“Any serious injuries?” the chief asked, eyes not moving to the rearview mirror.
“She says no, but there’s blood on her face.”
“My foot,” she replied. “I cut it.”
“And your hand.” He caught her wrist and followed the dried blood to her palm. Her skin was still so cold.
“Were you outside all night?” the chief asked.
“Yes,” Oliver answered for her when she nodded. His anger almost boiled over at the realization. In one fluid movement, Oliver took off his shirt.
“Let’s put this on you,” he said, already moving her to face him.
“No,” the chief cut in. “Put her against you.”
Oliver raised his eyebrow. “What?”
The chief was all business when he answered. “She’ll warm up faster from your body heat. Just putting your shirt over her—although it’s a kind gesture—won’t work fast enough. Sit her on your lap and let her hug your bare chest. Your warmth will become her warmth.”
Never did Oliver think he would see the day that a cop told him to hug a naked Darling, but it wasn’t time to marvel. Darling didn’t argue. She must have been a lot colder than he’d thought. She didn’t resist as he pulled her onto his lap. She slowly moved her legs around him while he helped guide her arms into his jacket to cover her back.
Oliver made sure to keep eye contact with her as he wrapped his arms around her torso and pulled her down until her bare skin was pressed against his.
Darling’s eyes fluttered closed for a moment before she returned the embrace. He waited as she settled her cheek against his shoulder. There was no denying she needed the warmth. Her skin was as cold as ice.
“How long to the hospital?” Oliver asked when Darling relaxed against him. Absently he began to rub her back beneath the jacket.
“Ten minutes. You still with us, Darling?”
Oliver felt her nod against his shoulder.
“What happened to you?” Oliver didn’t want to push her, but he also needed to know. Whoever had done this was still out there. “I went to your place and saw Derrick on the ground and you nowhere to be found.”
“Derrick okay?”
“Just a nasty bump on the head is all,” the chief supplied. “He’ll be back to it in no time.”
Darling nodded into his shoulder again. As her cheek moved across his bare skin, he had to repress a shiver.
“Someone knocked. I thought it was you,” she said, voice a bit louder than before. “No one was there. I went downstairs and then—” She let out a shuddering breath. Oliver looked down to see tears shining in her eyes. She tilted her head to the side, and Oliver cursed.
“What?” Chief asked.
Oliver let out another string of obscenities before he answered.
“Someone choked her,” he bit out. “There are marks on her neck. I don’t know how I missed the bruising before.”
“I didn’t see a face,” she said after the chief also voiced his anger. “Flat chest. Male. Then woke up outside.”
Oliver returned his hand to her back, satisfied she hadn’t been hit over the head like Derrick.
The cab of the truck became silent as their individual thoughts formed faster than their mouths would let them. Oliver was trying to keep his growing anger under control. To put hands around Darling’s neck until she had passed out, and then to strip her and leave her in the cold to die were two acts that painted an unsettling picture of a man with nothing but bad intentions. The idea that he had been watching Darling and waiting for her to leave her apartment was one that crawled under Oliver’s skin and simmered. But at the same time, a thin yet strong layer of guilt covered it.
He shouldn’t have left her alone after someone had ransacked her office. Even if Derrick had consoled him with promises of her staying safe.
Darling sighed, and Oliver felt the movement go from her chest to his. Despite the fact that she was completely naked—and pressed against him—Oliver noted that the overriding emotion he felt was protectiveness.
Sure, he could admit that what he had seen of her today was all woman and all beautiful. Her curves, her breasts, her hips, her legs. But instead of overpowering feelings of lust and desire, he had instantly felt the need to keep that body safe.
To guard it with his own body.
In that moment, Oliver realized the only person he wanted to be a bodyguard for was wrapped up and shivering in his arms.
Chapter Fifteen
The chief took charge of the entire hospital when they came in. He barked orders no one questioned. That included giving Darling privacy until she was placed in a room with a nurse, a doctor and a gown.
“We need you to step out of the room for now,” the nurse told Oliver after he’d made sure she was situated on a bed. He started to argue, but Darling silenced him.
“It’s okay,” she tried to assure him. “I’m safe.”
He didn’t want to point out that she’d thought that before. Instead he kept his mouth shut. She’d been through enough.
“Heath found something,” Chief Sanderson said, bustling over. “Call me if you learn anything new or she remembers anything. Give me your keys and we’ll have someone bring your car over.”
“Thanks.” In truth, he hadn’t even thought about the rental.
“And tell Darling we’ll get the bastard who did this.”
“You bet your ass we will,” Oliver responded. The chief gave him a quick nod and was gone.
Now that Darling was safe, Oliver was able to think about the rest of the world. Grant and Thomas were having to stretch themselves thin to cover Oliver’s day shift, but he couldn’t see a way around leaving Darling.
He let out a long exhalation and slumped against the wall. There wasn’t enough time to rest.
“You look tired.”
Standing next to him in a black pantsuit and matching heels, Nikki Waters was the last person he had expected to see. At least, not this soon.
“It’s been a long twenty-four hours,” he said. Nikki didn’t smile.
“How is Miss Smith doing?”
He glanced back at the shut door.
“Cold,” he said. “Scared, but won’t admit it. I don’t think there’s any permanent or life-threatening damage.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“How do you even know about all of this?” He motioned around them.
“Thomas told me about the break-in when I called for a status update.” She shrugged. “With all these unknown variables continuing to come into play, I thought it best to jump on a flight and come out here.” She was waiting for Oliver to say something, but he didn’t want to start a conversation he knew wouldn’t end well. Nikki must have realized this. She turned her body toward the empty room across from them. “Can we talk in private a moment?”
Oliver followed without complaint. He moved himself so he could see over Nikki’s shoulder to Darling’s room. If anyone who wasn’t hospital staff tried to get to her, they’d soon find out they would have to go through him.
“I don’t know where to begin, really,” she started. Her posture was stick straight, her arms across her chest. “But I suppose I’ll start with this. What were you thinking, Oliver? You asked Orion’s senior analyst to hack into an active client’s phone to take information.” Disbelief and blatant disappointment blanketed each word. “Do you have any idea how much trouble we would be in had I not stopped Rachel when I called to tell her I’d landed?”
Oliver was taken aback.
“It was necessary—it still is necessary—to find out what Nigel’s hiding,” he said, frustration pouring out. “Nigel is connected to all of this. We have to know how, and that call log could be the key.”
“Then let the police get a warrant for it,” N
ikki snapped back. Her cool composure cracked. “Did it ever occur to you that getting evidence illegally would hurt your case more than it would help it? Courts would dismiss whatever evidence you found. Plus, what makes you so sure he’s involved with that woman’s death or Darling’s abduction? You told me yourself that in your gut, you didn’t believe he killed the unidentified woman. What changed?”
That gave Oliver pause. She was right. Oliver knew in his gut Nigel hadn’t had anything to do with the death. When he didn’t come up with a good answer, she continued.
“Just because there isn’t another obvious suspect doesn’t mean you should jump on one of the only suspects you do have. This is one bad judgment call I can’t overlook, Oliver. You didn’t just jeopardize Rachel. You jeopardized us all. Every agent—their families—and every person we ever would protect in the future. You put us all—including yourself—in danger.”
Oliver was about to protest. Finding a kidnapped Darling didn’t compare to the remote possibility that Orion could be held accountable for the breach in security. He had already decided that if it came down to it, he would shoulder all of the blame. However, Nikki didn’t give him a breath to say any of that.
“All of it—all of this—could have been avoided had you just come to me directly,” she said, voice cooling. “Instead you went behind my back, asked an analyst to go against her ethical code and broke the law. You should have come to me, Oliver.”
“You’d already made it clear I wasn’t supposed to get close to Darling,” he reasoned, thinking back to his first day in Mulligan. “I thought you would have shut me down and then out. I didn’t want to take that chance.”
“That chance? Oliver, I started Orion because I believe that every life deserves the basic right of safety, no matter that person’s financial situation. For three years I have busted all of our collective asses to make sure we offer virtually free services and every client who comes to us can rest a little easier. What makes you, Oliver Quinn, think that I wouldn’t have done everything in my power to help when I knew a woman’s life depended on it?”
Oliver’s mouth slid open, but no words came out. Like a fish out of water, he stared at her. She had him there.
“I—I wasn’t thinking straight,” he admitted. “I’m sorry, but I couldn’t take the chance.”
“And that is why I’m taking you off this case and sending you home.” Whatever anger had been within her was seeping out. Her resolve, however, was absolute. There was no reprieve to be had. As he responded, he hoped she could see his level of intensity, as well.
“She’s more than just a friend. I can’t leave her, Nikki. Not until this is all put to rest,” he said, voice low, unyielding. “I won’t leave her again.”
For an instant Oliver thought he saw Nikki’s body sag. She let out a low breath and shook her head slowly.
“Then I’m afraid I’m going to have to ask for your resignation.”
* * *
“HE TOOK MY EARRINGS.”
Darling rubbed at the smoothness of her ear lobes. They were warming up, as were her fingers, but she didn’t feel any yellow daisy earrings beneath them. “Doesn’t that seem oddly personal?”
“Excuse me?” Nurse Jones looked up from the end of Darling’s hospital bed. Her glasses slipped to the tip of her nose.
Darling shifted her weight. The readjustment moved her foot, which earned her a glare from the nurse. She put her hands around the top Darling’s foot to hold it still.
“Never mind,” Darling said.
Nurse Jones finished her evaluation in silence. Considering she was inspecting the stitches on the bottom of her foot, Darling didn’t want to annoy the woman. Even though she had been one of the handful of people who had seen Oliver carry her in wrapped around him naked, she hadn’t questioned Darling about the situation when they were alone.
Not that she felt the need to talk to the older woman about it. Darling still had to sort her through her own thoughts.
“Okay, looks like your little stunt didn’t tear open your stitches,” Nurse Jones said, standing with her hands on her hips. She was a stern woman in her fifties and didn’t care for any excuses. So Darling didn’t give her one.
“Next time I need to get to the bathroom, I’ll hit the call button,” Darling promised. “And not try to get there without my crutches.”
Nurse Jones nodded and turned her attention to the rest of her patient. “And how do you feel now?”
It had been almost an hour since she had been passed off to the doctor. Hot water bottles and blankets had been applied to her body in an attempt to make her warm as the cut across her foot had been stitched. The doctor had confirmed she was suffering from hypothermia but, lucky for her, taking shelter from the wind had helped her more than anything. Also, Oliver’s body temperature had begun to put warmth back into hers on the ride to the hospital. It was a great starting point, the doctor had exclaimed.
Some of the warm water bottles were still placed across her stomach and thighs while Darling kept buried beneath three thick blankets.
“I wouldn’t say cozy, but I’m not cold anymore,” she answered. Darling held up her bandaged hand. “This doesn’t hurt anymore, either.”
“And your throat?”
On reflex, Darling’s hands flitted to her neck. She could still imagine the strong grip that had brought her to unconsciousness wrapped around her.
“It doesn’t hurt as much when I talk,” she admitted.
Nurse Jones wrote on the clipboard in her hand without commenting. The woman showed no signs of sympathy. The nurse had obviously seen a lot working in a hospital. Darling wasn’t going to hold it against her that her bedside manner was lacking.
“Okay, I’ll have to get the doctor to sign off on it, but I think you’re good to leave just as soon as that young man brings you your clothes. You still need to take it easy, though.” The nurse tapped Darling’s big toe. “No pressure on this for four or five days. We’ll set up a time for you to come back and get the stitches removed.” She pointed to the set of crutches leaning against the bed. “Use those. Understand?”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Good.”
The nurse left without another word. Darling let out a long, deep sigh and pulled the top blanket up to her chin. She imagined the cloth was a nice, hot bath. Her body submerged in water that would stave off any cold the night could bring. Scented candles along the lip of the tub, all combining in the epitome of a relaxing atmosphere.
“Should I come back later?”
Darling jumped and turned to see Oliver standing in the doorway. A duffel bag thrown over his shoulder, a smirk attached to his lips.
“Sorry. You looked like you were enjoying your thoughts.”
Darling laughed. “I was actually dreaming of a bath,” she said. “Cheesy, right?”
He walked over and put the bag next to her. “After what you’ve been through, I’d say you have every right to a bath. Heck, I’d even go so far as to say a bubble bath.”
She followed that with another laugh but cut it short. Something seemed off about the bodyguard. He was smiling, but the expression didn’t reach his eyes.
“What’s wrong?” Darling asked with such intense concern it almost moved her. Oliver looked surprised.
“What do you mean?”
“Your smile doesn’t reach—” She stopped herself and then amended, “Your smile seems off. Fake.”
He crossed his arms over his chest. His eyebrow rose. “My smile seems fake,” he repeated with obvious mockery.
Darling felt a flare of frustration lick to life inside her. When would Oliver realize that she could read him as easily as he could read her?
As if on cue, Oliver’s face softened, and his voice lost all contempt. “I’m tired. I haven’t gotten much sleep recen
tly.”
It was Darling’s turn to soften. She reached out and took his hand. She had thought her skin had warmed considerably since she had been brought in, but where Oliver’s hand touched hers, there was nothing but brilliant heat. Instead of pulling away, she squeezed.
“Thank you for finding me. I didn’t get a chance to say it earlier.”
Oliver squeezed back.
“Thank you for not freezing to death,” he replied with a new tilt to his lips. Together they laughed and dropped hands. The moment passed, and Darling opened the duffel.
“Now, the question is, are you as good at finding a decent outfit?”
“If your idea of a good outfit is a white tank top, skin-tight jeans, and a red thong...” Darling’s face heated before she could stop it. “Then that’s not a good outfit. And on that note, I’ll leave you to change.” He started to leave but paused to add, “Unless you need help?”
“No, thanks. I think I can do it.”
He shrugged and closed the door behind him. It wasn’t as if he hadn’t seen and felt her naked body only a few hours before. Heat flared up her neck and into her cheeks.
Oliver had picked out a sweatshirt, jeans and tennis shoes. It meant he had grabbed the first thing he’d seen in her closet and chest of drawers. As for undergarments, thankfully he had gone sensible and picked a no-lace beige bra and a pair of black cotton bikini-cut panties. Darling spent the time putting on each item trying to recall what all he had seen when going through her underwear drawer. He had to have seen every type of underwear she owned. From the see-through special occasion lace to the long, unattractive pieces meant for a Maine winter. Within the past few hours, she had lost a lot of privacy points with the bodyguard.
Nurse Jones came back in just after Darling had wrangled on her pants, taking care not to disrupt the stitches on the bottom of her foot. Dr. Williams had signed off, and she was officially being discharged.
“Will the young man outside be taking you home, or do you need a ride?” the nurse asked after she had put some ointment on Darling’s foot and wrapped it up. “It’s the end of my shift, so I could drop you off.” She shrugged to show indifference, but Darling smiled. Apparently the nurse wasn’t completely apathetic.
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