by Maya Banks
alive.
She stirred and let out a small groan. He kissed the top of her head, and she went still.
“Hutch?”
He smiled. She knew him even coming out of a drug-induced fog.
“Yeah, baby. I’m here.”
He felt her smile against his chest, but her words contradicted that action.
“You shouldn’t have come. I’m okay. No need for you to all come running over when you have work to do. Birdie said this is a really busy time for you.”
He shifted, careful not to bump any of her injuries. His arm was screaming for mercy, and so he slid it out from underneath her and turned on his side.
“We’re busy, Reggie. But never too busy for you, and you should damn well know that by now.”
“I didn’t mean it that way,” she said softly. “I just meant that there wasn’t a need for you to come. I’m fine. I don’t need . . .”
He put a finger to her lips, and she went quiet. Her blue eyes were cloudy from the remnants of pain and drugs, but he could also see anxiety brewing there. He slid his hand over her face down below her ear and beyond to the back of her neck. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone as he simply stared at her.
She was beautiful, and he doubted she knew just how much. Or that as beautiful as she was to everyone else, she was that much more to him. And to Cam and Sawyer.
“Don’t say it.” He ran his finger lightly over the seam of her lips. “You need us, Reggie. You’re fighting that, and for now that’s okay. But at some point you’ll have to admit to us and to yourself that you need us as much as we need you.”
She made a sound of frustration, and he leaned in to kiss her. She went soft against him, and a little feminine sigh escaped her lips as he nibbled gently at them. She’d made those contented sounds when they’d made love to her, and he wanted to hear them again.
A sound at the door made her stiffen, and she lurched away from him, promptly groaning in pain when she jarred her body.
“That was stupid, Reggie,” he said grimly as he settled her body against him again.
He looked up to see the doctor walk in, but he made no effort to get up from his position on the bed. The doctor ignored Hutch, but gave Reggie’s wrist a cursory exam. After a moment, he eyed Reggie.
“Are you ready to go home, Miss Fallon?”
“Yeah, I am,” Reggie replied. “How long will I be out? When can I go back to work?”
Hutch stiffened. He didn’t want Reggie back on the job. Not in her condition, or any other for that matter.
“Work is out of the question for the next several days at least. I’d suggest a minimum of two weeks with light duty after that. The good news is you don’t have any broken ribs. Your X-rays came back negative. But you have a lot of bruising, and you’re going to be tender for a few days.
“The swelling is starting to lessen in your throat, and I don’t think there will be any permanent damage to your vocal cords. You also need to take good care of your wrist and make sure you don’t strain it.
“I’m writing you a prescription for some painkillers, and I want you to take the anti-inflammatory medicine I’m giving you as well.”
Reggie nodded, but Hutch wasn’t fooled. She’d agree to anything to get out of the hospital, and then she’d balk at taking the medicine. That was okay because Hutch would force it down her throat if he had to.
“All right then, young lady. I’ll give the discharge instructions to the nurse, and she’ll have you ready to go around noon or so. Until then, hang tight and take it easy.”
“Thanks,” Reggie murmured.
As the doctor walked out, Cam and Sawyer shouldered their way in. Reggie tensed against Hutch, and he pressed his lips to her hair in a gesture of reassurance.
Regina swallowed some of her nervousness and was happy to note that today her throat didn’t quite feel like she was drinking shards of glass. Her gaze skittered up to Cam and Sawyer, and Sawyer strode over to the side of the bed.
He lightly ran his fingers over the brace on her arm and then bent to kiss her. This time she didn’t try to turn away—not that he would have let her—and the warm fullness of his lips pressed to hers.
Her mouth parted, and he took full advantage, deepening the kiss as his tongue brushed over hers. She could feel herself sliding away, giving in. Panic kicked in, and she withdrew, seeking refuge in Hutch.
Hurt flashed in Sawyer’s eyes, and she nearly moaned aloud. God, this is why she couldn’t do this. She’d never do anything to hurt any of them. Never turn away from one to another. Tears swam in her eyes, and she closed them, unwilling to fall apart in front of them.
“I didn’t mean it like that,” she whispered.
Awkward silence fell on the room, and Regina wished that she could leave, walk out, go back to her own home and ignore what was staring her in the face.
She opened her eyes and glanced over at Cam, who stood against the window, his hands shoved into his jeans pockets. She always thought his hair was his one rebellion. While Sawyer kept his head shaved, and Hutch wore his in a short spiky do, Cam let his go. For a guy who was as organized and uptight as Cam could be, the long, messed-up hair just didn’t fit. But she had to admit she found the combination of his serious, glasses-wearing look and the unkempt, tousled hair extremely sexy.
“Birdie said you had a project due today. How are you supposed to get it done if you’re here?”
She was proud of how steady she sounded. After that brief moment of meltdown, she was back in control. The strange thing was, they seemed to be as relieved as she was that she wasn’t tearing up anymore.
One corner of Cam’s mouth quirked into a half smile. “You let me worry about my job, Reggie darling. You’ve got enough to keep you busy for quite a while.”
She frowned. “That’s not an answer, damn it.” She looked up at Hutch then back at Sawyer who had sunk into a chair by her bed. “Are you two going to let him run your business into the ground?”
Hutch chuckled. “Nice try. We’re on his side in this. You come first.”
She sighed then snuck another glance at Sawyer, guilt giving her a big dose of unhappiness.
His expression softened. “Will you quit looking at me like that, baby doll? I’m a big boy. You don’t have to worry about hurting my little feelers. I shouldn’t have barged in like I did, but damn if you don’t have the most kissable lips I’ve ever tasted.”
Her cheeks tightened. Damn if he hadn’t turned that apology right back on her.
When the door opened again, she was grateful for the interruption. When she saw Jeremy and the chief, she tried to straighten, and then she glared at Hutch, who refused to move his carcass from the bed.
“How are you doing, Regina?” the chief asked as he and Jeremy walked over to the bed.
“Good, sir. I’ll be going home in a couple of hours.”
The chief nodded. “Good. That’s good to hear. I want you to take it easy and not try to come back too soon.”
She glanced between Jeremy and the chief. “Anything on our killer?”
“We’re working on it. We’ll need to take your statement as soon as you’re up to it. Wondered if you’d be up for some questions now.”
Regina looked nervously at Hutch and then at Sawyer and Cam. She didn’t want to go over the details of the attack in front of them. They’d just freak out on her some more.
“I could come by the station on my way home,” she offered.
Hutch tensed beside her, and Sawyer’s lips compressed into a thin line. She ignored their displeasure.
The chief frowned, and Jeremy looked at her in question.
“You sure you’re up to that?” Jeremy asked.
“No,” Cam interjected.
“Yes,” Regina said just as quickly. “I can’t think here. I hate hospitals. They make me feel more of an invalid than I am. I’ll be better able to answer questions at the station. Whether I’m sitting there or lying here, I fail to see the differen
ce.”
She stared hard at Cam, daring him to disagree again.
“I’ll ask Birdie to drive me over when I’m discharged,” she said to Jeremy and the chief.
“There’s no need,” Sawyer said smoothly. “We’ll be happy to drive you where you need to go. And afterwards, you’re going home with us.”
The chief nodded his approval. “That’s a good idea. I don’t think Regina should stay alone right now. Not until we’ve got this nutjob behind bars. Who the hell knows what he was thinking? I don’t want to take chances with the safety of my police officers.”
Regina’s mouth gaped open, but she held the protest dying to fly off her tongue. The last thing she needed was to make an ass of herself in front of the chief.
“We’ll go now,” the chief said. “We’ll see you in a little while, Regina.” As he turned to go, he cracked a smile. “It was nice to see you boys again. It’s been a while. Glad you’re giving an old man a break these days.”
Sawyer grinned while Cam nodded at the chief. “It was nice to see you too, sir,” Cam said. “We’ll bring Reggie over later.”
Jeremy paused for a moment and laid his hand over Regina’s leg. “You sure you’re doing okay?”
She smiled. “Yeah, feeling much better today. Just stiff and sore as hell, but as soon as I can get up and move around, that’ll help.”
He nodded then turned to follow the chief out. “See you in a bit.”
She braced herself as the door closed. She still stared straight ahead, but her eyes darted sideways to take in the frowns of Cam and Sawyer. She wouldn’t even bother looking up at Hutch, because she knew he wasn’t happy.
Not willing to give them the chance to flex their muscles, she drew back the sheet with her hand and slid her legs toward the side of the bed.
“Whoa, baby, where do you think you’re going?” Hutch asked even as Sawyer moved from the chair to the side of the bed, his hand out to push her back.
“I’m getting out of bed,” she said calmly. “I want a shower. I want some clean clothes. I want out of the goddamn hospital.”
Sawyer looked guiltily over at Cam. “Did you bring her any clothes?”
Cam shook his head. “I thought Hutch was getting them.”
“So which one of you is going to go get them?” Hutch asked.
Sawyer turned to glare at Hutch. “I’m thinking you can go get them. Cam and I have done enough running around this morning.”
He swore as soon as he said it, and he looked up at Regina. “That did not come out right.”
She shrugged. “I’m not the moron sitting around here when I need to be working. I could get a ride to the station, and Birdie could drive me home. There is no reason for you guys to hang around here. I’m okay.”
Hutch uncurled his body from the bed and stood with a stretch. “I’m going to get you some clothes. You can stay here and argue with the other two boneheads.”
She inched her feet toward the floor again, and this time, Sawyer reached for her arm to help. As annoyed as she was, when her feet hit the floor, she was grateful for his support. She weaved and bobbed like a newborn calf, and a groan worked from deep in her chest.
“Jesus,” she muttered.
“I told you that you looked like shit,” Hutch offered on his way out the door.
“Tell me again why I put up with him?” she asked wearily.
“I don’t know. That’s a good question,” Sawyer said as he pulled her against his side to steady her.
“Move,” Cam said simply as he appeared in front of Regina.
Sawyer stepped back in surprise, and Regina found herself enfolded in Cam’s arms. He was careful not to crush her, but she could feel the tension rolling off his big body.
“Cam, I’m okay,” she whispered.
His hands ran up and down her back, and he kissed the top of her head.
“You scared me, Reggie,” he said. “Don’t do that again.”
The corner of her mouth lifted as he pulled away from her. “Believe me, I won’t make a habit of it if I can help it. Now can I take my shower?”
CHAPTER 4
Regina stood in the small bathroom staring at her reflection in horror. Dark bruises marred her entire neck. In fact, there wasn’t much skin that wasn’t discolored.
She glanced down at the brace on her wrist, the IV lock in her other hand and then the shower. How she was going to manage this she wasn’t sure, but she had an unholy compulsion to be clean again, to remove the taint of the killer from her flesh.
With her good hand, she reached in to turn on the water and then started shrugging out of her hospital gown. The IV would just have to get wet. Leaving the material in a wad on the floor, she stepped beyond the curtain and extended her left arm out of the shower to keep it dry.
Water pelted her chest, and she winced as it struck her tender ribs. She turned her face into the spray for a moment then wiped her eyes and looked around for the soap. Too late she realized that wasn’t something the hospital supplied.
With an aggravated sigh, she backed out of the shower, dripping water all over the floor. How the hell she was going to manage soaping her hair one-handed while keeping the other dry was a mystery anyway.
She bumped against the toilet and lost her footing, falling with a thump onto the toilet seat. A hiss of pain escaped her when she automatically put out both hands to catch herself.
The bathroom door burst open, and Cam and Sawyer stood in the doorway staring at her in concern. Before she could protest, blush or succumb to embarrassment, Cam rushed forward and cupped his hands around her shoulders.
“Are you all right? What the hell happened?”
“I told you she shouldn’t be doing this alone,” Sawyer said tersely.
She held up a hand. “I’m fine. Damn it, guys, get the hell out of here.” She reached for a towel and tried to cover herself.
“We’ve seen you naked, Reggie,” Cam said patiently.
She glared up at him.
He shrugged. “Just sayin’.”
She closed her eyes and sighed. “I need soap. Shampoo would be nice. Only I don’t know how the hell I’m going to wash my hair,” she muttered.
Sawyer backed out of the bathroom and returned with a small bottle of shampoo. Then he eyed Cam.
“You gonna do it, or am I?”
Cam’s gaze flickered briefly to Regina then back to Sawyer. “I’ll help her. When Hutch gets back with her clothes, lay them on the counter.”
Sawyer nodded, and then his stare found Regina again. She clutched the towel to her chest, but she still felt frighteningly naked and vulnerable under the force of his scrutiny.
“I’ll be outside if you need anything,” he said softly.
He retreated from the bathroom and closed the door.
“Cam, I don’t need your help,” she said as soon as he turned to her.
“Reggie, shut up,” he said mildly. “You’re going to end up falling and hurting yourself. Now get your ass in the shower so I can wash your hair. If it makes you feel any better to have a towel around you then knock yourself out, but I’ve seen you naked, and I’m certainly not going to jump your bones in a hospital bathroom. If you can control yourself, I guarantee you that I can too.”
She laughed then groaned as she took his hand and pulled herself upright. Just as she stepped into the shower, she hesitated then slowly pulled the towel away and handed it back to him.
He tossed it aside then slipped in behind her and retrieved the shower head from its perch above her head.
“I’m going to get you all wet,” she muttered.
“I’ll survive.”
A gentle hand gathered her hair while the other directed the