by Leanne Tyler
“Henry, maybe you can help?” Mona asked. “It’s the least we can do for our witness.”
“I – I can look into it. What is the name of this witness? And the ex-husband’s?”
“Carly Manning. Justin Porter.”
The man stood up. “I won’t sit here and listen to you spout off slanderous statements against my son-in-law. I don’t care what nonsense Carly has told you.”
For a split second the room was deathly quiet as everyone stared at the man and processed his outburst.
“Carly didn’t have to tell me anything, sir. I saw it for myself. Ragsdale the P.I. told me what he was doing for Porter. The fact that you are more outraged over something being said about that piece of trash Porter than what has been going on with your own flesh and blood all week tells me she’s far better off not having the likes of you in her life. It was hard to believe you and your wife sided with Porter over her because of the divorce, but to see it for myself…” Brand turned away from the round table where the members sat. He shook his head not believing any of this. He hoped what he said had not made the funding situation worse for Hawkeye.
“Henry, that’s your daughter,” Mona said. “How can you vote against this protection task force when it is providing a service to your own daughter? Not to mention side against her?”
“Mona, that’s a family affair. Carly’s a liar. I don’t want to hear another word about it.”
Brand spun around so fast he was across the room to Mr. Manning pointing his finger in his face. “No, she isn’t. I’ve never met anyone more honest. And if you don’t know that about your own daughter, then you don’t deserve her in your life.”
“Brand,” Hawkeye was at his side, pulling him away by the arm.
Brand held up his hands and backed away. “It’s okay. I’m outta here.” He left the conference room and took the stairs down to the basement to the workout room. He’d learned the layout of the facility when they first arrived in Chicago.
The place was almost empty when he arrived. He taped his hands and began using the punching bag to blow off steam. Then one of the officers came in and asked if he was interested in sparring a few rounds in the ring.
He sat down on the bench and took off his shoes and socks, before joining him. They’d done this once before so he knew what he was up against. Of course, he’d not been angry that day when he’d stepped into the ring with the guy. And maybe that made the difference. He kept seeing the smarmy look on Carly’s dad’s face as he defended Justin Porter. That pissed Brand off even more each time as he thought about what the bastard had put Carly through. He threw a punch and the guy ducked, doing a roundabout kick that landed a blow center of his chest at his diaphragm.
He landed with a thud on his back, hitting his head on the matt. He saw flashes of Carly pass before his eyes. Images of her from the time they met up until he left her earlier that evening. And his last thought before he gasped for air with excruciating pain was there’d be no dessert tonight.
Chapter 12
Carly paced the private surgical waiting area at Chicago Med where she and Margot waited for news on Brand. She couldn't lose him. Not now. It was too soon. They'd only found one another.
“Oh Burnsie, make her sit down. I’ve tried, but she refuses. All this back and forth is giving me a headache.” Margot rushed to his side when he walked into the small area.
Carly looked at Margot, annoyed at her whining. “You didn’t have to come when the commander called that Brand asked for me. You could have stayed at the apartment.”
“What kind of a sorority sister would I have been if I let you face this alone? For all, we knew when Burnsie called is that your guy could be dying.”
“There you go with ‘my guy’ again. He’s my protector.”
“Really? Just a protector wouldn’t call for you to leave your secure space to come to his bedside at the hospital.”
“Ladies. Please. It’s been a long day. Let’s all sit and wait for word on Brand. He’s still being checked out in the ER.”
“I’ll sit, if you’ll sit with me, Burnsie.” Margot slipped her arm through the commanders and she looked up at him adoringly. “I’ve never been a fan of hospitals.”
“Another reason you should have stayed at the apartment,” Carly mumbled. She took a seat across from them. She’d developed a headache shortly after they arrived and the aspirin the nurse gave her hadn’t taken the edge off. That was why she was finding everything Margot said or did so annoying. Not to mention her worry for Brand.
“Commander, explain to me again how this happened. I don’t understand why he was kickboxing in the workout room. He left the apartment to give a demonstration with you on the task force you want to put together.”
The commander went through the events leading up to Brand storming out of the meeting. She tried to ignore that Margot was hanging on the commander’s arm despite the fact that he was a married man. That didn’t seem to bother her friend. And bless the commander's heart. She could see it annoyed him by the glances he kept giving Margot, but her friend didn’t take the hint.
“Wait. My father was there. Brand argued with my father over me?”
“Yes. The other committee members weren’t happy with Henry either. When they found out he was your father and he wasn’t in favor of the task force.”
“And why was my father at this meeting?”
“He’s been serving as counsel for the police department for the last year.”
“Right.” Carly nodded. “Someone in his firm has always been in charge of the police department for years. I guess it was finally his turn. So you knew my father before this?”
“Yes, but I had no idea he was your father. It never occurred to me to put attorney Henry Manning and witness Carly Manning together. Our relationship has always been professional. We've only had contact when counsel sat in on meetings. Today’s meeting was the exception since it required an executive branch.”
“Small world.”
“Yes, it is.
The room became quiet for a few moments. Carly watched Margot tap the toe of her high heel shoe on the pale Berber carpet where she sat with the commander.
Outside in the hallway, there was a frenzy of voices that wafted through the open doorway. A red-faced nurse entered. “I’m sorry, Commander, but these people claim to know you. They refused to stay in the ER waiting area.”
He stood and motioned for them to enter. “It’s alright. They can join us.”
Carly sucked in a breath, elated and relieved to see Jules after a week of no communication. Tears stung her eyes and she blinked them away the best she could, rushing to her friend.
Jules hugged her tight. “I’ve been so worried about you today ever since I saw the reports of the shooting at the church. Whatever made you go to the funeral? To risk your life like that?”
Carly pulled back and looked at Jules. “I was given the all clear to go. Besides I had to. You weren’t there inside the bar when Phil was killed. Someone had to tell his wife how wonderful he was up to his last moments. If I’d been in her shoes I know I would have cherished having someone come to tell me that.”
Jules hugged her again. “When we got the call tonight I knew it was about you. I never dreamed it was about Will’s friend.”
“I’ve been worried about you too. Brand hasn’t had a word from Will all week. We didn’t know what was going on with you.”
“What? I’ve texted him several times, but he hasn’t responded. I thought it was because all I had to report was that things were good. But you’re saying he didn’t get my texts?”
Carly shook her head. “He was really concerned yesterday when we headed to my job interview.”
“I wondered if you got to go. Did you get it?” Jules asked.
“No, but I was recommended to work with another designer to build up my portfolio and encouraged to apply again once I had.”
“That sounds promising.”
“Carly! Jul
es!” Simone’s squeal ricocheted around the waiting area as she entered the doorway.
Carly turned in time to see her pulling Donovan behind her. She felt sorry for the guy, though he didn’t look one ounce put out with Simone. In fact, he looked rather smitten.
“Oh. My. Gawd,” Margot said, getting to her feet. “Simone Reid.”
“Margot Wills!”
The two met in the middle of the room and did the French kiss-kiss on each cheek, and then Margot took a long look at Will and Liam up and down.
“Burnsie,” Margot said, turning to the commander, pointing to the men with her index finger. “Can you get me one of these?”
“Yeah, Commander Burns, she really needs one of these,” Simone chimed in, “to keep her out of trouble.”
“No. And double no. I should have known the two of you knew one another. You’re too much alike.”
Margot and Simone giggled, hugging one another. Linking arms, the two walked over to the two-seater and sat down to talk.
Jules rolled her eyes. “How’d you run into Margot?”
Carly smiled. “It appears Commander Burns and the Senator are acquainted. I had to move out of my apartment and needed a safe place to stay so I’m temporarily in the Senator’s unused place on Lakeshore.”
“Fancy.”
“You can say that triple times.” Carly crossed her arms and hugged herself. “Was Brand able to contact Will about what happened to Colleen? Were you notified about that?”
“Yes. We did get communication. Will and Wyatt have been able to text one another and she’s doing good since leaving the hospital. That is all I know and all I want to know for her safety.”
“How’s the budget cuts?”
“A donor stepped up at the last minute and saved us, again.” Jules shook her head and sighed. “I hate these frantic periods. The kids at the youth center hate it because the staff is on edge and they can tell something is wrong. Will was a trooper. He saw me through it all. Did you know he’s a fan of single-malt scotch?”
“That’s great. I’m glad to hear your assigned protector has worked so well for you.”
“What about Brand?” Jules asked, leaning in close. “How are things going for you? Have you gotten to use that leather teddy I gave you?”
Carly felt her face heat. “No. How could you even ask me that with him lying in the ER?”
Jules smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Curious to know if you’d had a chance to put it to use yet.”
Carly stepped away from her friend feeling self-conscious about what Jules was really trying to find out with her question about the teddy. First Margot and now Jules. It was no one else’s business if Carly and Brand were in a relationship or not and right now, it was too fresh and new to discuss it with anyone.
Moving closer to the commander, she wanted to ask him another question about her father and Brand’s argument, but she heard Will telling the commander about not being able to reach Brand all week.
“I haven’t been able to since last Saturday either,” Donovan said.
“I’ve had no trouble,” the commander said. “Have either of you heard from Kincaid?”
They both nodded.
“I know for a fact that Brand hasn’t heard from him either,” Carly offered. “We discussed it on the way to my job interview. He was worried about all his men because they’d been silent.”
“Carly mentioned this when Jules and I arrived so that’s why I asked Donovan about it,” Will said.
“Do you think someone has tampered with his phone?” Donovan asked.
The commander shook his head. “It’s unlikely. He’s been around very few people other than Kevin Petree and Carly all week.”
“Don’t forget Ragsdale,” Carly said.
“But was Brand and the P.I. alone for any period of time for the man to have access to Brand’s phone?”
Carly shook her head.
“What about Petree?” the commander asked. “Did you ever see Brand lay his phone down when Petree was around?”
“No, but I wasn’t with them when Brand and Kevin went shopping for his suit. Kevin took him to the places he usually went and I stayed at the apartment. I can’t imagine that he’d do anything to harm us. He’s been so great all week.”
“I’m not saying the man is guilty, I’m looking at the possibilities of who had access to Brand’s phone. I’ll get a tech guy down here to examine it and make sure it hasn’t been tampered with so we will know for sure why the signals have been crossed.”
The commander walked away and Carly felt even more unnerved by these developments, especially if it turned out that someone had tampered with Brand’s phone. If the commander was right and Kevin Petree was involved in that, then she didn’t want to think about what it meant about why his SUV exploded today. Had he been trying to kill her? What about the soup he’d made? She’d eaten it. Brand had too. He could have easily poisoned it if he was really out to do her harm. But why? She didn’t know him from Adam. Did she?
She walked over to the cushioned seats and sat down, thinking about the possibility of having met Kevin Petree before. He was a young detective who had come up in the ranks as a police officer. He was trusted to be a driver for the commander.
“What’s wrong?” Jules asked. She sat down next to Carly and reached for her hand.
“Something the commander said about Brand’s phone being tampered with that kept his team from being able to send him texts and him from sending them messages. Only three people that could have done it. Our driver, the P.I. that Justin Porter hired to watch my apartment and me.”
“Justin did what?”
“It’s a long story and I’ll tell you about it later. But, the most likely person to have messed with Brand’s phone was our driver. I was trying to recall if I had somehow met him before, but I’m coming up with nothing.”
“Why would the driver want to mess with an encrypted phone?”
“How do you know the phone is encrypted?”
“Will told me because I asked.”
“So whoever messed with the phone would have to have a background in computer tech, wouldn’t you think?”
“Yeah or hacking skills at least.”
“I think that would rule out Ragsdale. He’s a former detective, but I don’t think he’d have the background in that.”
“Your driver was a younger guy I take it.”
Carly nodded. “Around our age. Just made detective. Doing his dues driving for the commander.”
Jules sighed. “Maybe he resented being giving grunt work. Instead of a real case.”
“But Brand has pulled him in to help protect me. He’s not been just a driver. He’s actually been involved in the last two days since the Twin Cobras broke into my apartment and trashed the place. Brand and Kevin have gotten all buddy-buddy with each other and that is a big step for my guy.”
“Ah ha!” Margot pointed at Carly. “So he is your guy.”
“That was a figure of speech, Margot. Nothing more.”
“Sure it was.”
Around midnight a nurse finally came to the waiting area and took Carly down to the ER to see Brand. His eyes were closed and he was wearing an oxygen cannula at his nose when she entered the curtained off area.
“You can stay five minutes. I’ll be back,” the nurse said.
She reached for his hand and he slowly opened his eyes.
“Hey,” he said.
“What were you trying to do?”
“Blow off some steam, but the guy I was sparring with got the better of me.”
“It looks like it.”
The curtain pulled back and a man stepped inside. “I’m Doctor Octavia. I’ve been handling Mr. Chambers’ case. We’ve run a few tests and I can say he’s very lucky. No fractured ribs after such a frontal blow to the chest. What you’ve experienced tonight has been agitation to the phrenic nerve due to the hit near the diaphragm. Because of your dog tags, I was able to pull your medical history
and consult with your doctors at Walter Reed. I know about the shrapnel lodged near your artery. I’ve excellent news for you, Mr. Chambers. The shrapnel has moved. Not necessarily because of this episode, but it has moved away from the artery. We can now safely perform the surgery that caused you to be medically discharged.”
“That’s great. When can he have this surgery?” Carly asked.
“Wait. I think that should be up to me, don’t you?” Brand said. “I’m not having any surgery until I see your mission complete.”
“My mission? So, I am still just a job. Fine. Have it your way.” She let go of his hand and backed away from his bedside. “If he had the surgery, how long would his recovery time be?”
“Recovery time varies from patient to patient. Six to eight weeks even for the most athletic because we do have to open up the chest.”
“That’s why I can’t do it until after we know you are out of danger, Carly, not because you are a job. And if you can’t understand that then you are being pig-headed.”
“Pig-headed?”
“You heard me.”
“No, we wouldn’t be here tonight if you hadn’t got all macho angry at my father during the meeting and had to go blow off steam in the gym.”
“Did Hawkeye tell you your father was taking up for JP and downing you?”
“I figured as much.”
“I wasn’t going to stand by and let him do that in my presence.”
Carly looked at him, lying there hooked up to the machines and the oxygen. The fact he was like this because he was protecting her honor in his own way made her forget he’d put himself in such danger. She stepped back to the bed. “I know and that’s why I love you for it.” She leaned down and kissed him.
“I’ll let the two of you work this out. We’ll be moving you to a room soon, Mr. Chambers. We’re going to keep you overnight until we get your O2 stats back up.”
