Slow Burn

by Ednah Walters

  He winced, steeling himself against the pain in her eyes. More reasons why he hated hospitals were watching the hopelessness, the frustration and the devastating acceptance in the eyes of relatives. Ron crossed his arms and wished he could be anywhere but in here. When that didn’t ease his discomfort, he turned to the nearest nurse.

  “Is it possible to know Mr. Kirkland’s condition?” The sooner he found out what was going on, the faster he’d get out of here.

  “I’m sorry, sir, but that’s not possible.”

  His eyes narrowed. “Why not? This is the information desk, isn’t it?”

  “Yes, it is, but I can’t tell you the extent of Mr. Kirkland’s injuries until the trauma team is done with their diagnosis,” the nurse explained.

  “Don’t tell me what you can’t do, miss,” Ron snapped. “Just get me someone who’ll give me answers.” He glared at her, until the nurse left. The two remaining nurses stared at him.

  “Ron? What’s happening?” Ashley asked from behind him.

  He pasted a smile on his lips and prayed she didn’t notice the sweat on his forehead then turned to face her. Tears trembled on her lashes and her lower lip quivered. He wanted to haul her in his arms and take away her pain. Helplessness washed over him and it didn’t sit well with him. His gaze swung to Mrs. Kirkland, who was holding onto Ashley’s arm. He wished he hadn’t. Her hopeful gaze was locked on his, as though he had the answers she sought. The ache in his gut intensified. His mother had worn the exact expression just before the doctors gave her the news.

  Ashley touched his sleeve. “Ron?”

  He released a ragged breath. “I’m trying to find out your uncle’s condition.”

  “Thank you.” Ashley patted Mrs. Kirkland’s arm. “This is Sonya Kirkland. Sonya, my friend, Ron Noble.”

  “Ma’am, I’m sorry we’re meeting under such unpleasant circumstances,” he said with a brief nod. “I hope your husband will be okay.”

  “Thank you. My Jerry’s too stubborn to let this bring him down,” Mrs. Kirkland answered in an unsteady voice, then pressed a handkerchief against her mouth. She threw a glance at the nurses, then back at Ron. “They don’t know how he’s doing?”

  Ron gave the crowded room a sweeping glance. “They’ve gone to get a doctor. He’ll explain what’s going on.” He escorted Ashley and Mrs. Kirkland to secluded chairs away from the information desk.

  While Ashley consoled the older woman, Ron sat opposite them. His chest felt constricted. Breathing was difficult. He wasn’t claustrophobic, but the walls began to close in on him. The more he waited, the more agitated he became. He took deep breaths, told himself to relax, breathe and think of something tranquil. Nothing worked. Damned panic attacks. He thought he’d learned to control them years ago, yet here he was, on the verge of passing out.

  I can’t. Not when Ashley needs me.

  It must have been only five minutes, ten tops, but it seemed like forever before he jumped to his feet. He couldn’t take it anymore.

  “I’ll check what’s keeping the doctor,” he explained when Ashley and Mrs. Kirkland looked at him with wide eyes.

  He marched toward the information desk. The nurse he spoke with earlier saw him coming and whispered something to her colleagues. The women took off in two different directions. He approached the remaining nurse, who was typing something on a keyboard.

  “Excuse me. I have two very worried ladies,” he waved in the direction he came from, “who would like to know the condition of their loved one. One of the nurses went to get the doctor,” he checked his watch, “ten minutes ago. Is there a problem here?”

  An older nurse walked up to him. “No, sir. There’s no problem. I’m Mrs. Kimball, the ER nurse manager. I promise you the doctor in charge of Mr. Kirkland will be here any minute now. Because of the severity of Mr. Kirkland’s injuries, we had to make sure he was comfortable first.” Then she frowned. “Are you feeling okay, sir?”

  “I’m fine,” was his terse response, although he was anything but fine. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed one of the nurses who’d left return.

  “The doctor’s on his way,” she said.

  “Thank you, Josephine.” Then Mrs. Kimball smiled at Ron. “Do you need anything else, sir?”

  “No, thank you.” He didn’t move away from the counter. Mrs. Kimball disappeared, and the other nurses continued with their work but occasionally threw glances his way. He was sure they dealt with disgruntled relatives all the time; but one who looked and acted a little deranged, as he was sure he did, couldn’t be that common. He took a deep breath, then another and another. His heart was still pounding hard, but at least he could breathe freely.

  “Ron.” Ashley appeared beside him. “Are you okay? We could hear you from across the room.”

  “I hate hospitals,” he said before he could stop himself.

  Her eyes rounded. “Oh.”

  There was no time to explain. “Where the hell is that doctor?”

  “He’s with Sonya. It’s bad, Ron. Uncle Jerry had severe blows to the head. There’s internal bleeding and swelling, and they don’t know the extent of the injuries. A neurosurgeon is on his way. They have to operate on him right now.”

  Ron glanced above her head to where Mrs. Kirkland stood talking to a tall, redheaded man. “How is Mrs. Kirkland taking it?”

  “Very hard. They are very close.” She touched his arm. “I, uh,” she swallowed and pressed a hand to her mouth, “I’m going to stay here with her until their son gets here from San Diego. Sonya already called him.” Her voice broke.

  He studied her upturned face, the tears in her eyes ready to fall. He wanted to touch her, pull her in his arms and comfort her, but she would feel the tremors coursing through him and ask for an explanation. He wasn’t in the mood to explain anything.

  “What else did the doctor say?” Instead of answering him, Ashley looked away. He nudged her face toward him with his forefinger and lifted her chin. “Tell me.”

  “The doctor said he slips in and out of consciousness,” she whispered. “He also has broken ribs, fractured limbs. The person who attacked him meant to kill him.”

  “Come here.” He pulled her into his arms and tried to absorb the tremors surging through her body. So what if she knew about his weakness? They shared so much already.

  It was a while before he leaned back and wiped a wayward tear on her cheek. Funny enough, having her in his arms, concentrating on easing her discomfort, calmed him down. “Okay, sweetheart. Let’s keep Mrs. Kirkland company until her son gets here.”

  “No.” She stepped out of his arms. “Go on home and rest. You need it.” When he shook his head, she added, “Ron, Aunt Sonya is a very private person, and despite your help today, you’re a stranger to her.”

  He understood what she was saying but knew it wasn’t right. He needed to be here for her. He knew he was grasping for straws when he said, “What about the police? They’ll want to talk to you.”

  She shrugged. “I can handle them on my own, Ron, and you know it. Quit coming up with excuses. Go home and get some sleep. Besides,” she leaned closer to him to whisper, “Your grouchiness scares the nurses.”

  Ron caught the nurses’ stares, shrugged and turned to Ashley. “Will you call me when the operation is over? You’ll need a ride home.”

  She tilted her head and gave him a sweet smile. “Sure.”

  He studied her face and scowled. “You’re not going to call, are you?”

  “No. You need sleep, Ron, and I don’t know how long Sonya is going to need me. But thanks for being here. We probably wouldn’t have talked to the doctors this soon if it weren’t for you.” She reached up and kissed his cheek, then put more space between them. “At least Uncle Jerry gave me the doctor the description of the biker. That’s the first thing I’ll tell the cops when they get here.”

  It took him a full five seconds for what Ashley said to register. “Kirkland was being followed by a guy on a bike?”

>   “Yes.” A frown chased across her brow. “Didn’t I mention it before we left the house?”

  “No, you didn’t.” Could he be the same man who’d followed him? “What did he say about the biker?”

  “He said the man wore large aviator glasses and had a beard.”

  Sounded like the same person. But why would someone who’d been tailing him go after Kirkland? He must call Kenny’s office and find out what they’ve learned. Kenny’s people were supposed to be investigating the biker while the P.I. was out of town.

  Ron took Ashley’s hands in his and peered into her eyes. “Listen to me, babe. I want you to call me before you leave the hospital, okay?”

  “I already told you, Ron, that’s not necessary. I can get a ride.”

  His grip tightened. “This is important. I need to see Kenny’s people about something, then you and I must talk.” He was going on a hunch here, but he needed verification before discussing anything with her. “Promise me you won’t leave the hospital without me.” The urgency in his voice must have gotten through to her because she nodded.

  “Good. I’ll see you later.” Ron pivoted on his heels then started for the door. After a few steps, he stopped and walked back to her. He tucked the wayward strands behind her ears, cupped her cheeks and gave her a brief, possessive kiss. “Later.”

  This time, he made it to the door without a backward glance. As soon as he reached the outside, he took a deep cleansing breath, then speed-dialed a number. “Kenny, Ron here.”

  “Hey, when are you getting back?” his friend answered grimly. “I have some news for you.”

  He could always count on ol’ Kenny, but his tone indicated his news wasn’t good. “I’m back, my friend, as of five o’clock this morning. Where are you?”

  “My office. Got back a few hours ago.”

  “What do you have for me?”

  “I didn’t get a chance to talk to your mother’s former lawyer. He’s missing. The wife went to visit their daughter in Sandpoint, Idaho, a week ago. He was to drive there a few days later but didn’t show. He’s been gone a little over forty-eight hours. There’s a search going on, and the local police have him listed as missing.”

  Ron shook his head. “You don’t think he’s merely lost, do you?”

  “No. He grew up in northern Idaho, no reason for him to miss a turn and not find his way out.”

  “Let’s hope nothing serious happened to him.”

  Kenny let out a snicker. “Yeah. Also, one of my men followed the biker to the underground parking garage of Valley Towers.”

  That was Kirkland’s office building. A thought occurred to Ron. If he’d known about this before today, Kirkland would not be in the hospital fighting for his life. Just thinking about it left an acrid taste in his mouth.

  “He appeared to be casing the place,” Kenny added, cutting into Ron’s thoughts.

  “He was.” He quickly explained about the attack on the lawyer.

  “Damn. I hope he’ll be okay.” There was a pause, then, “After the biker left the Towers, my guy followed him to Sunset Marquis Hotel.”

  Ron scowled. His uncle always stayed at Sunset Marquis whenever he was in Los Angeles, and his last visit hadn’t been different. Could his uncle have lied about the guy on the bike not working for him or sabotaging his investigation? His uncle was a cantankerous hard-ass, but could he hire a thug to physically harm people? Ron shook his head. After their last meeting, he was convinced the old man was capable of doing anything to prevent him from knowing the truth about his father.

  “Did your man see the person the biker met at the hotel?” he asked the detective as a valet pulled up with his truck.

  “No, but I’m about to leave my office to meet the person who might know that answer, a custodian at the hotel.”

  “Good.” Ron tipped the guy and entered his truck. He wanted that information too, just in case the person the biker met turned out to be his uncle. “Do you mind if I tag along, man?”

  “Not at all. As long as you understand that this is my show.”

  “Deal. I’ll be in your office in ten minutes.” Ron glanced at the hospital entrance one last time, then took off.

  CHAPTER 10

  “You’re sure you don’t need a ride?” Matt Kirkland asked Ashley one last time. They were standing in the hospital emergency room’s parking lot, a few feet from his rented car.

  Ashley nodded. “A friend of mine will be here shortly to pick me up.” The way she saw it, poor Matt had his plate full—his father’s unstable condition and his mother’s emotional state—without acting as her chauffer too.

  She jerked her chin toward the car, where his mother sat with her eyes closed. “Take her home, Matt. She needs to rest. But if you need help with anything, don’t hesitate to call me, okay? I’d be glad to help.”

  A grateful smile touched Matt’s mouth. “I don’t know how to thank you, Ash. If you hadn’t been there for her,” he glanced at his mother with eyes full of pain, “or called the police when you did, the bastard would have killed him.” He squinted, fighting tears. “He’ll pull through this, you know,” he blurted out. “Dad is a fighter.”

  Her throat closed as she too fought tears. Matt wasn’t yet ready to face the reality of his father’s condition. Despite their success in draining the blood on the surface of the brain, removing the clots and repairing the vessels, the surgeon was brutally honest about Uncle Jerry’s prognosis. His other injuries were too extensive, and there was the age factor. The chances of a full recovery were slim.

  “I’m sure he’ll pull through this,” Ashley murmured, not sure what else to say to ease his pain. She had known Matt most of her life and had even introduced him to his wife, Lorraine. At six-feet-two and three-hundred pounds, he was a bear of a man, but inside he was a softie, a real sweetheart. Losing his dad would devastate him.

  Ashley tugged his sleeve to draw his attention. “Remember what I said, Matt. Call me if you need anything.”

  Matt rubbed his thick nape and nodded. “I have to fly back to San Diego on Monday, but Lorraine is coming tomorrow. She’ll be able to keep an eye on Mother.”

  “That’s wonderful.” His wife was a registered nurse. “Tell her to call me when she gets in.”

  “I will.” He glanced at his mother one last time. “I’d better take her home.”

  They hugged briefly, then Ashley watched the younger man lumber around the car to the driver’s seat. She waved at them, waited until the car disappeared out of sight before she dialed Ron’s number.

  “Hey, it’s me. Can you pick me up now?”

  “Babe, I can’t,” Ron said jerkily. “Can you wait for, uh, thirty minutes…an hour tops?”

  An hour? He was out of his mind. Why was he breathing heavily? “Ron, I’ve been up since five this morning. It’s now,” she glanced at her watch, “four o’clock in the afternoon. I’m tired and just want to go home.”

  “Sorry about this…can’t be avoided. We are…,” there was muted grunts and curses. “Can I call you back?”

  Ashley scowled. “Where are you? What’s going on?”

  “Chasing a scumbag who refuses to talk to us—” The rest of his words were cut off by the loud barking of a dog.

  “Ron, if you’re too busy—”

  This time, she was interrupted by what sounded like a shriek, followed by thuds and muffled curses. “Ron?” There was silence. “Are you there, Ron?” Silence again.

  Her stomach dropped as panic slammed into her like a de-roofing windstorm. It was the telephone conversation with Kirkland all over. “Ron? Answer me, damn it!”

  All she heard was the wild beating of her heart. Her knees threatened to cave under her, and her body shook with the force of her fear.

  “Ron.” Let him be okay. “Ron?”

  “I’m here, babe,” he said, breathing heavily. “We got him,” he added with a triumphant chuckle.

  “Good,” Ashley said with relief even though she had no idea w
hat was going on. Thank goodness, he was okay. “Sounds like you’re busy. I can catch a taxi and meet you at my place later.”

  “No.” His voice was firm. “Wait for me inside until I get there, Ashley. There’re things we need to discuss.”

  She had needs too, like thoroughly analyzing what was happening to her. Why the thought of Ron getting hurt almost stopped her heart. “We can discuss them later. Right now I must—”

  “Damn it, Ashley. There’re things that you must be aware of before you step foot out of that hospital.”

  “Don’t you dare swear at—”

  “Yeah, yeah, fine,” he cut in. “Just don’t leave the hospital without me.”

  “Ronald Noble, if you interrupt me one more time,” she warned, eyes narrowed. Of all the arrogant, impossible men she’d ever known, he took the cake. Her eyes widened as the realization hit her. Good Lord, she was falling in love with Ronald Noble. That was the scariest and dumbest thing she could ever possibly do. Ashley scowled. The heart, unfortunately, had no sense whatsoever.

  “Sweetheart? Are you still there?” Concern laced his words.

  A sigh escaped Ashley. He was also the only one who ever called her sweetheart and sounded like he meant it.

  “I want to go home, Ron.” She knew she was being unreasonable and childish, but it wasn’t everyday she learned that she was falling for a man who had no chance in hell of ever returning it. “If you’re not here in thirty minutes, I’m leaving.”

  “Of all the stubborn, misguided, hot-tempered—”

  She closed her cell phone right in the middle of his tirade and threw it in her oversized bag. Her teeth sunk into her lower lip. How had she let this happen? She thumped her forehead with the heel of her hand and called herself every dumb name she could think of. Then a sound made her to look up.

  A stretch limo rolled toward her, then pulled up at exactly the same spot Matt’s car had occupied a few minutes earlier. She recognized the number plate right away. Vaughn “Ricks” Doyle was the last person she wanted to see right now. As if on cue, her cell phone rang.