by Christi Snow
Brian pulled the tape recorder out of his suit jacket pocket and waved it in the air. “We’re going to record this, if that’s okay with you?”
The kid scowled thunderously at Brian. “Stay away from her.”
Obviously, Nathan knew quite a bit about what went down between Toni and him. Hopefully, that wouldn’t cause a problem with his cooperation. Brian ignored the curious look from his partner and just raised the tape recorder again in question.
Nathan sent a second backward glance toward the door where Toni had disappeared. “I guess that’s fine,” he said as he eyed the recorder warily.
From the research he’d done on Nathan Morrow, he learned that he’d earned his GED a year and a half earlier than he should have and had set to work developing computer software, as well as taking online college classes, and working at a local coffee shop. At this point, he was just barely getting by financially, but the kid was smart.
As he glanced around the hospital room, Brian wondered how much this little attack was going to cost Nathan, because there’s no way this kid had any kind of health insurance. The senator just wanted them to brush it off, but this wasn’t a victimless crime. Nathan was going to lose more than just a few days of work. And those few days were more than he could afford even before the hospital bills arrived. All it took was one little setback for someone in Nathan’s financial position and he could end up living on the streets. It was just one more reason to stick it to the guys who did this to him.
Brian clicked on the tape recorder. “Okay, Nathan, take your time, but we need you to tell us exactly what you remember from yesterday’s attack.”
“I’d just gotten home from work.”
“Were you working at the Grind yesterday?” Eddie asked, consulting his notes.
“Yes.” His startled gaze lingered on the folder Eddie held. “What else do you know about me?” But immediately he raised his unbroken arm and shook his head. “Never mind, I don’t really want to know.”
Nathan took another deep breath and began again. “I didn’t realize anyone followed me home, so I headed to the laundry room. There are vending machines in there and I wanted to get a candy bar.” His eyes darted to his hands folded in his lap, his fingers nervously working the edge of the cast that extended down onto his hand. “I was standing in front of the machine, digging the change out of my pocket when they jumped me. I didn’t hear anyone enter the room behind me, but I don’t remember hearing the door shut behind me, either.”
“Did you see who grabbed you?” Eddie asked.
“No, I was grabbed from behind and someone pinned my arms to my sides while someone else pulled something over my head and face—maybe a stocking cap.” He glanced up at the two detectives. “It felt itchy and hot like a winter stocking cap usually does.”
“Did they say anything?” Brian asked.
Nathan swallowed hard and his voice lowered as he began to recount the details of his attack. “The guy holding me said, ‘You shouldn’t look at the ass of straight guys, faggot.’ And then someone kicked me in the balls. The guy holding me let go and it became a free-for-all. I curled up on the floor and tried to protect my head and torso.”
“Was anything else ever said?”
“There was a lot of laughing and homophobic stuff said. They threatened to rape me and kept shoving something against my ass,” he looked down at his hands, “but one of the guys stopped it. Then they just beat on me some more using their fists, feet, and some sort of stick. I must have passed out at some point because the next thing I remember was waking up, and Toni was there.”
“You said they followed you home, but if you never saw them, why do you think that?”
Nathan ducked his head as he blushed and mumbled, “Um, I was looking at a guy’s ass at the Grind. One of his friends saw me do it and took offense. He told me I was going to regret it.”
“So were there only two guys or were there more?”
“There were four of them.”
“Do you think you could identify them if you saw them in a lineup?”
Nathan shook his head, looking miserable. “No, the whole time they were in the coffee shop, I was busy making coffee. I just glanced up and noticed the one guy’s body because it was hard to miss, especially from behind.” If possible, he flushed even redder. “But I never made eye contact with any of them. I know better than that. I try to keep my head down and stay out of people’s way. I sure didn’t go looking for any trouble.”
Eddie snorted and raised an eyebrow. “You didn’t think looking at a guy’s ass would cause a problem?”
“I didn’t realize one of the other guys would see. Besides, when you were seventeen, I bet you checked out every girl’s rack who walked by.” He scowled at Brian again as he pointed toward him. “And I know you just saw him check out Toni’s ass,” he growled. “It’s just a natural thing for a guy to do.”
Eddie backed down and mumbled, “Point taken.”
Brian smirked at Eddie for a moment before refocusing on Nathan. “Is there anything else you can think of that might help our investigation?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Have they told you when they’re letting you out of here?” Brian asked.
“Yeah, it should be either tonight or tomorrow morning, depending on what the doctor says when he checks me this afternoon.”
“Okay, well, we’ll be in touch. Get some rest kid and let your body heal. Here’s my card if you have any concerns, questions, or remember anything else.” Brian extended his hand.
Nathan surveyed it and looked for a moment like he was going to refuse as he pressed his lips together. Whatever Toni had told Nathan about him, he planned to hold it against him.
So he added, “Detective Walters’ information is on there, too, if you’d feel more comfortable calling him.”
Nathan gave a sharp nod of his head and reached to take it. He leaned back and closed his eyes, his face almost as pale as the pillowcase. Well, the parts without bruises anyway. Brian swallowed against the anger again. How hard had they been hitting him to cause that kind of extreme bruising? Toni was right; he was a good kid who deserved better. The simple fact that the kid was protective of her proved that much.
As they exited the room, Brian pulled the door closed behind him, but didn’t see Toni. He really wanted to talk to her before they left, so he turned to face Eddie. “I’ll catch up to you at the station. I have something else I need to take care of here.”
Eddie gave him a knowing look. “Feeling a hankering for some coffee of your own, huh? So what’s the story between you and the girl? There’s a history there.”
Brian glanced down the hall and lowered his voice. “She was Pete Larson’s girlfriend.”
Eddie’s eyes widened. “Wait a minute. Are you telling me that sweet little thing is the one who killed Pete and saved your life?”
Brian clenched his jaw. “Yes.” Pete had been a fellow policeman. He’d missed—they’d all missed—the warning signs of depression and madness. It had almost cost him his life. It had cost him a kidney, but it cost Toni a lot more. She’d shot Pete dead. She hadn’t had a choice, but that didn’t make it any easier for her to live with the fact that she’d taken the life of someone she cared about. He knew better than most how devastating that had been for her.
“And now she’s caught up in this mess,” Brian continued. “I just want to make sure that there aren’t any surprises for her and that she and Nathan are both taken care of. I owe her that much.” And so much more.
“Be careful,” Eddie warned. “This case is liable to get sticky enough without you becoming involved with the key witness.”
“Don’t worry. There is zero danger of that happening.” No matter how bad he might want her, she would never forgive him. That ship had sailed and he’d blown it out of the water. He’d regret that for the rest of his life, but Eddie didn’t need to know that. If anything, that whole situation proved once again that he was better
off alone. Toni couldn’t count on him.
* * *
Brian found Toni in the cafeteria, sipping a coffee, and reading an e-book. He bought a coffee and walked up to her table. “Can I join you?”
She glanced up with a wary look in her eye that tore at his soul. “If you’re finished with Nathan, I need to go back to his room.”
“It will just take a little bit. I need to tell you something.”
“Okay.” She gave a reluctant nod. “But it needs to be quick because I don’t want to leave him alone for very long.”
“Good book?”
“Yeah, it is, but I don’t think you really want to talk about literature do you, Detective?”
“No, I don’t. Nathan mentioned that he might be able to go home tonight.”
“Maybe. It depends on what his doctor says.” She frowned and tilted her head at him in question. “Why do I get the feeling you’re worried about that?”
“Because you’ve always been too damn perceptive.”
“Aw, Detective, you’re such a sweet-talker.”
He rolled his eyes at her. “Toni, this is serious. We had to let those guys out today.”
Her entire body stilled and tightened. “What? I don’t understand. Why? Why would you let out the guys who hurt him? Don’t you have the evidence to put them away?”
“We’re getting it, Toni, but one of them is well-connected. I don’t think they will mess with Nathan again, but take him back to your place. Keep him with you, if you can.”
Worry filled her eyes, but more than a little anger simmered there, too. “No worries, Detective. That was the plan anyway. I’ll keep him safe, since he’s obviously not a priority to anyone else.”
“He couldn’t ask for a better nurse.” And suddenly, the force pressing on his chest was too much. Memories of her holding his hand through the pain-filled nights after his surgery and the resulting infection overwhelmed him. He couldn’t stay here with her anymore or he’d be on his knees asking her forgiveness. He ignored her widened eyes as he jumped up to leave.
“I have to get back to the station.” He took a step away from the table before he remembered one other thing and turned back around. “Does Nathan have health insurance?”
She glanced away. “It’s fine. It’s all worked out.”
That’s what he figured. She planned to cover it for Nathan and she didn’t have that kind of money either. So he just gave her a quick nod and said, “Okay, I’ll be in touch. Call me if you need anything.”
Then he stopped by the financial department on the way out. It wasn’t much, but he could take care of that for her. He owed her so much more.
Chapter 3
It took twenty-four hours longer than expected to get Nathan checked out of the hospital. His blood pressure was fluctuating too much for his doctor to feel comfortable letting him go with all the bruising to his torso. They kept him an extra day for observation and to make sure something else wasn’t going on internally, but thankfully, nothing ever presented.
Toni sat with him in his hospital room, waiting to leave as soon as they received the final paperwork from the nurse. For the last several hours, Nathan had grown increasingly quiet and Toni couldn’t leave it alone anymore.
“What’s bothering you?”
He glanced around the hospital room before whispering, “How much do you think all this is going to cost?” A nurse walked in so he lowered his voice even more. “I don’t have very much saved. I’m sure it’s not enough to even cover the ambulance.”
“Don’t worry, Nate. I have it covered.” Her credit card would cover the payments, but before she could explain that, the nurse broke in holding out a sheet of paper.
“Oh, honey, you don’t have to worry about it. Someone has already taken care of your bill for you.”
Toni’s shocked gaze swung to the nurse. “What?” She grabbed the paper the nurse offered and searched for a name…Brian Barnes. Why would he pay Nathan’s hospital bill?
Nathan saw it, too. “That’s the detective, right?”
She nodded, stunned. This bill had been thousands of dollars and it said right there in black and white that Brian had paid it in full. It didn’t make any sense.
Scowling, Nathan’s lips pressed into a flat line. “Has he been bothering you? Is this his way of getting into your pants?”
“Nathan! No! He’s not that type of guy. I haven’t even talked to him since he questioned you yesterday. Believe me; he’s not interested in me that way.” She looked back down at the bill. “Honestly, I have no idea why he did this, but don’t worry about it right now, okay? Let’s just get out of here. We’ll sort it out later.”
Toni was thankful that Nathan didn’t pursue it any further while the nurse rolled his wheelchair out the hospital door.
He rolled his eyes at her as they exited the hospital. “I don’t know what lies you’re telling yourself, but the evidence says otherwise.” He nodded his head to her car parked curbside. Brian leaned against her car.
In jeans and a leather jacket, Brian took her breath away. His blond wavy hair ruffled across his forehead in the autumn breeze and her fingers itched to touch it, to touch him. Instead she curled her damp hands against her jean-clad thighs.
Nathan muttered under his breath, “Not interested, my ass.”
Brian stood straighter and gave them a cautious smile as they approached.
“What are you doing here?” Toni asked.
The smile immediately disappeared as he glanced around the parking lot. “I called the nurses’ station and they told me Nathan was going home. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any trouble.”
“Do you really think they would be stupid enough to come after him again?” She looked around the parking lot nervously.
Nathan’s voice was low and alarmed when he asked, “What are y’all talking about?”
She hadn’t told him the men who attacked him had been set free. She didn’t want to scare him, not when he had other things to worry about with his recovery. And his nightmares were bad enough already.
Toni raised a hand to placate him. “Relax, it’s okay. I’ll explain everything when we get home. Let’s just go, okay?”
Nathan nodded hesitantly as he got into the passenger’s side, wincing at the pain the movement caused his bruised ribs.
Toni thanked the nurse and turned to get into the car. Brian stopped her with a hand on her arm. That slight touch sent alarming tingles of awareness across her skin. She couldn’t let him affect her again. That way would just lead to more heartache.
“I’ll follow you back to your place.”
She resisted the urge to argue with him. She needed to talk to him anyway about the hospital bill. So she just bit her tongue and nodded, hoping this over-protectiveness wasn’t the sign of a larger threat coming at them.
As she pulled out of the parking lot, a big grey truck pulled in behind her. It had to be Brian. It struck her as odd that as much as they’d been through together, she didn’t even know what he drove and he’d never been to her apartment, or met her Lab, Sam. She’d never been to his house, either. He’d kicked her out of his life while he’d still been recovering in the hospital.
Glancing over at Nathan, she was surprised to find him scowling.
“Do you want me to get rid of him?” he asked.
“The detective?”
“No, the Easter Bunny.” Nathan rolled his eyes at her. “Yes, the detective. If you don’t want him around, I’ll make sure he leaves us alone.”
Exasperated, she gaped at him. Testosterone was a crazy thing. “And what do you think you’re going to do? You just got out of the hospital and can barely move.” She smiled gently. “I don’t think you’re quite up to defending my honor yet.”
“Damn, knock a guy when he’s down. You don’t think I could take the alpha detective?” He smirked at her and the sight of those shining eyes smiling at her through the bruises on his face made her stomach tumble. She would n
ot let this kid get hurt again.
“I’m sure if you were one hundred percent, you’d have no problem with him,” she said, placating him. “But let’s not test it, okay? Brian isn’t a bad guy. He’s just trying to help.”
“He hurt you before.”
Toni swallowed, before glancing back over at the kid. “I was in a really bad place then. He wasn’t in top form, either. What happened wasn’t his fault. Take him out of the equation and I still would have been a mess emotionally.”
“That may be so, but he certainly didn’t help the matter,” Nathan grumbled.
What could she say to that? Not much. Brian hadn’t helped, but he had been so sick. He had hated that she wanted to help him in his recovery, but he hadn’t had anyone else to sit with him at the hospital, make sure the nurses stayed on top of his pain meds, or to sneak him in contraband food. He didn’t have any family and his friends were all guys who didn’t have the first clue about how to help with his nursing care. Not that Toni knew much either, but she had that feminine nurturing thing down.
She’d just wanted to use some of that on Brian. She couldn’t stand the idea of him spending those weeks all alone in the hospital, but he didn’t want her there. In fact, he’d forced her to leave after two weeks. Then she had to go home and face her own demons, the fact that she’d killed a man. A man she was supposed to care—
“Toni, look out! The light is red!”
Slamming on the brakes, Toni reached across the car to hold Nathan in his seat. The squeal from her tires echoed across her eardrums. She winced as she glanced at Brian in her rearview mirror. He looked furious, but he couldn’t give her a ticket. She’d managed to stop before the light. Barely.
Turning to Nathan, she realized she had still had her hand holding him across his chest.
He snickered as he looked down at it. “You’re going to make an awesome mom. You already have the car thing down. Is that something they teach women in driving school? You know, rather than actual safe driving?”
She pulled her hand back and gave a short, nervous laugh. “Smart-ass. I’m sorry. Are you okay? That couldn’t have helped your ribs any.”
