Worth the Risk (COBRA Securities Book 21)

by Velvet Vaughn

  Kaiya winced. “Uh, well, um…”

  “Tell me about her.”

  “I don’t think I should—”

  “No, really, I want to know.”

  Kaiya shifted on the couch, looking decidedly uncomfortable. “Her name’s Traci, and she’s a veterinarian, too. Coincidental, huh?” Kaiya laughed, but it was forced. “Have you watched any good shows on Netflix lately?”

  Before she could comment on Kaiya’s none-too-subtle attempt to switch topics, the rat scurried into the living room with Gage. When he smiled at her, she averted her gaze. It hurt to look at his handsome duplicitous face.

  “I know you’re worried about Todd,” the rat said. “I wanted to go to the hospital and check on his condition, but I can’t risk Dodge or his crew spotting me.”

  She begrudgingly lifted her eyes to him. It was considerate that he wanted to do that for her, but she felt anything but charitable towards him right now.

  “Gage volunteered to go in my place.”

  Kaiya jumped to her feet, looking monumentally relieved to have an excuse to flee. “I’ll go, too.”

  “Thank you both,” she told them with heartfelt gratitude. “I appreciate you checking on him. I need to know how he’s doing.”

  Quinn tossed his keys to Gage. “Take my SUV. In case you run into any trouble, it’s fully stocked.”

  Gage and Kaiya both nodded in understanding, while she, on the other hand, was utterly clueless. Stocked with what? She’d ask but didn’t want to start a conversation with the man who ripped her beating heart from her chest and stomped it to dust.

  “We’ll check in soon,” Kaiya promised.

  She watched them leave, worry battling with betrayal in her head.

  Quinn placed his hands on her shoulders. “Do you want to take the dogs out to the deck while we wait for them to return?”

  She spun around so fast, she dislodged his grip. He looked startled, but she didn’t care. There were so many things she wanted to say to him right now. Why didn’t he tell her about his girlfriend? Did he love her? How could he kiss Vanessa like she was the only woman in the world when he had someone waiting for him back home? So many questions, but what came out of her mouth was, “So, how’s Traci doing?”

  #

  That’s why Kaiya ran out of the house like the hounds of hell were nipping at her heels. She’d tattled to Vanessa about his ex-girlfriend. Quinn sighed. “Let’s sit on the couch and talk.”

  “We’ll talk right here,” she responded mutinously, her chin jutting out.

  It gutted him that he’d put that look of hurt in her eyes. It was the last thing he ever wanted to do. He’d give his life for her. “I was dating Traci,” he acknowledged. “But we called it quits.”

  She crossed her arms. “When?”

  “The night before your dad called me to come here. I haven’t told anyone except my sister and Kai Costa about the breakup, so that’s why Kaiya thought we were still together.”

  “Who ended it?”

  He felt like he was facing down the Spanish Inquisition. “I did.”

  “Why?”

  How to explain without sounding like a complete ass? He settled on the truth. “She was pushing for a commitment, and I didn’t feel the same way.” He reached out and clasped her arms, taking small comfort when she didn’t shy away from his touch. “She’s a nice woman, but I didn’t love her. It wasn’t fair to keep seeing her when I knew it would never go anywhere.” He slid his hands up to cup her face. “Look at me, Vanessa.” He waited until her violet eyes met his. “I will never lie to you, outright or by omission. I wouldn’t have slept with you if I had a girlfriend. That’s not the kind of man I am.”

  She studied his face gauging his sincerity. If she looked close enough, she’d see his feelings for her. He might not have been able to love Traci, but he certainly didn’t have the same issue with her.

  When she nodded and stepped into him, slipping her arms around him, he felt like he’d hit the jackpot. He held her tightly, his eyes closing as her scent invaded his senses.

  “Is the offer to sit on the deck still on the table?”

  “Of course.” Clasping her hand, he led her to the sliding glass door, grabbing the handset of the landline phone before heading outside. He told Gage to call if there were any problems. Kilo and Rocky followed them out. Vanessa had removed the cone around Rocky’s head after the dip dried, much to his relief.

  There were two padded loungers, but they only needed one. He sat first and tugged her onto his lap. She settled between his legs with her back against his front. Wrapping his arms around her, he held her tight, never wanting to let her go.

  Chapter Eighteen

  Gage Monahan flicked on the blinker and turned into the hospital parking lot. He glanced over at Kaiya. This was the first case they’d worked together. He was coming off an assignment where he’d been shot several times saving a young girl’s life. Thankfully, he’d been wearing Kevlar, and the vest caught the slugs, but he’d been sore for a week and nursed a banging headache from a concussion when his skull connected with the pavement. Kaiya was fresh from assisting Kayla Hepburn—now Bates—take down a stalker threatening Kayla’s pro hockey player husband, Finn Bates. In fact, it’d been Kaiya who took the shot that ended the stalker’s life.

  He didn’t know her well, but he trusted her implicitly. Her background was two tours in the Army while he was special forces as a Navy SEAL. He’d watched her during war games, as they called the training exercises to prepare for any situation, and at the shooting range. She was supremely skilled and competent. He knew she’d have his back, and he hoped she felt the same about him.

  “How are we going to play this?” she asked.

  “Vanessa said Todd doesn’t have any immediate family since his parents disowned him. No brothers or sisters. If it’s a male nurse on duty, you pretend to be Todd’s worried sick cousin. If it’s a female, I’ll be the relative.”

  “Sounds good.”

  He found a parking space close to the walkway, and they made their way to the intensive care unit.

  “It’s a woman,” Kaiya announced with a pat on his back. “Go do your thing, stud.”

  He quirked a brow. “Stud?”

  “Haven’t you seen Grease? It was one of Sandy’s lines to Danny.” At his confused look, she huffed. “Tell me about it, stud? Seriously, you’ve never seen it? It’s a classic.”

  He smirked. “I did. I just wanted to hear your explanation.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I’m rethinking my descriptor.”

  “And that’s my cue.” He wiped the grin from his face and approached the nurse. He’d guess her age to be late twenties. She was attractive with golden hair fastened into a bun and moss green eyes that widened when she spotted him. He wasn’t vain, but he knew women found him attractive. Sometimes he used his looks to his advantage—like he was about to do right now.

  “Hello, ma’am. I’m here to see my cousin.” He gave her his best puppy dog sad face. “No one will tell me how he’s doing.”

  “Why, you poor thing,” she cooed, coquettishly batting sooty black lashes. “I’ll help you out. What’s your cousin’s name?”

  “Todd Morris.”

  “Oh, yes, Mr. Morris. His emergency contact hasn’t returned our calls, and we’ve been unable to locate any next of kin.” She shook her head. “He’s in bad shape.”

  “Can you give me the details?”

  “I’m not supposed to since I’m not a doctor.” She looked over her shoulder. “But I can tell you what it says in his chart.”

  “Thank you, Dana,” he read from her nametag. “I appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome…you didn’t tell me your name.”

  “It’s Joe.”

  “Nice to meet you, Joe. I’ll be right back.”

  “Wait.” She turned around with her brows raised in question. “I don’t suppose you’d let me come with you. I’d like to see my cousin for myself.”

/>   Another covert glance around, and she motioned with her hand for him to follow. “Sure.”

  He gave Kaiya a thumbs up before following Nurse Dana. She stopped in front of a glass wall. He expected to see a police officer standing guard in case Vanessa tried to visit, but then, if they thought she was responsible for the attack, they probably assumed she wouldn’t.

  Having never met Todd, he had no idea what he usually looked like, but right now, the parts of his body that weren’t wrapped in gauze or bandages or hidden behind an oxygen mask were bruised and battered. He’d been roughed up good. Nurse Dana recited a list of the same injuries that the office uncovered.

  “Be honest with me. What are his chances?”

  Nurse Dana clutched the chart to her chest, looking pensive. “We’ve got the best doctors here, so he’s in good hands.”

  He was more interested in what she wasn’t saying. “But?”

  She sighed. “The prognosis isn’t good. He’ll be lucky to make it through the night. He could use your prayers.”

  It would crush Vanessa if he passed away before she could see him one last time. “Our other cousin is flying in,” he lied. “Can I bring her to visit tonight? Just for a few minutes, I promise. We want him to know he’s not alone if he passes.”

  “Of course. I don’t want him to be alone, either.”

  “I need to pick her up. I’ll be back soon.” He thanked her and headed to the waiting room, walking by Kaiya in case Nurse Dana watched. Kaiya played it cool, waiting until he was at the elevator down the hall before she joined him.

  “How is he?”

  “Not good. He’ll be lucky to last the night.” He turned to her. “Where can we buy a wig?”

  “I have no idea. Why?”

  “I told the nurse our other cousin was flying in to see him. I thought we could sneak Vanessa in to say goodbye.”

  Kaiya took out her phone while they stepped into the elevator. “There’s a place not far away, and…yes, it’s open.”

  #

  Vanessa jumped up from where she’d been resting against Quinn on the lounger when she heard Gage and Kaiya return. Worry had the food she’d consumed for dinner churning in her stomach as she hurried inside. She backed into Quinn at the sympathetic expressions on their faces and shook her head. “No.”

  Quinn put his arm around her. “What did you find out?”

  “He’s alive but in rough shape,” Gage responded. “The next twelve hours are vital.”

  Kaiya lifted a long red wig from a bag. “Gage thought we could sneak Vanessa in to see him.”

  If they were willing to take the risk, it meant his condition was dire. She suddenly couldn’t breathe.

  “I don’t know if that’s such a good idea,” Quinn protested. “What if the police have someone watching his room?”

  “They don’t.”

  She caught the meaningful look passing from Gage to Quinn. Todd was going to die.

  “I want to see him,” she gasped. “I need to.”

  “Honey, breathe,” Quinn instructed. Air rushed from her lungs. He rubbed her back comfortingly. “We’ll go.”

  “I-I need to,” she repeated.

  “Okay. We’ll take you. Go disguise yourself, and then we can leave.”

  Kaiya handed her the wig, and she retreated to her room on legs she wasn’t sure would convey her up the steps, but they did. Dropping to the padded bench in front of the bathroom's makeup vanity, she stared at her reflection in the mirror. She’d scare Todd if she walked into his room looking like a dead ringer of Frankenstein’s demented sister. Shaking her head, she pulled herself together. As much as she wanted to fall apart, she needed to be strong for him. She would march into his room and demand that he fight like hell. He was scrappy, had been his whole life. She refused to let him quit now.

  With new resolve, she secured her hair on top of her head with bobby pins she found in a drawer and grabbed the wig. She was adjusting the fit when there was a knock on the door. “Come in.”

  Kaiya stuck her head inside and whistled. “Red looks good on you. Not that your natural hair isn’t lovely because it absolutely is.” She walked inside. “I thought you could use these, too.” She handed Vanessa a white plastic case. She opened it to find a pair of brown lenses. “Have you ever worn contacts?”

  “Once for a Halloween costume. They were yellowish-green neon designed like cat eyes. They glowed in the dark.”

  “Oh, my gosh, creepy but so freaking cool.”

  “They were. My mistake was wearing them for a party we hosted for kids. They were terrified of me, and I had to change.” Actually, it’d been Todd who freaked out. He refused to be in the same room with her unless she popped them out. She smiled at the fond memory.

  “If you’ve worn them before, you shouldn’t have any problem. Now the second reason for my visit.” She displayed a black vest. “Quinn insists you wear this, too. It’s Kevlar. It’s not bulky, but it will stop bullets. Just ask Gage.”

  She took it from Kaiya’s hand. “Okay.” She’d happily wear it if it kept her safe.

  “Let me know if you need help getting ready.”

  “Thanks. I will.”

  Ten minutes later, she descended the steps. Quinn was waiting for her at the bottom with his arms crossed. His eyes widened as he took her in. “Great disguise. You look different but still beautiful.” She felt her cheeks heat with pleasure at his comment. “If you insist on going, I’m coming with you.”

  She clutched his arm. “Quinn, you can’t. You said yourself that if they see you, they’ll know something’s up. You could blow my cover.”

  “Fine. I’ll wait outside in the SUV. But I will be there in case anything goes wrong.”

  She didn’t argue. Though she was sure Gage and Kaiya were capable, she felt safest with Quinn. Knowing he was near would ease her fears.

  She watched in fascination as they geared up with weapons and communications devices that would allow them to keep in contact with each other. That’s what he meant when he said his SUV was stocked.

  Quinn wanted to take Kilo, but they weren’t sure how Rocky would react to being left alone, so they decided to leave both dogs behind. He drove to the hospital with Gage sitting shotgun. Vanessa rode in the back with Kaiya. The windows were tinted, so no cops or bad guys could see her.

  Quinn parked and judging by the way his hands continually opened and closed over the steering wheel, it was evident he wanted to accompany them. He instructed Gage and Kaiya to keep an eye out for anyone suspicious and to keep in touch.

  They decided Kaiya would stand guard in the lobby while she and Gage rode the elevator to Todd’s floor. She kept her head down as much as possible and avoided eye contact with everyone. Her nerves were on edge by the time they approached the nurse’s station.

  The woman behind the desk stood and smiled widely at Gage. “It’s so nice to see you again, Joe. Is this your cousin?”

  “Yes, this is Jessie. Jessie, Nurse Dana’s going to let us visit with Cousin Todd.”

  “Thank you,” she murmured.

  “My pleasure, hon. Follow me.”

  The nurse guided them to a glass wall. Vanessa’s knees buckled when she spotted Todd lying lifelessly in a bed, covered in bandages and hooked up to several machines. Gage grabbed her arm to steady her when she swayed. Gritting her teeth, she steeled her resolve. She needed to be strong for Todd.

  “Thank you.” She didn’t have to fake the huskiness of her voice or the tears in her eyes as the nurse left them alone.

  Taking a seat beside Todd’s bed, she covered his hand with hers. He was so cold. And he looked horrible. “Todd, it’s Vanessa. Can you hear me? I’m here with you now. I need you to fight like hell. I need you to get better.” She choked on the last words. She couldn’t imagine going into work without his sunny personality brightening every day or walking past the room he occupied in her condo before he moved to his apartment. She’d kept it for him if he ever needed to come back. “I lov
e you, Todd. Please keep fighting. I won’t let you give up.” She gasped and turned to Gage. “He squeezed my hand.”

  “That’s a good sign,” he agreed.

  She continued murmuring encouraging words until the nurse stuck her head inside. “It’s time to go.”

  Reluctantly, she stood to leave. She prayed it wouldn’t be the last time she saw her friend alive.

  #

  Gage shifted uncomfortably, feeling like a voyeur. While he’d like to give Vanessa privacy with her friend, he had to play the part of concerned cousin, same as her. Nurse Dana had wandered by a couple of times, giving him sultry looks that were easy to read. He might’ve taken her up on her unspoken offer if he wasn’t on the job. His last assignment—his first with COBRA Securities—didn’t go as planned. Sure, they rescued the hostages, but he’d been shot in the process. He wanted no glitches in this case to prove he was worthy of working for the best security company in the country.

  Vanessa didn’t look too steady when she stood. With a hand on her back, he guided her out of the room. He thanked Nurse Dana, studiously ignoring her pout of disappointment when he didn’t stop. They were almost out of the ICU when a man dressed in an orderly’s jacket caught his attention. Slowing his steps, he studied the man as he moved past them. Something wasn’t right.

  “Kaiya, get up here right now and secure the package.” He didn’t want to say Vanessa’s name in case anyone overheard the exchange.

  “What’s happening?” Quinn’s voice was sharp and urgent through the comms.

  “Bad feeling about an orderly.”

  “I’m on my way.”

  “What’s going on?” Vanessa whispered.

  “Kaiya’s going to escort you to the SUV. Stay there with her and do what she says.”

  Kaiya met them in the waiting room. He handed Vanessa over before returning to Todd’s room. He almost plowed Nurse Dana over in his haste.