Devil's Playground

by Arianna Hart

  “Tom gave it to me for my twenty-first birthday. Except for the occasional practice sessions at the range, I haven’t used it much.”

  Mac couldn’t picture her with a gun. Something about her just seemed too nurturing to even conceive of aiming a weapon with the intent to shoot. “Let me see it, would you?”

  “Sure, I’ll get it out of the safe. Stay here, I’ll be right back.”

  “Trust me, with this hole in my gut I’m not going anywhere.” Wouldn’t hurt to make her think he was weaker than he was. Not that is was much of a stretch. His whole body ached and the pain from the wound shot fire through his torso with every movement. How the hell was he going to get out of here in one piece?

  He must have dozed off while Caitlyn retrieved the gun. When he woke up, she sat next to him dressed in hospital scrubs. Her long hair was pulled back into a braid.

  “Hey, I have to get going soon but I wanted you to have some broth and try to get up and walk around a bit before I leave. You need to keep your body moving or you won’t heal.”

  Her eyes were warm and sympathetic. She really was a beautiful woman, even with her hair scraped back and in the shapeless uniform.

  “Yeah, I know. Have to get up to remind your insides you’re not sleeping.” He’d been through this before when he’d been shot. It wasn’t a memory that he wanted to revisit often.

  “We’ll just walk to the fireplace and back, then I’ll give you some water and broth.”

  “What time is it?”

  “Three-thirty. Here, let me help.” She slipped her arm around the uninjured part of his torso and helped him to stand. “One step at a time.”

  Hot, screaming agony tore through him as he stood upright. Each foot felt like it was made of lead. Sweat popped out on his forehead and slid down his face. “What time does your shift start? I thought you did twelve hour shifts?” He tried to distract himself from the nausea rising in his throat. The room spun like a carnival ride and he wanted to get off.

  “Not tonight. I work two twelves and two eights. I go in from four to midnight tonight, and then have the next four days off. Come on, one more step then we’ll turn around. You’re doing great.” Her voice held the same cheerful tone one would use with a child taking its first steps.

  Mac gritted his teeth against the pain and leaned against her harder than he had too. If he didn’t leave tonight, he wouldn’t have another chance until she went back to work in four days. That was more than enough time for Carlos and his gang to track her down for sure. There might be plenty of red Hondas in the city but Mac was sure the one tailing her had belonged to the leader of Satan’s Children. Things weren’t looking too good for his cover.

  It had taken Mac months of working his way up in the ranks of Satan’s Children to get to meet Carlos. He’d sold drugs, ridden on drive-bys, and shot someone to get past their rigid initiation but he’d done it. The person he’d shot had been an undercover FBI agent in a bulletproof vest but the Children hadn’t known that.

  For months he’d lived in squalor in a tiny apartment with six other gang members, barely daring to sleep in case they tried to snoop through his personal belongings. Always on guard, he’d watched his every move until it became second nature to suspect everyone and every action.

  And still his cover had been blown.

  No one on the Hartford Police Department knew there was an FBI investigation going on. Who could have spotted him? Could Liam have recognized him? Was it possible that he was involved somehow?

  Mac thought he’d been careful to not to let any cops get a look at him, but who knew when he could have been caught unawares? Maybe one of his “family” took his picture and brought it to the police in Carlos’ pay?

  But the only cop in the state who knew him was Liam. Could Tom be involved too? Mac’s mind rebelled at the idea as Caitlyn eased him back down on the futon. Tom couldn’t be involved. It went against everything Mac knew about him, everything he believed in.

  Still, he couldn’t discount any possibilities. No matter how repugnant.

  “Here, eat some of this slowly. If you can keep it down, I can take out the IV tomorrow.” Caitlyn handed him a mug of broth.

  He fully planned on being gone by tomorrow, even if he had to roll naked down the street.

  “Thanks.” The watery broth was weak but felt good going down. He hadn’t had anything to eat in what felt like days. “What does your brother Liam do for the police? I mean, is he on vice? Homicide?”

  “Doesn’t he wish?” Caitlyn laughed. “No, nothing so exciting. Liam has been stuck in the traffic division for the past two years. He’s been looking for a transfer for a while, but he can’t move up until someone leaves.”

  Traffic division? The chances of him being involved with Carlos in traffic weren’t that great but maybe someone in vice recruited him. God knew cops didn’t make much money. Maybe he’d gotten an offer he couldn’t refuse?

  “Tom must bust his stones about being a traffic cop,” Mac said to cover his inquiry.

  “Like you wouldn’t believe. And they both bust on Jim for working on a ‘hip wagon’. You’d think they’d have better things to do than argue constantly. Honestly, I don’t know how my mother put up with it.”

  “It’s just the way guys are. It’s how we show affection. The more we rank on someone, the more we like them.”

  “Then my brothers must lo-ove each other dearly.” She got up and brushed her hands briskly on her legs. “I need to get going or I’m going to be late. Are you sure you’re okay? I’ll bring you the milk jug in case you have to pee again, and I’ll leave the phone nearby too.” Her whiskey brown eyes radiated concern.

  “Leave me the gun and I’ll be fine.” The bags of clothes she had dropped earlier were still on the floor by the futon. He could get those on as soon as she left.

  “Oh, that’s right. You were sleeping when I got it out of the safe, so I put it back in my room. I don’t really like guns, and seeing them lying around unnerves me.” She disappeared into the bedroom and quickly returned with a small pistol in her hands.

  “I loaded it while you were sleeping.” She passed it to him like she was handing off a poisonous snake, then wiped her hands on her pants. “I haven’t used it in a while but I do keep it cleaned and oiled so that Tom doesn’t nag me.”

  Mac inspected the gun. It was a semi-automatic Walther. A lady’s gun, but it would work.

  “Hopefully I won’t need it, but it makes me feel better to know that it’s handy.”

  Caitlyn drew her lower lip between her teeth. No wonder it was so full and red all the time. The thought made him want to bite it and see if it was as berry sweet as it looked.

  Down boy! Get those thoughts out of your head right now.

  “I could have one of Liam’s buddies drive by occasionally, just to make sure you’re okay.”

  “No! It’s not necessary and might raise suspicion. No one can know about my presence here. No one. Do you understand?” He gripped her hand.

  “Yes. I get it. I won’t say anything.” Her eyes still looked worried.

  “I can’t put your family in danger.”

  “If you say so. I’ll keep my mouth shut. Do you need anything else before I leave?”

  Mac felt like crap for yelling at her but it was for her own good. He didn’t know what he’d do if Liam was involved with the Children. Or Tom. It would kill her.

  He couldn’t think like that. Something was going on with the city’s gangs and thousands of lives could be at stake. Caitlyn would have to deal with the fallout if her brothers were dirty. He couldn’t risk a mission or a city because of one woman’s feelings.

  “No, I think I’ll take a nap. I’m as weak as a kitten.” He yawned for effect.

  “Good. Eating and sleeping is the best way for your body to heal itself.” She brushed her hand over his forehead and checked his IV before smoothing down the sheet and standing.

  “I’ll be back a little after midnight. I’ll kno
ck twice before I come in, so don’t shoot me.”

  “I won’t. I promise.” If it were up to him, he wouldn’t be there when she got home.

  He feigned sleep as Caitlyn checked all the locks on the doors and windows. Her footsteps came closer to the futon, then stopped by his head. Mac had to force himself to keep breathing deeply and evenly as she stood there. What was she waiting for anyway? Didn’t she say she had to go to work? Why was she just standing there? Did she suspect him of faking it?

  A feather soft caress brushed his cheek before she crossed the floor and the door shut firmly.

  She’d kissed him on the cheek before leaving. He was stunned. Mac couldn’t remember the last time a woman had kissed him with genuine affection when she wasn’t trying to get in his pants.

  Hell, he couldn’t remember the last time he’d kissed a woman when he wasn’t trying to get her into bed either. What kind of woman took in a bleeding near-stranger and patched him up without looking for something in return? Then kissed him good-bye?

  Maybe he was too jaded. There could be good Samaritans in the world. He didn’t tend to run into many in his line of work, though. Junkies and drug dealers had been his companions for so long it was hard to imagine someone who didn’t have an ulterior motive.

  Could she, though? Maybe she was trying to lull him into a false sense of security to see how much he knew before reporting to her brother?

  No. That didn’t ring true. Yes, she had fished for information but she hadn’t pushed him when he told her he couldn’t say anything. His gut said she was on the level and he tended to agree with it.

  Though his gut had been wrong before.

  Damn. He didn’t want to think about Tom being involved with the shit that was going down in the city’s underworld. The gangs were uniting under someone and the police were doing nothing to stop it. Someone on the inside was in on it, and Mac had to find out who.

  Mac dozed on and off for a few hours, giving himself a little more time to recover. When the sun dipped below the horizon, he knew he’d put it off as long as he could.

  Averting his eyes, Mac pulled the IV out of his arm. Without looking at the needle, he slapped a bandage over the spot and held some pressure on it until he was sure it had stopped bleeding.

  With a deep breath, he focused on the next Herculean task. Every muscle in his body cried out in misery as he reached for the bags of clothes lying on the floor. He was out of breath and sweating by the time he snagged the plastic bags and dragged them to him. Sweatpants might be stifling hot but they were easy to put on.

  Or should have been. His stomach was on fire with pain as he tried to bend over enough to pull the sweats on. Panting, he took a break before he attempted to pull the T-shirt over his head. How the hell was he going to get out of the apartment and find a safe hideout if he couldn’t even get dressed without almost passing out?

  He’d find a way. Somehow. He had to go on the assumption that Carlos knew he was a fed and knew Caitlyn was helping him. No matter how much it hurt, he had to get away from Caitlyn to keep her safe.

  Gritting his teeth in agony, Mac wrestled the T-shirt on. Luckily it was loose enough so he could hide the gun. That it was black was another plus. He’d be able blend in with the night and blood wouldn’t show up as well. Rolling to his side, he used the end table for leverage and stumbled to his feet.

  The room spun and more sweat dripped down his back. Mac could feel the nausea rising in his throat and he swallowed rapidly. He could do this. One step at a time was all it took. The door through the kitchen looked so far away. How was he going to get out of here without passing out or falling down?

  “One step at a time, McDougal, one step at a time.” With shuffling steps, he made his way to the kitchen table before collapsing.

  Rivers of sweat ran down his face. He was as exhausted as if he’d run a marathon. The door was only steps away but he didn’t know if he could make it. If he did make it out the door, he’d be a sitting duck for any punk who wanted to kill him.

  “Shit. What now?”

  The crash of the bathroom window breaking took the decision out of his hands.

  Chapter Five

  Caitlyn looked at the clock for millionth time that night. Normally, shifts in the Emergency Department flew by. A city hospital was never dull, especially the night shift. Not tonight though. The hands of the clock seemed stuck in place, crawling slowly by as worry gnawed her insides and twisted them into knots. She still had hours left to go, and it felt like an eternity.

  What if Mac decided he was strong enough to get up and popped his stitches? He could pass out and hit his head on the corner of the table and be lying unconscious and bleeding to death on her floor. Her hand reached for the phone but she snapped it back. She couldn’t call him from here, there were too many people milling around. During her break she’d use the pay phone outside. Surely she could wait that long.

  “Cat!”

  Caitlyn jumped at the hand on her shoulder. Spinning around, she stared into Jim’s amused eyes.

  “Cripes. Could you cough or something? You scared the life out of me.”

  “If you weren’t sitting here daydreaming, you would have heard me call you ten times before I reached you.”

  “Sorry, I was just thinking. What’s up? What’d ya bring me this time? I don’t think I can handle another psychiatric tonight.” Jim’s ambulance had been to the hospital twice already.

  “Nah, just a shortness of breath. It’s too early for the drunks to come out. Whatcha thinking about? The stray?”

  Caitlyn looked at him blankly, then remembered she’d told him she needed the supplies for a stray dog. This was why she rarely lied, she couldn’t keep them straight in her head.

  “Yeah. I’m worried he’s gotten up and pulled his stitches.”

  “You can’t save them all, you know.”

  “I can try.” Especially when her “stray” stood over six feet tall, was deliciously muscled, and had dazzling blue eyes.

  “Mother Teresa, at it again,” he teased. “So, you coming to the station tomorrow night? Liam said you might be busy.”

  “Just doing some stuff around the house. I’ll be there.” As long as Mac didn’t get worse. “Hey, have you heard anything from Tom lately?”

  “No, but that’s not unusual. You know when he’s in deep cover he can’t call home every weekend.” Jim’s gaze drifted over her shoulder.

  “I know. I just worry sometimes.”

  “Uh huh.” He was clearly distracted.

  Caitlyn glanced over her shoulder. One of the nurses, Maggie, stood behind her, writing out a chart and shooting flirtatious looks at Jim. If he was caught up in chasing after Maggie, then he wouldn’t be showing up at her place unexpectedly. A devious smile crossed her face.

  “Why don’t you invite Maggie to the Firefighter of the Year banquet? You need a date, don’t you?”

  “That’s a month away, why should I bring it up now?” He looked back at her for a brief moment.

  “Men. Because she’ll need to get a dress and this gives you an excuse to invite her out on a date another time so that you can get to know each other better.” He still looked doubtful. “Do you want me to bring it up? I could ask her for you…” she trailed off, knowing that would goad him into action.

  “I can get my own dates, thanks all the same.” He looked down at her. “I’ll see you tomorrow at the station.”

  Gotcha!

  With Jim distracted, that was one less brother to worry about interfering while she tried to figure out what was going on with Mac. If any one of her brothers knew she had a man staying at her house, the fat would hit the fire in seconds.

  Caitlyn sighed and gave one last glance at her brother who was openly flirting with the red headed nurse. Maggie didn’t seem to mind the attention. How come it was all right for them to flirt and sleep around but not her? She’d called Liam on any number of occasions and had a woman pick up the phone in a sleepy voice.
r />   Did she yell and scream about it? No. But God forbid a man ever answered her phone in the morning. There’d be ten squad cars, four fire trucks and probably a SWAT team at her house within minutes. The city was always complaining about the inability of the municipalities to work together. All it would take would be a man coming out of her apartment in the morning and every one of Hartford’s emergency services, plus the feds, would cooperate like a well oiled machine.

  Pushing the unfairness of it all out of her head, Caitlyn went to check the vitals on her patients. Maybe because their parents died when she was a teen they felt like they had to keep protecting her? But come on, she was pushing thirty, it was time to drop the big brother routine.

  Her thoughts were distracted as she filled out a patient’s discharge instructions. There wasn’t much she could do to change how her brothers saw her. She’d just have to work around them. Maybe she could find someone for Liam to chase after, then he’d be off her back too. It still pissed her off that he threatened to have her Jeep towed.

  “Caitlyn, phone for you,” the secretary called from her desk. “It’s the P.D. on line two.”

  “Thanks, Nancy.” Caitlyn picked up the extension on the hall phone. What did Liam want now? She’d parked in the garage.

  “What do you want, Liam? I didn’t park on the street.”

  “Caitlyn O’Toole?” an unfamiliar voice asked.

  “Oh. Yes, this is Caitlyn O’Toole.”

  “Officer Brown, Hartford P.D.”

  “Can I help you?” Caitlyn racked her brain trying to remember if she’d ever met an Officer Brown. The name didn’t sound familiar but she hadn’t met everyone on the force by a long shot.

  “I’m sorry to tell you this, but someone tried to break into your apartment tonight. A passing patrol car saw a youth attempting to enter through a broken window and chased him off. We’ll need you to come in and check the place out and fill out a report.”

  “I’ll be there as soon as I can. I might be able to find someone to cover for me.”

  “Very good. Don’t enter the premises until the officer waiting for you can check it out.”