Honey, I’ve gotta go…”
“I know,” she said. “I figured you did. I understand.”
“We need to grab a quick shower and change.” He knew he smelled of musk and sex and sweat. “Then we’ll head to the hospital…”
His voice trailed into silence when he noticed she wore yesterday’s clothing. “Oh, shit. You don’t have anything clean to wear, do you? And I imagine you’d like a shower, too. Nicole, I can drop you at the inn for a few hours so you can clean up, maybe rest.”
A stubborn expression changed her face, then she sighed. “I know, I should.”
“Then do. I can come back to get you later, if you want.”
“Or I can get Rick to give me a ride.”
“I imagine he would.”
****
At the hospital, brilliant morning sunshine flooded the corridors with light. A rush of the expected smells, medicinal and otherwise, hit his nose as Jude stalked into the waiting room. Tania sat slumped into a chair, eyes closed, with one hand clutching her stomach.
“Hey,” he said.
His soft voice roused her and she sat up, blinking. “Oh, Jude, it’s you.”
Before he could answer, she sprang up and threw her arms around him. He hugged her back. “Where’s ‘Lijah?”
“He’s with David. They allow a visitor every hour for a few minutes. I wanted to go back but they know I was sick earlier and they want me to go home. I don’t want to leave, though.”
“I’ll be here,” he promised. “You need to settle down and rest. You can’t help David if you’re not well, can you?”
Tania sniffed. “I guess not.”
“Then let Elijah take you home for a while.”
“Okay.”
“I’m glad she’ll listen to you,” his brother said from the doorway. “Come with me, Jude. I’ll show you the procedure for entering ICU and let the nurses know you’re family so you won’t have any trouble going back. If David should come around, I’d like someone to be close.”
Thirty minutes later, Jude stood at the window in his nephew’s pod and stared at the clear blue sky. The infinity was easier to look upon than David’s damaged body. With a breathing tube down his throat, his leg in traction, bruises dark against his otherwise pale face, and his eyes closed, Jude couldn’t deny that the kid remained in critical condition. No wonder Tania’s having such a hard time. I can’t hardly hack it myself and I’ve been where he’s at.
A nurse entered to check vitals and when Jude whirled, then offered to leave, she shook her head. “You can stay if you want,” she told him. “You’re calm and quiet.”
The smile she flashed him indicated interest but although he registered it, he didn’t share it. “Thanks,” he said. “I’ll sit here with him for a while then.”
In the quiet atmosphere, the sole sounds were the soft hisses and beeps of the equipment. As the nurses and staff passed the open doorway, their feet made little sound against the floor. Since the ICU area stood separate from the main hospital floor, few people entered. Jude sat ramrod straight in the chair with his arms crossed. He considered tilting it back on two legs to lean against the windowsill but decided against it. It wouldn’t take much for him to fall asleep and if he did, he’d probably end up on the floor with a crash. And they’d kick him out if he did so he remained upright.
He swore he could still smell a lingering hint of Nicole’s fragrance. Images of their intimacy filled his mind, so vivid his cock twitched within his jeans. It wasn’t just the sex, though. I love her, I really do. Love hadn’t been in the picture when he came back, but Jude could no longer imagine life without it or the woman who’d inspired him. Still, he had to stay focused on the investigation, all the more now that he’d found a lead. With Junior involved in David’s accident, it had also become personal to put an end to the moonshiners.
Instead of worrying about his nephew, rather than daydream about his woman, Jude schooled his brain to think about the case. Junior Wetzel had been drinking ‘shine at the football game. If he wasn’t manufacturing it himself—which Jude doubted—then he knew who was and where to find it. The trail had to begin with him and he needed to follow it soon.
Jude reviewed what he knew about Junior. He visualized Wetzel’s land and tried to remember if there were any old outbuildings or a cave on the property. I’ll just have to go tromping over it, pretending I’m hunting or something.
Deep in thought, he almost missed the sound David made, somewhere between a moan and a cry. Jude came to his feet and approached the bed. He eyed the monitors but as far as he could tell, the kid’s heart, pulse, and respiration appeared to be in normal range. When he glanced down at the bed, David stared back at him, eyes wild above the tube.
“Hey,” he said. “So you’re awake. That’s good. Do you know where you are?”
That had always been the first thing he needed to know when he woke after injury or illness. David moved his head from one side to the other with effort. “You’re in the hospital, kid. You were in a wreck, a bad one. I know you hurt like hell but you’re gonna be fine.”
David’s lips moved despite the tube, but Jude could guess what he asked. “Your mom and dad went home for a while to rest. They’re okay and the other kids are good. The accident happened last night, after the game.”
With effort, David grabbed hold of Jude’s hand and clawed at it. Jude opened his palm and David traced one letter, an ‘S’. Jude’s heart cracked. Oh, shit. He’s asking about Sierra and what the hell am I supposed to tell him? The truth will hurt but I don’t want to lie, either. Why did I have to be the one here when he had to ask?
“Buddy,” he said, then stopped. He had no idea if anyone ever called David by the old nickname but it’d been his, once. His dad had called all the boys by it when the mood struck him, usually in times of powerful emotion. “David, kid, there’s no easy way to say this and I’m not good at this shit, but Sierra didn’t make it. And I’m sorry, so sorry.”
Tears welled up in the teen’s eyes and dripped down his cheeks. His heart rate increased and so did his pulse. As Jude watched the multi-colored monitor, David’s blood pressure rose, too. Shit. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything. Two nurses hurried into the pod and he
glanced up. “He woke up.”
“That’s good,” the one who’d smiled at him earlier said. “You need to leave for a while so we can check the patient and make sure he’s stable.”
“Is he okay?”
Both women glared at him and he retreated. If he’d had a tail, he would’ve drug it low to the ground. Jude headed down to the waiting room and crossed the room to the window. He gazed outside and shook his head. The same old view of the local funeral parlor confronted him and he snorted. It sat to the left and to the right, two little kids and a dog cavorted. Life and death, he thought, life and death balanced.
He remained there, unwilling to sit down should anyone else need a seat. Jude didn’t want the aged coffee resting in the pot on the table, and when the television blared he switched it off. The rest of the Rykers were at work or resting so he’d be on his own for hours. When he could, he planned to return to ICU to check on David but for now, nothing loomed. Although tired, he doubted he could sleep and wasn’t sure he wanted to anyway.
So Jude manned his position at the window. He watched without interest as a funeral procession exited the parking lot and counted the number of cars following the hearse. Time drifted slower than the few clouds moving across the otherwise clear sky. He tried not to think, to stop the ceaseless effort to figure out where to begin his investigation, and wait. No matter how he tried, Nicole remained on his mind and in his consciousness. Jude missed her, more than he had thought possible.
His cell phone rang twice. Adam phoned on his break to ask after David and Noah called on his lunch break. More than one familiar face paused in the corridor to offer encouragement or a prayer. Near noon, when the aroma of food wafted down the hallways and from the small cafeteria downstairs, Jude’s belly rumbled. He needed more fuel than a couple of leftover biscuits but he hated to leave the waiting room until he knew more about David’s current condition. His three efforts to check had been rebuffed by the staff and he’d been told to try again after the lunch hour ended.
“Jude?”
At the sound of her voice, he turned, certain he must have conjured it out of his desire to see Nicole. She stood framed in the doorway, her hands filled with a huge basket. Gladness leaped through him and he crossed the floor with two strides. “Hi, honey,” he said. He wanted to pull her into his arms but couldn’t because of her burden. “Whatcha got?”
“I brought food,” she said. “Mary insisted and I thought you might be hungry. She made blueberry and chocolate chip muffins for everyone but she sent some fried chicken just for you. There’s even a little bowl of mashed potatoes with cream gravy.”
He inhaled and sighed with pleasure. “It smells good, reminds me of my mama’s chicken. I was just thinking I probably should eat something.” Then he shifted the basket from her hands and placed it on a table. “I’m glad you’re here, Nicole.”
She cupped her hand against his cheek. “You look worn out. How are you, Jude?”
Everyone else asked about David. “I’m tired but I’m okay.”
“Sit down and I’ll fix you a plate,” Nicole said.
“First, come here.” He kissed her and let his lips linger. She tasted sweet and the short kiss made his head whirl. God, he was tired and hungry too. If he didn’t sit soon, he’d probably fall down.
Jude settled into one of the recliners, the leather soft against his tired ass. Nicole put together a plate with a thigh, a breast, and a leg, each fried to a golden brown perfection. She added the still-warm bowl of ‘taters and gravy. He dug into it with gusto and ate it all. Once sated, his fatigue increased until he struggled to keep his eyes open.
“Now I’m sleepy,” he said with a yawn.
“So catch a nap.”
“Can’t,” he said. “I need to go check on David before long. I had to tell him about his girlfriend, Nicole, and he took it hard.”
“I’m sure he did but he’ll be all right. Get a little rest. I’ll be here if anyone comes with news and I’ll wake you.”
Aware he couldn’t win this battle, he conceded. “All right, but wake me up in twenty minutes, you hear? No more than that.”
“I hear you, Jude Ryker,” she said with a funny little smile.
His eyes drooped shut and he slid into the quiet blackness of sleep without further protest.
Chapter Ten
Before he fully roused, Jude savored a sense of comfort. His head rested easy on something soft and a rose fragrance nearby soothed him. He rested easy in the chair surrounding him. The soft conversations around him didn’t disturb him but put him at ease. Something brushed his hand, light and silken. It tickled so he opened his eyes to see what it might be and found Nicole propped against his right knee. Her slow, even breathing indicated she slept before he saw her closed eyes and slack expression. He blinked and glanced around the room, now filled with Rykers and their kin.
Jude stroked Nicole’s hair and met Adam’s gaze. “How’s the kid?” he asked.
“Better,” his oldest brother said. “They took him off the ventilator tube and will move him out of ICU in the morning. He’s healing, thank God.”
He shut his eyes with grateful relief. “Good. I’m glad. How long did I sleep?”
Adam shrugged. “Ever since I’ve been here, so a couple of hours at least, probably more,” he said. “She was awake when I came, though.”
“Neither one of us got much sleep last night.” Jude had no idea why he felt compelled to explain but his older brother smiled.
“None of us did, I imagine, but we will tonight, I hope. I’m out of here before long.”
Until he spoke, Jude hadn’t noticed Noah sitting on the floor, back against the wall. “I am, too. My day starts early at the plant.”
“You ought to take your woman and go home,” Adam said. “She is, isn’t she?”
Without hesitation, he replied, “Yeah, she’s mine. And I will, soon as I’ve had a chance to see Elijah.”
He wanted to tell his brother that he’d broken the tragic news about Sierra to David, although he had an idea ‘Lijah might already be aware. When he shifted position so he could stand up, Nicole woke. She yawned and stretched. “Hi,” she said.
With a feigned frown, he replied, “I told you to wake me after twenty minutes.”
His efforts failed to fool her. Nicole smiled. “You needed the sleep more.”
When he offered, she took his hand and he helped her to her feet. “As soon as I talk to Elijah, I’m out of here. Want to come with me?”
Six Rykers paused in conversation with avid interest. “Yes,” Nicole said. “I do.”
With a nod, he walked out into the hallway and met Elijah. They talked for a few minutes and as he’d expected, his brother knew he’d told David about his girlfriend’s death.
“You did the right thing, Jude,” Elijah said. “You saved me from having to be the one so I appreciate that.”
“I hated doing it.”
“He had to know,” his brother said. The elevator doors opened and a booming voice rang out. “Shit.”
Jude turned to see who made the disruption and frowned. Junior Wetzel strutted toward them, the heels of his worn cowboy boots tapping across the floor. His lank hair lay uncombed and his red-rimmed eyes indicated he’d been drinking or remained in the throes of a hangover. “What the hell does he want?” Jude muttered.
“Easy,” Elijah said. “We’ll find out.”
Noah and Adam joined them. The brothers stood shoulder to shoulder, blocking passage.
“Junior, what brings you down here?” Adam said. Despite his level tone, steel lurked near the surface.
“I come to apologize for swerving into that kid’s lane,” Junior said, too loud. His voice grated against Jude’s eardrums with discordant noise. “I never meant no harm.”
Jude tensed, his taut body coiled tighter than a rattlesnake about to strike. He drew on his reserves of self-control to avoid punching the bastard in the nose. If he wasn’t Special Agent Ryker, he woul
d have hit him already. Although he’d made no sound, he didn’t realize he had balled both hands into fists until Noah touched his arm in warning. “Don’t,” he mouthed.
He wouldn’t and couldn’t. Adam shook his head. “You’re not welcome here. My nephew lies in critical condition, and his girl is dead because of you, Junior. It would take more than an apology to make things right. Get out of here before I lose my temper.”
Wenzel glowered. He opened his mouth and the raw sharpness of his breath made Jude turn away. Bad breath combined with the acidity of home-brewed liquor made a nasty combination. “I ain’t afraid of none of you Rykers,” he said. “You’re all talk, no go and no guts, especially that bad penny there.”
Adam took one step forward and Junior bolted. He pounded on the elevator buttons and when the doors opened, he stepped inside without a backward glance. “He’s trouble,” Noah said. “He won’t be for long,” Jude said. He resisted the urge to growl low in his throat.
The brothers shifted into a tight circle facing one another. Elijah shook his head. “Don’t make threats, little bro,” he said. “I don’t want any trouble.”
If they knew, they could help him. The epiphany stunned Jude. The key to his investigation had been within his grasp all along and he’d missed it. He had kept his secrets, done as he’d been directed by his superiors, but it had been a mistake. If he’d shared sooner, maybe the girl wouldn’t be dead and David hurt. “Neither do I,” Jude said. “We need to talk. I’ve got something I need to tell all of you, something I ought to have shared sooner.”
Noah’s eyes narrowed. “Is it something bad, Jude? Something outside the law?”
Once, his brother’s words might have made him angry but they amused him now. “No,” he said. “It’s more the opposite. I promise, I’ll tell all of it soon. I’m taking off now and I’ll see you all tomorrow. Call me if you need me or want anything.”
Elijah put one hand on Jude’s shoulder. “I will, thanks. Just say when and we’ll be there.”
Ryker’s Justice Page 7
