by Dale Mayer
He handed her a bottled water and pointed at her pills. After she took one of each, he explained. “Well, unfortunately I have bad news for you. You’re not going home. I’m taking you back to where I live, in the compound with several highly trained medical personnel who will look after you tonight.”
She stared at him and shook her head. “Please, no. I don’t want strangers in my world right now.”
“I know that. But you’ve been alone for a long time. You can’t be alone right now. Unfortunately I also have to make a few stops before I can leave town.”
She groaned and settled against the seat. He reached over her and pressed a couple of the seat buttons so she could recline more. She settled in, crying out slightly, and then didn’t say another word.
He quickly drove to his next three stops. Each time she barely even moved. When he hit the last one, loaded up the rest of the groceries, he called Ice. “I’m done. I have her. We’re on the way home.”
“Good. We have a room ready for her.”
Chapter 3
Bailey woke up as the gentle rolling motion came to an even gentler stop. Dakota took his foot off the accelerator and let the vehicle roll forward. She tried to sit up, crying out in pain. She gasped and collapsed back down again. There she lay, taking several deep breaths.
“Take it easy. We’re at my place.”
“I don’t even know you,” she whispered. “You don’t know me. Why are you taking care of me?”
In the dark recesses of her mind was the concept that maybe he was out for something that wasn’t in her best interests, but the thought was briefly considered and then tossed away. Of all things, she knew this man wasn’t a rapist or serial killer. He’d done nothing but try to look after her.
Letting her eyes open enough to adjust to the darkness around her, she waited as Dakota came around the vehicle and opened her door. Gentle hands unhooked her seat belt. With his help, she swung her legs around and slid to the ground. Just putting her weight on her heels sent shock waves up her spine, and pain rippled through her system. “I think I could use another painkiller now.”
“We’ll get you one really quick,” he said.
She heard multiple voices as doors opened, and a stream of men and women exited the building. Bailey looked up at what appeared to be a massive cement structure. “Is this your home? This doesn’t look like a house. It looks like … a compound.” She stared at the six feet … seven feet … maybe even eight feet of wire fencing surrounding the property. “It’s fenced.”
“It needs to be,” he said cheerfully. “And no worries. It is a house. … At least part of it is.” He tossed his keys to somebody. “Levi, the back is full. I did manage to get everything on the list.”
Levi walked around, hitting buttons to unlock the vehicle as people unloaded it. Levi stepped in front of Bailey, his gaze assessing, careful.
She offered him a smile. “I did try to argue with Dakota about not bringing me here.”
“He was right to bring you here,” the man said gently. “I’m Levi.”
A stunning woman stepped up beside him. “And I’m Ice. Let’s get you inside where you can lie down.”
Just the thought of lying down and being out of this agony brought tears to her eyes. With Dakota’s help, she stepped away from the vehicle and slowly made her way to the door, while the crowd loaded with boxes and bags from the SUV disappeared. Inside, she realized they were on the main floor of an incredibly large house. Beautiful stone floors and what appeared to be stone walls greeted her. On the left was a massive dining room with a table that seemed to go on forever.
“I can’t imagine what size kitchen and how much staff you must have to accommodate this place,” she muttered.
Ice reached out and gently caressed her other arm. “Thankfully the place runs itself very well.”
They stopped in front of an elevator. Bailey stared at Ice. “Something seems very wrong about an elevator inside the house.”
“But, in this case, it’s a good thing,” Dakota said cheerfully. “It saves us from helping you up and down the stairs.”
She winced. “Good point.” She knew her energy was fading, but she didn’t realize just how quickly. She was desperate to lie down. The elevator opened. “It’s almost like the inside of a castle.”
She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud until Ice said, “Not quite a castle. But a huge mansion, yes.”
After the elevator ride, they went down small hallways until Ice stepped in front of them and opened a door. She looked at Dakota and said, “Let’s settle her in.”
Bailey stepped inside to see one of the most elegant and yet casually comfortable bedrooms she’d ever seen before. Her gaze landed on the bed, and she moaned. “I sure hope I get to lie down on that now.”
Ice walked over and flipped back the covers. “Absolutely. I understand from Dakota he didn’t get a chance to return to your apartment and get you some clothes, so we have just something simple here for you to sleep in for the night. I have towels for you here too. First things first—let’s get you into bed so you can rest.”
Dakota gave her hand a squeeze. “Let me grab the prescriptions while Ice helps you into bed.” And she watched as he walked out the room, feeling a sense of loss.
Ice patted her hand gently. “Come on. Let’s get you into bed.”
With Ice’s help, she stripped down to her underwear, then slipped on the huge man’s T-shirt that fell to her knees but was soft against her wound, then eased onto the bed. With Ice holding the blankets up, Bailey slowly collapsed sideways against the pillow and tucked her legs underneath.
She moaned as soon as her head hit the soft pillow and whispered, “Thank you. I’m so grateful to be in this bed right now.”
“It will get better. But tomorrow won’t be easy.”
“Right. Things are always worse on the second day,” Bailey whispered, her eyes falling closed.
“They are, indeed. I think I hear Dakota coming.” Ice walked to the door and out into the hall.
Bailey could hear Ice’s footsteps as she made her way up the hallway toward the stairs. Then she heard hushed voices.
Dakota walked in the bedroom. “Don’t fall asleep yet. You have to take your pills.”
Just the thought of sitting back up again was enough to make her cry. But she’d made it this far and, dammit, she’d make it through the rest. She propped herself slowly on her elbows, and, with his help, she took the pills as if she were a child and swallowed them obediently. She handed the glass back to him and whispered, “Thank you.”
She collapsed again and let her eyes drift closed.
“Now sleep. I’ll check on you in an hour or so to see how you’re doing.”
She nodded her head, although the movement was probably barely noticeable for the lack of effort she put into it. She could already feel sleep reaching out for her. And she was so damn grateful to reach back. The last thing she heard as she drifted off was Dakota saying to Ice, “I’ll stand watch.”
It confused her, because she didn’t understand why anyone would stand watch. But then she didn’t give a damn, and she fell asleep anyway.
*
Back downstairs was organized chaos as the SUV was emptied of its heavy load. Several of the women were in the kitchen helping Alfred put away the massive grocery order that Dakota had brought back. This wasn’t even the meat or the fresh vegetables. This was just stock items for the pantry.
Dakota walked through the dining room to the coffeepot and poured himself a cup. He leaned against the sideboard for a few moments. He shouldn’t stay. He needed to go back to her side.
“She’ll be fine for a little while,” Ice said.
“The SUV’s unloaded,” Levi said. “Let’s sit down, and you can tell us exactly what happened.”
Dakota pulled out a chair and sat down at the table, holding his coffee mug in his hand. “I don’t know most of it. I’ll tell what I do know.” He started with the heavy rai
n and her running in front of him on the road. “Of course I got out and raced to see what had happened. She stood there for a moment, talking to me normally, and then she just bolted. I ran after her.” He continued right through to the hospital visit, talking to the doctor and then Detective Mannford showing up. “So, I brought her here as per instructions.” He glanced over at Ice and smiled. “Thanks, by the way. I wasn’t exactly sure what to do with her.”
“She’s welcome to stay for a couple days until she’s capable of looking after herself again,” Ice said firmly. “You can grab some clothes from her apartment later.”
Dakota nodded. “That’s no problem. I’ll get a list from her of what she’d likes picked up.”
“In the meantime, Detective Mannford will follow-up with the hospital reports and the information she gave him.”
“I feel like I should call him. He left the hospital the same time we did. So he certainly should have had time to get to the alleyway and check it out.”
“With the heavy rain, most of the evidence would have been washed away.”
He slumped in his chair. “I should’ve thought of that. It just never connected in my mind. I was hoping a pool of blood would be somewhere along the line that would give some forensic evidence to back up her story.”
“Do you doubt her story?” Ice asked.
He shook his head. “I don’t doubt she believes it’s the truth. As to if it is the truth, I don’t know. I didn’t see what she saw. I didn’t hear what she heard. And I certainly didn’t pay the penalty for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.”
Alfred walked in just then. “Everybody’s already eaten. Can I get you a plate?”
Dakota stared at him and then nodded. “Thank you, Alfred. That would be much appreciated.”
Alfred disappeared into the kitchen as various members of the compound family gathered around the dining table, interested in the new arrival.
“We’ve all heard a variation of the story, but we’re still lacking details,” Sienna said.
Dakota snorted. “Well, we all are. It looks like she saw a murder and was shot while fleeing, only didn’t realize what had happened until later.”
“It’s an odd angle for her to get shot while fleeing,” Merk said.
Dakota nodded. “She stumbled and nearly collapsed, wrenched her knee from that. So I figure that’s when the bullet scraped along her spine.”
Merk whistled. “If she’d been upright, she would’ve been a goner.”
“Exactly. She wasn’t intended to survive.”
“Are we expecting trouble here then?” Sienna asked.
No fear or concern was evident in her voice. But then she’d been here longer than Dakota and had settled in nicely. He’d heard the story of her arrival too, and he knew she would understand Bailey’s need for a haven.
“I don’t know,” he said. “Someone would have to know that she was with me. Somebody would have to know who I was. And they’d have to find my vehicle, track the license plate, or follow us home.” He picked up his coffee and thought about everything that had gone on. “It’s not that it would be hard to track the vehicle, yet I don’t think anybody followed us.”
Levi nodded. “Still, we aren’t taking any chances. The compound goes on lockdown until further notice.”
Dakota glanced around at all the faces of people who had become so very near and dear to him so quickly. “I really appreciate you guys helping her out.”
“There’s no way we wouldn’t help. This is what we do,” Levi said. “I’m not sure it is what we set out to do, but helping people is what we do.”
Ice reached over and tucked her hand inside Levi’s.
Dakota watched and smiled. He wanted that. He wanted to know he had the same mind-set as another person, somebody who understood him inside and out, that words weren’t necessary to know they agreed with your every thought. He didn’t need a doormat; he didn’t want a yes-person. He wanted somebody who would argue and talk things over with him, but, at the same time, when it came to full values and core issues, there would be no arguments because they’d both be on the same side of an issue. So many people here had found just that.
Before he’d arrived, he had been teased about Legendary Security, the brunt of a joke about some matchmaking going on. But living with all these couples was such a weird feeling. Levi and Ice didn’t just have a business here; they had a family, and it was something Dakota had never expected to be a part of. But now that he was, he didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize it.
“Is it okay for me to stay here for a couple days?” he asked Levi. “Or am I scheduled to go out on a job?”
Levi shook his head. “Your job is to look after Bailey. Until we get to the end of this and find out what our illustrious mayor is up to,” he said with a sarcastic tone, “then that’s where you belong.”
Chapter 4
Bailey opened her eyes, feeling overheated, forcing her to push back the blankets. Only to cry out. Every movement hurt. As she rolled over, her back pain flared up again. The painkillers had helped, and she sure hoped the antibiotics would take care of any other problems. The last thing she wanted was an infection and a fever from the injury.
Of course, if she’d known she would get shot, she would’ve changed her outfit. On that slightly humorous note, she tried to sit up, using the headboard to keep her back rigid. Finally she made it, gasping with pain. She sat there and looked around the room, pleased to see it had the air of a home not a hotel. A bathroom was right in front of her. The only problem was getting to it.
Considering how weak she was, she used the headboard to pull herself upright, and then, using the wall for support, she slowly made her way across to the bathroom.
After using the facilities, she winced at her reflection in the mirror. Her hair was a nightmare. She quickly tried to straighten it. She looked tired, but she couldn’t do much about that.
She wasn’t sure if she should stay here or go downstairs, not knowing the house rules. She didn’t mind staying in her room, but it was hardly polite.
Determined to not make anyone regret helping her out, she slowly reached for a bathrobe and placed it around her shoulders. She took a deep breath, waiting for the pain. At the very least, maybe she could say hi and then come back. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway.
She didn’t have her purse or her cell phone, so she had no idea what time it was. She turned the corner and headed down a wider hallway. She marveled at the architecture reflected in this huge space—a whole lot of medieval castle elements. Seeing the elevator, she smiled. “I remember those.” She stepped inside and read the numbers.
She pushed the button for the ground floor and waited for it to take her downstairs. When the door opened again, she wasn’t sure where to go, but a lot of noise came from the right. She slowly made her way toward the commotion, taking another right, and ended up in a massive kitchen.
An older man prepped a single plate of food. He looked up; surprise crossed his face. Immediately he rushed over to her. “Are you sure you should be up?”
She reached out and grasped his hand. “I feel much better. I think it must be the painkillers,” she admitted.
He smiled, hooked her arm through his and said gently, “My name is Alfred. Come on. I’ll take you in to Dakota.”
He walked her slowly into the noisy dining room. She didn’t recognize anybody.
Alfred cleared his throat, and there was silence. Everyone turned to look her way. She retreated, but Alfred patted her hand. “Don’t you worry. You’ll fit right in, my dear. Everyone, this is Bailey. She’s awake and on her feet, even though she shouldn’t be.”
Dakota bounded up from the far side of the table and strode toward her. Relief washed through her at the sight of him. “There you are,” she cried.
He wrapped an arm carefully around her shoulders for support. “I thought you’d be asleep for hours yet.”
She smiled. “As much as I’
d like to be back asleep, I’m awake. I wasn’t sure if I should stay in my room or come find you,” she confessed.
“You didn’t have to worry on that score. I’d planned to come check on you in a little bit.”
Ice stood, and her gaze traveled over Bailey, making a head-to-toe assessment of her condition.
Bailey smiled. “You have medical training by any chance?”
“Field variety but yes.”
Dakota slowly walked her around the dining table to an empty seat beside him.
“This has got to be the largest table I’ve ever seen in my life.”
“That’s because it’s four put together,” Levi said.
Bailey recognized a few of the faces now, but the others were all a blur from when Dakota had brought her here. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember most of you.”
Dakota pulled out the chair and helped her sit down. “How could you,” he joked. “They weren’t all here when you arrived.”
Seated, her back felt better. She smiled up at him with thanks and glanced around the table full of strange faces. “Thank you for the haven. My name is Bailey Hoskins,” she said more formerly.
Dakota did the introductions, but the names came fast, and she knew she’d never remember them all. “It will take me a while to remember everyone,” she admitted.
“Don’t rush it,” a woman on the far side said. “By the time you figure it out, the rest of our team will be back, and you’ll be confused again. This is only half of us right now.”
Bailey knew her surprise showed on her face when the others chuckled. “Wow.” She turned to look at Dakota. “You said you worked for a security company?”
He nodded and pointed toward Ice and Levi. “It’s their company.”
Bailey looked over at the twosome and smiled. “So, it’s you I have to thank for the assistance.”
Ice said firmly, “No thanks required. It’s important you get back on your feet again.”
“Of course I really would like to know if you’re sure that the mayor was involved in the shooting,” Levi said, leaning forward. “He’s not my favorite person, so I won’t be too upset if he was.”