by J. M. Nevins
“Giselle, I can’t just cancel the show. I can put bodyguards on Sully for sure, and we can hype up security, but without Kit’s authorization…”
She raised her voice and held back tears. “Sean, Kit just got shot. She’s on her way to the hospital in an ambulance. Before they took her away, she told me there was a credible threat to Sully’s life. Please cancel the show and protect him.”
There was a long pause on the line. “Done. Whatever else you need, Giselle, let me know. I’ll get Sully out to L.A. Keep us posted, ok? Is it really serious?”
Giselle started sobbing. “I dunno. She was shot in the chest, and she’s losing lots of blood. Get Sully here safely, please. And if you or Danny would escort him personally, that would be ideal.”
“We’ll take care of it, Giselle. Hang in there. Call us with updates.”
Danny pounded on the door to Sully’s hotel suite. He opened it seconds later. “Dude, would you relax? I can barely take a piss without you pounding my door down.”
Danny’s look of warning and stern tone of voice got his attention. “Pat, we gotta go, now. C’mon.”
He frowned. “Jesus. What the fuck is wrong with you? Go where? It’s too early to head over for the show.” Danny pushed past him and threw open the closet door. He seized Sully’s suitcase and started packing up his belongings. Sully frowned. “What the fuck are you doing?”
Satisfied with having found enough of Sully’s clothes for a few days, Danny shut the suitcase and didn’t say a word. He stared straight ahead, leading Sully along by the arm. Sully looked around and noticed there were two large bodyguards in front of them, two behind them and one on each side of them. He glanced at Danny. “Bro, is there something going on here that I should know about?”
Danny couldn’t face him. He was afraid Sully would be able to read it all over his face. He stared straight ahead and spoke stoically. “No. Let’s get you into the limo, and I’ll tell you there.”
When they walked into the lobby, Sully noticed the rest of the band wasn’t there. Instead of going to the back exit where all the limos usually lined up, they went down a narrow hallway and out of a side exit. Not only was the limousine waiting, but two more bodyguards, one standing in front of the door and one standing on the other side of the car. Two San Antonio police cruisers were sitting idle with lights on as well, one in front of the limousine and one behind it.
As they approached, the bodyguard opened the door to the limousine for Sully. Danny and all six bodyguards trailed behind. He grinned as he sat across from his brother. “This is a little intense, don’t you think? I’m a famous rock star, not the President of the United States. We don’t need secret service detail on our tours, Danny, although I am flattered.” He snickered.
Danny stared out the window as the limousine started moving. He took a moment to compose his thoughts before he looked at Sully. He leaned forward, made a stiff drink and handed it to him. “Pat, we’re on our way to the airport. There’s a chartered jet waiting to take us back to L.A.”
He frowned. “What the hell? Danny, I can’t fly to L.A. I have a show in four hours!”
Danny sighed and shook his head. “No, you don’t. The show has been canceled.”
Sully rolled his eyes. “Oh shit. What have I done now?”
Danny met his eyes. “Nothing. Kit was shot in her office in the house, and there are threats on your life right now. Last we heard from G, she was being rushed to the hospital. Not only do we need to keep you safe, but we need to get you there by her side. She needs you. It’s pretty serious, Pat.”
Sully stared at Danny, stunned for a moment before he chugged his entire drink. He met his brother’s eyes again. “My wife got shot and now someone is trying to kill me?”
Danny nodded. “Yes.”
He leaned back and stared out the window. He was rendered speechless and wondered how their level of fame had contributed to this moment with threats on his life and his wife fighting for her life after a gunshot wound she sustained in their own home.
He closed his eyes and secretly regretted the uptick of fan obsession on this tour as well as increased press coverage. It had catapulted them to a level where one rogue, obsessed fan could ruin their entire lives.
He said a silent prayer that Kit would be alive and well when the plane touched down in California. He suddenly felt like the flight from San Antonio to Los Angeles would be one of the longest of his life.
CHAPTER 25
Kyle stared at his reflection and double-checked his black bow tie. Pleased with it, he threw on his tuxedo jacket and headed out. He was looking forward to the evening ahead. It wasn’t often that he had a pressing social event to attend, and he realized just how much he had missed that aspect of his life.
As he strolled down the hallway toward the nurses’ station, a female colleague he passed whistled and called out. “Looking good, Ky!”
He chuckled and shook his head, feeling slightly self-conscious. “Thanks, Aimee.”
When he approached the nurses’ station, two of them jokingly stood up and applauded him. Jennifer, the lead nurse, smiled. “Wow! You certainly do look nice in a tux, doc.”
He flashed a charming smile that reflected irresistible dimples and made the nurses swoon even more. “Thank you, Jen. You are too kind.” He smoothed the tuxedo jacket and chuckled. “I feel weird in it. Definite departure from living my life in scrubs.” He nodded. “I’m officially off the clock for two whole days,” he smiled and chuckled again. “At least that’s what I hope. I’m out. Have a good evening, ladies. Just waiting on…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Emily approached in her elegant full-length gown. He nodded with approval and grinned as he held his arm out for her and continued his sentence. “And here she is.” As she linked her arm in his, he glanced down at her. “You look great, Em. Really pretty.”
She smiled up at him. “Thanks. Ready to go?”
He nodded and shifted his attention to Jennifer. “We’re out, officially.”
Jennifer giggled. “You two look great. Have fun!”
Kyle opened the passenger door to his black Jeep CJ7 hard top and helped Emily. She thanked him, and he shut the door. As he rounded the back of his jeep, he heard his beeper go off and realized he had shoved it into one of his pockets as a force of habit. He groaned and pulled it out as he opened his driver’s side door. He climbed in and stared at it.
Emily frowned. “Did you just get paged?”
He nodded. “Yeah. They’re probably just messing with us. Let’s get a move on. I don’t want to be late for this.” He started the engine, and as he put the jeep into reverse gear; the pager went off again. He heard Emily’s beeper go off as well and exchanged a look with her as he handed over his pager. “Take a look at mine and yours. I don’t have a good feeling about this.”
As he reversed out of his parking space, Emily glanced over. “9-1-1 page this time on yours. Mine is standard. I’m calling in. Where’s your mobile?”
He kept his attention on navigating his way out of the hospital parking lot. “Glove box.” He listened to her talking and within seconds, turned his jeep around. He headed back to where he was originally parked in the physicians’ designated spaces. He turned off the engine and glanced at her as she scrambled to grab her evening bag. She tossed his pager back to him and opened her passenger door.
She quickened her pace, struggling a bit in her gown and heels. He jogged next to her. “Ok, what do we got? What did they say?”
She headed toward the emergency room. “We need to get you scrubbed in like yesterday. Gunshot wound to the chest. They’re bringing her in now.” She stopped and looked up at him. “I’m sure they’ll tell us the details in there, but they said this is a high-profile case, and we need to use discretion.”
He shook his head. “Dammit. Are you in the OR with me on this?”
She nodded. “Yes. I wasn’t on call tonight, but the other OR nurse that was is sick, so I volunteered.�
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They headed into the hospital, eager to find out details. Kyle quickly learned that the surgeon on call was stuck in a sig alert on the 405 freeway and wouldn’t arrive for at least an hour. The attending surgeon, Dr. Perry, specifically requested Kyle, knowing he had just left the hospital and was in close range.
As he hastily shed his tuxedo for scrubs, he had a bad feeling that confused him. He took a second look at the silver Tiffany cufflinks engraved with his initials, a gift that he still held so dear. They were the only item from his past that he took with him to start the new chapter of his life years ago. He frowned, confused by his intense focus on them and the memories attached. He squeezed them in his hand for a moment, before carefully tucking them away in his locker.
The impending sense of doom returned as he left the physician’s lounge for the operating room. He had done so many emergency surgeries before, but something about this one felt strange and he couldn’t place it. He entered the prep room apprehensively, feeling a momentary ease come over him seeing Emily already scrubbed up and ready to assist.
Her gray eyes were wide and reflected a level of concern he had never seen as she stared up at him. He frowned, concerned. Rarely had he seen her shaken by anything. “Em, what’s wrong? Is it bad?”
She gulped and spoke slowly. “Kyle, it’s her on the table.”
He frowned again. “Her who?”
She stared at him. “The girl from the magazine covers.”
He felt his heart skip a beat and then calmed down, hoping he wasn’t jumping to conclusions. He figured Emily was confused. “What girl from what magazine covers? What are you talking about?”
She pointed into the operating room. “The redhead that spun you out that night. She was on the cover of Platinum Magazine and Billboard. Remember? Those magazines you asked me to buy for you when you were coming off a crazy thirty-eight hour shift. She’s some big music exec or producer or something. I think she recently won a Grammy. I think her name is Kit…”
He followed her gaze into the operating room, his worst nightmare coming true at that moment. He felt like someone was ripping his heart out again. He swallowed hard, his eyes remaining trained on her through the glass as he spoke slowly. “Kit McKenna.”
She nodded. “Yes, now Dr. Perry looks like he’s about to kill you, and you do not want to piss him off. You know he wants to promote you to chief resident soon. C’mon, focus. So what if she’s a celebrity? They’re just like normal people. Forget your celebrity crush and be the amazing surgeon you are. We got to get you scrubbed up and into the OR.”
He entered the operating room moments later, trying his best to shove his personal feelings aside. When he stared down at her lying on the table, helpless and fighting for her life, he stalled. Dr. Perry’s urgent, curt voice jolted him back into the severity of the situation, and he got to work.
When Kit’s surgery was successful concluded, Kyle made his way out, emotionally exhausted. He headed into the lounge, relieved he was alone and rubbed his eyes, letting out a long sigh. Emily burst in moments later and noticed him. He glanced up, wanting to retreat to another place where he could indulge in a solitary existence until he recognized her. He nodded. “What’s up? Does Perry need me?”
She shook her head. “No. He’s talking to someone in the family now. He is looking for you, though, so touch base with him in a few.”
He sat back. “Ok, thanks. If you don’t mind, Em, I want to be alone right now.”
She forced a grin. “No problem, Ky. I get it. I just wanted to let you know that she’s in recovery, and I’m her monitoring nurse until she gets transferred to ICU. She hasn’t come to yet. I thought you might want to pay her a visit.” He slowly got up and nodded as she continued. “And, Ky, you’re one of my best friends, but I gotta tell ya, this crush thing is a little weird. I mean…” She let out a long sigh and met his eyes. “You don’t even know her.”
He shifted his eyes away, moved past her toward the door and refused to make further eye contact. “That’s the thing, Em; I do.” He pushed the door and headed out into the hallway toward the bay of recovery rooms. He carefully plodded through until he found her tucked away in a private recovery room, Emily only a few paces behind.
She lowered her voice. “I’ll give you a few minutes and then I’ll come back and check on her. Something about this feels wrong, Ky.”
He temporarily met her eyes and whispered. “It’s fine, Em. Now, go.” He shooed her away with his hand and approached Kit’s bedside. He stared down at her, and a small grin graced his face seeing her so peaceful. He felt his heart swell with love and gratitude that she had come through the surgery so well.
He lowered his voice to almost a whisper. “I’m so glad you’re ok. You went through it like a champ, just as I remember. Happy that some things never change.” Her green eyes fluttered open, startling him as their eyes met. She was groggy and blinked slowly, struggling to regain full consciousness. She grinned and spoke softly. “Hi.”
He chuckled and smoothed her hair. “Hi.” He noticed her eyes getting heavy again and seconds later, she had slipped back into sleep. He grinned, leaned forward and kissed her on the forehead. “Sleep well, my love.”
Emily walked in and noticed what he was doing. She shook her head. He met her eyes and noticed the disapproval. He shrugged his shoulders and mouthed, “what?” She waved him out, and he followed her. Once they were in the hallway, she whispered. “We need to talk. Who is she to you, Kyle? I have never seen this side of you. You’ve always got that fucking armor around your heart. I’ve never seen you look at someone like that. I’m still not convinced that this isn’t some weird crush thing.
“Maybe the only woman you can be with is some celebrity that’s completely unattainable. That’s kind of scary, Ky. You’re one step short of a psych eval as far as I’m concerned. And if you really do know her, then scratch the psych eval and start taking a look at an ethics violation.”
He rolled his eyes. “Lay off it, Em, ok?”
She shook her head and folded her arms in front of her chest. “No. I care about you. You’re one of the best residents here, and I will not let you screw up your career. You can’t be doing weird shit like this with patients.”
He shook his head. “I’m not. Relax.”
She glared. “I don’t believe you.”
He growled. “Then that’s your problem, not mine.” He started walking away.
She chased after and caught up with him. “Ok then, how do you know her?”
He sighed and patted her on the shoulder. “Em, I’m gonna need a whole lot of alcohol to tell that story, and I’m not in the mood. I’m more concerned with her full recovery right now.” He turned on his heel and made his way down the hallway.
She rolled her eyes and called after him. “Fine. You’ll tell me in time.”
He turned around and grinned as he walked backward. “Indeed, I will. I’ll see you in a bit. I have to go talk to Dr. Perry.”
Kyle paced in the physicians’ lounge ten minutes after he had finished a debriefing with his superior. He had received massive kudos and even more hints at the chief resident position being his very soon.
Seeing Kit, though, had thrown him into a tailspin evaluating his life trajectory, and he had asked for some time off. Dr. Perry easily approved it, encouraging Kyle to take an extended period since he had not taken a vacation or even a planned day off since he started his residency four years prior.
There was only one matter of business that Kyle had to attend to before he could sign himself out on vacation. That sole task left him in a state of complete anxiety. Dr. Perry was off his shift for the night and asked Kyle to speak to Kit’s husband about the surgery and her improving condition.
He struggled with his moral conscience. Part of him wanted more than ever to have another chance with Kit, yet a nagging reminder remained telling him he had given up his option years ago. She had moved on, married, and he had to deal with it. Seeing her
again, reinstated all of those old wounds and just the thought of talking with a man he knew Kit would be spending the rest of her life with, made his heart sink.
Always the professional, he threw on his white lab coat and headed out, grabbing her chart on the way. He scanned a nurse’s note listing family member names. He closed the chart and approached the waiting room, expecting to see Moira and Tabitha, but they weren’t there. Only the rock star, Sully Foxx and an attractive, petite brunette remained. Sully paced like a caged tiger.
Kyle swallowed hard and approached. Giselle noticed him coming and tugged on Sully’s arm. He shifted his focus to Kyle and met his lucid, sage green eyes. Kyle nodded and extended his hand. “I’m Dr. Nicholls. I was one of the attending surgeons working on Kit McKenna this evening. I’d like to take a moment to brief you on her condition.”
Sully shook his hand vigorously and bobbed his head with approval. “Sully Foxx, Kit’s husband. It’s great to meet you, Dr. Nicholls. How is she doing? Is she going to be ok?”
He paused for a moment, stuck on the word ‘husband’ that Sully uttered. He felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart. He forced his personal feelings aside to do his job.
He met Sully’s eyes and grinned. “Yes. She did great in surgery.” He continued, providing details of the surgical procedures he performed with the team, her anticipated recovery process and the next steps needed to return her to normal day-to-day life. Once he was finished, he forced a friendly grin. “She should be alert in the morning and I’m sure she’ll want to see you.”
Giselle couldn’t hold back. She was so relieved to hear the good news that she leaped forward and hugged Kyle tightly. He chuckled as she pulled back and looked up at him. “Thank you. You saved my boss’s life. She means the world to me.”
He nodded and grinned. “You’re very welcome.”
Sully met his eyes and reached out to shake his hand again. “Really, thank you.”