“We thought someone should go to the hospital with Grey. Sandor loaned me his car so he could stay with Kerry and the kids.”
Lena was already hurrying away. “Check in when you know something.”
“Will do,” she promised before running to the car.
• • •
Did he really want to open his eyes when he knew a world of pain was waiting for him? Where the hell was he anyway? The last thing he could remember was running … somewhere? But he couldn’t remember being late for anything.
Grey was pretty damn sure that wherever he was smelled suspiciously like a hospital. Then there were all those annoying beeps.
Bracing himself for the worst, Grey gathered up his strength and attempted to open his eyes. He was right. This was definitely a hospital, and unfortunately he was the one hooked up to all those bloody beeping machines.
A feminine silhouette rose into view, blocking out the rest of the room. “Grey? Are you awake?”
He managed a small nod as he tried to focus on the face. Was she a nurse? Squinting, he could make out dark hair with streaks of pink and purple. Her eyes were dark, her expression worried, and her face familiar. Slowly the fog in his mind lifted. Ah, yes, he knew her. Not a nurse after all.
“Grey, it’s me, Piper.”
“I know. What the hell happened?” His words came out in a harsh whisper.
“First, let me tell the nurses you’re awake. Once they’ve checked you over, I’ll fill you in.”
When she walked away, his wrist felt cold. Why had Piper been holding his hand? He missed the soothing warmth of her touch now as pain washed over him in cold waves. His eyes drifted closed again.
“Mr. Danby, can you hear me?”
A disturbingly young man with a stethoscope around his neck smiled down at him. “Glad you could join the party, Mr. Danby. I’m Dr. Gregory. Your friend here has been pretty worried about you.”
Grey sought out Piper, who hovered in the far corner of the small room. He’d rather have her fussing over him than the cheerful but impersonal medical staff crowded around him. He wasn’t up to ordering them to leave him alone, though. Besides, they’d never believe that he didn’t need their help. As a Talion, he’d heal from anything short of a mortal wound, especially if Kerry lent a hand.
The doctor poked and prodded and generally made a pest of himself. He kept referring to Grey’s chart with a puzzled look.
“Is something wrong, Doctor?” Piper asked.
The doctor flipped back and forth between a couple of pages in the chart before answering. “No, not at all. In fact, Mr. Danby here is in far better shape than I expected, especially considering the severity of his injuries.”
His smile was meant to be reassuring. “You have a broken clavicle and a hairline fracture in your right humerus, not to mention some cracked ribs. The impact also cause multiple contusions and lacerations. Our main concern was the length of time you were unconscious, indicative of a pretty severe concussion. Bottom line, you’re going to hurt for a while, but there’s no permanent damage.”
Then he frowned. “The bruising doesn’t seem to be as extensive as the ER doc noted.”
Grey wasn’t thinking clearly enough yet to deflect this line of inquiry. Luckily Piper stepped in.
She maneuvered around the nurse and stood at the head of the bed. “Maybe they overestimated his injuries because he was covered with so much dirt and blood when they brought him in. That always makes things look worse.”
Piper’s dark eyes pooled up with tears. “You really scared me, Grey. I was so afraid I’d lose you.”
She buried her face in her hands and gave a credible performance of a loved one collapsing now that the crisis was past. Dr. Gregory had no doubt seen family members and friends cry before, but when Piper looked up with those puppy dog eyes, the man melted. Or panicked. Either way, he retreated.
“Ah, well, um, since Mr. Danby here seems to be on the mend, we’ll leave the two of you alone. He can have visitors now as long as they don’t tire him out. Ring the nurse’s station if you need anything.” As he spoke, he backed toward the door, the nurse following close behind.
When they were alone again, Grey said, “Nice job, Piper.”
He expected her to be grinning when she turned toward him, but her tears were all too real. Had she really been worried about him? The thought settled somewhere in his chest, warm and comforting, but he wasn’t sure what to make of the sensation. Better to get back to the business at hand.
“So what happened?” he asked. “I remember your arrival this morning, but everything else is pretty fuzzy at the moment. Start with when you sat down at your desk.”
Piper pulled a chair up to the side of his bed and sat down. When she touched his arm briefly, most of his pain subsided. How odd. If Piper felt anything, she gave no sign of it.
“As soon as I got into the office, you asked me to check my in-box to see if I’d received another strange e-mail. Remember? You said Sandor traced the first one back to your computer even though you hadn’t sent it.”
The puzzle was starting to come together. “And you did get another e-mail.”
The fear in her eyes multiplied, making him wish he wasn’t tied to all these bloody machines so he could hold her. He reached out to take her hand but stopped himself. Where had that urge come from? He wasn’t sure he even liked her, and they were a long way from trusting each other. Must be a reaction to a near-death experience. Hopefully Piper hadn’t noticed.
“Yes,” she answered. “And this one was even stranger. The screen filled up with fireworks and a message scrolled across saying we were getting a little surprise. Then a delivery truck pulled up at the front gate and rang the bell. Hughes got there before you did, but you took the package and ran with it. It blew up in the rose garden, flinging you against the corner of the house.”
More bits and pieces were coming back to him: the noise, the blast, the sick feeling of being tossed through the air like a rag doll, the bone-cracking impact of the house.
“Hughes? You?”
“Hughes is fine. No one in the house was hurt. You ordered me and the others to stand back, so we were out of range of the blast itself. My ears rang for a while afterward, but that was all.”
“Good.” It was too much to hope that the local authorities weren’t involved now. “So what did the police have to say?”
She shrugged. “I slipped out the back while they were still poking around. One of the detectives stopped by a while ago, but left when the doctor told him you were unconscious. The nurses are supposed to call him when you’re up to talking, so I’m sure he’ll be back.”
“How long have I been here?”
“About twelve hours. Which reminds me, I need to call Kerry and let her know you’re awake. The last time I checked in, Ranulf said the cops were still hanging around. Sandor has been fending them off as much as possible, but there’s no hiding what happened.”
Damn it, Grey needed to be back at the mansion doing his job. “How soon can I leave?”
“The doctor hasn’t said.” She pulled out her phone. “I can’t use my cell in here, but I’ll be right back.”
“Tell Kerry I’m on my way.” He struggled to sit up. “Where are my clothes?”
Piper had almost reached the door, but she did an about-face and charged right back. “Oh no you don’t, mister. You’re going to stay in that bed until the doctor says it’s safe for you to be discharged. Besides, they threw away all of your clothes. What the bomb didn’t shred, the emergency room nurses did.”
He wanted to argue, but right now he wouldn’t win a fight against a small child, much less a very determined woman. When he relaxed back against the pillow, Piper nodded.
“Look, Grey, I know how important it is for you to do your job, but it will be there waiting for you. Considering you’re already looking much better than you did two hours ago, they won’t keep you here long. And if Kerry can get here to do her thing, I bet
you’ll be discharged in the morning.”
That would have to do. He noticed the dark circles under her eyes. “How about you? Have you had any rest?”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve been dozing in the chair. Now that you’re being sensible, I’ll go make that call.”
Out in the hallway, Piper gave Kerry a quick update. “He looks so much better already. The idiot tried to sit up so he could get dressed and get out of here. I take that as a good sign.”
She paused while Kerry repeated the news to Ranulf and the others. Although Piper couldn’t make out what they were saying, there was no mistaking their relief. She understood just how they felt. Even now, her throat ached from the tension of watching the ER docs work on Grey, hoping and praying that he would live.
She’d had to lie about their relationship so she could stay with him when they transferred him to a room. Visitation was limited to immediate family only. After flashing the ring she normally wore on her right hand, she’d convinced the doctors that she was Grey’s fiancée. They didn’t so much believe her as they got tired of arguing with her.
Once he had settled in, she’d sat next to his bed, her hand on his arm, needing that physical touch to convince herself that he was alive and on the mend. She’d drawn comfort from that small connection. God knows she never wanted to see him look that ashen—that still—again.
“I’m going to stay here as long as they’ll let me,” Piper said when Kerry came back on the line. “I don’t think he should be left alone.”
Kerry immediately offered to come relieve her, but Piper refused. “He’s already champing at the bit to get out of here, even if he falls flat on his face. But the doctor says he can have visitors now, so you could stop by long enough to give Grey one of your special gifts.” Hint, hint. “Just tell them you’re his sister or something.”
Once again Kerry spoke quickly with her husband before answering. “I’ll be right down. Tell Grey—” Kerry’s voice choked with emotion. “Tell him thank you.”
Piper knew what Kerry meant. Without his quick thinking, Hughes would permanently maimed or dead. And if the package had actually made it into the house, there was no telling how bad it would’ve been.
“See you soon, Kerry. I don’t want to leave Grey alone too long. He might try to escape again.”
Piper snapped her cell phone shut, knowing she’d just lied to her boss. She needed to get back to make sure that no one potentially dangerous got near him. Granted, they didn’t know for certain who had been the target of the explosion, but she wasn’t going to take any chances.
The whack-job bomber had somehow known the workings of the Dame’s household well enough to time the explosion so that Piper and Grey would be there. If the bastard didn’t care who died, there would have been no reason to issue a warning. Just ship the package and wait to see who got caught in the blast.
She’d played out different scenarios, coming at the problem from every conceivable angle. It would seem that either she was the target or Grey was, since the arrival of the bomb had been timed for when they would be in the office. But again, why send a warning? And why to them? To make sure one of them ran out to intercept the package.
Back in Grey’s room, she closed the blinds that the nurse had opened. As long as someone could see in, Piper felt like there was a big bull’s-eye on painted on each of them. Maybe she was overreacting, but maybe not.
“Worried about him taking another run at us?”
Grey would see right through a lie. “Yes, I am. I have an awful feeling that this is just the beginning.”
“I wish I could disagree, but I can’t.”
Grey’s eyes followed her as she paced the small room. “What are you thinking, Piper?”
She reminded herself that Grey was still healing. It was no time for him to be thinking too hard. “We’ll talk tomorrow. Why don’t you try to get some sleep?”
For the first time since the explosion, his eyes flashed angrily, another sign he was on the mend. “I am not a complete invalid. If you know something about what happened or why, share it.”
“No, I won’t. You can bully me all you want tomorrow Greyhill Danby, but not now. Either get some sleep, or I’ll go tell the nurse you need a shot of something. I might even slip her a twenty to use her biggest, dullest needle just for kicks.”
“Fine,” he snarled. “But tomorrow will be a different story, Ms. Ryan.”
He must be tired to have given in so quickly. When his breathing slowed, Piper sank down in the chair by his bed and waited for Kerry.
Thank goodness for the Internet. Otherwise it would be impossible to get immediate feedback on how well the special present for the Dame and her lackeys had been received. The local newspapers and television stations had swarmed outside of the mansion for hours, hoping to talk to Kerry Thorsen or one of the others.
The reporters all asked the same question: Why had this average young woman and her friends been attacked? They’d stuck a microphone in the face of every neighbor but no one knew. All they could say was that the elderly woman who used to live in there had passed away, leaving the house to Kerry and her husband. Nice people. Quiet. Kept up their yard.
As if any of that was important. Kerry hadn’t inherited the house—she’d stolen it. But evidently no one cared about that.
And no one was killed. Pity. The butler should have been injured, but, no. Instead, Greyhill Danby was being heralded as a hero. At least he’d been hurt badly enough to require hospitalization. Too bad that as a Talion, he wouldn’t stay damaged for long. He’d soon be back to full strength and ready to be knocked down again. There was some satisfaction to be taken from that.
After all, he’d been sent to Seattle to gauge the interloper’s weaknesses so they could topple Kerry Thorsen’s fledgling dynasty. Instead, it was clear that he’d fallen under the woman’s spell, swearing an oath of loyalty. Maybe a lesser man would’ve done so out of expediency, seeing it as a means to get close to the throne. Unfortunately, Greyhill Danby was that rarest of men—a true warrior whose oath meant something more than mere words. If he promised to serve the Dame, he would. It was that simple. His sense of honor would ensure he carried out his duty regardless of the cost.
Well, bully for him. That choice would cost him dearly.
Now Grey would be in the line of fire, just like Sandor and Ranulf. It was a shame that the three most powerful Talions would have to be eliminated, but their ties to Kerry Thorsen were too strong. They’d die protecting her, but they wouldn’t be able to save her. One by one, the obstacles to the throne would fall, clearing the way for the real heir to take over.
Then things would change. First on the agenda would be to move the headquarters back to civilization. London would be best, but Paris or Stockholm would do—somewhere that tradition was understood and valued. There was no reason to decide that now. There were far more important plans to make now that the enemy had been engaged.
Rather than striking another blow immediately, it was time to fall back and let the silence build tension. That Ryan woman would wonder each morning if she would get another e-mail, and even the regular mail would be a potential threat. Grey would be spinning in circles, watching for the next attack. Sandor had a human woman sharing his bed now, and he’d dragged those three Kyth mutts into the royal mansion, so he’d be distracted.
But how stable was Ranulf these days? There was no way to know if his marriage to the Dame had hauled him back from the edge of insanity, but it was definitely a love match. And while the two of them were busy screwing themselves blind, their little empire would crumble to pieces.
So what next? What would stir the pot, leaving Grey on the outside looking in? Perhaps dropping a hint about the real reason Grey went to Seattle. With everything else going on, a few seeds of doubt would find fertile soil.
This was definitely turning out to be far more fun than she’d expected. Another couple of days for them to get complacent, and then she’d refuel the f
lames of fear. Perfect.
The darkness of sleep was washed away in a torrent of rainbow-colored power that soothed Grey’s pain and eased his mind. He’d felt this way before, but this time the taste of the energy was both familiar and strange. Was he dreaming?
He fought the hold sleep had on him, blinking several times as he woke up. Once again Piper had her hand on his arm as she dozed in the bedside chair, and the warm connection was comforting. She’d pay the price later for that uncomfortable position, but he didn’t disturb her. She’d insisted on staying with him, and in truth, he liked her being there.
“Hi, Grey.”
He turned his head in the other direction to find Kerry standing beside the bed. He sensed her gentle fingers on his neck as his body soaked up her healing touch. That explained the mix of flavors in the energy: It had Kerry’s own unique signature, but a strong hint of Judith’s as well. Evidently the late Dame had bequeathed Kerry more than her memories at the time of her death. The rest came from Piper.
“Thank you, Kerry. That feels good.”
For once, there was no need for formality. Perhaps it was because the small halo of light that surrounded his bed created a barrier between the three of them and the rest of the world.
“I’m glad to help, Grey. Sorry I couldn’t get here sooner, but the police felt compelled to bring in federal agents, too. I didn’t think they’d ever leave.”
“Did they find anything to help trace the bomb?”
“Not so far. They were following up with the shipping company, but they weren’t sure how much they’d be able to learn. They’ll have questions for you, I’m sure. And Piper, as well.”
“Yeah, she said a detective stopped by earlier when I was still out of it. I’m sure he’ll track us down eventually.”
“No doubt.” Kerry gave him a puzzled look and let her hand drop away from his neck. “That’s odd.”
“Is something wrong?”
She shook her head. “No, not exactly. Keep in mind that I don’t have as much experience healing injuries as I do simply sharing energy. I expected this to take a lot longer and leave me exhausted. But I feel fine, and you’re already looking a whole lot better.”
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