Rules of Engagement (Lexi Graves Mysteries, 11)

by Camilla Chafer

  "What could possibly be worse than dead?"

  "We'd all be implicated. They threatened to plant drugs on Anastasia and leave an anonymous tip, or hide some stuff at the agency if the hit man came back on them. However, Mikey Gibb got picked up and I couldn't make it go away. I thought I could throw you off a little longer, just to get enough time to collect all the money together. But when I left PD earlier, they called me and said there was a man at the hospital, waiting to make his move. I got all the cash I could find. Now you and I are going to go out and get the rest of it."

  "You're forgetting something," I said.

  "What?" Damien glared at me, his eyes staying on mine for a fraction too long.

  Behind him, Maddox grabbed the lamp from the console table and swung it hard, cracking Damien squarely on the back of his head. His gun fired and I reflexively dropped to the floor. A piece of plaster ricocheted from the wall behind me.

  Within seconds, the door smashed inwards. Police officers in bulletproof vests surged forward to surround us, shouting at us to drop our weapons. On the floor, I released my grip on my gun and stuck my hands up high. Maddox dropped the remains of the shattered lamp.

  "You two okay?" asked Garrett, running in. He wore a flak jacket over his clothes and had his gun drawn and ready.

  "I am. Maddox?"

  "Never better," said Maddox. He dusted his hands against his jeans and grinned.

  "Damien?" I asked.

  Garrett bent down next to him, placing two fingers at his neck. "He's out cold. Someone, get an EMT in here. What happened?"

  "Damien was just agreeing to help take down the Niners and their Boston connections when he started to panic. He took his eyes off Maddox and that was when Maddox made his move. Damien wasn't aiming for me but his gun went off." It wasn't quite the truth but it might have helped Damien avoid a lengthier prison sentence, or a very short and brutal one. Perhaps now that he was about to be taken into custody, he would realize that my way of fixing things was a lot better than his.

  "Get that gun off my sister!" said Garrett to the only officer with a gun trained on me. "Are you the only cop in Montgomery who doesn't know who she is?"

  The cop sheathed his gun and gave me an apologetic smile.

  "Where did Damien get his weapon?" asked Garrett, kicking the gun that was still resting in Damien's fingers away from him. It skidded to a stop a couple meters from me.

  "Not sure but possibly from Solomon's gun safe," I said. I wasn't sure how many weapons in Solomon's concealed safe were legal, but I really didn't want to get into that right now. "Or maybe from somewhere else. I don't know."

  "That ambo on its way?" asked Garrett over his shoulder to one of the officers. "Where did you learn to swing a lamp like that, Maddox?"

  "Two years of tennis camp," said Maddox.

  "I have a doubles game this weekend. Want to pitch in as my partner?" asked Garrett. "We might win with that kind of an aggressive swing."

  Maddox grinned again. "I'm in!"

  "Now that you two have your tennis date sorted out, can I get a ride to the hospital?" I asked.

  "Are you hurt?" both men asked me.

  "No, but Damien said there's a man waiting at the hospital, which means Solomon and Anastasia could still be in danger. The moment word gets out that Damien is in police custody..." I trailed off, uncertain of exactly what would happen. Damien was panicked by the constant threats and it crossed my mind that there might be payback. It might not have been true that another man was waiting to exact revenge, but I didn't dare take the risk. "I think he has enough information now to take down the Niners and the Boston gang too. He's in as much danger now as Solomon," I explained.

  "Leave it to me," said Garrett. "Maddox, can you take Lexi over to the hospital? I'll meet you there and get both of your statements."

  "Let's go," said Maddox.

  The whole floor was quiet. As soon as we stepped out of the elevator, I knew things had changed. Fletcher was waiting for us, his face solemn.

  "What happened?" I asked.

  "Solomon's fine. They took the ventilation tube out and he's breathing on his own. Dr. Forsythe said that was good news."

  "No, that's great news!"

  "It is. We're still on lockdown right now, hence the silence. Only authorized personnel are allowed in here."

  Relief flooded me. "That's good too."

  "I'm going to check in with Garrett," said Maddox. He reached for the elevator doors, holding them open. "The ambulance should be here any moment with Damien. You did really good."

  "You saved the day," I said, hugging him quickly. "Thank you."

  "Anytime," he said, kissing the top of my head before he stepped into the elevator, and raising one hand to say goodbye.

  "Why's Damien in an ambulance?" asked Fletcher.

  "I'll fill you in soon," I promised, "but the short story is: we've discovered the source of the threat. Damien got knocked out and, hopefully, he'll start filling in all the blanks very soon."

  I could tell Fletcher wanted to ask me something else but instead, he directed me to a large room. Before we stepped in, I stopped him by placing my hand on his arm. "This was all because Damien owed the wrong people money," I said. "He's injured and he will be arrested when he comes around. There might be another imminent threat on Anastasia’s life. Maybe on mine too."

  "You'll be safe here," said Fletcher. "Go inside and rest a while." He opened the door and I stepped into the room where Solomon lay. Anastasia sat at his bedside, reading a magazine, and Delgado was sitting in a chair. Sam's dinosaur was still on the bedside table, watching over him, and I smiled when I saw it. "You're back!" exclaimed Anastasia. "This is good news!"

  Lily darted in, saving me from answering right away. "I heard you were here," said Lily. "Thank goodness you’re okay. I have been worried about you so much!"

  "I'm here now," I said and Lily hugged me. "I'm okay, really. See? Still got my brave face on." I pointed to my face. Instead of letting go, Lily hugged me harder.

  "What's that for?" I asked.

  "Anyone who has to wear a brave face needs extra hugs. A brave face is the very definition of everything not being okay."

  "The threat's not exactly gone, but it will be soon, I hope." I slumped into the unoccupied chair when Lily let go of me. I thought about the man Damien said was waiting for instructions and wondered if I should say something. The way Delgado kept checking his phone and giving me knowing looks suggested I didn't need to. Plus, I didn't want Anastasia to worry about her own safety on top of Solomon's. I reached for her hand and squeezed it, sorry that she would have to hear the whole story very soon; and even sorrier that it might split what was left of her family even further apart.

  "You look tired," said Anastasia. "You should get some rest. Have you had a busy day?"

  "Kinda," I said, stifling the yawn that persisted. I felt exhausted but wired. There was so much information still to process, and so much more to guess at. It would probably take weeks for me to unravel everything once Damien started to talk, if he started to talk.

  "Take the cot," said Delgado. "Close your eyes and rest. You've been running around like the world is on fire for too many days. When did you last eat a proper meal?"

  "I don't know." My body felt sluggish and unwilling to move. The cot seemed too far away. Delgado picked me up and carried me, gently adjusting the pillow under my head. Lily lay a blanket over me.

  "Go to sleep," she whispered and I did.

  When I awoke, it was fully dark and something smelled delicious. I stirred and pushed back the covers. Lily and Delgado had swapped chairs and Anastasia was missing. "Where's Anastasia?" I asked. Then I added, "How long was I asleep?"

  "Two hours, and she's outside, getting something to eat and trying to drag information out of everyone."

  I grimaced. "Is that what I smell?" I asked, pointing to a large paper bag on the table.

  Lily handed it to me. "Maddox came by with dinner for everyone. Ton
y and I already ate," she said. I swung my legs over the side of the cot and opened the bag, the smell of grease and salt greeting me. Lily continued, "He brought cheeseburgers, fries, and a milkshake. There’s a jelly donut too."

  I smiled. Of course there was a milkshake! Maddox remembered. "Perfect."

  "Maybe we shouldn't make the room smell like a cheeseburger," said Lily.

  I nodded and followed her outside, closing the door behind me. No one else was around and we sat in a pair of plastic chairs. The food was hot, so I ate quickly, feeling famished and tired still. Then I licked my fingers and took a long suck on the milkshake straw.

  "I heard a little bit about what happened," said Lily. "Damien is not much like Solomon, huh?"

  "I think Damien got in too deep and couldn't think straight anymore."

  "That's charitable."

  "I might not stay that way for long."

  "Where did you go last night?"

  "Maddox took me to a safe house to lie low."

  Lily peered at me, her wheels turning at a faster pace than mine. "What happened?" she asked softly.

  I wiped my hands and dropped the tissue into the paper bag before scrunching it up and setting it at my feet. "We fell asleep on the couch," I began, my voice soft. "When we awoke, we kissed and..." I trailed off.

  "And?!" pressed Lily. "Lexi, did something happen between you and Maddox?"

  "No. Yes, but we only kissed. We were half asleep and it was familiar and comforting so naturally, the old feelings came back. When we woke up properly and talked, we both agreed it wasn't a good idea. It was just stupid. A stupid moment."

  "That's right," agreed Lily. "But it's understandable. Being in that much pain, you just want to reach out for someone to take it away, even for only a moment."

  "I shouldn't have. I just wasn't thinking when I was half asleep."

  "Also understandable, given the circumstances."

  "You know, even though Solomon and I are engaged now and living together, there was still so much I didn't know about him! I've hesitated in moving forward, moving properly forward, until I got those answers. I was afraid I would find out something bad about him, something so terrible, I'd never be able to stay with him. I found out so much more about him in only the past few days."

  "Did you get the answers you were seeking?"

  "I think so." I nodded. "He wasn't hiding anything really terrible about him. He made choices and tried to avoid doing the wrong things. Instead of finding out he's not the man I hoped he was, I discovered what a really good man he is."

  "He's not Maddox."

  "No, he and Maddox are both number one in their own category. There's no crossover there. The strange thing is, although kissing Maddox felt wonderful, and that moment really gave me some solace, my whole world in the past few days nearly crashed and burned at the idea of losing Solomon. All I've been able to think about is Solomon and finding who did this to him and bring them down good and hard. I've had to imagine my life without him... Yes, I'd probably survive but would I want to? Solomon symbolizes my future happiness. He's the only man I want in my life. Not that he completes me, because I'm already complete, but to be with him as a partner, always there at his side and having him beside me, I can't think about anyone else."

  "Have you told Solomon that?"

  "He's in a coma."

  "So what?"

  "He can't hear me!"

  "You don't know that! Talk to Solomon whether he can or can't hear. Talk because you're at his side, and he's at yours."

  "When did you get so wise?"

  "From the bar. I had to sign up for a counseling class. You would not believe what some people decide to unload on the bartender."

  I tried not to laugh but I did and Lily did too. "Go," she said, nodding to Solomon's room. "I'll hold off everyone else."

  "Even potential killers?"

  "You bet," said Lily. "Although there's a bunch of people they will have to get through first before they reach me so they'll be pretty exhausted if they do get here! Now, go, and don't worry about us. We've got this covered."

  Delgado left the room as I returned. I pulled up the chair to Solomon's side and wrapped both my hands around one of his before I began to talk openly, telling him what he meant to me. I spoke for a long time. I told him that when I first met him, I was so grateful for the job he gave me since it totally changed my life. I told him how I'd come to love him and would always be in love with him.

  When I ran out of things to say, I watched the monitors blinking for a long time. Now, all I could do was wait as the room slipped further into darkness, the pale quarter moon casting a soft ray of light between the vertical blinds.

  I didn't remember falling asleep but I must have because I awoke suddenly in the dark, with my head on the mattress, although I was still half sitting on the chair. The small, digital click blinked that it was quarter to four in the morning in artificial green light. Solomon's hand slipped from mine so I leaned over, adjusting my chair and rolling my shoulders to ease the aches that chronically set in. I reached for his hand, placing it between mine again. It took me a few minutes to realize the tapping against my wrist was neither a pulse nor my imagination.

  Gently, I eased my hands apart.

  Solomon's index finger moved.

  The breath caught in my throat. I waited, unblinking. It moved again.

  "John?" I whispered.

  A cough, barely audible. Then through the gloom, a hoarse rasp. "Lexi?"

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  "How's the Jell-O?" I asked.

  "It's okay. The juice is also okay and so was the meal. You don't need to ask me how anything else is. Everything is okay," said Solomon. He sat propped up against three pillows. Most of the machines had all but disappeared but he still had a pulse-check on his finger and some pads stuck to his chest. The bandages were fresh and he shaved the few days of stubble that grew.

  "Okay," I said, nearly giddy with happiness.

  "Okay," said Solomon. He ate the last spoon of Jell-O. "I really don't like it," he said. "Jell-O is not okay. Why do people like this stuff so much?"

  "You just ate the whole thing!"

  "Because there're nine people viewing me through the window like an animal in a cage. I don't want them to ask me if it's okay or what else they can get for me."

  I turned and waved to my parents, Lily, Jord and Poppy, Garrett, Anastasia, Serena and Delgado. They all waved back, even Poppy! "Everyone's been so worried about you. Delgado never left your side."

  "So I heard."

  "He would have protected you with his life. Fletcher and Flaherty took turns too."

  "I have to give them each a raise. Perhaps I should give you a completion bonus too."

  "Why would I need a bonus when you already sent me a million bucks?"

  "I hope you used it wisely."

  I reached into my purse and pulled out the check before handing it to him. "I didn't cash it. Turns out, I have everything I need. Stuff that money can't buy."

  "You didn't need a new purse to carry all that stuff in?" Solomon smiled and I swatted his leg.

  "I mean friends, and family who would do, and they did, anything they could to help." Solomon's face darkened at hearing the word, family. "Damien will be okay," I said. "Garrett will do everything he can to help him avoid a long sentence."

  "Can we talk about it later?" asked Solomon. "I'm too pissed at Damien to even think about him now. Tell me again how the hit man ended up hanging from a flagpole."

  "You heard that story three times already!"

  "It continues to fascinate me."

  "You need to get out more often."

  "Garrett and Maddox just watched him dangling there?"

  "Like I said before, yes, they did, and a bunch of officers had their guns trained on him since he was delivered while still holding a weapon. No one was sure what to make of it."

  "I keep hearing about how you did everything you could to track down the people who we
re responsible. Weren’t you afraid?" he asked, catching my eye and holding my gaze.

  I nodded. "Frequently, yes, but it gave me something to do. There was no way I could let the people responsible get away with hurting you." I hesitated before adding, "Besides, I found out a lot of things I didn’t know before about you."

  Solomon stilled. "Oh?"

  "We thought maybe you crossed someone from your past so we had to find out who it could be. We cross-referenced everyone we could think of that might have borne a grudge against you and we worked through that list. I searched for everyone in your life who could offer any kind of perspective."

  "Did you find that perspective?"

  "I found a lot of answers to questions you've never answered when I asked."

  "You know, I don't like talking about my past. I live strictly for the present and the future."

  "I know."

  "I'm getting tired," he said, yawning. "I can't seem to stay awake very long. Will you stay with me?"

  "Yes, and if you wake up and I'm not here, I won't be far away," I promised.

  "You could use the time to write up your report," said Solomon, a small smile playing on his lips.

  "I really hope that's a joke," I said, but he'd already drifted off to sleep.

  When he woke up an hour later, I had my head stuck in a magazine. I was reading an important article about eyeshadow. "You're here," said Solomon.

  I shut the magazine. "Nowhere I'd rather be."

  "I can think of ten places I'd rather be. I'll start with a remote cabin beside a lake and an open fire..."

  "Marshmallows, hot cocoa," I continued.

  "Steak," added Solomon, "and a very nice bottle of crisp, red wine."

  "I'd offer to kidnap you but I think the doctors would try to stop me."

  "Add it to the to-do list." Solomon yawned. "I need to sleep again. I feel like I've been awake for hours."

  "Goodnight," I said, leaning in to kiss his lips. When I was certain he was sound asleep, I set down the magazine and left the hospital room. Garrett waited for me outside.