“Of course.” He got out of the car and opened the back door, unbuckling a remarkably silent Garth from his car seat. “Right now, getting him fed is what needs to happen. After that, we’ll deal with anything else.”
But once they were inside Eric’s living space and he’d heated a bottle of formula, the baby wouldn’t take it. He moved his head from side to side, his mouth tightly closed.
“He looks kind of pink,” JJ pointed out. She placed the back of her hand against Garth’s forehead. “He’s burning up. You need to take his temperature.”
Looking worried, Eric did as she suggested. “He’s got a fever of 104 and he’s breathing fast. It’s probably a result of being kept for who knows how long inside that crypt. We’d better get him to the ER.”
They bundled him back up and headed outside. Midway between the house and the car, the tiny baby shuddered and went limp.
Eric froze, panicked. “Is he...?”
Chapter 24
JJ snatched Garth out of Eric’s arms. “He can’t be,” she said, insistent in her belief. Then, as she lifted him, completely unsure of what action to take, Garth inhaled a deep, shuddering breath and began to cry. Even his voice seemed off, broken and weak.
“Let’s go,” Eric ordered. “Right now, before something else happens.”
They made it to the hospital in record time. Eric pulled up in front of the ER and jumped from the SUV to help JJ and little Garth out of the back seat. They left the vehicle there and hurried in to the triage desk. As soon as the nurse heard what had happened, she sent for an aide, who promptly showed them to a room.
“A nurse will be in to take his vitals,” she said. “And then a doctor will visit.”
After that, things moved surprisingly fast. The nurse arrived, took Garth’s temperature and blood pressure, and before she’d even finished making notations in her computer, a white-coated doctor arrived.
“You have a very sick baby,” he said, looking from JJ to Eric and back again. “We think he might have bacterial pneumonia. He’s going to need antibiotics and we’re going to be admitting him.”
“Pneumonia?” Eric frowned. “Would that have caused him to lose consciousness?”
“No. Are you sure you didn’t imagine that?”
JJ bristled at the doctor’s insinuation. But something about the way Eric was watching the man caused her to pay attention and keep her thoughts to herself.
Just as the thought occurred to her, several men in dark suits came into the room. A look of recognition flashed over Eric’s face at the sight of one of them. “DeLeon,” he said. “It’s about time you got here.”
Unable to help herself, JJ took a long look at the Protector. So this was Shawn’s adoptive brother. Odd how Shawn had never mentioned him, not once in all the time they’d been together. But then that was Shawn, completely absorbed only in himself.
Another man, taller and heavier than the others, stepped forward. “I’m afraid we need to speak to you privately,” he said, his voice deep and sonorous. “I have to ask you both to please come with us, right now.”
“No.” Eric didn’t even have to think about his answer. “I’m not leaving my son.”
DeLeon nodded as if he understood, but one of the other men grunted. He looked out of sorts in his rumpled, navy blue suit and tie. “Don’t make us arrest you.”
What the... Eric stood his ground. “On what charges?”
“Assault and battery,” the other man said. “A Ms. Rhonda Descart is pressing charges against you.”
JJ gasped, but Eric could only stare. “Descart? Are you sure that’s her last name?”
“Yes. Why?”
They all watched him now. Even JJ, her eyes wide and still full of shock. “Because I know that name. I’ve heard Yolanda mention it. Descart is the last name of one of her best friends. A woman who moved away before Yolanda and I married, so I never met her.”
“Rhonda?” DeLeon asked. “Was Rhonda your ex-wife’s friend before moving here?”
He struggled to remember. “No, her first name wasn’t Rhonda. It was something weird, like a seasoning. Sage. That was it. Sage.”
He saw he now had everyone’s full attention. “What?” he asked, directing his question to DeLeon. “What did I say?”
“Sage is Rhonda’s middle name,” DeLeon explained. “It’s extremely likely Rhonda actually was—or is—Yolanda’s best friend.”
Which would explain a lot.
“There’s more,” Eric said, bracing himself for their reactions. “I suspect Rhonda might be Berserker.”
DeLeon and the others all exchanged looks. “That’s a weighty word to throw around,” the Protector said. Then asked, “Are you telling us that Rhonda is also Vedjorn?”
“Yes.”
“As is Yolanda,” JJ offered.
“We know.”
DeLeon’s sharp reply didn’t appear to faze her. “Do you still have to arrest him?” she asked. “Because I was there the entire time and Eric never assaulted Rhonda.”
No one immediately answered.
Finally, the same agent who’d threatened to arrest Eric spoke. “Excuse us a moment. We need to talk privately.” At his gesture, the other agents followed him out of the room.
Except DeLeon. “I’m sorry about all this,” he said, his expression miserable. “I’m glad you got your son back, though. I hope he’s going to be all right.”
“Me, too.” Eric frowned. “He’s got pneumonia, no doubt because Shawn stuck him in a crypt, with little protection from the damp and the cold. I have no idea how long my son was kept there, but evidently long enough to make him seriously ill.”
“I’m sorry.” Apologizing again, DeLeon heaved a sigh. “This is a mess. I’m not really sure how my brother got involved in this, but I hate that he’s on the run now.” He eyed Eric. “Why didn’t you call and fill me in? I had no idea you even had your son back until Rhonda showed up, wanting to press charges.”
“No time.” Glancing toward the doorway, Eric spoke quickly, telling DeLeon everything that had happened since they’d last spoken.
When he finished, the other man stared, scratching his head. “You couldn’t make this stuff up. Geez.”
“I know.”
“Let me get this straight. You’re telling me Rhonda clobbered you, and then knocked out JJ? Using a...frying pan?”
“Cast-iron skillet,” JJ corrected. “It’s much heavier. In fact, I think we need to press charges against her.”
For the first time since arriving at the hospital, DeLeon smiled. “You know what? That might work. At least it would shut those other guys down.” He jerked his head toward the door. “They aren’t real sure what to do right now.”
“Who do they work for?” Eric asked. “I know they’re shifters, from their auras. I thought they were Protectors like you. That’s why I mentioned the possibility that Rhonda is a Berserker.”
“FBI.” DeLeon sounded glum. “The child abduction got them involved. Dealing with that agency can be a pain in the ass sometimes. At least we have enough contacts there to ensure they didn’t send human agents to investigate.”
Eric shook his head, returning his attention to Garth, who was still far too motionless. At least the machines hooked up to his tiny body showed that his heart still beat. That, and the steady rise and fall of his chest, reassured Eric that his son still lived. “I’m not leaving him,” he repeated. “Not without a fight.”
“Me, either.” JJ came and stood next to him. “The only thing that matters right now is Garth. Once he’s better, we can focus on catching Shawn and dealing with Rhonda.”
“Actually, that’s my job,” DeLeon stated with a twisted smile. “Though they’ve asked me to step down from the case due to family being involved, so I should say that�
��s the Pack Protection Agency’s job.”
“Can you do anything to keep Eric from being arrested?” JJ asked. She stood near enough to him that their hips bumped. He put his arm around her and pulled her even closer. When he looked back at DeLeon, the other man gave him a nod of approval.
“He won’t be arrested now. If they push it, all you have to do is claim Rhonda assaulted you.”
“It’s the truth.”
“I know.” DeLeon sighed. “Let me go find them and see if we can work something out. You two focus on getting your baby well. I’ll talk to you later.”
Neither DeLeon nor the FBI guys ever came back.
Later, after Garth had been admitted and they’d moved him to a room on the pediatric floor, Eric gestured toward a recliner near the large window. “It’s late,” he said to JJ. “Why don’t you try to get some rest and I’ll watch over Garth.”
“First shift?” She attempted to smile, but exhaustion tugged the corners of her mouth down. “I sleep for four hours and then you wake me so you can get some sleep.”
Though he didn’t plan to close his eyes until he knew for certain his son was out of the woods, he nodded as if he agreed. “Sounds like a plan,” he said, taking the hard-backed visitor’s chair next to the bed.
Wearily, JJ climbed into the recliner, pulling up the extra blanket a nurse had found. Within seconds, she’d fallen fast asleep.
Eric contented himself alternating between watching her and watching Garth. Staying awake was going to be a challenge, but he’d do it. He wished he’d had the foresight to grab a cup of coffee before JJ went to sleep.
DeLeon texted ninety minutes later.
All charges dropped. Though we had Rhonda in custody, we had to let her go. Let me know if either of you are serious about pressing charges against her. Right now, with both Shawn and Yolanda on the loose, I think it’s better if we let her go. She might lead us to them.
Eric sent back his agreement. For now, he’d leave Rhonda alone. But if she came anywhere near him or his family—including JJ—all bets were off.
Sometime during the night he must have dozed off. He woke up with JJ gently shaking his shoulder. “Time to switch out,” she whispered.
“What time is it?” he whispered back. He stood and stretched, trying to ease some of the kinks in his back.
“A little after three.” She pointed toward the recliner. “Go rest. I’ll try to watch him.”
Though he hated to leave Garth’s side, Eric knew he needed to catch a few hours’ sleep if he hoped to have a prayer of being at his best later. And he trusted JJ to keep a good watch over his son.
Gratitude filled him. It had been a long time since he’d trusted anyone but himself.
With a thankful nod, he kissed JJ on the cheek and crawled into the recliner. He figured he’d be out like a light as soon as he closed his eyes.
His assumption must have been correct, because the next thing he knew, a too-cheerful nurse entered the room, warbling out a bright “good morning” as she flipped on the lights. Both he and JJ started. Garth still lay quietly, but his eyes were open and he appeared to be tracking the nurse’s every move.
“I’ve got his bottle here,” the woman said with a smile. “After I take his temperature, would Mommy or Daddy like to give it to him?”
Too tired to correct the misconception, Eric pushed to his feet. “I’ll do it.”
She handed him the bottle. Using a digital thermometer, she put it under Garth’s arm and waited. “Perfect,” she said, when it beeped. “His fever is gone. I’ll let the doctor know. Let’s see if he wants his bottle, shall we?”
To Eric’s relief, when he offered, Garth latched on and drank hungrily.
“Wonderful!” the nurse exclaimed. “I bet if he keeps improving, the doctor might let him go home this afternoon.”
Eric blinked away the sudden rush of moisture to his eyes. “He’s going to be okay?”
“Of course he is,” she chided. “The antibiotics are doing their job. Call me if you need anything.”
Once she’d gone, JJ hurried over and wrapped her arms around Eric’s waist. They stood together while Garth finished his bottle. When he had, Eric carefully lifted him up and burped him.
“He needs a diaper change,” JJ pointed out. She located a stack of disposable diapers and handed him one.
Contentment and joy filled Eric as he changed his son. Reluctant to let him go, he sat on the edge of the bed and simply held him.
The nurse had been correct. After the doctor made his rounds, he informed Eric he’d be sending Garth home with antibiotics. He gave instructions that they were to follow up with a family physician, unaware that they’d need to locate one first since they hadn’t been in town long enough to have one.
By the time they left the hospital, both Eric and JJ were starving. She’d made a quick run earlier to the hospital coffee shop and gotten them each coffee and a sweet roll, but he went to a drive-through on the way home and picked up a box of fried chicken, along with two sides.
JJ realized something once they’d arrived back at her house and were comfortably ensconced in his warm kitchen. This was how it felt to be a family.
After they’d eaten and Eric had given his son his afternoon bottle, Garth went down for a nap. Eric joined JJ in the living room. “You know you’re staying here until your place is livable,” he said. “No arguments.”
“There won’t be.” Tight-lipped, she glanced out the window at Rhonda’s house. “I have nowhere else to go.”
“I wonder if she went home,” Eric mused. “Since no one filed any charges.”
“I doubt it. She’s probably with Shawn and Yolanda, plotting their next move.” JJ took a deep breath. “Don’t you think it’s odd that both our exes are working together against us? Even though they both want different things, it’s crazy.”
“Extremely odd. It’s even weirder that your ex happens to be related to the Pack Protector assigned to my case.”
She tried for a smile, though she had the feeling it looked more like a grimace. “One of those instances where truth is stranger than fiction. You couldn’t make this stuff up.”
He agreed. “I just want it to be over, so we can all get back to normal.”
Normal. Eric had no idea how much she’d hoped moving to Forestwood would give her that. She’d started down that road, too—settled in to her house, even found a job. And while she’d never intended to fall for her handsome tenant and his adorable infant, she had. She could only hope once all this craziness ended, normal would still be a possibility for them all.
That night, JJ slept on the couch. Eric tried to offer her his bed, but she insisted he stay close to his son. In the morning, she got up first and made a pot of coffee.
Since he’d had to throw away everything in his refrigerator when the power had been cut off, she rummaged through the cupboard to see if there was anything she could make for breakfast. She found some pancake mix, the kind that needed only water added, and an unopened container of maple syrup. They wouldn’t have butter, but this would be better than nothing.
After breakfast, she showered, then watched over Garth so Eric could do the same. Once he emerged, his blond hair still damp, she took a quick trip to buy groceries. Even though Eric asked if she wanted to help him bathe Garth, she felt she needed to get out of the house to reclaim her equilibrium. This sudden enforced coziness had the potential of causing great emotional distress if she allowed herself to get too comfortable.
Because Eric—and Garth—were everything she’d ever yearned for, everything she’d ever dreamed of. The shining possibility of a future with them made her dizzy with longing.
At the store, she loaded up on meat and produce, plus essentials like milk and butter and cheese. Trying not to wince at the total, she paid and wheele
d the cart with her bagged groceries outside. Of necessity, she took extra precautions—scoping out the entire parking lot before she went too far, car keys in hand, and being vigilant about checking out her surroundings. But she didn’t relax until she had everything loaded in her trunk, cart put away, and her doors locked with the engine running. Now to drive home.
Home. Even though her floor still wasn’t finished, staying with Eric felt the same as being home. Except better.
When she got back, Eric came out and helped her bring in the groceries. Catching sight of the receipt, he handed her two hundred-dollar bills. “Thank you,” he said, ignoring her weak attempts to refuse. “This should stock us up for a little while.”
Over the next few days, they settled into a sort of domestic routine. Mundane, actually, but one JJ found satisfying. The only thing that would have made it better would be if Eric would welcome her into his bed. They’d shied away from any kind of intimacy since that night in the motel room. Often, she found herself watching him, aching with suppressed desire and need, and wondering if he felt it, too.
Eric kept in touch with Frank DeLeon. So far, five days in, no trace had been found of Rhonda, Yolanda or Shawn. JJ wondered about Shawn’s job—he’d been zealously dedicated and well compensated there. His brother informed her that Shawn had taken two weeks’ vacation, and as of yet, his position wasn’t in any danger. Of course, that would all change once he returned. The Protectors were watching and waiting for that to happen.
“We just need to be careful not to get lulled into a sense of false security,” Eric told her over dinner.
About to take a bite of the fried chicken she’d prepared, JJ nodded. The construction company had given her a ten-day estimate of when they figured the work would be done in her place. Once everything passed inspection, she’d be able to move back in. She and Eric hadn’t discussed this yet, mostly because she was hoping all the craziness would be over by then. Surely, the Protectors would be able to close Rhonda and the others down.
“You’d think,” Eric agreed, when she mentioned this to him. “The main problem seems to be that they’ve gone into hiding. Until they make a move or someone spots them, we’re kind of stuck in this limbo. DeLeon assures me that they’re working every lead. There’s a lot we’re not privy to going on behind the scenes.”
Her Guardian Shifter Page 24
