by Rebecca Deel
Meg jerked awake with a gasp. “Rod? Are you okay?” She clutched his hand.
“I’m fine. Sorry, babe, but it hurts to laugh.” He threaded his fingers through hers. “How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve spent some time in a car trunk.” She pushed strands of hair away from her face and nodded at Ethan and Serena. “Hey, guys.”
“You are an amazing woman, Megan Cahill,” Ethan said, a broad grin forming on his face.
“Yeah? Why do you say that?”
“Know many hostages who get the best of their captors? Kyle has a concussion. The FBI picked up the two guys who kidnapped you. One man’s eye is swollen shut and the other has a fat lip.” He laughed. “I wouldn’t want to meet you in a dark alley without full riot gear, honey.”
Serena held out her hand to Meg. “Let me treat you to a Coke and something to eat, Meg. You haven’t eaten anything since you arrived.”
Meg’s eyes narrowed. “I would kill for chocolate right now.” She looked at Ethan. “You’ll stay with him.”
Rod’s lips twitched, not missing her demand. Ethan intimidated a lot of people, but Meg wasn’t one of them.
“Yes, ma’am.” Ethan’s eyes twinkled at Rod.
Meg loosened her grip, but Rod wouldn’t let go. She turned to him, eyebrows high. “Problem?”
“Forgot something, didn’t you?” At her quizzical look, he reached up and tugged her close. He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips before forcing himself to release her. Her scarlet cheeks and glare of promised retribution sent a zing of satisfaction down his spine. Yeah, loving this woman was going to be fun.
Meg cleared her throat and stepped back. “Later, Kelter.”
After the two women left, Ethan dropped into the chair Meg had vacated. “Does she know?”
“Know what?”
“You’re in love with her.”
Rod swallowed hard. “Is it that obvious?”
Ethan grinned.
Great. Rod sighed. So much for trying to win her heart slowly. “I haven’t told her yet.”
The smile faded from his boss’s face. “Kyle lawyered up as soon as he regained consciousness.”
“Not surprising.”
“Probably the wisest move. Won’t matter, though. We’ve got him on the 9-1-1 tape confessing to Sherri’s murder.”
“What about her mother?”
“Funny thing about that.” Ethan folded his arms across his chest. “Jordan called the Sheriff and offered rush service with the FBI lab. When their lab techs analyzed the mother’s pillowcase, they found an unknown hair. Care to guess who left his DNA at the crime scene?”
Rod thought through the events of the previous night. He frowned. Kyle never admitted to killing Sherri’s mother. Was it an omission on his part or the truth? “From your expression, I’d say it wasn’t Kyle. So, who was it?”
“Senator Drake.”
“Why did he kill her?”
“He found out she was going to give Ty his birth mother’s name as a last gift from Sherri.”
“How? Did she call and tell him?”
Ethan shook his head. “When I confronted him with the evidence, he finally admitted that he’d called Mrs. King to check on her. He was worried about how she was holding up after Sherri’s death. She volunteered the information. The Senator said he did it to protect Ty.”
Rod scowled. “He killed Mrs. King to protect himself and his secret.”
“That’s the way the FBI sees it.”
“So the feds have jurisdiction now?”
“I doubt they’ll get him to trial, but Jordan’s welcome to the Senator. I wanted Sherri’s killer. How long did the doctor say you would be out of commission?”
“He won’t release me for duty until after the first of the year. I’ll probably get out of here in a few more days, though. Maybe I can convince him to let me come back for half days or something if you need me.”
“Don’t push it, Rod. Nick and I will split the shift and cover it until you’re back on your feet.”
He grinned. “Serena might not like that.”
“What won’t I like?” Serena stepped into the room with Megan on her heels.
“Your new husband working overtime until after the end of the year.”
Serena laughed, her gaze resting on Ethan’s face. “Overtime? Ethan’s job is 24/7 year round. If I get too lonesome at night, I’ll ride along with him on patrol or take a midnight snack to his office. I knew what I was getting into before I married him.”
His gaze locked with Meg’s. Would she be able to handle the potential dangers of his job? Erin had never said a word about his choice of career. He remembered, though, the heartfelt kisses and long looks as if she were committing his features to memory in case he didn’t return. Would Meg be willing to risk her heart on a cop?
Megan Cahill’s beautiful face covered a will of steel. He didn’t doubt Meg could take the swing shifts and missed dinners. But would she be willing? Rod held out his hand. Meg sank into the chair next to his bed and clasped his hand in a tight grip.
Ethan stood and draped an arm around Serena’s shoulders. “Need anything before we leave, Rod?”
“I’m good. Thanks, Ethan.”
He nodded. “I’ll check on you tomorrow. See you later, Meg.”
Ethan and Serena’s footsteps echoed in the hallway. Meg’s soft breathing broke the silence that descended on his room. His heart rebelled at the thought of declaring his love for this special woman in as impersonal a setting as this hospital room, especially knowing any moment a nurse was scheduled to take his blood pressure or poke him with another needle.
He studied her face, marveling that just the sight of her sent his heart into an erratic rhythm. Rod noticed her eyeing the laptop case and smiled. “Ethan finished with your computer. You probably should check to make sure everything is on the hard drive.”
Her eyes gleamed. “I think I will.”
“Maybe you should take it home, babe. You need to rest and you won’t get any with hordes of nurses checking me every fifteen minutes.”
“It’s not a horde. You have one nurse per shift.”
He grimaced. “Yeah? You sure? Maybe somebody cloned her because I’m telling you she shows up every few minutes to keep me from sleeping.”
Meg grinned. “You’re grumpy, Kelter. Sounds like you need a nap.”
“So do you. Meg, I know you’re exhausted. I’m not going anywhere and all the bad guys are in jail. Go home and get some sleep.” He grinned. “When you come back tomorrow morning, sneak some real food and Serena’s coffee in here.”
Meg shook her head. “No way am I leaving you here alone with the night nurse. She has a thing for red-haired super cops.”
He frowned at her. “Meg.”
Her grip tightened on his hand. “Get over it, Kelter. I’m staying. I’ll go home when you leave this place.”
He took a breath to argue with her and realized it would be a waste of air. He’d seen that determined, stubborn look often enough over the last few days to recognize the glint of steel in her eye. He’d be better off getting out of the hospital as soon as possible.
Right on schedule, the night nurse sailed in and checked his vitals again. “Looks good, Detective Kelter. You’ll be out of here before you know it.” She handed him a small white paper cup with a couple of pills in it. “Pain meds.” After he swallowed them, the nurse took the empty cup and tossed it in the trash. She grabbed her cart and headed for the door. “Call me if you need anything.”
Meg retrieved her laptop and scooted her chair closer to the bed. While the laptop booted, she glanced at him. “Go to sleep. I have work to do.” She smiled. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you from the overzealous night crew.”
Rod snorted, but closed his eyes and let the medicine take him under to the sound of her clicking keyboard. Periodically throughout the night, he would wake and scan the darkened room. Each time, sensing he was awake, she reached over, squeezed his hand a
nd repeated the same thing. “Everything’s okay, babe. Go back to sleep.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
Rod swam up through the murky darkness to consciousness and forced his eyelids open. Bars of sunlight streamed through the blinds, highlighting the gold glints of Megan’s hair as she steadily typed on her laptop keyboard. “Hey.”
Her blue gaze jumped from her screen to lock with his. A smile curved her mouth, color rising in her cheeks. “How are you?”
A tide of mischievousness swept through him. He struggled to keep his expression blank. “Not so good, Cahill.” Worry shadowed her face and Rod smothered the guilt that he’d caused her more pain. He planned to fix it.
Meg rose, placed the laptop on the seat she’d vacated and moved to his side. “What’s wrong? Do I need to call the nurse?”
He smiled, his hand cupping the nape of her neck, and urged her closer. “Depends. Should I call her to kiss me?”
She frowned. “Not if she wants to stay out of the ER as a patient.”
“You don’t play well with others?” Rod teased.
“I never learned to share.”
“Me either,” he whispered.
The touch of her lips sent all other thoughts from his head until a knock sounded on his door. Rod reluctantly allowed her to move away though he retained possession of her hand and turned his attention to the doctor grinning at him from the doorway.
“You’re looking much better than the last time I checked on you, Detective.” Chase paused at his bedside. “The night nurse tells me you had excellent care all night.” He smiled at Megan. “I take it you didn’t sleep at all last night, young lady.”
A rosy blush stained her cheeks. “No, sir.”
“You know, we do have an excellent nursing staff, aside from the Battleaxe. You need to let the nurses earn their wages.”
Rod’s gaze swung from his doctor to Meg. “Who’s the Battleaxe?”
Meg’s cheeks flushed an even deeper scarlet. “I’ll explain later.”
“Your young man is out of danger, Ms. Cahill. The best thing you can do for him right now is take care of yourself. So, as his physician, I’m telling you to go home and get some rest.”
“Need a ride, Meg?” Nick Santana eased into the room, Madison’s hand clasped in his.
“What are you doing here?” Meg asked, shutting down her computer.
“Ethan sent us over to keep tabs on Rod.”
She froze. “Is he still in danger?”
Nick snorted. “Ethan wants to make sure he doesn’t check himself out of this joint before he’s mended.”
“Hey,” Rod said, irritation coloring his tone. “I’m still conscious here.” Under normal circumstances, he didn’t like people keeping tabs on him, but he’d make an exception for Meg. And despite Nick’s assertion about keeping him in the hospital to heal, he knew with a glance that his co-worker was armed and the gun wasn’t to keep him in his bed.
“You’ll stay with her, won’t you, Madison?” Rod asked.
“Sure.” She pulled out her car keys.
“But what about the knitting store, Maddie?” Meg asked. “You need to open the store in a few hours.”
Madison shrugged. “Del can handle it for a few hours. We’re usually pretty slow on Mondays.” She took the laptop from Meg. “I can use a few hours of downtime myself. I bought a new pattern I want to try.”
“And you just happen to have it with you.”
She patted the bag on her shoulder. “Knitting is a great way to pass the time in a hospital.”
“I should have known.” Shaking her head, Meg turned to Rod, leaned down and brushed her lips against his. “Rest. No parties, no sneaking out.” She turned to Nick. “If he has so much as one new scratch on him when I return, you will answer to me.”
Her brother-in-law grinned at her. “I’ll take care of him, Meg.”
Satisfaction bloomed in Rod’s gut. Meg had kissed him in front of her family without any prompting from his direction. Maybe, just maybe, this beautiful woman felt at least something for him. “Same goes, Cahill. Rest. No parties, no sneaking out.”
She grinned, waved and was gone.
“Well,” Chase said with evident satisfaction. “I know how to clear out a room.” He eyed Nick. “You here for the duration?”
He nodded. “Orders from the police chief.”
“How soon can I get out of here, Doc?” Rod asked.
Chase chuckled. “Your boss, Blackhawk, warned me you wouldn’t be a good patient. Maybe a couple more days, Detective, if you rest, let your body heal. I’ll check in on you later.”
Rod speared Nick with a knowing glance as the door closed behind the doctor. “Okay, spill it, Santana. Why do I need an armed guard in my room?”
“Precaution.” Nick moved the chair Meg had been occupying to the end of Rod’s bed. “Ethan released Ty a few minutes ago.”
Rod noted Nick positioning himself so he could see the door and intercept any threat coming from the hallway. He couldn’t imagine Ty trying to take him out now. He knew his friend was angry and hurting, but the tide of emotions should have centered on his brother and father.
Or Meg. His eyes narrowed. Meg’s friendship with Sherri and her research into the book led to the series of events culminating in Sherri’s murder. Even flat on his back, Rod could protect himself if he had his firearm. Meg couldn’t. “You should be with Meg. I can take care of myself.” His heart hammered against the wall of his chest. Had he sent her home into renewed danger, unprotected?
Nick shook his head, humor sparkling in his eyes. “Ethan’s orders are for me to ride herd on you. Josh gets the unenviable job of keeping an eye on my intrepid sister-in-law.” He slipped off his jacket, leaving his shoulder holster visible and his 40-caliber pistol within easy access.
Rod relaxed. Good. No one would get to Meg without going through Josh first, and that Army soldier was one formidable obstacle. “Tell me what’s been happening around town while I’ve been laid up.”
“You’ve only been out of circulation 24 hours, Rod. No heists or kidnappings other than yours and Meg’s. In fact, it’s been almost boring.” He settled back in the chair, his attention focused on the door. “I arrested the dude who held up Hank’s.”
“Yeah? Who was it?”
“Dean Simmons.”
Rod frowned. “Name doesn’t sound familiar. He been in trouble with the law somewhere else?”
“Nope. He’s never even had a ticket in his life.”
“What’s his story?”
“Got laid off from the car plant a few months ago. Can’t find another job and his wife refused to move so he could look for work. She wouldn’t leave her mother and grandmother. One of the kids ended up in the hospital with appendicitis and they don’t have medical insurance any more. The bills rose too high. He got desperate.”
“Oh, man. Was he armed?”
“Black water pistol. Ethan’s talking to the prosecutor, trying to get him and his family some help.”
A knock and the door swung open. Ty Drake stood in the doorway. Exhaustion hung on his body like a second skin. “May I come in?”
Nick surged to his feet, placing his body squarely between Rod and the doorway. Eyes on the newcomer, he said, “Your call, Rod.”
“It’s okay, Nick. Come on in, Ty.” He studied his friend’s demeanor as he trudged into the hospital room. He still looked dazed, as if he couldn’t quite grasp the revelations that had shattered his world in the last two days.
Rod waved Ty to the chair sitting at the foot of his bed. “How are you holding up?”
He sank onto the edge of the seat. “Do you really care?”
“I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t.”
Ty turned his head and stared pointedly at Nick. “Can’t you step outside?”
Nick shook his head. “Not going to happen.”
A stunned expression dawned on his face. “You think I would hurt him?”
“What do you want, Ty?�
� Rod turned Ty’s attention back to him and steeled himself for a diatribe of anger and bitterness, railing that if he’d left well enough alone, Ty wouldn’t have lost everything and everyone in his life.
Ty dragged his gaze away from the other detective and focused his shadowed gaze on Rod. “I wanted you to know I appreciate your determination to find Sherri’s rapist. She deserved better treatment than either he or I gave her.” He swallowed visibly. “I know I didn’t make your job easy.” His gaze speared Rod’s. “I had no idea about Kyle or the Senator. I think I would have done the right thing and turned them in if I had known.”
Rod noted the change in Ty’s naming of Drake. No longer his father, but the Senator. Yet another sign of his shattered world.
“I don’t blame you for what happened, Rod. You were the best kind of friend, one who didn’t turn aside when things got ugly. You did your job no matter what the obstacles, and I realize now you did the right thing.”
“What’s next for you, Ty?”
“I want to get away from here, from the memories.”
Rod understood the need to run. He’d wanted to sell the house after he lost Erin and Kayla, but couldn’t let go of memories or them. “You’ll have to stick around for the trial.”
“I know, but after that, I want to move away from here. Get a fresh start.”
Rod didn’t know how receptive Ty was at the moment, but he had to try. “You can’t run from yourself. I know. I tried it.” His lips curled. “Even at the bottom of a bottle, I was still there. The change has to start with you. Otherwise, you’ll end up doing the same things the same way and getting the same result. You.”
Ty watched him, his brows knitting. “You’ve really changed, haven’t you?
“I’m a work in progress.”
“It’s Meg, isn’t it? She’s changing you.” He frowned. “Sherri tried to change me, too. It didn’t work. I guess I didn’t want it to work. Maybe I didn’t love her enough.”
“The difference in me isn’t because of Meg.” Not totally, anyway. “I had to make the changes for myself, Ty.”
Nick leaned one shoulder against the wall, his arms across his chest. “We’ve all been where you are.”
