by Laura Scott
Gabby’s stomach clenched, not that she wasn’t used to seeing dead bodies, but generally she preferred to see them in the hospital setting, not where they’d been killed.
“Gabriella, are you able to walk?” Shane asked her. “Or would you rather I carry you?”
“No, thanks. I can walk.” She couldn’t imagine being carried out of here in Shane’s arms...talk about embarrassing! “And please call me Gabby.” She dragged herself upright with an effort, secretly relieved when Shane put his arm around her waist again, grateful for his support.
“I’m Deputy Freemont,” Nate said, coming up alongside her. She nodded, humbled by the fact that these brave men had put their lives on the line to rescue her.
Especially Shane.
“I don’t know how you managed to find me,” she murmured to Shane as they approached the clearing. Now that they were walking back to the scene from where she’d managed to escape, she felt nervous, half expecting the men in black to come after her again. “I thought for sure those thugs would hurt or kill me.”
“I was supposed to be picking up evidence at the hospital, but when I saw you outside, I decided to head over to talk to you,” Shane said. “I just happened to be several yards behind when those two men grabbed you.”
“Did you follow the truck?” she asked.
“No, I managed to hitch a ride in the back,” he admitted gruffly. “There was no way I was going to let them get away with hurting you.”
The stark conviction in his tone sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. Gabby knew Shane was a cop and that protecting people like her was part of his job, but she couldn’t help thinking how attractive he was with his dark brown hair and blue eyes. But his big muscular frame was a bit intimidating, even though he didn’t give any indication that he’d use his strength against her.
Damon hadn’t given her that impression, either.
Trusting men wasn’t easy for many reasons. Damon had tried to sexually assault her. And she still resented her stepfather for sending her away at nine years old to live at the Einstein School of Brilliance. He hadn’t seemed to care how much he’d hurt her by tearing her away from her mother. And her mother certainly hadn’t stood up for Gabby, either.
She shook her head, reminding herself that all of that angst was in the past. She needed to stay focused on the present. Her career. The hospital, the one place she knew she belonged.
She walked alongside Shane and when they approached the clearing, he stopped and placed a restraining hand on her arm. “You shouldn’t come any closer, Gabby,” he advised. “This might give you nightmares. Stay here with Nate and I’ll return shortly.”
“No, I want to come,” she said, surprising herself with the need to see what had happened.
He frowned and shook his head. “There’s no reason for you to have to see this,” he insisted.
“Shane, I’m a trauma surgeon,” she reminded him. “I’ve probably seen more gunshot wounds than you.”
Shane and Nate exchanged a look of frustration. “I doubt it,” Shane said grimly. “Come along, if you insist, but stay close to me.”
She was still shaken by what had happened, so sticking close to Shane wasn’t a problem. There were several other cops in the clearing, but Gabby’s focus was on the dead gunmen.
The closest man lying on the ground was the guy she’d stabbed with her scalpel. Even though she was told they were dead, she found herself kneeling and reaching out to feel for a pulse.
“Don’t,” Shane said quickly, reaching down to take her hand. “I’m sorry...but I can’t risk you accidently contaminating the evidence.”
She hadn’t thought of this as a crime scene, but of course it was. “Sorry,” she murmured. “But you should know this is the one I stabbed with a scalpel.”
“A scalpel?” he repeated in surprise. “You normally carry one around with you?”
She flushed and shook her head. “No, but sometimes supplies end up in my pocket. This particular scalpel wasn’t the kind we use in the operating rooms but one of the disposable ones that we use to make small incisions as needed while providing patient care in the emergency department.”
“I’m really glad you had that with you,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “Using that as a weapon provided the perfect distraction to help me take out the other guy.”
She nodded, ridiculously touched by his praise.
“Nate, shine your flashlight on him. There, see? He has two gunshot wounds,” Shane said. “I shot at his chest, and can see the entry wound where I hit him. But there’s no way I gave him the gunshot wound in his forehead.”
“The other two guys have the same type of injury,” Nate added, leaning over Shane’s shoulder. “They were all taken out with a single gunshot wound to the head. You can see why we figured the shooter was long gone.”
“I’m not sure I understand,” Gabby said, glancing between the two deputies.
“Dead men don’t talk,” Shane explained in a somber tone.
She shivered, knowing he was right. Dead men couldn’t talk, and she couldn’t help wondering if Creighton himself had done this.
And if so, what had he intended to do with her?
THREE
Shane scowled and glanced around the clearing, trying to piece together what exactly had taken place. “Don’t you think it’s odd that he didn’t come after us? Why give up so easily?”
Gabby shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know.”
“Did you notice anyone following you before all this happened?” Nate asked her.
“No, but again, I wasn’t really paying attention to that kind of thing.” She shivered again, and Shane didn’t think it was from the cold. “I was focused on getting home.”
He wanted to put his arm around her for support, but reminded himself he was here to protect her. Nothing more. “Maybe Creighton heard the gunfire and knew that Gabby escaped with my help. Since he knew I was armed, Creighton decided to kill the guys who had let her get away and decided to wait for a better time to come after her.”
“Sounds plausible,” Nate agreed.
“But the real question here is why they’re after Gabby in the first place,” Shane said thoughtfully. “I still find it incredible that they dared to grab her from right outside the hospital.”
“I know, and that’s been bothering me,” she admitted. “Those guys had to be waiting there in the parking structure for a really long time. I ended up working over twenty-four hours straight, and frankly, the only routine thing about my schedule is that it’s not routine.”
“Is it possible they couldn’t find your home address?” Nate asked. “Did you move there recently?”
“Yes, I moved into my current place just three months ago,” Gabby replied. “But I only live a mile from the hospital and, considering how everything these days is on the internet, I can’t imagine that they couldn’t find the address if they really tried.”
“True, but maybe they hadn’t gotten that far,” Nate mused. “Could be that they knew you worked at the hospital so used that as their stake-out point.”
Shane knew that with resources, finding Gabriella’s address wouldn’t take long. “That settles it,” he said, taking Gabby’s arm and drawing her away from the corpse. “You’re not staying at your place alone until we figure out who’s after you and why.”
“Wait, maybe we’re overreacting,” she said, backpedaling. “The whole time they had me, I couldn’t help thinking they’d grabbed the wrong person. Maybe they mistook me for someone else?”
“You mean they would have kidnapped any beautiful woman with red hair?” Shane echoed drily. “No way, Gabby. This is definitely personal.” He gave her a pointed look. “It’s obvious they want something specific from you—otherwise, why would they tell you to cooperate with Creighton?”
“None of this makes sense,” she said with a scowl. “But I’m telling you, I don’t know Creighton and I think they grabbed me by mistake.”
“Sure,” his friend agreed. “After we’re finished here, I’ll give you both a ride back.”
“Good, that way I can take Gabby someplace safe where this Creighton guy will never find her.”
“Wait a minute,” Gabby protested. “I can’t just disappear! I have patient-care responsibilities.”
“She has a point,” Nate said. “And really, it might be best if she stays inside the hospital where there are plenty of people surrounding her. These guys waited for her outside because it was a better place to grab her. It wouldn’t be so easy to get to her inside the hospital.”
Shane hesitated. Nate was right. Being surrounded by dozens of people around the clock was a good way to remain safe. “I wish the hospital security guards carried weapons,” he muttered.
“A Taser is a weapon,” Nate said mildly. “And I know the senior security guards carry Tasers.”
“There are dozens of call rooms,” Gabby spoke up. “I can stay in one of them.”
Shane considered the fact that Gabby might be safer in a call room at the hospital than in some isolated hotel room. And he could sleep on the floor outside her room as an extra point of security. The floor wouldn’t be comfortable, but maybe they could find a blanket or two for him to use as a cushion.
“Uh-oh, we’re in trouble now,” Nate muttered. “I just saw Griff pull up.”
“Who’s that?” Gabby asked with a frown.
“Our boss,” Shane explained. “He’s tough but fair, even if he doesn’t know how to smile.”
“That guy is seriously intense,” Nate added.
Their tall, blond-haired leader climbed out of the police vehicle and strode purposefully toward them. “Hawk, fill me in on what went down,” he ordered.
Shane gave him the condensed version and as he spoke, Griff’s serious expression morphed into a dark scowl.
“Why didn’t you follow protocol by calling for backup right away?” Griff demanded. “You could have tailed the truck using your squad.”
Shane shook his head, deciding this wasn’t the time to explain how he owed Gabby for saving his life. “I followed my instincts, and my vehicle was too far away to go back for it.”
Griff glared at him for a long moment before he spoke in a grim tone. “Hawk, you’re the newest member of my team and a good cop. But I need you to follow the rules. Trust me, if you pull a stunt like this again, I’ll cut you loose so fast your head will spin like a top.”
“Understood,” Shane said, swallowing hard. The last thing he wanted was to lose his job, but he wasn’t going to apologize for rescuing Gabby, either.
Given the same set of circumstances, he’d do the same thing again.
“Excuse me, Mr. Griff?” Gabby spoke up.
It hardly seemed possible, but Griff’s expression turned even darker. “Vaughn, Lieutenant Vaughn,” he corrected in a clipped tone.
“Oh, sorry, Lieutenant. I wanted to make sure you understand how grateful I am for Shane’s actions tonight. Maybe he didn’t follow protocol but he saved my life.”
Shane wanted to tell Gabby to be quiet, that she was probably only making things worse, but the fact that she spoke up in his defense at all caught him off guard. Was she actually trying to shield him from Griff’s anger? The notion was inconceivable.
“Look, Miss—” Griff began, but she swiftly cut him off.
“Doctor,” she corrected, adopting the same clipped tone he’d used earlier. “Dr. Gabby Fielding, trauma surgeon.”
Griff looked polaxed by Gabby’s quick comeback and Shane didn’t dare look over at Nate for fear he’d burst out laughing. Obviously, Gabby didn’t have red hair for nothing.
“Dr. Fielding, I’m truly glad you’re all right, but the end doesn’t always justify the means.”
Gabby opened her mouth to argue, but Griff shook his head.
“Let’s put that aside for now, okay? Have either of these deputies taken your statement yet?” the lieutenant asked, his tone softer than it had been before.
“No, but I’m happy to do that right now if needed,” she responded.
Shane wasn’t surprised when his boss backed off. After all, Gabby wasn’t just any victim—she was a well-respected doctor in the community. She’d been the surgeon on duty after the airport shooting that had taken place ten days ago, and he’d had the opportunity to see her in action since he and Nate had ended up following the victims to the ER.
Watching Gabby in the trauma room had only reminded him how good she was at her job. She was smart, gutsy and never once hesitated doing exactly what needed to be done.
He’d admired her from afar but didn’t dare allow his feelings to get personal.
Nate took her statement at Griff’s direction. Gabby reported the events she’d suffered in a monotone voice, as if she were reciting a recipe rather than describing the way she’d been victimized. Once again, he was struck by the need to place a reassuring hand on her arm, but of course he didn’t. Shane glanced back at the dead men in the clearing. After his dad died, he’d run with a rough crowd and had gotten arrested. He counted his blessings that he’d been able to turn his life around, becoming a cop rather than continuing on a downhill spiral.
“Thank you, Doctor. Are you sure you can’t describe the men in more detail?” Griff pressed.
Gabby’s control snapped. “I gave you everything I saw and heard in explicit detail. I have a good memory, so trust me when I say there isn’t anything more I can tell you.” She huffed out a weary breath. “Besides, I’ve been up well over twenty-four hours straight and I need to get back to the hospital so I can get some sleep.”
“We’re almost finished here,” Nate said.
“No, we are finished here. I refuse to be interrogated as if I’m the one who did something wrong.”
“Dr. Fielding, I assure you my intent wasn’t to treat you like a criminal,” Griff said. “But victims often remember more details than they realize. We have to ask questions over and over to get the full story.”
“I remember everything crystal clear,” she said flatly. “I have an eidetic memory, so there’s no point in rehashing this any longer. You know everything I do, so I’d like to leave. Now,” she added for emphasis.
“Griff, why don’t you let me drive the doctor and Hawk back to Milwaukee,” Nate offered. “We can follow up more later if we need to.”
“Okay, fine,” the lieutenant said with reluctance. “But keep in touch...and Hawk? I expect to see your report on his first thing in the morning.”
“Will do,” Shane agreed, even though first thing in the morning was only six hours from now. It was already two o’clock and they had a good thirty-minute ride back to the city. Being off duty for the next couple of days was good timing. He’d have a chance to keep a close eye on Gabby.
“Come on, my car is parked out on the road,” Nate said as he turned away from the clearing.
Gabby followed the deputy without saying a word, stumbling a bit as she walked. Shane slipped his arm around her waist, silently offering support.
“Thank you,” she murmured, leaning against him. “Do you think we can go to my house to pick up some things before we go to the hospital? I really need a change of clothes.”
“If it’s safe,” he hedged, wishing he could do what she wanted. But he wouldn’t sacrifice her safety for clothes.
She swayed as she walked and he told himself that if she stumbled again, he’d lift her up into his arms and carry her, but they managed to make it out to Nate’s car without any trouble. He tucked Gabby in the backseat and slid in beside her.
Nate lifted his eyebrow but didn’t comment as he went around to take the driver’s seat. Gabby fumbled with the seat belt, so he reached over to help her before clicking his own into place.
Shane wasn’t surprised when Gabby curled i
nto the corner between the seat and the door and closed her eyes, finally giving in to her exhaustion. He couldn’t imagine how she’d held herself together for these last few hours after finishing a grueling shift.
“Is she out?” Nate asked, catching Shane’s gaze in the rearview mirror.
“Yeah.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, wondering how in the world they’d find this guy, Creighton, before he found her. He didn’t buy her theory that she’d been grabbed by mistake. Although, with her eidetic memory, surely she’d remember an unusual name like Creighton.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that they were better off going straight to Trinity Medical. It could be that the hospital was the last place Creighton would look for her at least in the next day or so.
Gabby shifted in her seat, turning to burrow against him instead of the hard door. He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close.
“Don’t get in over your head, Hawk,” Nate warned. “She might be a victim in all this, but we really don’t know for sure that she’s totally innocent. She might actually know Creighton.”
“No way,” Shane protested, every instinct in his body refusing to believe the worst. “I saw how frightened she was, Nate. She stabbed the gunman with her scalpel to get away. If she knew Creighton, she would have said something.”
“I get that’s what you want to believe,” Nate said bluntly. “But just remember to keep an open mind.”
Shane didn’t answer, distracted by the citrusy scent lingering in Gabby’s hair. He inhaled deeply, letting the fragrance fill his mind.
Yeah, he’d consider all possibilities, but at the same time, he knew he’d absolutely protect Gabby from harm.
Sacrificing his own life, if necessary.
* * *
From the dim recesses of her mind, Gabby could hear someone calling her name.
“Gabby? Come on, Gabby, you have to wake up, we’re here at the hospital.”
“Sleep,” she whispered, pressing her face into the warmth of her pillow.
“Gabby, please, I know how much you need to rest, but you need to show me where your call room is so I can take you there. Then you can sleep.”