Stepping into the room, Dr. Grant Ramsey made his way to the other side of Nana’s head and bent to drop a kiss against her cheek. “How you doing, Nana? Are they treating you alright here?” he asked in a kind voice.
“I can’t complain, laddie,” Nana declared with a wink. “Especially not when I just got the most wonderful news,” she added, patting a still wan-looking Molly’s hand.
“So I overheard,” Grant murmured, raising his eyebrows as he offered Devil a look that promised he’d have a lot more to say as soon as they were alone.
“Isn’t it perfect, Grant! We’ll all truly be family now,” Nana tittered, grabbing Grant’s hand in hers and squeezing. “Why, it’s enough to give an old woman like me a new lease on life! Did you know, you scamp?” she asked, smacking the doctor’s hand playfully. “Of course, you did,” she scoffed. “You and that grandson of mine never had secrets.”
“Until now,” Grant rebutted gently with a weak grin at Nana. “I assure you, this is all breaking news to me, too, Nana.”
“Well,” Nana chided, clucking her tongue at the naughty new couple, “Ye two have been keeping all the people that love you in the dark, have ye? Aren’t they the sneaky ones, Grant?”
“They certainly are, Nana,” Grant averred, looking from his guilty looking best friend to his shocked sister and back again. “Don’t worry,” he assured the elderly woman with a wink, “I plan on taking them both to task for it later. I’ve come with some good news of my own, too. I talked to your doctor on the way in, love. They’re going to move you up to the cardiac care unit in just a few minutes. Visiting hours are already over up there, but we can all come back again in the morning.”
“I have to stay in the hospital overnight?” Kathleen’s formally animated face fell as she asked the question.
“Just until the cardiologist is sure that your condition has stabilized. It’ll be no more than a day or two, and tomorrow, we’ll make sure that you have plenty of company,” Grant explained, dropping his hands into the pockets of his white physician’s coat. “I’ll be around the hospital tonight though. I’ve got a mother ready to deliver twins upstairs any time now. I promise, I’ll sneak in and check on you once I have her and her new children settled.”
That was all Nana needed to be distracted from her current health situation. “Ohhhh, think of the wee babes we’ll be welcomin’ into the world when these two finally get completely settled, Grant,” Nana enthused gleefully with a fond look at Molly and Devil.
Molly made a faint noise as Nana beamed at her, and Devil quickly coughed. “We’ve still got some time before that happens, Nana.”
“Lots of time,” Grant agreed fervently, shooting a worried look toward his dazed sibling.
“Lots and lots and lots and lots,” Molly said faintly, wavering on her feet again. “Soooo much time.”
“Well, don’t take too much time, lass. It would be nice if I held those babes before departing this Earth,” Nana replied pointedly. “Now, Willy, I see that Molly isn’t wearing a ring yet. I assume that’s because you want to give her the Delancy diamond, lad.” She beamed as she made the statement.
“We really hadn’t gotten that far yet, Nana,” Devil murmured with a quick look at the unstable woman beside him. Molly looked like she was going to pop a vein at any moment, and he prayed she’d continue playing along until they were alone. “I only just proposed a little while ago,” he added. Hell, he was being completely honest there, he thought with a small degree of satisfaction.
“I’ll bet he did,” Grant muttered under his breath, coughing into one hand.
“That may be true, but the lass should be wearin’ the family diamond,” Kathleen insisted. “Your great-grandmother wore it. I wore it. Your departed mum wore it. And so should any wife ye choose.”
“I’ll get it out of the safe and install it on her finger tonight,” Devil promised quickly as Molly opened her mouth. “You’ll love it, darling,” he said with a practiced smile at Molly, smacking a kiss against Molly’s cheek before she could blurt anything unfortunate. “Just keep playing along,” he urged against her ear as gave her arm a little squeeze. Seeing her press her lips together out of the corner of his eye, he knew he’d convinced her to stay quiet… at least a little longer.
“Oh, yes,” Nana agreed. “It’s a lovely ring, Molly. A family heirloom.”
“I heard,” Molly said weakly, barely able to form the words as her mind spun in a million directions. “I’m sure it’s beautiful, Nana.”
“Good, then it’s all settled,” Nana declared with a satisfied nod. “When you come back tomorrow, I want to see the pretty sparkling on that special finger of Molly’s.”
“You will, Nana,” Devil soothed the excited old woman. She certainly looked better since he’d announced his upcoming marriage. Instead of the frail woman he’d first seen in the bed, she now had color in her cheeks and a twinkle in her eyes. “But we should go so that you can rest. I’ll be back first thing in the morning to check on you. And you have them call me if you need anything. I don’t care what time it is,” he demanded, looking from his grandmother to Grant.
“I’ll speak to the desk and let them know, Devil,” Grant offered with a nod.
Relaxing a little, Devil smiled. “Tonight, I just want you to rest and concentrate on getting stronger.”
“Oh, I will! I have something special to look forward to seeing.” Kathleen smiled. “Before you go, though, I want one more thing. Give an old lady a wee thrill and kiss your intended, lad.”
“What?” Devil and Molly sputtered in unison.
“Ach! Don’t pretend you two haven’t stolen a few of those since ye’ve been together. Kiss the lass!” she ordered her grandson, nudging him with her hand.
“Yeah, Devil, kiss ‘er,” Grant chortled from the other side of the bed, his own eyes gleaming with mirth. “This I’ve got to see!”
Devil could only hope his Nana thought Molly’s face was reddening with embarrassment rather than the anger he saw swirling in her expressive eyes. The woman was going to do him bodily harm; it was only a matter of time. He only hoped she wouldn’t choose this moment to exact retribution and bite his tongue off. “Well, Nana has decreed it must be so,” he murmured, bending his head to cover her soft, slack lips with his.
Kissing her chastely against her parted lips, he expelled a breath of relief when he lifted his head. Fortunately, she hadn’t tried to maim his mouth. Bending again when she gripped his tie and pulled his head back to hers, her lips found his ear rather than his mouth as she whispered, “I just want you to know that in the last ten minutes I’ve come up with fifty ways to kill you and make it look completely accidental. One more kiss from you, and I’ll make one of those fantasies into your new reality.” She covered her hastily made threat well by brushing a cool kiss against his jaw before gently pushing his chest.
“Oh, now that’s just bonny!” Kathleen enthused, clapping her hands. “Wasn’t that a bonny sight, Grant?” she asked the man beside her, shaking his arm happily.
“Oh, that was something, Nana,” Grant agreed with a nod. “I’m just not sure what.”
Sizzle: Chapter Seven
Sometimes, a girl had two choices in life. They were simple.
Fight or flight.
After Molly Ramsey offered a final half-hearted little wave in the direction of the content-looking older woman resting peacefully in her hospital bed, she spun on her worn heels and made her decision.
It was definitely time for her to flee.
Flight was really her best option. Fighting would probably end with her committing an unfortunate homicide. Maybe two of them, she thought, as her amused brother’s face flashed through her mind. She had serious doubts that the judge would accept the defense platform of “But, your Honor, he had it coming!” for both of them.
Nope, flight was most assuredly the way to go here.
“Molly! Wait!” she heard Devil calling from somewhere behind her in the tiled hospi
tal hallway. The sound of his voice only fueled her anger and she picked up the pace. Screw him. She had places to be that weren’t here. If she stayed here she was going to find a way to end his life with all the handy medical equipment surrounding them.
Visions of strangling him with a length of IV tubing ran through her mind. No, it would be much more satisfying to impale him on the IV pole, her imagination corrected. The possibilities were limitless. Death by defibrillator, anyone?
“Damn it, honey, will you just slow down?” Devil shouted from behind her, his deep voice echoing down the hallway. “Let me explain!” he called to her as his feet pounded against the floor behind her.
“Good luck, joker! You’ve done it now. She ran track in high school, remember!” Dr. Grant Ramsey taunted from beside him, slightly out of breath as he, too, raced to keep up with his sister.
Molly managed to make it several more feet down the hallway on her shaky legs before the weight of the lie she’d just been complicit in impacted her, and she sagged against the wall. Her heartbeat thundered in her ears, but she still vaguely heard the sound of heavy footsteps behind her.
“Mols, you okay?” her brother asked when he reached her side, reaching out a hand to steady her against the wall.
Lifting her head, she glared at her brother. “Seriously?”
“Okay, stupid question,” he admitted quickly, familiar with that particular look of severity in her eyes. Taking a half step back from her, he held a hand up to Devil as he approached them. “Keep a safe distance, bro,” he warned, turning his wary gaze back to his sister. “I’ve seen this before. She’s about to blow.”
Narrowing her eyes on Grant, Molly offered him an ugly, twisted smile. “Now, why would you think that?”
“Wild guess?” Grant replied weakly, shrugging innocently as he pushed his brown wavy hair out of his eyes.
“I only have one question for you, brother of mine,” Molly stated, taking a step toward her brother and jabbing him in the chest with a pointy nail. “Why did you drag that jackass into our lives?”
“Well, technically, I’ve known him longer than you’ve been alive, Peanut,” Grant returned reasonably. “He was already on the scene when mom and dad dragged you home from the hospital. I honestly thought they were bringing me home a bike, but I got you instead. All things considered, I think I was very understanding,” he declared magnanimously.
“I despise you,” Molly retorted angrily, her eyes flashing as she shoved her brother back a step. She hated it when her brother used things like logic and reason to win an argument. It really ought to be considered cheating.
“What did I do?” Grant yelped, shooting a look toward where Devil stood, still and silent.
“You are the reason that man,” she yelled, gesturing wildly toward Devil, “is in my life!”
“Okay,” Grant conceded gracefully. “That’s true. But I had nothing to do with what happened back there in Nana’s room. And that is the story I’ll be telling my parents,” he added with a narrow look at Devil before shifting his gaze between his friend and his sister. “Exactly what did happen back there, guys?” he questioned uncertainly. “Because it sure looked and sounded a whole lot like there’s a wedding on the horizon. Now, I know I’ve been busy, but I’m pretty sure that I’d have noticed a blooming love affair between my baby sister and my best friend.”
When his question was met with total silence by the two people standing in the corridor, Grant stiffened. “There’s not anything going on between you, is there?” he asked, directing his question toward Devil as his coffee-colored eyes glinted ominously. “Devil, I swear to God, if you took advantage of my baby sister, twenty-five years of friendship and all the money in the world isn’t gonna save your ass from me!” Grant’s lean, handsome face conveyed a threat the other man would understand all too well. You did not screw with Molly Ramsey and live to tell the tale.
“Christ, Grant! Of course not,” Devil snapped, rolling his eyes as he leaned one shoulder comfortably against the wall opposite them.
Jaw dropping, Molly could only stare balefully at Devil. “Did you just roll your eyes at my brother? You announce to your grandmother that we’re getting married, but you roll your eyes at Grant’s question – like it’s so beyond farfetched that we’d be involved? You jerk!” she railed, stomping toward him. “I’m a freaking catch, you asshole!” she yelled, slamming her fist into Devil’s unsuspecting stomach. “You’d be lucky to have a woman like me, you bastard!” she continued, drawing back her leg and kicking Devil’s shin as he clutched his gut and doubled over in pain.
“Molly!” Devil groaned as he bent over, one hand pressed to his gut where she’d sucker punched him and the other rubbing his abused shin. “Honey, I didn’t mean it like that!” he panted, letting his shin go as he tried to catch her skirt when she whirled away from him.
“Ha!” Grant barked, his amused laughter echoing down the hospital hallway, “Devil Delancy just had his ass handed to him by my sister!”
Spinning to face her brother, Molly held out her hand. “Give me your car keys,” she demanded harshly.
“Why?” Grant questioned.
“Because I want to go home and he,” she said, pointing to where Devil still writhed in pain against the wall, “was my ride here!”
“Then how am I supposed to get home?” Grant whined with a frown even as he dropped his keys in her hand.
“I don’t care,” Molly announced truthfully. “Ultimately, you are the one responsible for all of this! He is your best friend. You are the one that insisted I work for him. So you can figure out how the hell to get home, Grant!”
“Okay, okay,” Grant said, holding up both his hands in a sign of capitulation. “Are you sure you’re in any condition to drive though, sis?
“It’s the city of Atlanta that isn’t safe from her driving,” Devil wheezed against the wall, still not quite able to catch his breath after the blow she’d landed to his gut. Christ, he and Grant should have never taught her how to throw a punch when she’d been in middle school.
Turning, Molly gazed balefully at the hateful man who was obviously determined to make her life into a nightmare. “Really? You wanna criticize now?” she bit out, taking a half step toward him to finish maiming him. She might not find a judge willing to let her off for murder, but she was fairly certain that, given the circumstances, she could get off on an assault charge.
Catching his baby sister around the waist and lifting her against him, Grant shook his head. “Now, Peanut….”
“Lemmee go! I’ll put him out of our misery quick, Grant! I promise!” she vowed, straining against the arms restraining her as her feet dangled in the air.
“Well, now, this takes me back to the past,” Grant chuckled, keeping his arms around his squirming sister. How the hell many times had he held her back when her flash fire temper had flared? Too many to name, he knew. “Calm down, Peanut! We’ll figure this all out. I promise!”
Sagging against her brother as she continued trying to blow Devil up with the power of her mind, Molly took a deep breath. “Put me down, Grant. I won’t touch him again. I wouldn’t want to dirty my hands.”
“You sure?” Grant asked, loosening his arms slightly. Molly was a wily one; she’d tricked him more than once into believing she was harmless in the past, only to prove later that she was as dangerous as a wildebeest in heat.
“Positive,” Molly confirmed when her feet touched the floor again and Grant released her. Straightening her skirt, she smoothed her hands over the fabric. “I can’t think about this right now. I can’t think at all. I’ll think about it tomorrow. Tomorrow’s another day, right?”
“You go, girl! You go get your inner Scarlett on!” Grant cheered his sister with an enthusiastic nod of support.
“Sweet Christ,” Devil mumbled, running a hand down his sweating face as he leaned against the cold hospital wall.
Ignoring the man behind her, Molly smiled at her brother. “Do your baby sis
ter a favor. Warn your friend over there that if he wants to live through the night, then he needs to stay the hell away from me, Grant. Otherwise, I won’t be held responsible for my actions.”
Grant smirked, peering over Molly’s shoulder to where his friend stood, bent, with his hands braced on his knees. “I think he’s got the message, Baby Girl. Any second now I expect him to start spitting blood. You got him good, I think.”
“Wonderful.” Molly smiled tightly and lifted on her tiptoes to brush a kiss to her big brother’s cheek before turning and stomping her way down the hall toward the exit.
Hell hath no fury like a Ramsey scorned.
Sizzle: Chapter Eight
Both men watched as Molly slammed through the exit at the end of the hall. Waiting until the double metal doors had slammed closed with a loud clatter, Grant turned to face his best friend in the world. Except for his wife, there was nobody he’d ever trusted more. In this moment, however, the urge to commit a felony ran strong through his veins.
Hot, he shed his professional white doctor’s coat and draped it over his arm as he strolled calmly toward his friend. Stopping barely a foot in front of him, Grant tilted his head as he stared at Devil. “You do realize just how very, very fucked you are right now, right?” he asked, his tone deceptively amiable. “I mean, you recognize that those threats Molly was making against you … I’m fully prepared to make good on them if need be.”
“Grant…”
Holding up a hand, Grant shook his head. “First, just tell me one thing, Dev. Are you screwing my little sister?”
Devil’s eyes widened at Grant’s blunt question. “Are you serious?” he blurted incredulously.
“As the heart attack that Nana just had,” Grant retorted sharply, his hand clenching in the coat he held as he stared Devil in the eye. “Answer the question, Devil. Are you sleeping with my baby sister?”
“NO! Before the kiss you witnessed at Nana’s bedside, I’ve never touched Molly in anything even approaching an intimate way. What the hell kind of man do you take me for, Grant?” Devil snapped. It was the God’s honest truth. His fantasies didn’t count, damn it. A man’s imagination was his own, and he could hardly control the vivid dreams he had when he slept, could he? Hell, Molly was an attractive, desirable young woman that any red-blooded man would find appealing, but he’d behaved honorably even in the face of temptation.
The Sizzle Saga Page 5