by Kell, Sheila
“No, Nolan. I’m fine.” She looked at her bloody hand.
The beauty from the coffee house strolled up to them. “Oh, Jesse. I saw it all. Oh my God, you’re bleeding. Here, let me see.”
Kate shook her head at the melodrama. She remembered where she’d seen the woman. She’d been the one at the bar with Jesse. Was that who he’d been talking to? Going to meet?
“It’s nothing, Elizabeth.” He shook off the beauty’s hands. “Kate, let me take a look at your hand.”
Before she could deny him, he reached for her wrist and held it firmly. She flinched as he touched her wound.
He looked at her, pity in his eyes. Oh God. This was her right hand, her firing hand. How badly was it injured? She tried to wiggle her fingers and cried out in pain.
Nolan knelt beside them, handing Jesse his t-shirt. “It’s a little sweaty, but it’s better than nothing.”
“Kate, I’m going to tie this around the wound until I get you to the emergency room.”
“Jesse, I can drive you to the ER, and she can ride in the ambulance.” Elizabeth glared at her.
Jesse kept his focus on Kate. “You look like you are about to pass out on me.”
She hated that he was right. Her light-headedness and fuzzy vision were a precursor to unconsciousness. The red-hot pain in her hand didn’t help. Her blood soaked Nolan’s t-shirt.
“Nolan, I think I’ve ruined your shirt.” She heard the slurring of her words.
Nolan looked at her with concern. He and Jesse put their heads together, but she couldn’t make out what they said.
“I won’t pass out, and I don’t need to go to the emergency room with you, Jesse. I can drive myself.”
Jesse reached down to help her stand. She hesitantly grabbed his hand as he pulled her to her feet. She gasped and collapsed into his arms as her left ankle gave way. He winced when he grabbed her to keep her from falling. Blood soaked the left sleeve of his jacket.
“I think you’ve just proven you’re not okay to drive. It won’t be so bad riding with me. I don’t bite. At least not while I’m driving.” He chuckled.
How could he be joking? They’d both been shot. She couldn’t fight it any longer. The last thing she remembered was falling into a black hole and hearing Jesse cursing.
CHAPTER THREE
AJ entered the hospital recovery waiting room and spotted Jesse pacing at one end of it. Scanning the room, he quickly honed in on the only other occupant, a bombshell in a red business suit with incredibly long legs. She looked up at him then, with a disappointed look in her ocean blue eyes, returned her attention to her laptop. Damn, she’s hot.
“It’s about fucking time you got here,” Jesse growled.
AJ turned to his brother. The bombshell would have to wait.
“Hey, Jess. How’s the arm?” He held his breath for a moment when his gaze landed on his brother’s bandaged arm. Thank God the bullet had only grazed him.
Jesse grunted. “What are you doing to catch this bastard?”
He smiled at his brother’s surliness. Jesse always had to be in control which meant he’d most likely refused pain medication so he could stay alert.
“Thought you might need this.” AJ handed his brother a clean white shirt he’d found in the back of his SUV.
Disregarding the other room occupant, Jesse changed out of his bloodied shirt. AJ frowned when he turned away in an attempt to hide the trembling hands buttoning it.
“The nurse said Kate should be awake soon,” AJ informed him.
She’d been his partner for less than a year, but he liked her. He didn’t know why, but he felt a different bond with her than most women. It wasn’t sexual. It was more familial. He trusted her to have his back.
“What the hell happened out there?” AJ had been at home when he’d received the call that both his brother and his partner had been shot. He’d rushed to the crime scene and argued with his boss to lead the investigation. Afterward, he couldn’t get to the hospital fast enough. Hell, he’d even parked in a tow-away zone. He didn’t care if they towed his car. He had the urgent need to see his brother.
Jesse cleared his throat. “I was talking with Kate when a car raced toward us. I pushed her to the ground, but it was too late.”
The businesswoman slipped unnoticed from the room.
Jesse began to pace. AJ marveled at the level of agitation he displayed.
“The driver was Ed Wright.”
AJ nodded, took his phone from his pocket and put an APB out on Ed.
He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. “It’s her right hand, AJ.”
The distress in Jesse’s voice had his curiosity peeked. He’d heard it before when one of his brothers had been hurt. But Kate? They didn’t even get along.
“Dr. Richardson is the best.”
“This wasn’t a gang shooting. Ed’s a petty criminal, but he’s not a gang member.”
“Jesse, the question is were you or Kate the target. Anyone you can think of off-hand who wants you dead?”
He shrugged. “There’s a long list of people who want me dead. What about Kate? Any threats against her?”
“Not that I’m aware of, but she’s the type to keep it to herself.”
Tension crept up AJ’s shoulders and neck. He could’ve lost two people he cared about today. He had to find the shooter because he had his sights on one of them, and as stubborn as they both were, it’d be a battle to get either to agree to any type of protection.
Kate wouldn’t have a choice. She’d get a detail whether she wanted it or not. Jesse, on the other hand, would elude any detail he assigned. The only solution was to call his brothers. Jesse would be angry with him, but at least he’d be alive.
He slapped Jesse on the shoulder. “Let’s get some coffee while we wait.”
* * * * *
Kate opened her gritty eyes to an unfamiliar room. She reached up to rub them only to find an IV in one hand and a large bandage on the other. The memory rushed back to her. She’d been shot this morning.
How did she get here? The last thing she remembered was…Oh God. She was mortified. She’d actually passed out in front of Jesse.
“Kate, you’re finally awake.”
She turned to find Ariana sitting in the chair next to her. She’d been right. She wore a red suit today.
With a dry mouth, she croaked out, “Water.”
Her sister poured a cup of ice water and handed it to her. “Let me get the nurse.” She walked out of the room.
Kate lifted her right arm and looked at the large bandage on her hand. Her heart raced, nearly exploding in her chest. How bad was it? Would this end her career as a field agent?
Before panic fully set in, Ariana returned with a nurse and a handsome, compact man who walked with a spring in his step.
“Kate, I got lucky. This is Dr. Richardson. He did the surgery on your hand.”
Dr. Richardson smiled at Kate. His smile stretched wide, his teeth strikingly white against his tanned face. “Hello, Ms. Ross I’m Dr. Richardson, an orthopedic surgeon on staff here at the hospital.”
“How bad is it?”
He cleared his throat. “You were extremely lucky. The bullet went through the webbing between your thumb and index finger, so no bones were broken. There is some nerve damage. It’s hard to say at this point if you’ll regain full strength in your hand.” He gestured to her ankle. “The ankle should be fine. You only lightly sprained it. The swelling has already subsided.”
Kate’s heart plummeted to her stomach. “But there’s a chance my hand will be like it was before?”
“Anything’s possible, but as I said, at this stage it’s too hard to say.”
She sighed. All thoughts of possibly leaving the FBI for Ross Communication vanished. She wouldn’t quit until she caught the shooter. The son of a bitch would pay.
Dr. Richardson examined her hand and gave her instructions on care. “I’ll get the paperwork taken care of so that you can leave.�
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The doctor left the room, and the nurse who’d patiently waited spoke up, “Ms. Ross, there’s two police officers waiting outside your door to see you. I was told to let them know the moment you were awake.”
She closed her eyes. They were not going to be pleased when they found out she was FBI, and they’d take the case from the Baltimore PD. “You can let them in.”
Two uniformed officers entered the room. “Ms. Ross? I’m Officer Nathan Miller, and this is my partner Arthur Watson.”
Officer Miller looked to be in his young twenties, average height, lean and sporting a crew cut. Officer Watson was shorter and much older with a paunch and some serious hair loss. He looked like he was riding it out until retirement, which had to be soon.
“We need a few minutes of your time to discuss the incident this morning.”
“You should know up front that I’m an FBI agent.” She looked for her purse to get her badge.
Officer Miller wasn’t fazed by her statement. He asked her about her hand then jumped straight into questions. “Did you see the car?”
“I’m sorry, I really didn’t see anything. The car came from behind me, and it was out of sight before I recovered.”
Shit. She’d be put on medical leave. She hoped AJ led the investigation. He’d share with her, let her get involved.
Officer Miller didn’t take the hint the interview was over and asked more questions until Officer Watson dragged him from the room.
After the officers left, the nurse stuck her head in the room and told her she had two men waiting, one an FBI agent. “They’ve stepped out, but said they’d be right back to see if you’re awake.”
Only one was an FBI agent? She hoped that was AJ. Was Jesse the other man waiting? He’d saved her, but she didn’t want to see his lying, cheating self. Technically he’d only kissed her lightly, but she knew the intent for more had been there.
“Ariana, we’re leaving.” She had her sister pull the IV from her hand, not caring if the nurse would arrive once the alarm sounded.
Her sister had prepared for their departure and had clothing for her to wear since hers was ruined. She was not wearing a hospital gown on her escape. Her escape. Damn him.
Ariana drove her home, and they avoided speaking about her injury and Ross Communication. She learned her sister had two dates with a banker and felt good about a possible relationship with him. It was about time her sister found a good man who wasn’t after her fortune and Ross Communication.
Ariana did her standard perusal of Kate’s apartment. “You know you can live at the house in Chevy Chase. It’s yours too. You don’t have to live in this small apartment.”
Kate smiled. “I like this place though. It has character.” She lived off her FBI pay and her small inheritance from her biological parents.
“I’ll never understand how you can leave what you had for something so small and without a housekeeper or cook.”
“We’ve been over this before. Mom and Dad knew how important this was to me, Ariana. I need you to understand.” She wouldn’t live on what should have been Ariana’s money.
“They left you that money and half of the house and business because they loved you. Kate, you’re an heiress. You shouldn’t be living like this.” She waved her hand around.
Kate changed the subject back to the banker. After assuring her sister for the fifth time she would be fine, she convinced Ariana to leave her alone.
She knew being alone wouldn’t last long. AJ would appear at some point to question her. She’d take any grief he gave her for leaving the hospital without his knowledge. It had been worth it to avoid Jesse.
She knew she needed to thank him for saving her, but she didn’t want to see him again. Maybe she could thank him through AJ. No, that was cowardly. She would have to face the cheater and thank him. It was the right thing to do. She began to hate that she always tried to do the right thing.
* * * * *
How dare she sneak out of the hospital? Jesse had waited and worried for so long. Guilt had been riding him. He should have moved faster this morning. He should have been more aware of his surroundings. All of his focus had been on Kate, and he wasn’t sure what to make of that.
He parallel parked close to her apartment. He looked around and saw her in the Thames Street Park, a couple of blocks from her apartment. The small park had been split with a playground for children on one side and a yard area for dogs on the other side.
She stood tall, her figure trim and toned, her hips tapered into long legs. The sun highlighted the few auburn streaks in her dark brown hair, loose tendrils of hair softened her face. It suddenly occurred to him that she didn’t have a weapon at her waist or her ankle. Dammit. Someone might be trying to kill her, and she stood outside without protection. What FBI agent would do that? He wanted to turn her over his knee. What the hell was wrong with her?
He walked toward the park. She stiffened when she saw him, reached down, put a leash on a Dalmatian and then led the dog out of the park.
Jesse intercepted her. “Who’s this beautiful dog?” He reached down to pet the dog that sniffed and then licked his hand. He tried to calm himself. He didn’t want to immediately spike her temper like he typically did.
He watched her luscious lips as she responded. He needed to pay more attention to his surroundings than on her. They were out in the open, like this morning, with their focus on each other.
“Her name is Dottie, and she’s ready to go inside.”
She didn’t want to talk with him. Well, she had another thing coming. He wasn’t letting her off that easy. “What are you doing out here without a weapon?”
“How I take care of myself is none of your business. Now, I’m going inside. Goodbye, Mr. Hamilton.”
So much for not spiking her temper right away.
“I’m afraid it’s not going to be that easy for you, Kate. AJ will be here shortly. We have questions for you.”
“AJ I understand, but you don’t need to be here.” Almost as an afterthought, she added, “Thank you for saving me.”
“You’re welcome. How’s your hand?” He should have asked her about it first instead of blasting her about not protecting herself.
“It’s fine.” She waved her bandaged hand around then turned and limped off toward her apartment. He silently walked beside her, reminding him of the previous night when she’d tried to rid herself of him. Then there was that kiss. He needed more.
At her doorway, Jesse spotted AJ and FBI Special Agent Trent Mackenzie, God’s gift to women, walking toward them. The last thing he wanted was for Trent to be around Kate. Why the hell had his brother brought him?
“The bad thing about Fells Point is the parking. I can never get close to where I want to go. We don’t all have your luck at parking, Jesse.” Trent turned to Kate, his boldly handsome face smiled warmly down at her. “Hello, sweetheart. It’s good to see you again.”
Jesse gritted his teeth, wanting to wipe the smile off Trent’s face. Had he and Kate been together before? He did go out of his way to flirt with her at the field office. Were they together now? Unexpected jealously surged through him.
She reached out to shake his hand and gave Trent the smile she’d held back from him. “Hey, Trent. This is Dottie. I hope you don’t mind dogs because she’s a love bug.”
“It’s not a problem with me. I love dogs.” Trent reached down to pet Dottie.
Dottie growled at Trent, and Jesse couldn’t help but laugh. She had taste.
“Dottie!” Kate tugged the leash, pulling the dog closer to her. “I’m sorry, Trent. She’s never done that before.”
Trent shrugged, unfazed by Dottie’s actions. “No problem.”
When Jesse caught Trent watching Kate’s rear as her dog led them into the apartment, he envisioned wringing his neck.
They entered her apartment and Jesse looked around. In the living room sat a matching couch, loveseat and chair in off-white with throw pillows in a muted red, gol
d and green. On the wood floor was a colorful rug that matched the throw pillows. It felt warm and welcoming.
He moved to the stone fireplace to get a closer look at the framed photos. There were two photos. One of a couple who looked to be in their late twenties in winter gear sitting on a rock in front of a rock canyon, and another of a couple sitting on a beach. The breeze had been blowing through the woman’s hair as the photo had been snapped. He turned. “Are these your parents?”
She looked at the mantel. A touch of sadness seeped into her eyes. “Yes.” She didn’t point out which couple it was.
* * * * *
Kate sat in the chair as Dottie curled up in a dog bed by the fireplace. Trent and AJ sat on the couch while Jesse took up a large portion of the love seat. She tried to look cool, calm and collected. She didn’t want Jesse to know he affected her. After the surprising kiss last night, his close physical proximity made her senses spin.
“What’s Jesse here for? He’s not FBI.”
He narrowed his eyes at her.
“Calm down, Kate. Someone shot at one of you. I’d like to talk with you both,” AJ answered.
Jesse knew more about what happened than she did. Maybe he could shed some light on it for her. “I’m not going to be much help. I didn’t see a thing.”
AJ spoke up. “You know the drill, Kate. Let’s walk back through it. Maybe something will return.”
She nodded, even though she doubted she’d remember anything new. She walked them through the event then looked at Jesse. When their gazes locked, she felt the sensation of being flooded with warmth. Then she remembered his phone call this morning, his devotion of love to someone and turned away from him. Bastard.
“Kate, have you had any threats that you haven’t told me about?” AJ asked.
She shook her head. “No.”
Trent leaned forward, putting his forearms on his thighs. “Kate, Jesse saw the driver. This wasn’t a gang shooting. One of you was the target.”
No wonder they’d included Jesse. She looked at him and the bandage on his left arm. Was it her fault he’d been shot?
“Well, we can go through my case files, and we can go through what Jesse’s been working on. I can…”