by JB Lynn
But she wouldn’t let me go.
I looked around helplessly, afraid that if I jerked free of her grip, she’d start rolling around again and hurt herself even more.
“Help!” I yelled. “Somebody call 9-1-1. Help!”
Footsteps pounded behind me, but I couldn’t twist around far enough to see who it was. For a brief moment, I panicked, worried that it was Belgard.
“Please,” I begged. “She’s hurt. Call 9-1-1.”
“Dialing,” Angel panted. He handed his phone to me. “You know the address and her important information.”
I took the phone and talked to the operator while he bent over my aunt, whispering to her. She relaxed her death grip on my arm, which meant I wasn’t going to need an ambulance too.
“Help's on the way,” I said, as I disconnected the call.
“It hurts,” Loretta whined.
I looked at the mess of blood, bone, and torn flesh. Even without medical training, I knew that it was a serious injury.
“I need you to go inside and get me one of those whips she’s got hanging in the window,” Angel ordered sternly.
I looked at him questioningly.
“Go.”
I tried to extricate myself from Loretta’s grip, but she hung on tightly. “I’ll be right back,” I promised.
“Let go of her, Loretta,” Angel ordered in a tone that couldn’t be argued with.
She released me.
Stumbling to my feet, I ran back toward the shop. “This is bad,” I told the lizard. “She’s really hurt.” I grabbed the closest whip, accidentally smacking myself in the face with it as I yanked it off the display.
“Ow!”
“Are you hurt?” God asked incredulously.
“Yes. No. I just…never mind.” I raced back to Angel, whip in hand.
He took it from me, his expression grim. “Loretta, I’m going to wrap this around your thigh to slow down the bleeding.”
“I’m bleeding?” She began to sob hysterically.
I knelt by her head, leaning over so that she could see my face as I spoke. I took one of her hands in mine and squeezed. “You’re going to be just fine,” I told her calmly.
She groaned as Angel slid the whip underneath her thigh.
“An ambulance is on the way,” I continued, trying to get her to focus on me. “And luckily, you’ve got a handsome medical professional tending to you.”
She smiled slightly at that. “And that’s why it pays to wear nice panties.”
I grinned, glad to see a little of her spirit.
“Forget clean underwear,” she warmed to the subject. “Always wear something pretty, not practical. You never know who will get to see it.”
I chuckled, but she moaned and squeezed my hand tighter.
I glanced over and saw that Angel had constructed a basic tourniquet and was tightening it.
“You’re going to be just fine,” I told her. I looked to Angel for confirmation. He nodded tightly.
“But you may need to wear some practical shoes for a while,” Angel said.
“I don’t own any,” Loretta sniffled.
“Borrow some of Leslie’s,” I suggested.
“My sister has the fashion sense of a pre-schooler. In fact--”
The rest of her diatribe about her twin’s lack of fashion sense was drowned out by the siren of the ambulance that squealed to a stop beside her.
“Loretta, my darling,” a male voice boomed. “What have you done to yourself?”
Doc, Marlene’s blonde, buff boyfriend who works as a paramedic when he’s not collecting small bills as a stripper, climbed out of the ambulance.
“Two handsome medical professionals.” For a moment, Loretta’s eyes glittered with something other than tears.
“What happened?” Doc asked, looking over her injury and the tourniquet.
“I was chasing after a robber.”
“In those shoes?” Doc asked skeptically.
“That’s how she tripped,” I supplied. “I told her to stop but she didn’t listen to me. No one ever listens to me,” I added, a tad hysterically.
Doc nodded. He gave me a hard look and I realized he was probably mad at me for not giving Marlene my blessing to move in with him. Apparently, someone had listened to me.
Still, he was a total pro with Loretta as he reassured her and helped to protect her injury as he and his partner transferred her to the ambulance.
“I’ll be right back, beautiful,” he called when she’d been squared away in the back of the rig.
He walked toward the front of the vehicle, motioning for Angel and I to follow.
“She’s going to need some pretty major surgery for that,” he whispered, so that Loretta couldn’t hear him. “Do you know who her healthcare proxy is? Can you get them to meet us at the hospital?”
“I’ll see if I can figure it out,” I promised.
“Do that. There’s going to be a lot of paperwork that needs signing and once they hook her up to painkillers, she won’t be in any shape for it.”
“We’ll meet you at the hospital,” Angel said to Doc, putting a hand on my shoulder.
He nodded and turned away.
“Doc?” I called after him.
He turned back.
“Thank you.”
“It’s my job.”
“But you’re upset with me,” I reminded him.
He shook his head. “How can I be? You only want what’s best for your sister.” He grinned reassuringly. “Trust me, your aunt is in good hands.”
I nodded gratefully, a painful lump forming in my throat, making it impossible to speak.
Using Loretta’s keys, Angel locked up The Corset, while I called Aunt Susan, who ended up being Loretta’s health proxy.
“Bring Katie with you,” I said.
“The waiting area of the Emergency Room is no place for a child, Margaret.”
“Bring her,” I ordered. “I’ll take her to see Dominic.”
“Fine. See you there.” Susan hung up.
“Dominic will be glad to see her,” Angel said as we hurried across the parking lot toward our respective vehicles. He handed me Loretta’s giant ring of kings.
“She misses him. See you at the hospital.” I unlocked my car and climbed inside while he headed on to his truck.
I started the car, glanced in the mirror, and screamed. Fumbling with the door, I stumbled out and scrambled away.
Chapter Nineteen
“What’s wrong?” God asked. “What’s happening?”
I didn’t answer him because I was intent on putting distance between myself and the car.
“Maggie?” Angel pulled up beside me. “What’s wrong?”
“He was in my car.”
Angel jumped out of his truck and walked around the outside of my car looking for damage. “Who was? Belgard?”
“Someone.”
“How do you know?”
“The rearview mirror.”
Angel frowned, climbed into the car, and peered into the mirror.
“It says 'Die, Bitch’,” I whispered to God while Angel was in the car.
Angel looked worried when he emerged. “You have to call the cops.”
“And say what, that someone scribbled on my car with a marker?”
Angel crossed his arms over his chest and glared at me. “No. You say that someone broke into your car and threatened you.”
Considering that I suspected a police officer, I didn’t think that calling in the boys in blue was a good idea. “Tell you what,” I bargained, “you give me a ride to the hospital. We check on Loretta, let Katie visit with Dominic, and when things are a little calmer, we come back here, pretend to discover the message and call the cops then.”
He considered that option.
“If I don’t show up at the hospital, it will make everyone more upset.” I waved at the car. “It’s not like it’s going anywhere. What’s the difference if I report it now or in a couple of hours?�
�
“Fine,” Angel agreed, his tone making it clear that he wasn’t fine with it. “But you don’t come back here with anyone but me.”
“Deal.”
Shaking his head, he opened the passenger door to his truck for me.
I climbed inside. “Thanks for this.”
He shook his head. “Don’t thank me. I think it’s a terrible idea, and I’m doing this under duress.”
We rode in silence to the hospital. I wasn’t sure whether his lack of communication was due to the fact he was unhappy with the situation or if he was thinking. Either way, I had thinking of my own to do, so I didn’t attempt to engage him in conversation for most of the trip.
Instead I thought about how he was always there when I needed something, whether it was building a chicken coop or providing first aid for an aunt. I felt more than a little guilty for refusing to call the police like he’d wanted. After all, he’s good to me, he’s great with Katie and it’s nice having someone dependable around. It had to suck to have all his suggestions rebuffed and his assistance refused.
“It is hard for me to accept help,” I blurted out suddenly.
He took his eyes off the road long enough to give me a sideways look.
“It’s hard for me to accept it,” I elaborated, “but that doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it. I really am grateful.”
He pulled the car to a stop at a red light. “Uh huh.”
Getting the impression that he thought I was just giving him lip service, I reached out and touched his arm. “It means a lot to me that you’re here for me.”
He turned, his dark gaze searching.
“I--I didn’t mean me,” I stammered awkwardly. “I meant--”
My next words died on my lips as he casually brushed a stray strand of hair off my face.
His eyes locked on mine. “I am here for you, Maggie. For whatever you need. Whenever.”
The intense sincerity in his voice caught me off-guard and I forgot to breathe.
“All you have to do is purse your lips.” He stroked a finger just beneath my lower lip, making the nerves sizzle like Fourth of July sparklers. “You do know how to ask for help, don’t you?”
I was saved from answering by the honking car behind us. The light had turned green.
Angel winked at me before turning his attention back to driving.
I didn’t trust myself to speak the rest of the way to the hospital. I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but I knew the smartest thing to do was to keep my mouth shut. No pursing of the lips for me.
Susan and Templeton were waiting for us when we got to the hospital. Well, I shouldn’t say waiting. I should say they arrived before us, and, if their raised voices were any indication, they had already been arguing about Loretta’s care for some time.
I’m not a natural peacemaker like my sister Teresa was, so I didn’t rush right in to break up the fight. I hung back and listened to their squabbling. As far as I could tell, they were disagreeing about whether or not a plastic surgeon should be called in. Templeton advocated for one, proclaiming that Loretta’s body was her temple and she wouldn’t want it defaced, while Susan thought it was a waste of time.
“Where’s Katie?” I asked, letting them know I was there.
Surprised, they turned toward me.
“Where’s Katie?” I repeated, panicked that she’d been left home alone in the midst of the chaos.
“Marlene and Doc are walking the halls with her. She didn’t want the child exposed to this.” Susan waved a hand to encompass herself and her sister’s fiancé.
“Good choice,” I murmured. “How’s Loretta?”
“This one,” Susan tilted her head toward Templeton, “wants to call in a plastic surgeon.”
“And he’s right, you should,” I snapped. “But that’s not what I wanted to know. I asked how Loretta is.”
“They’re prepping her for surgery,” Templeton replied.
I nodded. “She hurt herself pretty badly.”
“That’s what Doc said,” Susan frowned.
“She’ll need a lot of therapy,” Angel said from behind me.
“Good thing we have a therapist on staff at the B&B,” Susan replied grimly. “Maybe we should just turn it into a convalescence home.”
A nurse approached us. “She’s asking for her fiancé.”
Templeton scurried away with her.
Susan stood alone, looking sad and scared.
Stepping past me, Angel walked up to my aunt, placed his hands on her shoulders and said reassuringly, “She’s going to be just fine.”
Susan crumpled against him, crying into his shirt.
I looked away, uncomfortable.
“Aunt Maggie!” Katie yelled.
I turned in her direction.
She was being carried by Doc. Marlene walked beside them.
“Can we go see Dominic now?” Katie asked.
“Sure.” I took her from the paramedic. “Thanks, Doc.”
“Anytime.” He affectionately rumpled Katie’s hair and kissed Marlene. “I’ve got to get back to work, but if you need anything, just let me know.”
He waved good-bye and then trotted away.
“Did you lock up the store?” my sister asked.
“Tight as a drum.”
“Can we go now?” Katie asked petulantly.
“We’re going. We’re going.” I glanced back at Susan who was still being comforted by Angel.
“I’ll stay with her,” Marlene promised.
“Thanks.” Hefting Katie higher, I headed in the direction of Dominic Delveccio’s room.
Vinny, the steroid-fueled bodyguard, must have been expecting us because he moved aside with nary a nasty look or word.
“There’s my girl,” Delveccio boomed as we entered the room.
“Hi Mr. D.” Katie wriggled out of my arms and stumbled a few steps into his waiting arms. Hugging him tightly around the neck, she said, “I missed you.”
“We missed you too.” The mobster gently lifted her and placed her on the bed beside his grandson who was sitting up, smiling at his friend.
“Hi, Dominic.” I waved at him.
He waved back.
“Let’s let the kids have some space,” Delveccio suggested, taking me by the elbow and leading me back into the hall.
“I’m sorry to just drop by unexpectedly like this,” I said, worried he was upset by the interruption.
“Vinny,” he ordered. “Go get us five chocolate puddings.”
“Yes, boss.” The muscle-bound monster hurried.
“And Vinny,” Delveccio shouted. “Don’t forget the spoons!”
Vinny waved his acknowledgement.
The mob boss turned his serious gaze on me. “My nephew tells me you’ve got a problem with Kevin Belgard.”
I swallowed hard.
“Tell me about it.”
I glanced around to make sure no one could overhear our conversation. “I don’t know how much you know about my family…”
“I know everything about your family.”
I gulped. That wasn’t creepy or anything.
“I had a sister, Darlene.”
“The one snatched from the carnival?”
I nodded. Maybe he really did know everything.
I stared into his face as I revealed, “I think Belgard may have been responsible for her disappearance.”
I saw a flicker of surprise in the mobster’s gaze, but the rest of his expression remained impassive.
“Interesting,” he said neutrally. “I can’t help you with that.”
“I wasn’t asking you to.” I stood straighter. “You asked, I answered.”
He shook his head. “Sometimes I forget that you’re not like most people I know. Most people are working an angle, always trying to get something for nothing.”
“I’m not like most people I know either,” I assured him.
He chuckled. “Is there anything else I can help you with?”
&nbs
p;