Worth the Risk

by Karen Erickson

  Alex flinched, and Hunter immediately felt like shit. He’d dealt Alex a low blow. “Who am I to judge? I married my personal assistant.”

  “It’s different between you and Tessa. You fell in love.”

  “And you’re not in love with Gracie?”

  Hunter frowned. Christ, was he? He cared about her. Thought about her constantly. And the thought of losing her again…it twisted up his guts and made him want to throw up. “I have no fucking idea what I feel for her. I just know I’m worried. She won’t return my calls.”

  “When did you last see her?”

  “Friday night. Well, early Saturday morning.” Hunter relayed what had happened at his apartment. The emergency call she’d received, Gracie’s need to flee without telling him much, even her ultimate refusal of his help and their little argument.

  “It was minor, though. At least, I thought so. I tried to call her most of Saturday and her cell rang before going to voicemail, but now when I try, it goes straight to voicemail…”

  “Like the phone is dead,” Alex finished for him.

  “Exactly.” Hunter nodded grimly.

  “Have you tried calling any of the hospitals around where she went?”

  “See, that’s the thing. I have no idea where she went exactly.”

  Alex scratched his head. “This is strange.”

  “I know.”

  “I hate to ask you this, but I have to.” Alex cleared his throat. “Do you think she has…someone else in her life? And that’s why she flew out of your apartment so fast?”

  “No,” Hunter bit out. Just the thought of Gracie with another man made him see red. She wouldn’t do that to him, he knew it. “No way. She has a hard enough time opening herself to me. She’s implied before that she doesn’t let a lot of people in close to her.”

  “All right, so who is this mysterious person that she’d drop everything for then?”

  “It’s not a man, it’s a woman. She kept referring to her as a ‘she’.” Hunter shook his head, frustration filling him to bursting. “I don’t know where she’s at, if she’s okay. What if she’s been in an accident? What if something terrible happened to her? I can’t stand not knowing.” He stared at his brother, fear making his voice shake. His entire body quaked with it. “I’m scared, man.”

  Alex stood, determination lighting his eyes. “Give me as many details as you can. I’ll have Tessa make some calls.”

  Hunter frowned. “Tessa? Why would you involve her in this?”

  “Because she’s the best damn little investigator I know. Trust me, I still ask her to help me with projects, and she’s not even my assistant anymore. Considering she has her hands full with Charlotte, you’d think she’d tell me to go to hell. But she never does.” The admiration in his voice was clear.

  “She won’t mind helping out?”

  “Tessa considers you her brother. If you’re worried, I’m worried. And if I’m worried, she’s worried. She’ll want to do this. For me and for you.” Alex pointed at him. “Write down what you know, and I’ll call Tessa. You can trust her. Together, we’ll make something happen. We’ll find Gracie for you.”

  Hunter scribbled everything he could remember on a notepad, then tore off the piece of paper and handed it to Alex. “Thank you,” he said solemnly. “This means a lot. Tell Tessa I said thanks too.”

  “You’re welcome.” Alex stared at him for a moment, one hand in his pocket, the other clutching the lined, yellow piece of paper. “You can say whatever you want about not knowing how you feel about her, but I think you know. Deep down inside, you know what she means to you.”

  Swallowing past the lump in his throat, Hunter offered a curt nod, keeping his head down. Emotions threatened to flood him, and he didn’t want to start blubbering in front of his brother. He’d feel like a little kid all over again. “I appreciate it.”

  “And when we do find her—and we will—you need to tell her how you feel. Confront her with it. Make her listen to what you have to say even if she says she doesn’t want to. Don’t let her get away from you. I made that mistake once and nearly lost everything.” His voice was grim; no doubt his brother remembered everything that had happened between him and Tessa. How she’d moved away and hid from him for a year. Alex had missed out on the opportunity to see the birth of his daughter because of it.

  Now he rarely let his wife or daughter out of his sight. Not that Hunter could blame him. Once he found Gracie, he’d have a hard time ever letting her leave his side.

  Alex’s words stuck with Hunter long after he slipped out of his office. Hunter appreciated his brother’s help, how easy it had been for Alex to offer so quick, to ask Tessa’s help in the search for Gracie as well. But he was still scared. Worried sick over where she could be.

  She might be out there somewhere all alone. Hurt. Damaged beyond repair…

  Hunter pressed his hands to his eyes and shook his head once. No, he couldn’t think like that. Fuck that. Now more than ever, he needed to be strong. He needed to do right by her.

  He needed to find Gracie.

  She heard the voices first. Hushed and low, they murmured as they stood close to the by, talking about her. Many times, she’d heard her name mentioned. It could’ve been over the span of a few hours, a few days. She’d lost all track of time. Had no idea what day it was.

  Miss Hayes is still unconscious but she’s mildly responsive.

  She’s suffered blunt force trauma to her head. Her left wrist is broken.

  The patient is still suffering from minor internal bleeding. Surgery is recommended at this time.

  Those last words scared her. Internal bleeding? She needed surgery? It was as if they spoke of someone else. Despite hearing her name mentioned in their endless stream of conversation, she found it hard to believe they were actually talking about her.

  Something bad had happened, but she couldn’t remember much. And when she tried, her head hurt so much, she gave up. Why put herself through the torture all over again? It was best to just…be.

  She knew for sure she was in the hospital. Was it the same one that her grandma was in? Where was she? When could she see her?

  Gracie could hardly move. Her entire body felt heavy, and she tried to open her eyes, but they wouldn’t budge. As if boulders sat atop each eyelid, pressing down with an impossible weight. She flexed her fingers the slightest bit, straightened them as best she could, and her right hand hurt more than her left. She felt weighted down, and she tried to relax. Let her mind float.

  “Her grandmother is on the second floor, recent heart attack victim.” The woman’s voice was grim. “We’re keeping watch on her. She’s very upset.”

  Ah, the second floor. That’s where her grandma was. Once she woke up, she was going to see her.

  “She demanded that she stay in the same room as her granddaughter, but we told her she was in ICU, so that wasn’t possible,” said the other nurse. “It’s so sad.”

  Intensive Care Unit—that was bad. That’s where they put people who were in serious, life-threatening conditions. She didn’t go to hospitals much. More she like avoided them as much as possible, but she knew what that meant.

  And they talked about her like she was already dead. Like she didn’t have a chance. Why would they talk like that? Whatever happened couldn’t have been that bad.

  How she wished she could remember…

  She woke again. A different time, most likely night, since the room was dark and the sounds were minimal. Only the beeps and whispers of the various machines hooked up to her could be heard. Squeezing her eyes shut tight, she tried to remember. The images came fragmented and so slow.

  Gracie drove in the relentless rain, the traffic picking up with every hour of daylight that came. Glancing at her phone, realizing she’d drifted into the other lane. The roads slick with rain, the large truck sideswiped the tail end of her car. She’d overcorrected, punched the brakes too hard, everything they instruct a driver not to do in driver’s educati
on, she had done like an idiot. The unfamiliar car had slipped over an embankment, the airbag had deployed and then she recalled…nothing.

  Pain suffused her entire body, and she took a deep breath, trying to calm her suddenly racing heart. The machine’s beeping picked up, kept time with the pounding of her heartbeat, and the sound agitated her, her head aching.

  Stay calm, the fading voice whispered inside her head. It’s over. You’ll be taken care of soon.

  Someone had said that to her. A paramedic or a police officer, she couldn’t remember which. The words soothed her now, helped her relax. Helped her remember more.

  How they set her carefully on a gurney and pushed her into the ambulance. The sirens had blared so loudly while they rushed to the hospital, the sound of the rain hitting the road, buffeting against the truck. The wind had blown, rattling her already frantic nerves, and yet the efficient paramedics had soothed her. Reassured her.

  Long ago she’d read people said odd things when dealing with a tragedy. She’d been so concerned about the rental car when they pulled her out of it. Afraid of what might happen once they left, she’d even asked if it was salvageable.

  They quietly confirmed no, it wasn’t salvageable. It was totaled. She’d promptly burst into tears, afraid of how much that might cost her when the rental agency slapped her with a bill.

  Silly, but there it was.

  “A battery of tests was conducted.” A voice suddenly came out of nowhere. “Turns out she’s pregnant.”

  “Really? I wonder if she knows. I hope she doesn’t lose it,” another voice said. It was full of sympathy and sadness.

  Pregnant? Gracie tried to absorb the meaning of the word, but it was so hard. Were they still talking about her? No way could she be pregnant.

  Or could she be? Lord help her if she was, because she’d turned into her mother. She wasn’t a drugged-out irresponsible teen, but she was a grown woman who knew better and still ended up with an unwanted pregnancy.

  Which was almost worse—she was smarter than this. No baby deserved to come into this world in such crazed circumstances. With a mother who couldn’t love properly, a father who never wanted to settle down. Conceived during a reckless sexual encounter, rather than by two people who’d come together and wanted to create a life as a symbol of their mutual love.

  “We need to prep the patient for surgery,” she heard the nurse say. “She’s scheduled later this afternoon.”

  Surgery. Would it put her baby at risk? Would she even survive? The chances for this baby were slim, she knew it.

  “I’ll call in some assistance,” the other voice said. “The procedure shouldn’t take long.”

  The last time they mentioned surgery, the word filled her with fear. Now she wasn’t so scared. Maybe then she would feel better. Maybe then she could talk. She could finally visit with her grandma. See her face to face for the first time since she was a little girl. Hug her, kiss her and hear her comforting words of love…

  It was such a terrible way to meet each other again, the both of them in the hospital. But it couldn’t be helped.

  Sadness settled over her. How she wished she hadn’t been so stupid, so reckless. The car accident was by far the dumbest thing she’d ever done.

  No. That wasn’t true. The dumbest thing she’d ever done was refuse Hunter’s help. If she’d never done that, she’d be in a hotel room in Ithaca right now, staying with Hunter. Or maybe she’d be sitting by her grandma’s bedside, visiting with her. Regardless, she wouldn’t be here. Lying in a hospital bed, unable to speak, her mind filled with too many morbid, strange thoughts.

  She’d be normal. Happy. Certain everything was going to be all right.

  That certainty was gone in the blink of an eye. She was scared. Hurt. Something was wrong with her, and she didn’t even know what it was. And she couldn’t speak to Hunter.

  Oh, how she wished she could talk to him. Hear his voice reassuring her everything was going to be all right. Feel his muscular arms wrap tight around her, smell his delicious warm scent. She needed him so much.

  And he might never know just how much she needed him. How much she might be able to love him.

  That thought was almost too much to bear.

  Chapter Fifteen

  “Tessa found her.”

  Hunter gripped the phone tight, exhaling loudly. Had he really held his breath for the last seventy-two hours, or did it just feel that way? “Where is she?”

  “Checked into a hospital in Ithaca.” Alex paused, his voice grim. “It’s not good, bro. She didn’t find out exact details, but Gracie’s in ICU. They wouldn’t release any other information.”

  “I need to go.” Hunter started to hang up the phone, his mind racing with what he needed to do before he left Manhattan, but he heard his brother still shouting at him.

  “Tessa also thinks she might have figured out what drew her to Ithaca so quick. There’s another woman checked into the hospital. Another Grace Hayes.”

  “What?”

  “She worked her magic and found out the age of this Grace. I think she might be her mother.”

  “No way. Gracie told me her mother is dead,” Hunter said firmly.

  “Maybe not. Maybe she wasn’t being truthful with you.”

  “She told me so herself, that her mother died when she was young. Gracie grew up all on her own, Alex. Didn’t know who her dad was, her mom was barely a teen when she had her. She was given over to social services and farmed out to various foster homes her entire childhood. Trust me. She wouldn’t lie about her mother being dead.”

  “How awful.” Alex went quiet. “Maybe this woman is her grandmother then. I don’t know. But Tessa thinks that’s what drew Gracie there. The woman had a heart attack.”

  “I’ll find out when I get there, won’t I? I need to go.” He paused, his mind awhirl with what he needed to do before he‘d go. “I have no idea how long I’ll be gone.”

  “Take as long as you need. I’ll cover everything. Want me to call in for them to prep the jet?”

  “What? Are you serious?” He hadn’t even thought of taking the private Worth Luxury jet. Talk about an extravagant move. They used it for business purposes only. Alex had made that clear from the beginning.

  “She’s in trouble, it could be serious. And it would take you a solid four hours to get to Ithaca, if not longer. Take the jet, Hunter.” Alex sounded as if he would brook no argument.

  “All right, I will. Thank you, Alex. And thank Tessa too. What you two did, it means a lot to me.”

  “You’re welcome. Call me when you find out anything.”

  “I will.” Hunter hung up the phone and shut off his laptop, shoved a stack of files in his desk drawer. He needed to get the hell out of here and quick. Get to Ithaca so he could see Gracie and make sure she was all right.

  He hoped she was safe. A shudder moved through him. ICU. That alone scared the hell out of him.

  A knock on his open door caused him to glance up. Marcus stood in the doorway with an expectant expression. “Can we talk?”

  Irritation filled Hunter. Marcus was the last person he wanted to talk to, considering he was on top of his shit list. “I only have a minute, so make it quick,” he said tersely.

  Marcus stepped inside the office, shutting the door behind him. His expression grim, he approached Hunter’s desk, watched him silently while Hunter gathered his things in preparation for his exit. “What, you’re already leaving for the day? It’s not even three yet.”

  Hunter glared and shoved his laptop into its case. Why he was bringing it, he didn’t know. Not like he was going to get any work done. Not while he sat in a hospital at Gracie’s side, worrying about her. “It’s none of your damn business where I’m going. What do you want?”

  “No need for the hostility.” Marcus sounded downright indignant. “I thought we were friends.”

  “First and foremost, I’m your boss. As for being your friend, I think you can kiss that goodbye, considering you
insulted one of my employees and implied she fucked me for a promotion.” The irritation in his voice rang loud and clear.

  “Give me a break. Like we haven’t talked shit on female employees before. You’re taking this way too far.” Marcus shrugged, ignoring Hunter’s pointed stare. “Fine, you want the truth? I’ll admit it, I was a little drunk. A little jealous too, considering I’ve been with Worth much longer and you didn’t even glance in my direction when considering who to promote. But I get it. I see why you promoted Gracie. You’ve got something going on with her.”

  “I do not,” Hunter said through clenched teeth. He lied, of course, but Marcus didn’t know that. Hell, he didn’t want any more rumors spreading than there already were.

  “Right. So what I saw between you two in your office was just a friendly discussion?”

  Hunter’s blood went ice-cold as the memory swept through him. The night he’d interrupted Marcus’s attempt in asking Gracie out, he’d taken her back to his office to talk to her about going to California with him.

  And then he’d proceeded to have sex with her in a chair.

  “Remember? Yeah, I knew you would. Now I see why you interrupted us. I was this close to having her eating out of my hands. Guess you wanted to keep her all to yourself.” Marcus sneered.

  “Shut the fuck up. Don’t talk about something you know nothing about,” Hunter warned.

  Marcus held his hands up in front of him. “Chill out, man. Truth hurts, doesn’t it? And what would Alex think if I told him about your extra-curricular activities?”

  “Fuck you,” Hunter spat. “I should fire your ass on the spot.”

  “For what? Speaking the truth?”

  “For making threats against me.” Hunter wished like hell he could smash Marcus’s face in. “Get out of my office. I’ll file a report on you when I return.”

  “File a report? With who?”

  “Human resources.” He was trying to keep it together, but it was damned difficult.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” Marcus shook his head. “You have a lot of nerve.”