by Liz Johnson
Luke bit his tongue as a surge of chills raced down his spine, just as they had all those weeks ago. He’d felt the man’s gaze, known that there was danger.
But he’d been unable to respond fast enough.
Mandy ran to his side, reaching out to him, then pulling her hand back. Opening her mouth to speak, then closing it. Those big brown eyes swam in pools of tears. She knew exactly where this story was heading.
As much as he wanted to stop it, to let her fill in the rest of the story with her own imagination, he couldn’t. Now the words wouldn’t stop.
“I knew that he was a threat. I knew that I had to do something.” Her hand twined into his. “I lunged for him, just as he opened his jacket, and the entire world exploded. Everyone was screaming. The air was filled with debris. I was flat on my back, just staring at the gray haze hovering over the road.
“But mostly there was screaming. The marines started yelling for the medic, each call louder and louder. They were calling for me. And I could hear them, but I couldn’t do a thing about it. I could only try to assess my own losses and pray that God would either take me right then or send another medic.”
“Did He? Send another medic, I mean?” Her grip on his hand turned severe, almost as if she didn’t realize that he had survived and was standing beside her now.
Luke chuckled at the question. “Not exactly. He sent me Corporal Jonathan Dunbar, a marine the size of a house, who picked me up like a sack of potatoes, threw me in the back of a Humvee and got us back to the base.”
When the story was over, he let out a sigh of relief. He’d survived. He’d been back on that Lybanian street for a moment, but somehow Mandy had been with him, holding his hand through the whole thing. Bianca hadn’t known how to walk an uncertain path, but Mandy not only knew how to, she gave him strength for those moments he wasn’t so sure he could.
Incredible.
“I’m glad that God didn’t take you then.”
He jumped at Mandy’s words, then let out a belly laugh. “Me, too.”
She ducked her head, and a faint blush crept up her neck. “You know what I mean.”
“I do.” He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. “I’ve been where you are. You can tell me why you couldn’t sleep last night. Maybe it’ll help.”
She tried to pull her hand out of his, but he didn’t let her retreat into herself. Instead he set down his crutches and took a slow step, coaxing her along with him. Her gaze stayed somewhere close to her feet, and her voice was quiet when she first spoke. “What if it’s not Camilla?”
*
Mandy caught Luke’s brief nod out of the corner of her eye, afraid of the answer to her own question. Without Camilla, her only suspect was Gary himself. But Gary hadn’t been a part of her life for years. Why would he choose to make her life miserable now when he’d already done it once? It just didn’t add up. “She’d have to know everything about me to do what she’s been doing, to know how to get into my house. And some of these things have been going on a long time. Gary and Camilla only split recently.”
Luke made a noise of assent but didn’t interrupt her processing.
“But why? Who has reason to want to see me gone? Camilla at least has a reason to hate me.”
“She does?”
Her stomach flipped at his question, and not for the first time, she fought the urge to tell him the whole truth. But she couldn’t. She wouldn’t. So she just shook her head. “Who else could it be?”
He stared across the field, to the gate where they’d started almost two laps before, but he seemed to see something else. “You said, when we first met, that some of your cases don’t end up like you’d like.”
She tripped on the toe of her tennis shoe and nearly swallowed her tongue. Only his hand on her elbow kept her upright as she shook her head violently at the very thought. “You think it’s an unhappy patient?” It couldn’t be. That was absolutely ludicrous. Wasn’t it?
“Maybe.”
“No.” She yanked her arm loose. “There’s no way. I don’t make any promises to my patients. You know that. I can’t control the human body.”
“Are there any cases that make you cringe when you think about them?”
On cue, her stomach gave a violent twist and sickening lurch. “You mean other than Gary?”
He nodded but didn’t even grin at her attempt at levity.
“Yes.”
“Like which ones?”
He hadn’t wanted to talk about that suicide bomber. She’d seen it written all over his face. Now she knew exactly how he felt. It was like being sick to her stomach and unable to lie down, this feeling of knowing that she had to tell him but hating to dredge up the memories.
The past had a power all its own, and right that minute, she hated every bitter moment it held.
Still, it was the lesser of two evils. Pouring salt onto mostly healed wounds was better than opening new ones. And if they didn’t stop whoever was after her, the new wounds were liable to be fatal.
Squeezing her hands into a fist, she steeled herself to tiptoe down memory lane. “I was fresh out of my doctorate program, top of my class and certain that all of my patients were headed for a full recovery. I was working under another PT, who warned me that one of my knee patients was pushing too hard. But I was sure he could take it. He couldn’t. He ended up tearing his ACL only weeks after his first surgery.”
Luke grimaced. “So that’s why you’re always harping on me to be patient.”
“No. I harp on you to be patient because it’s what’s best for your recovery.”
“Fair enough,” he said. Making a slow turn, he returned to the spot where he’d dropped his crutches on the track and stooped to pick them up. “I guess I’ll call that a day.”
She smiled and tipped her chin toward the parking lot. As they ambled in that direction, he prompted her for more cases.
“There was a young girl who had been born without either leg, and her parents wanted me to help her get prosthetics, but they didn’t have insurance.” She pulled open the chain-link gate and held it as he swung through. “I gave them the name of several agencies that might be able to help them, but there was nothing I personally could do. The dad flew off the handle, yelling at me. But that was years ago. Why would they wait so long?”
“I don’t know.”
When they reached her car, she paused, a tiny memory trying to push its way to the top of her mind. “There was someone else. But not a patient. Not officially anyway.”
He nodded his encouragement, and she closed her eyes, trying to see the face that was taking shape. “She had been in a car accident, paralyzed from the waist down. She came in for a consultation several years ago, and she was in bad shape physically. But more so, she wasn’t mentally ready to face the very real possibility that she’d never walk again.”
Luke’s eyes turned soft, knowing. “What happened to her?”
“I told her I couldn’t work with her until she saw a counselor and worked through her issues.” A strange emotion, like remorse combined with pity, rolled through her, surprisingly strong, even after so many years.
“And?”
“I heard a few months later—” her voice broke, and she cleared her throat “—that she committed suicide.”
Luke pulled her into a hug, his arms as warm as the sunshine and infinitely more compassionate. “I’m so sorry.”
“I haven’t thought about her in well over a year. I don’t know what made me think of her now.”
“Maybe that the loss of a daughter might spur parents to target someone they blamed.”
Again that sick twist deep inside. He was right. “It’s been so long. Why would they carry a grudge that long? Or blame me?”
“People in pain look for someone to blame. And maybe they latched on to you.”
“But maybe it’s not them.” Mandy didn’t even sound convinced to her own ears. And she could tell that Luke was just humoring her when he shrugged a hesitan
t agreement. “I should call Detective Fletcher and tell him about these cases anyway, shouldn’t I?”
“I would.”
Only one problem. She couldn’t remember any of their names. “I have to go to the office first.”
He seemed to understand, swinging toward his car.
“So, I’ll see you on Monday at your appointment?”
He laughed. “I’ll follow you to your office. I’ll see you there in ten minutes.”
True to his word, Luke stayed right behind her as she weaved through traffic. And when she pulled into the spot directly outside the side door, he parked his car right next to hers, joining a third vehicle. All of the medical offices in the complex were closed for the weekend, but an enormous black SUV was parked right in front of her building.
From the driver’s seat of his car, Luke caught her eye and nodded in the direction of the monstrosity.
She shook her head. She had no idea who it could be.
They both looked back at it just as the driver’s door swung open and Gary slithered from behind the wheel. He straightened the cuffs of his long-sleeved, button-up shirt and ran his hand over the fabric to release any wrinkles before sauntering in their direction.
This guy didn’t know when to give up.
He was plenty arrogant to believe that she didn’t mean it when she told him she didn’t want to see him again. But was he duplicitous enough to play at wooing her while actually trying to kill her?
Her blood began to pound in her ears, pressure building at her temples. Her breaths came out in short gasps, and she smacked a hand against her steering wheel, accidentally hitting the horn and making all three people in the parking lot jump.
Shooting out of her car, she slammed the door closed. Luke’s door followed in quick succession, his presence silent but supportive.
Gary hurried to her, ignoring Luke, and reached for both of her hands. “When you weren’t at home, I knew I’d find you here.”
She pulled her hands out of his reach but took a wide stance and glared at him with the full force of everything inside her. “I’m done with this.”
“Please, baby. I miss you. Last night was a misunderstanding.”
“Don’t!” The scream was louder than she’d intended it, but it did the job of shocking him into silence. “I. Don’t. Want. To. See. You. Again.”
“You don’t mean that.”
What had she ever, ever seen in this jerk? He clearly didn’t listen to her, and he sure as fire didn’t care about her. “I promise you, I do. And if you show up again, I will get a restraining order against you.”
The threat of legal action made his too-sharp chin twitch, and he patted his perfectly coiffed hair, as though he didn’t know what to do with his hands.
In Gary’s stunned silence, she risked a look in Luke’s direction. He was all stone wall except for the sparkle in his eyes and the barely concealed grin tugging at his lips. Good job. He only mouthed the words, but they gave her the gumption to take two steps toward Gary.
“I’m not teasing or kidding around. I will send the cops after you.”
Gary blinked three times in a row. His mouth remained blessedly closed.
“Now, tell me you understand what I’m saying.”
“I’m not sure—”
“No. I want to hear you say you understand.”
His forehead wrinkled and eyes narrowed to slits. “I won’t be back.”
“That’s the point. But still not what I want to hear.” Who was this woman making these demands and so absolutely sure of what she wanted and needed? Mandy didn’t feel entirely like herself. Always with her patients, she was confident. But when it came to her personal life, Gary had made her doubt and second-guess nearly every step of it.
Until Luke had showed up. What was it about him that gave her the courage to say exactly what she needed to?
Gary’s eyes lit with an inferno burning too hot. His nostrils flared, and his lips all but disappeared into a line. With another quick check of his appearance, smoothing his arm sleeves and making sure his shirt was tucked into his khakis, he spun on his heel and marched toward his car. With a thud, his door closed behind him, and he peeled out of the parking lot. He didn’t even stop before pulling onto the street to the sound of several wailing horns.
When his car had disappeared, she turned to Luke, who was already at her side.
“Brilliant.” His whisper danced over the top of her head as he slid his arms around her waist and invited her to snuggle into his warmth. After her confrontation with Gary, she should have pushed Luke away. Instead she sank into his embrace.
“Where’d you learn to be so tough?” he asked.
Tough? She felt more like a wounded duckling. Every inch of her trembled. If she was tough, she’d have done that when Gary first came into her life. If she was tough, she wouldn’t be clinging to Luke just to stay on her feet.
Her hands were fisted into the front of his T-shirt, and she tried to let go, but it was going to take a little while to pry her fingers from their purchase.
“I just need a minute.” The words were muffled against his shoulder, and she rocked her face against the soft knit fabric there, trying to force her legs to start working, trying to force herself to let go.
“Take your time.” He drew an easy circle on her back with the palm of his hand, each pass soothing the knots there. “You were fantastic. I’ve never seen anyone stand their ground like you just did. I’m proud of you.” He punctuated his words with a gentle brush of his lips against her temple, and everything inside her turned to Jell-O.
No. No. No.
She jumped away, praying her legs would hold her. Although she wobbled a bit, she stayed upright. Shoving her hands to her sides, she grabbed on to her exercise pants, twisting the stretchy fabric until her insides returned to rights.
That was how things had started with Gary. Gentle embraces. Almost kisses. Seemingly innocuous touches. And then one day, they suddenly weren’t innocent.
No matter how gentle his touch or how much she liked it, Luke was still a patient.
“We shouldn’t… We can’t do that. Please.”
Confusion, quickly followed by understanding, swept across his face.
“I need to go. I’m exhausted. I’m going to take the files back to my hotel.” Her words rushed out, almost as one long word.
“All right.”
He waited where he was as she ran inside, boxed up a section of former-patient files and carried them back to her car. “Gary’s long gone. There’s no reason for you to follow me back to the hotel.”
He looked doubtful, but agreed after a long pause.
With a wave and a brief thank-you, she fled the scene and the emotions that Luke insisted on stirring inside her. Ones she hated. Ones she loved. Ones that made her hope for a future.
The stoplight right in front of her turned red, and she slammed on her brakes, pressing against the taut seat belt that rubbed where she still had bruises. With a groan, she tucked her hair behind her ears before rubbing the back of her neck. She needed some ibuprofen and a good night of sleep.
And something to make her dislike Luke. Something strong.
At least she had the first at her house. It would be only a quick detour to run by her place. And then she could pick up her favorite sweater and an extra pair of jeans, which she’d forgotten to pack in her rush the night before.
Somehow her cute little bungalow seemed like foreign territory in the setting sun. It had been taken by the enemy, and she sat in her car, parked on the street, working up the courage to run in.
Dear Lord, I’m scared. Keep me safe.
Whether she was afraid of another note promising an attempt on her life or that someone might be hiding inside, her heart thudded painfully, slowly. Whatever was inside, she could face it.
She’d have to eventually anyway, and this was as good of a time as any.
Racing across her lawn, she flung open the front door and swung it
closed behind her. Immediately she slammed into a rotten-egg odor like she’d never smelled before. It permeated everything and clung to her clothes and her skin. Its rancid fingers sifted through her hair and wafted around her head.
She took three steps toward the alarm pad to push a button that would alert the authorities, but when she pressed her finger to the emergency alert, nothing happened. Its wires had been neatly trimmed. It was useless.
Mandy tried to catch her breath but only managed to cough and gag on the natural gas that filled her home and made her head spin. Tears rushed to her eyes, flowing freely down her face. She tripped on a rug, slamming into a wall and falling to her knees. Crawling toward the front door, she strained for the handle but couldn’t reach the knob. A cloud settled over her mind, and she just wanted to sleep.
Luke’s face flashed before her.
Fight.
He would tell her fight through this and get out. The tiniest spark could ignite this much natural gas. If the house blew, she was gone. Along with whatever evidence had been left behind.
Shoving her flat hands against the hardwood floor of the entry, she pushed herself up only to sink down again.
The gas made her feel as if she was seasick on a dinghy. With a heave and roll of her stomach, she lost her lunch on the floor.
She had to call for help.
But her fingers refused to do what she told them to. She watched them reach for the phone in her pocket, almost as if they belonged to someone else. She could only manage to call the last person who had called her.
Putting the phone by her ear, she listened to it ring once. Twice. Three times.
“Calling to schedule another walk already?”
Were those the last words she’d ever hear?
“’S Man-dy. At home. Gas.”
And then she couldn’t fight the haze any longer. It swallowed her completely, and everything around her faded to black.
NINE
“Mandy?”
Nothing. The line was live, but she didn’t respond.
Luke tried again. Louder. “Mandy!”
There was only silence on the other end of the call. A fine sheen of sweat broke out across his forehead and down the back of his neck. She’d said there was gas, and she was in trouble. She needed him. ASAP.
