by Gina Ardito
Shane stared, slack-jawed, stunned into silence.
“There’s absolutely no reason to keep her,” Dr. Killjoy continued. “I removed her cast this morning.”
After several swallows, he found his voice. “She healed from her fracture already?”
“That’s the thing, Detective. There was no fracture. No plate, no screws. I had the x-rays taken twice just to be sure. Looks like someone over at College mixed up her files with another patient’s.”
Heather! The dizzy nurse’s name flashed into his head automatically. If anyone at the hospital had responsibility for a screw-up, it would be everyone’s favorite space princess. But could she really have done something so mindless?
“Thank God there was no major damage done to Ms. Harris,” the doctor continued. “I can only hope that the patient who really belongs to those x-rays wasn’t denied proper medical treatment because of this snafu.”
“What about the rib fractures?”
“No evidence of them, either.”
“Is it possible she just healed quickly?”
A bushy silver eyebrow rose. “In twenty-four hours? Not likely, Detective. Although, that’s what I’ve told her happened. No sense in opening up a malpractice suit.”
Was that all this guy cared about? A potential lawsuit? “Have you told her she’s being discharged?”
“Not yet. She probably assumes it, though. After all, she’s walking around in her room unfettered—no IV’s, no cast, no medical equipment of any kind—not even crutches. I expect any minute now she’ll ask when she’s getting out.”
Damn. Now what the hell was he supposed to do with her?
“Thanks, Doc.” Thanks for making my job ten times worse.
Missing the sarcasm in Shane’s tone, the doctor nodded and walked off toward the nurse’s station.
A thoroughly defeated Shane headed back to the lobby for a quick phone call to his commander.
“We’ve got a problem,” he said the minute Jake answered. “I need a safe house for Ms. Berros now.”
“Now? What do you mean now?” Jake barked. “You said she wouldn’t be getting out for a while.”
“Yeah, well, her doctor’s saying otherwise. He plans to release her sometime today. Have we got anything available?”
“Jeez, Shane, I haven’t even started to look yet. Let me check with the D.A., and I’ll get back to you.”
“Okay. Any news on Pha?”
“Nothing. His prints are clean, and there hasn’t been a sound in his apartment all night. Not so much as a footstep. It’s like the man floats on air.”
No surprise to Shane. “What’d I tell you? Nothing concerning that guy is normal. Every answer you get about him only elicits two new questions.”
“That’s a major understatement. I’ll tell you this much, though. If Cherry did hire him, it’s no wonder. Your Mr. Pha is more slippery than an eel in Crisco. But don’t sweat it. We’ll keep digging. If we find anything, we’ll let you know. In the meantime, try to stall Ms. Berros’s discharge until I can find someplace for us to stow her.”
“She’s not a piece of luggage, Jake.”
“Take it easy,” Jake growled. A long pause ensued then he asked in a concerned tone, “You’re not getting in over your head on this one, are you, Shane?”
“Of course not.”
“That’s good to hear. I’ll be in touch.”
Click.
Damn. Now what? Shane stared at the phone in his hand while his mind scrambled for a plan.
During the elevator ride back up to her floor, he tossed around ideas to, somehow, buy time. Past experience told him the discharge could take twenty minutes or two hours. No way to know for sure. Assuming the worst, he drew a mental checklist in his brain of what to do with Adara until Jake found a place for her to stay.
Maybe he could take her out to breakfast. The diner down the road was notorious for its slow service. That might come in handy today. And of course, she’d need to go to her apartment and pack—if she were like most women he knew, that simple task could eat up an hour or two—then what? Lunch? How long could he keep plying her with food?
He sighed. He’d just have to hope he heard from Jake by the time Adara had eaten breakfast and packed.
Ding! All too soon, the doors opened on the eighth floor, and Shane stepped out, more prepared to face a firing squad than Adara.
Forcing a smile onto his features, he strode into her room and was instantly struck dumb. She stood only a few feet away, surrounded by more flowers than the Botanical Gardens displayed on Easter Sunday. Her dark eyes sparkled with pleasure, and a flood of white-blond hair fell in a cascade of curls to her shoulders. God, she was the most incredible beauty he’d ever seen. Gone were the tubes snaking up her arm, the boxy hospital gown, the exhausted and pained look on her face. She looked happy, glowing, and thoroughly kissable.
He’d kissed her only yesterday, and his lips still burned with the memory. Honeysuckle. She tasted like honeysuckle. And like a bee, he wanted to drink in her sweetness for as long as possible.
“Surprise,” she said, breaking through his sensual trance. “I’m no longer an invalid. How soon before I can go home, Shane?”
“Home?”
“Look at me.” She giggled like a delighted child. “I’m standing on my own two feet. Isn’t it wonderful?”
She spun around, giving him a terrific view of the delicious curves of her hips and rear in the floral print skirt she’d worn when he found her at the accident scene. Was that really only yesterday?
“My fractures weren’t as bad as they first thought. I’m fully healed, and I’m ready to go home. I never thought I’d say this, but I miss my crummy apartment. With the noisy neighbors, the leaky bathtub faucet, and all its other inconveniences. And I miss work. So, when can I get out of here and get back to Shangri-La?”
“Adara, even if you’re discharged, you can’t go home. You know that.”
Disappointment clouded her eyes, and a dart of guilt stung his conscience.
“No, I didn’t know that.”
“I’m sorry. I thought you realized, with Pha and Cherry running around free, it isn’t safe for you to go back to your normal life.”
Her left hand shifted to her hip, redistributing her weight on the same side. “Have you found out anything about Ted?”
“Nothing concrete, no.”
“Then you can’t know if he really means to harm me, can you?”
Was she kidding? What happened to the terrified woman from yesterday? The one who wouldn’t allow the nurse to give her a sedative unless he stayed by her side? Did the doctor remove her common sense along with the cast? Now she stood beside her bed, twirling a flower petal between her fingers as if life were as rosy as the blooms surrounding her.
“Nor can I know if Ted really is who he says he is,” Shane retorted. “Besides, don’t forget, Cherry’s still out there, even if Pha’s not part of his network. And you’re the only barrier keeping our friend Benny from walking out of the courtroom a free man.”
“I was the only barrier last time, too, and I still managed to go about my regular life.”
“That’s because your identity was kept out of the news. Only the D.A.’s office knew your name. No one else knew you existed. But if Cherry orchestrated last night’s dance with the Buick that struck you, I can only assume he found out about you through a leak somewhere. Which means any idiot, even Pha, could locate you now.”
“Okay.” She sighed and dropped her gaze to her feet. “I kinda hoped you’d let me go, though.”
“Sorry. I can’t.”
“So, where to, then?”
He shrugged. “A safe house, I suppose.”
“Is it?”
“I beg your pardon?”
Her head snapped up, eyes crinkled with worry. “Is it really a safe house?”
“Absolutely.” He prayed he was right.
Chapter Twelve
“Ted was here last night, y
ou know.”
“What?” Shane did a double take at Adara’s whispered admission. “How did he know you were here?”
She shrugged, and a dusky blush ribbon curled around her cheeks. “At first, I thought I dreamt the whole thing. But when I woke up this morning and saw all the flowers here, I knew it was real. He brought them.”
His gaze traveled around the room, taking in the multitude of roses covering every surface and every inch of wall space, before settling back on her in disbelief. He’d left strict instructions that if Pha showed up, the officer on duty was to contact him immediately. So why the hell hadn’t anyone beeped him?
“Did you use your panic button?”
“I didn’t have the chance. I woke up, and he was sitting next to my bed with the panic device in his hand. He said you wouldn’t be able to keep him from me.” She sat down on the edge of the bed and placed her hands on her lap. “You know, there’s something very odd about him.”
“You’re just coming to that conclusion now?”
“What I mean is, he managed to slip in here, bringing all these flowers, without anyone noticing his coming or going. I don’t get it.”
He turned toward the door. “And I don’t want it. I’m going to talk to that doctor about moving you out of here ASAP.”
“Don’t rush on Ted’s account,” she called, stopping him in his tracks. “The more I think about it, the more I believe Ted’s not the villain you claim he is.”
Shane turned back to her, eyebrows rising in arcs of suspicion. “Oh?”
She nodded. “Humor me for a minute. If Ted wanted to harm me, he’s had ample opportunity. At the accident site, at College Hospital when I first woke up, even here last night. But he didn’t. Every time I see him, he insists he loves me and would never hurt me. I’m beginning to believe him. You could be barking up the wrong tree, Shane.” She folded her arms over her chest, portraying a stance of stubborn determination. “And so long as Ted’s not a monster, I don’t see any reason to keep up all this cloak and dagger stuff.”
His teeth dug into his lower lip for a long time while he digested this new information. What kind of spell did Pha cast on the female population? “Nothing’s changed, Adara,” he finally told her. “You’re still in danger.”
“Well, I don’t believe Ted is the source.”
“And you’ve had so much experience with lowlifes, you know one when you see him, right?” He waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter. If Pha’s not out to get you, then someone else is.” From temples to ankles, every nerve ending in his body tightened. “You’re not falling for him, are you?”
“Of course not.”
Her quick denial sent waves of relief flooding into his muscles. He didn’t think to question why; it was enough for him to realize her heart hadn’t placed her in needless danger. Like Cassia’s. “That’s good. I need you to keep your head on straight right now. You can’t be distracted by a pretty face.”
“Well, you have to admit his good looks make an impression. It’s hard to imagine a man that beautiful is a cold-blooded killer. Now, the doctor who removed my cast…I could easily picture him on some roof ledge with a rifle and a scope, waiting to take me out.”
He smiled despite the gruesome picture she painted. “Actually, I thought he should be working in the morgue.”
“He’s got cold enough hands for the job, that’s for sure. Maybe he’s a part-time gynecologist. They keep everything cold—their hands, their instruments, their examining rooms. You have no idea how lucky you are to be a man. What do you put up with? A hernia exam every once in a while? Piece of cake, compared to the poking, probing, and mashing we women go through every year.”
Adara’s tongue rambled, and she knew it. But she couldn’t control the words coming out of her mouth. It was Shane’s fault, really. The minute he advised her not to become distracted by a pretty face, her brain did just that. Not Ted’s pretty face, mind you. Ted was too pretty, if such a thing were possible. No, Ted held no interest for her, regardless of his stunning looks and endless adoration. It figured.
Ever searching for the impossible, she couldn’t fall for the perfect man who already swore undying love for her. No, she had to set her sights on a blue-eyed detective who was probably happily married to his high school sweetheart, with six kids, a dog, and a house with a white picket fence.
“Are you married?” she blurted.
Oh, God, strike me dead right now. A little spontaneous combustion would do fine. Please…
He took a step closer to the bedside. “No.”
Um, God? Could you hold off on that spontaneous combustion thing for a coupla minutes? We just might have something here…
“Engaged? Spoken for?”
“No, no.”
One last stumbling block. “Gay?”
He actually laughed, a rich chuckle that warmed her insides like blackberry brandy on a winter’s night. “No.”
Bells and whistles erupted in her head. Ladies and gentlemen, no more calls, please. We have a winner.
“So. Are we finished discussing my personal life?” The easy grin lingering on his face belied any annoyance he might feel at her interrogation.
She shrugged. “For now, I suppose.”
“Good. Because we really should concentrate on what we’re going to do about you.”
Ooh, she liked the way he said that. Something about the “we” got her mind thinking again of those six kids, the dog, and the house with the white picket fence. The only thing missing this time was the high school sweetheart, replaced by a damsel in distress from a car accident.
One problem with that scenario, though. She’d never been good at playing the swooning damsel. Well, she could learn, couldn’t she?
“So, what are we going to do about me?” God, was that her voice? She sounded like Betty Boop on helium.
If Shane noticed her failed attempt at playing the ingénue, he didn’t show it. “I thought we’d start with a little breakfast at the Oak Leaf Diner. That is, once Dr. Freeze gives you the okay to walk out of here. Sound good to you?”
Adara nodded, her mind too preoccupied with one simple thought to speak. Our first date.
~~~~
Adara’s fork toyed with the egg white omelet on her plate. Why the hell had she bothered to order it? Her appetite had deserted her long before they left the hospital. Once their lighthearted conversation returned to the safe house and the implications of her stay there, every shred of happiness or normalcy left her.
As it had a thousand times in the last two years, her conscience played the If Only game. If only she hadn’t accompanied Terry to the party that night, if only she’d given him one more chance, if only they’d left five minutes earlier or five minutes later, if only she hadn’t fallen asleep in the car. If only, if only, if only. A never-ending game of torment.
Of course, yesterday’s revelations gave her new scenarios to play. If only Cherry’s lawyer hadn’t found that loophole, if only she could finally get on with her life, if only she’d remembered her Aunt Persephone and fled to Greece after the first trial…
She shook her head at the thought. She couldn’t have moved to Greece, far away from all that was familiar, from her friends, her past, and her mother’s grave. Far from her job—well, come to think of it, that might not be such a tremendous loss. After today’s conversation, she’d probably never work there again anyway.
From her hospital room she’d called her boss, and while he sounded understanding, she knew he was annoyed with her request for a leave of absence. Particularly since she couldn’t tell him how long the leave of absence would extend. If Shane hadn’t taken the phone from her and filled Mr. Webster in on the details, he probably would have fired her right then and there. Only God knew what would await her when—if—she returned.
Time to face facts. Life as she knew it was officially over. Now she’d be forced to walk a new path, if she could find one. What options did she have?
Regret and loneli
ness threatened to engulf her, and she swallowed a tremendous lump of self-pity. Her once secure future now loomed before her like a funeral shroud: black, empty, and foreboding. Because regardless of Shane’s insistence about his safe house, she knew safety was far from a foregone conclusion. Her life tiptoed a fine line every minute of every day that Cherry remained free.
She sighed. All these dark and morose thoughts didn’t sit well on her brain or in her stomach. Still, she remained focused on tragic subjects. What kind of tomorrow awaited her? Even after this second trial ended, how could she ever be certain that the stranger she met on a train or the clerk at her local pharmacy wasn’t a hired killer sent by Cherry to finish the job? Would she ever feel safe again?
“You’re not hungry?”
She started at his innocent question then shrugged to cover her reaction. “I guess everything’s closing in on me right now. It’s a lot to take in. I’m giving up my apartment, my job, my entire identity. And I may never get it all back.”
The fork’s tines prodded at the melted mozzarella inside the egg dish, and she compared the cheesy strings to her life—capable of stretching too far and snapping without warning.
“You could still change your mind about testifying.”
She dropped her fork, and it clattered against the plate. Shane winced at the sound, and a dozen heads swerved in their direction.
Embarrassed, she leaned across the table to whisper, “No! I owe Terry that much. I can’t turn my back on my responsibility, no matter what it costs me.”
“I said it before, and I’ll say it again. You’ve got guts, Adara.”
Ha! She had guts, all right—the kind that would spew all over the floor if she didn’t keep control of her terror. Unfortunately, her knees knocked so badly, she could start a conga line moving to the rhythm. How could she distribute her attention to her stomach, her legs, and most important of all, the man who sat across from her, looking at her with such admiration? If only she really did have guts, she’d swoosh the dishes off the table and throw herself at Shane. With his lips against hers, she had no doubt she’d find all the courage she needed.