by Dee J. Adams
“Dude!” Blake took in the bandage on his shoulder and his eyebrows slanted in worry. “You okay?” His concern went beyond the obvious. The implication was written on his face. He put his right hand out and Brendan clasped it in their usual bro greeting.
Brendan had worked hard to heal from his beating and abduction—both physically and mentally—and the whole family worried about him. He was the baby after all even if it was only by four minutes. He may have taken the worst of it, but the whole family had been traumatized. Convincing them that he really was all right seemed like a never-ending job. “Don’t freak out. I’m okay.” Or was he? What the hell had happened to him tonight? A flashback? Sure he’d had nightmares about the whole thing, but the whole family did too. He wasn’t alone on that. But tonight was something he hadn’t experienced before. Like living a nightmare over again.
Blake closed his eyes. After a long sigh, he dove right in. “What the hell happened? I left a message with Mom and Dad, so I’m sure they’ll be here as soon as they get it. Eric and Danny are on the way, too, and Jess made me promise to text as soon as I saw you.” Blake started punching his phone. Neither one of them wanted the fallout of ignoring their big sis.
Brendan tried to find a comfortable spot on the bed, obviously an impossible feat, since any movement sent pain zinging down his arm. “At the wrong place at the wrong time.” He told his brother about the incident—omitting his little episode—and was surprised when Blake pulled out a small pad and started taking notes.
“I’ll talk to Troy, see if we can keep apprised of the investigation. The boss will definitely be able to hook us up.” It didn’t hurt to have the services of one of the best private investigators—and his resources—available at any time.
“That’d be great. We don’t know anything yet. If it was one guy or more than one. I know this has to do with the accidents that happened on set. If there was someone out to get Casey during the show, they may still be at it.”
“Speaking of Casey…” Blake lifted a dark eyebrow. “Did you talk to her about the show?”
“Never got the chance. Got shot almost as soon as she opened the door.” It made him sick to think someone had been waiting for her. Whoever it was would’ve had an unobstructed view if she’d opened the door to leave. She’d have been dead before she hit the ground. Brendan’s stomach knotted again.
“So what’s the damage to your shoulder?” Blake asked, gesturing to the bandage.
“Bullet went in and out clean. I should be fine with some physical therapy.” He shook his head. “Fucking pisses me off that someone can just fucking do that. Again.” Old anger at being a victim rose up like a rattler waving its ugly tail. Brendan could’ve sworn he was past the rage, but apparently not.
“Easy, easy,” Blake said.
No one knew better than Blake how debilitated and helpless he felt right now. His brother had been through his own repeat of hell over a year ago.
“Can you get out of here tonight?” Blake asked. “Be ready. Mom and Dad are going to want you home, and I’m not talking about our apartment.”
“Yeah, I know. The doctor hasn’t said anything yet. I think he’s on the fence because I lost a decent amount of blood.” He worried more about Casey at the moment.
“So I was thinking—”
“So I was hoping—”
They both spoke at the same time. Not unusual for them.
“You first,” Blake said.
“I was hoping you could go talk to Casey. Maybe keep an eye out on her for a little while. I don’t want her walking out of here without some type of protection. What were you going to say?”
Blake grinned. “That… I wanted to talk to Casey. Maybe try to figure out who might want to shoot her. You too, for that matter. Think on it. I’ll come back later. Don’t worry. I won’t let her out of my sight.” Great minds thought alike.
Blake left the room in search of Casey. Brendan wished he could’ve introduced his best friend and brother to the woman who meant so much to him, but he wasn’t nearly steady enough to walk down the hallway. Adrenaline had been the only thing keeping him upright at Casey’s place and it was long gone.
So, time to get serious. Was there any reason someone wanted him dead? Or was this the same crackpot who’d aimed for Casey during production? Was someone pissed because they’d gone the distance on the show? The questions kept coming and Brendan had zero answers.
Chapter Eighteen
Hours later, Brendan’s parents sat with him in the same treatment room. As per usual, his mother took control and his dad stayed out of her way. Not to say that his dad didn’t have a backbone, he definitely did. But the whole family pretty much knew his mom ran most everything. Both his parents had asked extensive questions and he’d half hoped that the doctor would toss them out in the waiting room. Apparently this hospital had pretty lax rules when it came to family visits in the ER.
The worst part was having to come clean about freezing up after he went down. Apparently his little blackout had made the hospital’s history chart. Casey must have blabbed because he would’ve kept that info private. He didn’t remember a damn thing about Casey dragging him to safety. Honestly, that freaked him out more than getting shot. The men in his family, hell, even his mother and sister, had more balls than a football team hyped up on steroids.
So why had he flipped out? The kidnapping had happened years ago. He was over it…wasn’t he? He’d been through enough physical and emotional therapy to last a lifetime, so why now?
Brendan still didn’t have the all clear sign to go home, but his mom was putting up a good case for him to leave as long as he went home with them. He’d rather go back to his place with Casey so he could keep an eye on her. Unless. Shit, what if he blacked out again? What if he couldn’t help her if something else happened? A fresh sweat broke out under his arms. Not having the answers scared the shit out of him.
He heard voices coming closer and took his first sigh of relief when Casey walked into the room with Blake and another lady right behind her. The anger he’d harbored all week at her ghosting him disappeared when he saw the white bandage around Casey’s head and all the blood on her clothes.
Brendan introduced his parents—Jay and Terry—and Casey did the same with her sister Zoe who looked just like her, in a smaller, curvier version with darker, curlier hair.
His brother cleared his throat. “I was going to take Casey home in a few minutes to pack a bag, then follow her to her sister’s place.” It wasn’t like she could stay in her place with the windows out and door full of bullet holes. Besides, the police would continue to investigate, making her apartment a crime scene. Blake lifted a dark eyebrow at Brendan. Code for there’s no way I’m telling her what she can and can’t do since I don’t even know her.
Brendan glanced at Casey, then her sister. He was going to have to tread very lightly, especially with his parents here.
She looked a little pale. Blood still laced the long blond streaks in her hair, and Brendan’s stomach cramped. Another inch and she’d be dead.
He started at the beginning. “So how’s your head feel?”
Casey took a second to consider the question. “I think the stitches hurt worse than the actual wound. What about you? Sorry you haven’t been cleared yet.”
He shrugged, happy the pain meds had kicked in. “I’ll be out of here any minute.” Yeah, no way could he do this with all these people here. “I’d like to talk to you for a sec if that’s all right.” He glanced around the room, a silent plea for privacy. A lot of covert looks were exchanged, but his mom picked up her purse on the back of the chair and started for the door.
“We’ll be right outside when you’re done.”
His dad, brother and Casey’s sister followed her out.
He hated the awkwardness between them and he wanted to get something off his chest before he dove into his idea for the next few days. “Look, I don’t know what happened tonight at your place.” A half lie
, but one he wasn’t ready to come clean about. “I’m sorry I froze up on you.” She probably had a ton questions about it, too, so he barreled on in hopes of breezing by it. “And, I’m pretty sure I know the answer to this question, but you didn’t tell Miles or anyone else at the show about me and Seger, did you?”
A weary look clouded her eyes. “No, I didn’t. I had a feeling that’s what you came to ask me. The more I thought about it, the easier it was to see why you’d think that. But no, I swear, I didn’t. Seriously though…a lot of people know you work for him. I mean Seger’s crew and staff. Anyone could’ve leaked it to the show.”
Brendan leaned against his pillow. Stupid, but it was something he hadn’t even considered. Had he pissed off someone at work? Made someone angry enough to make a call that would wreck his dream? He thought he got along with everyone on Seger’s team. “You’re right, of course. Could be anyone. I should’ve trusted you. I’m sorry.” She met his gaze for a whole half second before finding something interesting on the floor.
“I’m sorry too. I should’ve responded to your calls and texts,” she said. “I screwed up.” She exhaled hard before looking him in the eyes. “I am really sorry. I just didn’t know what to say or how to say it.” She said the exact thing he wanted to hear, but it crushed him. She looked totally wrecked.
“I missed you so much last week,” he said softly. “Not knowing how you were just about killed me. We went from 24/7 to absolutely zero. It was like someone cut off my leg or something.”
She swallowed hard and blinked fast. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want that.” Swiping at her eyes, she continued, “You should know that Miles called right before you knocked. He told me what happened. He also said I’m the new winner of the show.” She shot him a fleeting glance.
It was kind of like having his contract ripped up again. He should be happy for her, because at least one of them won. It was just a tough pill to swallow. “Okay, so someone takes away my dream and makes yours a reality. Then the first time we see each other bullets fly like it’s bird-hunting season and we’re the quail. So which one of us is the target?”
Casey lost the little color in her cheeks. “You were at my place, so I’m guessing me. Unless someone followed you.”
He felt the need to remind her of a couple things. “The light fixture fell over your chair during the show. The stage cracked where you were supposed to do your move.”
She shifted her stance and shook her head in a way that read like a silent, I don’t know, and he felt like a tool for mentioning it.
“I can’t say as I have too many skeletons in my closet,” he said. “What about you? Anybody angry at you lately?”
She shook her head then stopped mid-motion, her eyes rounding.
“What? Who?” Brendan asked.
Casey blinked. “It can’t be him. Jeff broke up with me. I’m out of his life so he has no reason to try and kill me.”
“He’s still a person the cops can check out, because someone’s out there. Which means you need to take extra precautions.” Here went nothing. “I don’t think it’s safe to go to your sister’s place tonight.” May as well spit it out before he lost his nerve. “In fact, I think staying with Zoe just puts both of you at risk.” Her eyes turned stormy and she clearly didn’t like his thoughts, so he hurried on before she said anything. “I think you should come home with me. I’d feel better if you did.”
Her eyes got wider, if that were even possible. “Go home with you? What happens if you won’t be going home? Did you want me to pull up a cot and sleep by your bed?” She shook her head. “You’re being ridiculous.”
“Look, if I don’t go home, then Blake can take you to my place…the apartment I share with him.” At her astounded gaze he explained, “He’s all but moved in with his girlfriend, but not officially. She’s out of town a lot with work and Blake regroups at our place when she’s gone. The point is, he can be there if I’m not.”
She sighed and tilted her head. “Brendan, I appreciate the concern, but I’m not staying at your place.”
The hallway erupted in noise as a newcomer to the ER—obviously high on something—started screaming every vile word in the dictionary at the top of his lungs. It brought his family and Casey’s sister back into the room.
Leading the pack, his mother didn’t look fazed at all. “Casey’s right,” she said. “She’s not staying at your place. You’re both staying with me and your father.” It was the first time Brendan wasn’t angry about his mom’s bionic hearing.
Casey’s quick victory smile dropped. “Excuse me?”
“Brendan’s doctor just gave us the okay to take him home.” She faced Casey and the height difference didn’t mean a thing because Brendan’s mom was a red-headed force of nature at only 5’2”.
He didn’t know what her argument would be, but Brendan already knew she’d won. Relief speared through him as he watched her work.
“I only heard the end of your conversation, but my son is right. You both should stay with us until the police figure out what’s happening.”
Casey looked to her sister for help, but Zoe just shrugged.
The screaming lunatic in the hallway finally quieted down.
“We have a gated home,” his mom continued. “It’s safe. After the day you’ve both had, I think you deserve the time to regroup without being scared. Besides, Casey, if someone’s after you, then they won’t find you at our house.”
Brendan hadn’t really been looking forward to going back home to his old room, but he would if it meant Casey’s safety. His parents had installed a mother of a security system and a giant ass gate to keep out any kidnapping, unstable sociopaths.
Too bad they hadn’t had that wall three years ago.
Blake pulled out his cell phone from his back pocket. “While you guys are moving into Casa St. John, maybe Troy and I can help the cops,” he said, turning to Casey.
“Blake told you he’s a private investigator, right?” Brendan asked.
“Whoa, wait. Everyone hold up.” Casey put her hands out as if she needed to stop the roller coaster. “You can’t just tell me what I’m going to do. I’m an adult. I make my own decisions.”
He’d heard that defensive tone before, remembered she had a sore spot on that issue.
“Sis,” Zoe said, taking Casey’s elbow and leading her out into the hallway. “C’mere.” They disappeared around the corner, and Brendan and his family listened to the hushed whispers. The uneasy silence in the room was intermittently peppered with short outbursts from Casey that were quickly cut off by her sister. Until one very clear sentence cut through the air.
“Did you call them?” Casey asked, clearly upset with something.
“C’mon, you know I had to,” Zoe said. “They have a right to know. They love you, Case, whether you believe it or not.”
“Casey!” A woman’s worried voice coincided with clicking heels on the hospital tile.
“I’m okay, Mom,” Casey said. “Hi, Dad.”
Everyone in the room listened to an emotional reunion as Casey insisted she was all right and answered their questions about the incident. “There are some people I want you to meet,” she said. A second later, Casey returned, her cheeks flushed. She introduced her parents—Eugene and Betty Turner—to his family and although Brendan would rather have met them on his own two feet, it was nice being alive to meet them at all.
Casey clearly got her height and build from her father, and her sister inherited their mom’s curves. Both her parents had steel gray hair and reminded him of his grandparents.
“We just invited Casey to our place,” his mom said, diving in where she’d left off. “Under the circumstances we think the kids are safer there.”
“I was just convincing Casey she should take them up on the offer,” Zoe explained to her parents. “They have a gated home and security system.”
Casey’s parents exchanged a look. “Is that really necessary?” Eugene asked. “She can stay at ho
me with us.”
“Someone tried to kill your daughter today,” Brendan said, working to keep his voice even. He understood how they might want Casey close by, but they didn’t seem to understand the danger she was in. “I’m sure you want her to be as safe as possible until the police find whoever is responsible.”
Another worried glance between her parents before her mother said, “Of course we want her safe. But can’t the police provide protection?”
Brendan looked at his twin. They knew first hand that police had few resources to provide that type of manpower.
“We’ve learned from experience that security is up to us,” Jay said. He wrapped a protective arm around Terry.
Eugene pursed his lips and nodded. “It’s generous of you to offer. Thank you.”
“You know, I am in the room,” Casey said, glancing between her parents. “Just because I have a bandage on my head doesn’t mean I can’t speak for myself.” She looked at him, then at his parents. “Thank you for your offer. I appreciate it and I’ll take you up on it.” Next, she studied Blake. “And it was nice of you to offer your services before, but I can’t afford a PI.”
Blake gave her a reassuring smile. “Consider it pro-bono. Or a family rate. Anyone who shoots at my brother or my brother’s friends gets the deal.”
Casey stuffed her hands in the pockets of her tattered jeans and it accentuated her willowy frame. “That’s very nice. You won’t see me stopping you if you really want to help.”
“Good. Great.” Blake glanced his way and Brendan read the subtle victory grin, before his brother focused on Casey. “Would you mind telling me what you told the cops? Who do you think might have a grudge big enough to shoot at you?”
“Her ex for one,” Brendan said.
Casey’s mom gasped. “What? This is ridiculous. Jeff wouldn’t do any such thing.”
“Jeff wouldn’t shoot at me,” Casey agreed, shaking her head. “No way.”