by Ivy Banks
The vision of sitting on the white sand beach in a new bikini, sipping an icy margarita brought a long overdue smile to her face and she licked her lips. But it was not margarita salt she tasted; it was her own sweat as she ran from floor to floor, tirelessly answering pages from all avenues of the hospital.
Coral was a nurse in one of Boston’s busiest public hospitals, a fate which she would not wish upon her worst enemy. The location was horribly understaffed, the patients unpredictable, and her safety unguaranteed.
No one needed a trip to Costa Rica more than Coral.
Between the breakup with Damien and her gruelling work schedule, she earned the right to turn off her life, even if only for a short while.
It’s not like anyone is going to miss me when I’m gone anyway, she reasoned. Not even the stupid cat who will surely live a better life at my sprawling Beacon Hill estate. Good riddance, you surly shithead. Maybe she can keep you forever.
In the interim, however, she was busting her cute rear, hustling about, attending one near disaster after another. She had not eaten once in the nine hours since starting her shift and she had needed to pee for almost two.
At least no one has died yet today, she thought optimistically. She immediately cringed at her own jinx.
Brilliant move, nurse. Now you completely screwed yourself. Pray it happens soon because I am not staying late tonight. I am done at six, corpse or no corpse.
Nothing was going to stop her today. Costa Rica was calling to her loud and clear.
Chapter 2
The fist came flying at him quickly, but Logan was much faster, ducking away as the massive man struggled to unhook his knuckles from the wall into which he had crashed.
“You bastard!” the beast screamed at the annoyingly handsome and debonair man who had evaded his punch. “You can’t run from me, Hanover!”
Logan sighed and shook his head condescendingly.
“Sean, how many times do I have to tell you that I don’t cheat?” Logan told the incensed monster as he came at him again. “Don’t you know who I am by now?”
“You’re the son of a bitch who literally keeps aces up his sleeve!” Sean roared, throwing over a table in his wake as he charged.
Logan sidestepped him again, whirling like a drunken court jester. He danced a little jig, infuriating the pub owner further.
“I am Logan Hanover, acclaimed poker genius. The money I make at your shitty backroom games is nothing but kindling for one of my six marble fireplaces,” Logan mocked him.
The rage in Sean’s eyes lit the seedy tavern, but Logan was unbothered. It was nothing he hadn’t seen hundreds of times over the centuries, and whether he was in back allies in Slovenia or this particular smoke-filled watering hole in Boston, the result was always the same: Logan would be caught cheating and escape with his winnings in tact.
He had never lost to an angry bookie yet.
“I thank you for your hospitality, but I fear my time here has come to an end.”
He bowed formally and spun, his face smashing directly into a two-by-four.
As Logan crumbled to the floor, Sean glanced up at his bouncer, shaking his head.
“I had him, you idiot. Now look at him! He’s bleeding all over my floor! Who’s going to take care of this?”
“Sorry, boss,” the guard replied, dropping the blood-splattered piece of wood to the floor. “I’ll clean it up.”
“Yeah and take him far from here. I don’t want anyone to know he was ever in this place. If he never wakes up, I won’t lose any sleep, know what I’m saying, buddy?”
The men exchanged a meaningful look.
“Got it, boss,” the goon nodded.
Coral had purposely avoided the ER at all costs that afternoon, but inevitably she found herself on the ground floor, tending to the aftermath of a car accident. She had just turned to hurry from the ill-fated emergency room when the double doors flew open once more.
“Coral, we need you here, stat!” Dr. Beers yelled as EMS rolled the badly broken man in through the sliding doors.
She groaned inwardly, blowing her wispy strawberry blonde bangs out of her eyes. She glanced hopefully behind her, but no one else was in earshot that she could wrangle to replace her.
I’m only on the clock for two more hours, she told herself. We can get this guy cleaned up and I will be on my merry way. This is good. He will be my last patient of the day and he doesn’t look like he’s going to die – at least not right away. I can tend to him and go directly to my apartment to pack. Soon I will be on a beach…
“Coral!” the doctor screamed, shattering her daydream.
She blinked her aquamarine eyes and jumped to attention, scurrying after the emergency room doctor who had followed the stretcher into a private room.
Once inside, Coral curtained off the room and turned to Dr. Beers as the other staff continued to set up his IV.
“What happened?” she asked, looking for clues.
“Looks like he was beaten and left for dead in an alleyway,” the physician replied grimly. “He barely has a pulse, but he’s breathing.”
“Any identification?” Coral asked.
“EMS didn’t find anything, but they were more concerned with keeping him alive than doing a search. The police weren’t far behind, but they were still scouring the scene where he was found. They don’t think he was jumped there, just dumped.”
She nodded in understanding. Coral peered behind the curtain and took a closer look at the man. She felt her heart pause.
Despite the obvious bruising and blood on his face, he was ridiculously attractive. Whomever had attacked him had smashed his forehead but the rest of his features were in tact from the high, aristocratic cheekbones to the generous, regal mouth. His hair was dark, but Coral couldn’t tell if that was due to the caked-in blood or if it shone with an ebony gleam.
Coral found herself willing him to wake up, if only to see the color of his eyes.
He is gorgeous, she thought and was instantly bombarded with guilt. The man could be dying on the table and she was checking him out.
Dr. Beers pulled back the curtain and the two walked in closer.
“I’m going to need to run some tests, to ensure he doesn’t have any internal bleeding or brain damage, but I need you to stay with him until I get back,” Dr. Beers told her, glancing at the monitors nervously. “I would bet good money he’s going to stay under and I pray he does. He has at least three broken ribs and his arm is out of its socket. If he wakes, give him a shot of morphine. He’ll go into shock otherwise.”
Coral nodded, but she already knew the drill. She had seen this situation more times than she could count. It was just another perk of working in such a classy place.
“Real shame,” Dr. Beers said, sighing from the doorway. “I hope there’s no long-term damage. See if we can’t find a next of kin to be here for him. He has a moneyed look about him and I noticed his clothing labels. Something tells me this guy will be missed by many.”
Coral turned back to the patient.
What’s your story, honey? Bar brawl? Drug debt? Robbery?
Inhaling, Coral moved toward him to search his belongings, carefully keeping an eye on his vitals. Someone would be bringing a portable x-ray soon and there was no doubt going to be police with whom to contend.
I’d like to at least give them your name, Coral thought as she slowly went through his pants which were piled unceremoniously onto a chair. There was no sign of a wallet, keys, or money. Not one thing to identify the unusually handsome man on the table.
She tried searching his shirt, but came up with nothing.
It was a robbery, she thought sadly, shifting her eyes back toward him. Maybe I’ll make up a name for you. You look like he could be a Sam. Yes, let’s go with Sam.
She walked over to him, and as she neared, she realized that he still wore a platinum Rolex watch around his wrist.
“Jesus,” she breathed. “What kind of moron thief leaves that
piece behind?”
She picked up his wrist gently, peering closely at it for a clue as to his identity.
Maybe there’s an inscription or—
Her wrist was seized suddenly and Coral felt herself being yanked upward toward the head of the bed.
Before she could react, sharp teeth sank into the depth of her arm and Coral watched in stunned silence as the previously unconscious patient stared up at her, his mouth firmly enclosed around the veins on her wrist.
Slowly, the panic overwhelming her began to seep out as his grip tightened and the plasma in her body became part of his.
Blue, Coral thought as she lost consciousness. His eyes are sky blue.
Chapter 3
What the hell have I done?
Logan was in the closest state to dread he had ever encountered, and as he stared at the limp body of the nurse on the floor, he knew he was in big trouble.
He could manage to sneak out undetected, but he couldn’t just leave the woman dead on the floor. He had more class than that, if nothing else.
Why am I here? Was I unconscious? With all of his power, he’d never been unconscious before, or even lost a fight. How the hell did I end up in a hospital?
Looking at the woman lying on the floor, he made a split decision, I have to take her with me.
The question now became how?
Logan was furious with himself. He had not meant to drink from the girl. The action had been instinctive and purely adrenaline based. As he woke up, she was standing so close and he simply acted.
There was no time for regrets. He had to act before he was caught. His face was far too recognizable to simply disappear. Logan pulled himself off the gurney and walked toward the drawn blinds, peeking out to ensure that no one was heading their way. His body was healing and as he felt his strength coming back, but he was still mentally in a fog.
He exhaled slowly.
How the hell am I going to get out of here with her?
As if hearing his desperation, the woman on the floor began to stir, moaning slightly and Logan stared at her.
I need to gag her before she screams, he thought, looking around for an Ace bandage.
“What happened?” the girl rasped from the floor. “Why did you do that?”
“Shhh, shut up!” Logan barked at her in a whisper. “And don’t move until I tell you.”
He found what he was seeking and then realized that he would not get far with a bound and gagged hostage.
You need a new plan.
He walked to her, pulling the nurse to her feet and cringed at the bloodstains on her teal scrubs.
“You and I are going to walk out of here. If you make one sound, give anyone a look, or anything like that, I will kill you. Do you understand?”
She nodded slowly, weakly and stared up at him with dull, drained eyes.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Shut up!”
Logan yanked her towards the door and pulled it open cautiously, peering out into the bustling ER. Immediately, his eyes rested on a pair of uniformed officers at the front desk. The front desk nurse pointed in the direction of the room where he stood.
“Dammit! The police are here.”
He slammed the door shut, his mind racing.
Now that she’s awake, she’s going to tell them that I drank her blood. Maybe I should just kill her.
He tried to control his rage.
When I get out of here, Sean is going to pay dearly for this. Him and his henchman. They must have pierced my heart with some type of wood. Although it won’t kill me, it’s one of the only things that could have slowed me down.
He gazed at the girl again.
“Let’s go,” he told her, pushing and she stumbled forward. “You follow my lead or you’re dead.”
As he opened the door, he came face-to-face with the officers.
“Oh!” the female officer said, stepping back. “You’re awake.”
She glanced at the nurse and Logan automatically put on a charming, yet sympathetic smile for the officers.
“Yes,” he replied. “Uh, the nurse here is just taking me for an x-ray.”
He elbowed the nurse and she nodded, her aqua-colored eyes glued on the floor.
“Yes,” she breathed.
Logan held his breath and carefully watched, ready to bolt at the first sign of trouble.
The police glanced at each other uncertainly.
“We just have a couple questions for you, mister…?”
“Smith,” Logan replied quickly. “Logan Smith. And I would love to answer them as soon as we get back. Can you wait a few minutes? It won’t take long, will it, nurse?”
“No,” she replied meekly. “Just an x-ray.”
The male police officer sighed heavily and Logan stopped himself from retorting sarcastically, maintaining the smile on his face.
“Do what you have to do, ma’am. We’ll be here when you get back,” the woman replied, looking around for a chair. “Glad you’re feeling better, Mr. Smith.”
“Me too,” Logan replied brightly, nudging the woman forward.
She continued into the busy ER, but as soon as they were out of the policemen’s earshot, Logan hissed at her.
“Get us somewhere private,” he ordered.
She turned to stare at him with blank eyes.
“This is a hospital,” she replied flatly. “A county hospital no less.”
Logan felt himself growing angry at her response.
“Thanks, Nurse Obvious,” he snapped, glancing around. “There has to be somewhere that is not bustling like this. A supply closet, a napping room, something.”
Are people looking at us? No, you’re being paranoid. You need to find a quiet spot to regroup and figure out what to do with this woman. There are far too many people here as it is. They have you on security camera and you have a recognizable face.
He was grateful he hadn’t killed her, but knowing how much blood he had drank, he found it incredible she was not only alive, but standing in front of him.
And she almost looks angry, he thought. He was unexpectedly impressed with the surprisingly resilient strawberry blond standing before him.
“Is there a basement? Or a roof?”
He read the fear in her eyes and he found himself grinning in spite of the danger he faced. With each minute they spent staring at one another, it strangely felt as if they were the only people in the overcrowded hospital. Her eyes searched his face, obviously deciding whether to trust him or not.
“Just take me there. If I wanted to kill you, you’d already be dead,” he assured her.
Visibly, she swallowed and the, swiftly turned. The two headed in the opposite direction toward the staff elevators. Logan kept his head lowered as they passed by more police officers.
“You did the right thing by not blowing my cover,” he told her as they made their way onto an empty elevator. “I don’t want to hurt you, but if I have to—”
“You’re one of those men who talks a lot, huh? Likes the sound of your own voice?” the nurse asked suddenly.
Logan was stunned by the question and he stared at her dubiously. “What?” he demanded. “What did you say to me?”
She turned her head away then as if she knew she had said too much, but Logan found himself oddly intrigued by her brazenness.
She’s either crazy or brave.
Logan was interested in learning which, he decided.
They traveled to the roof and she used her swipe card to grant them access.
“Who comes up here?” he demanded, looking about to ensure they were alone.
“No one, unless an emergency is flown in via helicopter,” she answered, gesturing about to prove her words. The fire door slammed behind them and they ventured into the summertime sunlight toward the center of the platform.
To his surprise, she sat down cross-legged on the helipad landing as they approached.
“What are you doing?” he asked in disbelief. “I did
n’t tell you to sit. Get up.”
Reluctantly, she rose, staring at him questioningly.
“Why?”
“Because you’re not just going to sit in the center of the roof where anyone can see you,” Logan replied exasperated.
Maybe she’s just stupid, he thought, but something told Logan that was not the case with this woman. He was gaining respect for her boldness.
Again, their eyes clashed in a silent battle of the wills and she visibly gritted her teeth.
“I just told you no one will come up here unless there’s an emergency. Don’t you think we’ll hear a helicopter coming from miles away?”
Logan was taken aback by her tone. For a woman in her position, she was a lot more lippy than he would have been.
“Just get into the corner and stop talking,” he grunted. She obeyed, shrugging as if his instructions were a game of Simon Says.
Once in the corner, Logan peered over the edge to gage the distance to the ground. When he looked back, she was smirking.
“What is so amusing?” he demanded.
“You,” she shot back, her smirk becoming a sneer of contempt.
What is wrong with this girl? She’s a nurse so she can’t be stupid. Crazy. I’m going with crazy.
He admitted that she was not fighting him and was obliging with his requests, but her snarky mannerisms were throwing him for a loop.
I just need to use the old Logan Hanover charm, he decided. It’s time to change gears and win her over. She’s obviously upset because you hurt her. You need to show her that she can trust you.
He smiled patiently at her.
“What’s your name?”
“Doe. Jane Doe,” she shot back.
Logan began to lose his good humor.
He dropped down to her level like a shadow and peered into her face. She backed away, genuine concern staining her face.
“Don’t mistake my niceties for weakness. I almost killed you once. You wouldn’t be the first and you won’t be the last,” he snarled, his incisors flashing. She gasped and nodded, her oceanic irises looking for any place to look than his face.