97
Wallace couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Jennifer was serious. “You did what?”
Jennifer didn’t look away, just remained focused on her dinner.
She hadn’t asked where he’d been for the last week. She knew he hadn’t slept in his bed. He couldn’t.
Not knowing that Allen Jacobson could be pulling Izzie in even more deeply. He couldn’t let her get hurt that way; not like he’d hurt Jennifer.
He’d watched Izzie with Allen and tried to decide how to fix it so Izzie wouldn’t make the same mistake Jennifer had. Mistakes weren’t meant to be repeated.
Wallace had stayed in the hospital parking lot, careful to avoid security, each night Izzie had worked. Just…keeping her safe.
He’d seen her in the cast. Had heard she’d been hurt in a car accident. It had worried him. She couldn’t have been in the best of conditions after what he had done to her that day. That could have complicated things.
He slept during the day, when Lizzie was most likely asleep herself.
He hadn’t brought himself to go near her at W4HAV. He wouldn’t compound her trauma in that way.
But this…a man had shown up at Jennifer’s doorstep two hours ago, demanding payment for services he’d rendered. Wallace had acted like he knew what the man was talking about. And he’d learned.
That man was very angry. His brother had been arrested because of this. Now Jennifer was going to pay.
Wallace had given the man the money he’d demanded, as casually as he could. As if he had known what his wife had done.
Had he driven Jennifer to this madness? Had it been because of what had happened to Reggie? That fool bastard Dennis Lee Arnold? What? What had broken his wife like this? He didn’t even know who she had become. “How would you even know someone capable of this? How could you do this to her? She never hurt you. Not once. Hell, Jennifer, she’s just a child!”
She actually flinched. “I’m trying to help you, you ass. Can’t you see? If she’s gone, then who will testify about what happened all those years ago?”
“What do you mean?”
“When you killed an innocent girl.”
Wallace flinched. She knew.
Jennifer knew he was the one responsible for their daughter’s death. Jennifer had taken her anger at him out on their defenseless little Izzie.
How could any mother do that?
“She’s just a child. You shouldn’t have done this.” He grabbed her plate and slung it at the wall. “How could you do this?”
Where would she even meet someone capable of having another human being abducted and killed?
Abducted and killed—Izzie. As defenseless as the girl was. It was a wonder Lizzie had survived.
Jacobson had been there again, to rescue her. She was safe. They hadn’t succeeded.
Jennifer paled and shook and took an immediate step back.
Wallace had never been this angry with her before. He…he wanted to hurt her. Like he had Connie. Like he had Miranda all those years ago.
Never…never had his rage been directed at her. Not Jennifer. Not like this. He had adored her from the moment they had first met.
Wallace forced himself to breathe. To calm down. Before he ended it all, right here in front of Jennifer. He had things to do first. “Don’t you ever do anything to hurt that little girl again.”
“Too late. She’s probably already dead. If not, it’ll happen at any time.” The smile she gave him was the coldest one he’d ever seen. It actually frightened him. What had become of them?
Wallace felt defeat fill him. This…this was all his doing. But now…He had to find Lizzie. Make certain she was safe. “How could you do this to her?”
“Get out, Wallace. Now. I’m doing this all for Reggie. All of it. Get out until you’ve calmed down.”
Wallace grabbed his keys. He was so angry, he almost struck her. For the first time in thirty-five years, he almost lifted his hand to his wife. “That’s probably a good idea.”
That more than anything had him going. To the hospital, where he knew Izzie was for the next little while. Either there or W4HAV.
Wallace was pulling into the parking lot across from the ER, when a gunshot rang out.
He cursed and nearly rear-ended the sedan in front of him. It was Virat’s; the other surgeon would recognize him if that happened.
He was too close to Izzie now; if he was seen, he’d end up back in prison.
He had a mess to clean up first.
That’s what Jennifer had always wanted, after all. For him to clean up his own messes.
Wallace drove away. The last thing he needed to do was get caught anywhere near Lizzie tonight.
Izzie. Izzie. Izzie. He had to stop confusing the two. She wasn’t his daughter. Logically, he knew that.
But she was damned well starting to feel like it.
98
There was a look of terror in Shelby’s eyes. Eyes that were the same as her brother’s. Izzie was moving before she thought about it.
What Allen had told her sank in. Trauma—it was always a silent enemy sitting on a person’s back, ready to dig its claws in at the worst moment.
Izzie wrapped her hands around the taller woman’s. “Shelby, look at me. Just at me.”
It took Shelby a moment to respond, but she finally did. “I—”
“Look at me. We’re safe now. I promise.” She wasn’t exactly certain that was true, but they had done what they could, short of running across the parking lot toward the hospital.
Someone shooting out the windows of W4HAV was not exactly incentive for her to run across an open expanse of concrete.
That would be like painting a target on their backs. They weren’t going anywhere until the TSP had the lot cleared, and she was certain it was absolutely safe.
She looked at the two women with her. Margo had a look of war on her pretty face. Shelby’s just showed fear.
Izzie wrapped her arm around Shelby. “We’re ok, now. My uncle is with the TSP, remember. He’ll be here soon. We’re safe now.”
Maybe. For all she knew someone was waiting outside.
Shelby pulled in a deep breath. “I’m ok.”
“We need to grab the first aid kit and see what we can do here.”
Margo was already moving. She had the first aid kit in her hands before the sirens even sounded.
Izzie went straight to work. “We’ll need to get the shirt sleeve out of the way, Shelby.”
Margo handed her scissors quickly. Izzie went to work.
The TSP entered the lobby as she was cleaning the wound. “I think it is only a graze, but there’s a lot of glass.”
Shelby had been so close to the windows that an injury from the glass had been inevitable.
“Izzie!” someone shouted her name.
Jake. She’d figured he’d be the one to answer the call at W4HAV. “I’m ok, Jake. Someone shot out the windows. Shelby was grazed, and I have a few scratches from flying glass. We’re taking her across the street where Nikkie Jean can sew her up. Any questions, we can answer there.”
She kept her eyes on what her hands were doing. “Shelby, I’m afraid you’re going to have to have stitches. Fortunately, I know a bunch of people with great stitching skills. Across the street.”
Shelby winced. “Allen’s over there. He’ll freak after this.”
“Probably, as overprotective as he can be. Don’t worry. I’ll handle him.” Their eyes met. Yes, they both knew him well. He was going to go all protective over the both of them, and feel guilty that he hadn’t been there to make it somehow not happen. One thing they both knew about the man they loved—he took everything on his own shoulders. Izzie leaned closer and gently hugged the woman. “It’ll be ok. I promise.”
“I know.”
Shelby was a beautiful woman with an extremely cool manner, but that was the mask she hid behind. Her shield. She used it to keep people away, so they couldn’t hurt her. Like her brother had
said.
Izzie helped her to her feet, shooting her uncle a glare when he stepped closer, a snarly expression on his face. “Questions can wait, Jake.”
He didn’t like it, and he let her know it. Izzie held up one hand, still covered with Shelby’s blood. “We need to get her across the parking lot. She’s bleeding a lot, and I really want to get out of this building right now. We both do.”
“We cleared the area, already. A unit was nearby when it happened and is in pursuit. It was a drive-by. We can get an ambulance in here.”
Izzie shook her head. “It’ll take time for that. Can we walk her over?”
“I’ll stay here with the detectives,” Margo said. “You go. Get Shelby taken care of.”
Izzie wasn’t letting Shelby out of her sight until she was absolutely certain Allen’s sister was going to be ok. “Let’s go. She’s lost quite a bit of blood.”
As she said it, Shelby swayed. Jake cursed, and before anyone else could react, he scooped Allen’s sister into his arms. “I’ll carry her. Let’s move.”
Shelby had hooked her arm behind Jake’s neck and rested her head on his shoulder. Her eyes were closed. That told Izzie all she needed to know. Shelby was hurting far more than she was letting on.
Jake looked down at Shelby briefly. There was something in his expression that caught Izzie’s attention. Then it was gone in an instant. “Come on. We need to get moving.”
“Thank you,” Shelby said in a whispered voice. “I don’t mean to be so much trouble. I can walk.”
“This is faster.” Jake carried her near the now-shattered front windows. He looked at the young deputy who’d accompanied him, Evers, and Callum. “Callahan! Is the parking lot secure?”
“As much as we’re able. Whoever did this didn’t stick around.”
Not exactly reassuring.
Izzie was jumpy most of the trek across the parking lot. It wasn’t even a large parking lot, but how exposed they were wasn’t lost to her. Right there, that was where she had fallen when she’d been attacked.
The shooter could have been right there. In any of the cars in the parking lot.
She shook every step of the way.
She’d probably never be fully comfortable in the hospital parking lot now.
Like she still had a bit of an anxiety attack every time she saw the familiar green-and-white sign for W4HAV. She probably always would.
Izzie ran ahead into the ER.
Straight into Allen and Nikkie Jean.
99
Allen took one look at Izzie and knew something had happened. He’d just finished in surgery. By the time he’d gotten to the ER, people were buzzing.
Shots fired.
Close.
Izzie was covered in blood.
“Izzie!” He stepped toward her instinctively, hands already reaching for her, not hesitating to think about the people watching them.
Then his gaze landed on the man behind her.
On a familiar woman held close to Jake’s chest. “What happened?”
Shelby lifted her head off Jake’s shoulder. “I’m ok, Allen. I-I could have walked.”
Annie was there, a wheelchair at the ready. “What happened?”
“Drive-by,” Izzie said quietly. “Shot out the front windows of W4HAV. Shelby was closest and was grazed. Plus, there’s glass imbedded. She’s lost a lot of blood, so Jake carried her here.”
Annie helped Shelby into the wheelchair even though Shelby was protesting that she could walk.
Shelby was embarrassed by all the attention. Overwhelmed.
At least Allen hadn’t totally freaked. Izzie followed behind Annie.
A hard arm around her waist stopped her. “Not you.”
She turned and looked into her uncle’s eyes. “Jake…”
“She’s got people with her. I want to talk to you. I have questions about what in the hell is going on over there.”
“You know someone else has to be the one to interview me. I’d prefer Callum. He has dreamy eyes.”
“I still want to know exactly what happened. Now.”
“There isn’t much to say, Jake. Shelby, Margo and I were finishing up. We were waiting for Tarra. She’s another attendant for W4HAV. I…Margo and I didn’t want to leave Shelby there alone yet. So we were waiting. Margo was getting supplies out of the side office. Shelby was near the windows, and I was closer to the desk.”
“What time were you supposed to leave? Who do you think was the target of this? You? Or her?”
“I don’t know. W4HAV, maybe? The charity manages to really piss people off sometimes. Are you sure this doesn’t have anything to do with your case?”
“I love you, kid. You have to stop scaring me like this; I didn’t raise you to have adventures. Remember?”
“I’m fine. Shelby was scared witless. Poor kid.” Izzie’s arm stung; she looked at it. She had glass in her own arm. She hadn’t realized that. It was above the cast.
There was even glass stuck in the cast. Great. She’d have to get someone to help her get it out. Or she’d end up ordering yet another cast for herself in the morning.
“Kid? Isn’t she older than you or Annie?”
“A year or so. How did you know that?”
“We’ve met before. A time or two.”
Yeah, right. He’d probably investigated Allen from his head to his toes, and learned all about the man’s only living family.
“She…well, W4HAV deals with trauma. This will bring up memories she’d probably rather forget, Jake. She’s a very sweet, very sensitive person. Be gentle, will you? Don’t make it worse for her.” A man as direct as her uncle, as imposing—he’d terrify Shelby right down to her toes. “You…you’re everything that scares her. It’s taken Allen this long to help her heal. Don’t ruin that.”
“What are you not telling me?”
“I’m not going to gossip. Just…be kind. She’ll need that. Make sure no one comes on too strong from the TSP especially.”
“What are you saying?”
She didn’t want to violate Shelby’s privacy at all, but… “The man who caused Shelby’s trauma four years ago was TSP.”
Her uncle flinched. “I see. I’ll do what I can.”
“I’m holding you to that.”
100
“Izadora? What’s happened? Someone said you were hurt?”
Izzie jerked around at the questions from an unfamiliar voice behind her, moments after she’d left her uncle and headed back toward the ER. Wanda had waved her toward an exam bay and told her she’d be there shortly.
Izzie was to wait. Well, she never had waited well. She got started cleaning the wounds while she waited.
It took her a moment to put it together who the man behind her was. Seventeen years had dulled most of her memories of him.
Now was the worst time for this.
It was those writers of her life again—or fate, screwing with just about everything. Izzie was about ready to demand better edits, or something.
Her father stood next to the curtain, a look of concern on his face when he looked at her. This was the man she’d judged every male physician against from the moment she’d hired on at the hospital.
How stupid she’d been. This man…he was nothing at all like Allen, or Rafe, or Caine, or Virat, or Cage—he wasn’t like any of the men she worked with that she liked and respected.
He hadn’t changed much since she was eight. He still looked almost exactly the same. He’d aged well. Time had been good to him, at least.
“It’s not my blood. Mostly. It’s Shelby’s, Allen Jacobson’s sister.” She wanted to get out of there as fast as she possibly could. The last thing she felt like dealing with right now was the man who’d fathered her. She was too shaken over what had happened. “I’m fine. I need to clean up and get in there with Allen. He’ll need me.”
Allen couldn’t treat Shelby. Izzie doubted if she could at this point, since she’d been injured as well. Rafe was a stickler on
that now. Allen was going to need her. This was going to rattle him.
He took protecting Shelby so seriously.
And her.
She understood—she and his sister were Allen’s entire world.
He hadn’t exactly hidden that from her since South Padre Island.
She finished rinsing the last of the cuts she’d gotten from the flying glass. The counter had protected her from most of it.
Her father stepped closer. He had a paper towel ready. Before she could stop him, he was blotting at the remaining water. He frowned. “You’ll need this sutured.”
She nodded. She’d suspected as much. “I’ll get it taken care of. Thanks.”
By any other surgeon on the planet.
His hand rose and wrapped around her shoulder. He stared into her eyes. Izzie fought not pulling away. The connection was there; she couldn’t deny that she felt it, but she didn’t know this man. She wasn’t certain she even wanted to. Not anymore.
“Keep pressure on it. I’ll take care of it, if you want me to.”
She shook her head. “Rafe’s tightened the regulations against treating...family. Not that we’re…family or anything. But on paper…” She understood the reasoning, from a liability standpoint. Now, she was glad for the practical aspect of it. She didn’t want her father taking care of her at all. It was better if they all stayed in their own lane. “I’ll get Nikkie Jean or Lacy to take care of it when they’re free.”
“At least...let me wrap it. No sense in you bleeding all over the place.”
“I got it. You...don’t you have patients?” She wanted him to get away from her. She couldn’t handle her father right now. Not now.
A look of frustration passed over his face. Izzie took an immediate step back from the threat.
She did not know this man. What she did remember about him was arguing. Yelling. Hiding in her bedroom under her blankets until it stopped.
Until the day her mother had stumbled into her room, drunk, and told Izzie she’d accomplished it. Izzie had driven him away to another kid. One who wasn’t as defective as she was.
We All Sleep Alone (Finley Creek Book 11) Page 30
