Deadly Dealings (Hardy Brothers Security Book 13)

by Lily Harper Hart

  “How come you didn’t wake me up?” James grumbled.

  “Because you and Mandy were in another world and there was no way I was visiting it.”

  “I … .”

  Grady held up his hand to silence his brother. “Ally was a complete and total mess all night,” he said. “We tried to bribe a nurse to drug her, but the nurse threatened to call the cops until Jake flirted with her and won her over.”

  “I’m sure Ally loved that,” Mandy said.

  “Once she found out you were going to be okay, Jake managed to wrangle her out of this place,” Grady said. “She was kicking and screaming the whole time. I don’t think we’ll be free of her … energy … for long.”

  “Probably not,” James said. “Where is Sophie?”

  “She’s at McDonald’s getting Mandy’s favorite breakfast,” Grady replied. “She’s also picking up something for you and me.”

  “That was nice of her but a little unnecessary,” James said. “I’m not sure I can eat. Can you eat, baby?”

  Mandy made a face. “My stomach is upset.”

  “It’s probably going to be that way for a day or two,” Livingston said, moving to Mandy’s side. “We had to flush everything out of your system and you’re going to be shaky because of it.”

  “She’s okay, though, right?” James asked. “She’s not going to have any problems once she gets better, is she?”

  Livingston tilted her head to the side, her eyes never leaving Mandy’s pale features. “I wish I could tell you that she’s going to be back to a hundred percent tomorrow, but I’m not sure that’s the case,” she said. “Twilight is known to take as long as two weeks to completely leave someone’s system – that is if it doesn’t kill the person first, which happens seventy-five percent of the time.

  “You were very lucky your husband found you when he did, Mrs. Hardy,” she continued. “He thought fast and he didn’t wait for an ambulance to come to him.”

  “I know I’m lucky,” Mandy murmured.

  James rubbed Mandy’s back. “We’re both lucky. I wasn’t thinking when I brought her here. I just knew I needed to get her help. Things worked out. I will be forever thankful.”

  “You should be,” Livingston said.

  “What kind of side effects could she have?” James asked.

  “She could be tired and weak, especially for the next few days,” Livingston said. “She needs to be kept quiet … and at home.”

  “I’ll tie her to the bed.”

  Livingston pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “I … um … .”

  “Don’t worry. He won’t really do it,” Grady said. “He’ll be more apt to carry her wherever she needs to go and dote on her twenty-four hours a day.”

  “That’s good,” Livingston said. “She needs rest, nourishment, and relaxation.”

  “I can handle that,” James said, kissing Mandy’s cheek again. “I can handle anything as long as I have her.”

  “Yes, I’ve gathered that,” Livingston said, her eyes twinkling. “Every nurse in this hospital is in love with you after the way you took care of your wife, Mr. Hardy.”

  “Did you hear that, baby? I’m a wanted man,” James teased.

  “Why am I not surprised?” Mandy muttered.

  “There is one other thing,” Livingston cautioned.

  James, Mandy, and Grady waited expectantly.

  “Twilight is a drug that invades a person’s sense of reality,” Livingston explained. “Mrs. Hardy could be plagued with nightmares the next few weeks.”

  “I’ve had nightmares before,” Mandy said. “I’m sure I’ll survive.”

  “These could be more akin to night terrors,” Livingston replied. “You could wake up screaming and it might be hard for you to differentiate between what’s real and what’s a dream when you first wake up.”

  “Oh.” Mandy’s face was drawn.

  “You could lash out and hit someone when you’re in this state,” Livingston said. “You need to be careful.”

  “You’re saying I should sleep alone until we’re sure,” Mandy said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “You’re afraid I’m going to hurt James.”

  “Not purposely,” Livingston said. “You two love each other more than … well … anyone I’ve ever seen. You might not know what you’re doing.”

  “We have guestrooms,” Mandy said decisively. “I can move to one of them.”

  “You will not.” James was adamant.

  “James … .”

  “No!” James shook his head. “I will not be separated from you. You’re sleeping in our bed and I’m going to be right there with you.”

  “I don’t want to hurt you.”

  “I don’t care,” James said. “We’re sleeping together and that’s all there is to it.”

  “James, if I were to hurt you … .”

  “You won’t,” James said, capturing her hand and bringing it up to his lips. “It will be okay, baby. They’re nightmares. We can handle nightmares. We’ve been through a lot worse than that.”

  “But … .”

  “No! I almost lost you last night, wife. I will not be separated from you.”

  “Give it up, Mandy,” Grady chided. “He’s going to win this argument. Let him have what he wants.”

  Mandy nodded mutely, her eyes swimming with tears.

  “If you hit him in your sleep can you please give him a black eye?” Grady asked, going for levity. “I’m dying to tell people that his wife beat him up.”

  Mandy tried to force a smile for Grady’s benefit and failed. “I can’t hurt him.”

  “Stop doing that,” James ordered. “If I have to wrap myself in pillows to make you feel safe enough to sleep, I will. What I won’t do is be separated from you. Not ever.”

  A sob caught in Mandy’s throat. “I love you.”

  “Baby, you have no way of understanding how much I love you,” James said, burying his face in the hollow of her neck. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. Don’t worry about this.”

  Mandy nodded mutely, afraid to speak.

  “I’m going to let the police in so they can question you now,” Livingston said. “I will have instructions printed out for you so you can take care of your wife, Mr. Hardy. As long as her tests come back negative, she can leave around noon.”

  “Thank you,” James said.

  “I was doing my job.”

  “Well, your job saved my wife’s life … and my own,” James said. “I won’t forget what you’ve done for us.”

  “And I won’t forget watching you love your wife so much you managed to overcome a powerful drug that should’ve killed her by all rights,” Livingston replied. “You let me see a miracle. That’s enough thanks for me.”

  THE police officers who visited Mandy’s room a few minutes later were from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department. Mandy told them what she knew, and they diligently took notes, and then they opted to share information with James, Mandy, and Grady – something that surprised everyone.

  “You guys usually don’t volunteer information,” James pointed out.

  “Sheriff Morgan is aware of who your wife is, sir,” one of the deputies replied.

  “You’re sharing information because of Hardy Brothers Security?” James was surprised.

  “That and the fact that Mrs. Hardy is a county employee with the full force of Judge MacIntosh behind her,” the deputy said.

  “I guess that makes sense. What do you have?”

  “Twilight is a boutique drug and we can establish a link between it and the deaths of at least seven women in the county,” the deputy replied.

  “Omigod.” Mandy’s hand flew to her mouth and James snuggled her in closer to his side.

  “You’re okay, baby,” he murmured in her ear. “No one is getting close to you.”

  “We also have three women who have gone missing from local haunted houses,” the other deputy added.

  “Do you think one person or
a group is doing this?” Grady asked, realization at just how lucky Mandy was flipping his stomach.

  “We don’t know,” the deputy said. “What we do know is that Mrs. Hardy is the only one we believe to have been targeted by this group, or individual, who managed to escape.”

  “You’re worried someone might come looking for her because they think she can identify them, aren’t you?” James asked.

  “That is a cause for concern,” the first deputy conceded. “We’re going to ask that you keep a close watch on your wife and report any suspicious activity you come across.”

  “No problem,” James said. “I’ll be working from home with her by my side for the foreseeable future.”

  “James … .”

  “Don’t you even think about arguing with me, Mandy,” James warned, cutting his wife off before she could get a full head of steam. “You’re weak and you need me. You’re not going anywhere without me. Period.”

  “You’re being awfully bossy,” Mandy said, crossing her arms over her chest.

  “That’s what happens when I think my wife is going to die in my arms.” James was serious. “I will keep you safe. I … failed … in the haunted house. I won’t let that happen again.”

  “You didn’t fail,” Mandy argued.

  “And I won’t from here on out,” James said, his eyes distant. “I will not let anyone touch you no matter what.”

  Grady and Mandy exchanged worried looks before Grady turned his attention to the deputies. “We’ll keep in touch. I promise.”

  “We’ll do the same.”

  Once the deputies left, Grady clapped his hands to yank James out of his dark reverie and Mandy from the pit of worry she was living in as she fretted about her husband. “I think it’s time we got Mandy home,” he said. “We need to do some shopping and get everything our favorite blonde needs to be comfortable.”

  “I only need James,” Mandy said quietly, causing James to tighten his arms around her waist.

  “You’ll have me forever, my baby, just like I’ll always have you.”

  Grady didn’t give voice to his concerns, but he was officially worried. Mandy would put up with James hovering for a few days and then she would balk. When that happened, Grady was terrified James and Mandy were going to have a throwdown of epic proportions. “Let’s get her home first,” he said. “You two can spout as many sonnets as you want to each other once we’re out of here.”

  “I can’t wait,” Mandy said. “I want to go home.”

  “I’ll have you there very soon, baby,” James said. “I’m going to take care of you. No one is going to get past me again.”

  Four

  “I’m fully capable of walking from the truck to the house,” Mandy grumbled as James slipped an arm under her legs and hoisted out of his Ford Explorer.

  “You’re my princess,” James replied, refusing to argue with his increasingly annoyed wife. “I shall carry you into our house and proceed to dote on you for as long as I feel like it.”

  “How long do you think that will be?”

  “Until I don’t have a heart attack every time I picture you falling into my arms.”

  “That’s a pretty manipulative thing you’re doing,” Mandy said, resting her head against James’ shoulder as they trudged toward the house. “You know I can’t say no to you when you’re struggling like this.”

  “I know,” James said. “I’m using it to my advantage and I’m not even ashamed about it.”

  James balanced Mandy against his hip as he opened the front door, situating her in his arms and kicking the door shut behind him as they moved through the house. He was tired. No, to be fair, he was exhausted. He was also relieved. The day before he’d almost lost his wife. He could tell by the obstinate tilt of her head that she was going to be a problem when it came to rest. He’d rather fight with her about that than worry about the alternative, though.

  “Okay, baby, we have a serious discussion in front of us,” James said. “Do you want to hunker down in the living room or the reading nook upstairs?”

  Mandy made a face. “I want you to put me down so I can get something to drink,” she said. “I’m dying of thirst.”

  “The living room it is,” James said, not missing a beat. He lowered Mandy to the couch, being careful to situate her comfortably, and then leaned forward and pressed a long kiss to her forehead. “I love you.”

  Mandy sighed. “I love you, too. I … .”

  “Baby, I need you to let me hover today,” James said, cutting her off. “I need you to let me do this.”

  Mandy pressed her eyes shut, tugging on her patience as she tried to collect herself. “Okay.”

  “What do you want to drink?” James asked, tilting her chin up and rubbing his thumb over it. She was paler than he liked. He knew her stomach was upset. He’d seen her grimace as if she was going to throw up twice during the ride home. He would’ve preferred getting food in her, but he also didn’t want her miserable and puking. He could only do what he could do at the present moment.

  “How about some green iced tea?”

  James nodded. “You’ve got it.” He started to move away from her and then stilled, swiveling back and extending a finger. “You need to stay there all day. I’m not joking.”

  “What if I have to go to the bathroom? I need fluids. That’s what the doctor said. If you keep putting fluids in me, I’m going to have to go to the bathroom eighty times.”

  James licked his lips. She was purposely baiting him. He silently reminded himself that she felt helpless, a feeling no one liked, and inhaled deeply. “The bathroom is right there,” he said, pointing. “I would offer to carry you, but I know that’s going to go over like a lead balloon.”

  “James, I’m okay.” Mandy’s blue eyes searched his brown orbs. “I need you not to go off the rails here.”

  “It’s too late for that, baby. There was moment last night when … .”

  “You thought I was going to die,” Mandy finished for him, hating the tears pooling in his eyes and her inability to make him feel better.

  “You were having trouble breathing on the ride to the hospital,” James confirmed. “I thought you were going to die in that little room in the hospital when they wouldn’t let me back with you and it almost killed me right there.”

  “I’m here, though.”

  “And I need to take care of you.”

  Mandy nodded wordlessly, fighting her own bout of tears. She’d almost lost their future.

  James moved back to her side and knelt in front of her, collecting her hands in his. “Wife, you are my everything. You’re my whole heart. My soul can’t exist without your soul. Now, I know you think I’m going to smother you … and that’s a real possibility … but I need you to really try and let me take care of you right now.

  “I don’t want any misunderstandings like we had after the explosion,” James said, referring to another incident where Mandy almost died. “I love you. I will always love you. You need to rest, though. You need to get back to one hundred percent for me. You need to accept the fact that you’re hurt. That is what I need from you.”

  “Okay.” Mandy’s voice was small as she reached out and ran her finger down James’ cheek. “You need to do something for me, though, too.”

  “What?”

  “You’re going to stop hovering in a few days,” she said. “When that happens, your temper is going to get the best of you and you’re going to go on a rampage after the people who hurt me.

  “I need you to remember that I can’t live without you,” she continued. “I need you to keep in mind that I will die without you. You can’t go off half-cocked. Promise me.”

  James cupped Mandy’s hand against his cheek. “I promise.”

  “I’m going to remind you of this in three days when you’re not as worried about me.”

  “Let’s survive the next three days first, baby,” James said. “All I want to do now is get some fluids into you and cuddle up on the co
uch. I’m even willing to watch Jaws on a nonstop loop.”

  Mandy grinned. She couldn’t help herself. “Will you massage me as much as I want?”

  James returned the smile, relieved to see a little twinkle returning to her eyes. “See, now you’re thinking. Baby, I will rub you until the end of time if it means you’ll be quiet and let me take care of you.”

  “I do love you, James Hardy.”

  “I love you, my baby.”

  “WELL, I thought this is where we would find you,” Grady said, leading a line a concerned Hardy family members and friends into Mandy and James’ living room later that afternoon.

  Despite his best efforts, James was unable to get Mandy to eat. She was nauseated and breaking out in sweating fits. Currently she was lying on her side, a small garbage can on the floor next to her in case of an emergency, and James was sitting close but not crowding her because she was too hot. The doctor told him this might happen, but he felt helpless.

  Grady must have read the desperation on James’ face because he immediately pulled up short. “What’s wrong?”

  “You should go,” James said, his voice tight. “She’s not feeling well and she needs to rest.”

  “Oh, no,” Ally said, pushing past Grady and kneeling next to Mandy so she could push her friend’s disheveled hair away from her face. “Why is she sweating so much?”

  “I just told you she was sick,” James said, swatting at Ally’s hand. “Don’t touch her. She’s hot and she doesn’t like it right now.”

  “Oh, this must be killing you,” Finn said, clucking sympathetically. “After last night, all you want to do is touch her and you can’t.”

  “It hasn’t been the best afternoon,” James conceded.

  “I’m sorry,” Mandy murmured, her voice pitiable. “I’m so sorry.”

  “Baby, you didn’t do this,” James said, frustration wafting off of him. “You had this done to you. I wish you could keep some food down. I think that’s what you need to get your strength back, but there’s nothing you’ll eat.”

  “What if I make some homemade chicken noodle soup?” Ally offered.

  “I can’t eat,” Mandy replied.