by Rebecca Deel
Minutes later, the orderlies carried the stretcher bearing Nicole up the stairs with a grim-faced Mason right behind them.
“Are you okay?” Trent wrapped his arm around Grace’s waist as they followed.
“I think the guy who grabbed Nic was in Devin’s hospital room when we arrived.”
He remembered seeing the man who looked like one of hundreds of medical personnel who worked in this hospital. Nothing about him stood out. “Would you recognize him if you saw him again?”
She shook her head. “Scrubs and surgical mask, like Nic said. He had a full syringe in his hand. Instead of finishing his job, he mumbled something and left without administering the meds.”
He wanted to know what was in the syringe. Probably nothing good. “How bad is Nicole?”
“The break is one of the worst I’ve seen. She’ll have to have surgery to repair the damage.” Grace sighed. “She’s not going to be happy about that. Nic will be off work for several more days and her boss isn’t the most understanding guy around. I’m afraid she’ll lose her job.”
He and Grace waited in the ER waiting room with Mason. The construction worker paced, something Trent would have been doing if Grace was the one being examined by a doctor. Again he wondered how deep Mason’s feelings ran. Yeah, it was fast, but Trent understood how it could be when the right woman crossed your path. One look at Grace, and he’d been a goner.
An hour later, the doctor who treated Devin walked into the room. “Ms. Copeland needs surgery on her arm.”
“Can I see her before she goes to surgery?” Mason asked.
Speculation lit the doctor’s gaze. “She’s asking for you, Mason. Don’t expect her to talk much. She’s been given medicine to make her sleepy in preparation for the surgery. She’ll be in and out.”
“I understand.”
“How are you doing? No repercussions from the truck incident?”
He waved the doctor’s concern aside. “I’m fine. When can I see Nicole?”
“Better go now. They’ll come take her soon.”
Mason hurried from the room.
“Cute couple,” the doctor commented. “I’d hoped not to see you folks again, at least not under these circumstances.”
“Same here,” Trent said. “What are the extent of her injuries?”
“Broken arm, sprained ankle, couple of cracked ribs, a concussion. She’s lucky the injuries weren’t worse. The good news is she’ll recover fully.”
“Can we see her a minute?” Grace asked.
A slow smile spread across the doctor’s face. “If her boyfriend will give you time with her. I wouldn’t take bets on that one.”
Trent escorted Grace to the exam room. They walked in to see Mason bent over Nicole, his mouth close to her ear. She was nodding at whatever he was saying.
“Nic.” Grace crossed the room to her sister’s bedside. “How do you feel?”
“Good. Real good. The drugs they gave me work great. Did you catch the guy?”
“No, sugar.” Trent squeezed her uninjured arm. “Adam didn’t see him leave the hospital. I’ll be talking to security while you’re in surgery. With luck, we’ll score a picture of him without the mask.” Doubtful but worth a shot anyway.
Two orderlies arrived.
Mason stroked Nicole’s cheek. “We’ll be here when you wake up, baby.” A brief kiss, and the two men took her away.
“Come on.” Trent clapped Mason on the shoulder. “Let’s get some coffee while we wait.”
“It should be me having surgery. I should have insisted on going for the soft drink for Devin.”
“Mason, there’s something you should know about Nic,” Grace said. “She’s stubborn and has an independent streak a mile wide. You can’t protect her from everything. No one could have guessed a trip to the vending machine would turn out like this.”
“She’s a fighter, Mase.” Trent squeezed his shoulder. “If she hadn’t been, the creep would have abducted her from the hospital. There’s no telling where she would be now. The doc said she’s going to recover. Hold on to that.”
“Nicole will have to stay overnight?” Mason asked Grace.
“At least.”
“I’m staying with her. She’s vulnerable here. No one is going to hurt her again.”
“I didn’t expect any different.”
After taking a soft drink with caffeine to Devin, they got themselves coffee from the cafeteria and returned to the waiting room to wait for word on Nicole’s surgery. Two hours later, a different doctor walked into the room. “Ms. Copeland’s family?”
The three of them stood.
“I’m Dr. Wilson, the orthopedist who operated on Ms. Copeland. She did great. Her arm was broken in two places. We had to use pins to hold the bone in place. She’s in recovery. You can go back, but she’s groggy and will be for a while.”
After they walked into the recovery room, Grace stayed back with Trent, allowing Mason a couple minutes alone with Nicole before they walked over.
“Hey.” Nicole gave them a small smile, her gaze unfocused.
“Looking good, beautiful.” Trent patted her shoulder as he peered at her arm, splinted with metal bars and the pins holding her bones in place so she could heal.
“Liar. When can I get out of here?”
“Not for a while, Nic.” Grace squeezed her hand.
“I feel fine.”
“Trust me. That’s the drugs talking. You won’t feel fine after they wear off.”
For the next hour, Nicole kept falling asleep, then waking up again. By the time she was taken to a private room, she was more alert. “Are you going back to the hotel now?” she asked.
“I’m staying with you.” Mason clasped her hand. “No one will hurt you again, Nicole. I promise you that.”
She smiled, then glanced at Grace and Trent. “What about you two?”
Trent eyed Mason. “Need backup, Mase?”
“I’ve got this. Get some rest. Find this creep, Trent. If you don’t, I will.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
Trent held Grace’s hand as he drove through the quiet streets of Dumas. Night had fallen hours before while they waited for Nicole’s surgery to be completed. Though she hadn’t said as much, his girlfriend had to be exhausted. From experience, he knew the adrenaline rush had faded hours ago, leaving behind bone-deep exhaustion in its wake.
“He’s falling in love with her,” Grace murmured as Trent parked in the hotel garage, close to the elevator.
Yeah, he figured as much. “What about her? Does she feel the same?” If Nicole rejected Mason, she would gut him. His own blood ran cold at the thought of Grace ever rejecting him.
“She hasn’t said, but I’ve never seen her this content. Mason is good for her.”
“I know my next question is premature, but I’m asking anyway. Is she willing to move to Otter Creek?” He turned off the engine. “He can’t move without jumping through a lot of legal hoops. Worse, because he’s got a record, not many employers will give him a chance to prove himself trustworthy. Mase is a good man, baby, and he’s made a good life for himself in Otter Creek.”
“I’ll find out.” A grin appeared. “I’ve been after her to move to Otter Creek. Maybe now I finally have the leverage I need to seal the deal.”
When Trent, Grace, and Adam returned to the suite. Adam disappeared into the second bedroom and closed the door. He had the second watch of the night. Trent suspected the silent operative was also giving him time alone with Grace. His friend slept little at night since his captivity and torture months ago.
Trent wrapped his arms around Grace and drew her close. “I’ll be in the living room the first part of the night. Adam takes over the watch at 2:00. I’ll be close if you need me.”
“We have to stop this man. To do that, we need to find him. How are we going to find a nameless, faceless ghost, Trent?”
He leaned down and kissed her, slow and deep, before answering her question. “The head of
security at the hospital will send me a copy of the footage from cameras in the corridors and parking lots. I’ll review them during my watch, see if I can ID this guy. I’ll call Zane, see if he has anything new for me. We’ll go from there.”
“What can I do to help?” Her eyes gleamed, determination shining in their depths.
“Rest. Tomorrow, we’re hunting for a killer.”
A slow smile spread over her face. “We? You’ll let me help?”
As if he could stop her, especially after this creep injured Nicole. “And if I said I meant Adam, not you?”
“I’d be ticked off. He hurt my sister. No one gets by with that.”
“That’s what I figured. Adam will be giving Mason a break at the hospital for a few hours tomorrow. Even if Mase won’t leave for long, getting out of the room and walking around a bit will be good for him. He’ll feel more comfortable if Adam is protecting her. Besides, Nicole might need Mase to run an errand or sneak food in.”
“I didn’t hear that.”
Trent chuckled. “Rest, baby.” He brushed a soft kiss over her lips. “I love you, Grace. More than I can say.”
“I love you, too, Trent. Thanks for taking a leap of faith and asking me for a date last year.”
“Best decision I ever made, my love.” Knowing his control was at the breaking point, he nudged her toward her bedroom, forcing himself to stay in place.
Once she’d closed the door to her room, Trent turned the lights down in the suite’s living area. He didn’t need overhead lights with his computer screen backlit.
Grabbing his laptop, he settled on the couch, Sig within easy reach. He booted up his computer and checked his email. Just like the security chief promised, the hospital camera footage was in his inbox.
Anticipation zinging through his system, for the next hour Trent watched the silent feed. Because he couldn’t narrow down the time the thug entered the hospital with the information he had so far, Trent was forced to watch several hours of footage sped up.
Only one man caught his attention. This one entered the hospital about fifteen minutes before Trent and the others arrived, already clad in scrubs, mask, and surgical cap. No one else entering the hospital on the hours of security footage he watched did the same.
He frowned. Something about this guy seemed familiar. But what? It’s not like he could see any part of his face.
Something about his walk, though, told Trent he’d seen the man before noticing him in Devin’s room. He copied that part of the footage in a separate file. Over the next hour, he tracked the man’s movements through the hospital, a game of virtual hide-and-seek.
With the mask on his face, no one would recognize him. Trent hoped he removed his mask when he left the hospital, but didn’t hold out much hope of that happening.
When his vision blurred, Trent decided it was time for a break, grabbed his cell phone, and called Zane.
“What do you need?”
Weeks of uninterrupted time with Grace. A million of her kisses. A lifetime of safety for her and their future children. A job where he didn’t have to leave her for weeks at a time. “About six hours of uninterrupted sleep. You got any?”
A snort. “Check with me after I retire in fifty years. What’s going on, Trent? Late for you to call and gab.”
He checked the time, winced. “Sorry, man. Tell Claire I owe her dinner when I’m back in Nashville.”
“Deal. Prepare to pay up. She has great taste.”
“Hmm. That’s not what Adam says.”
Zane chuckled. “My brother-in-law is not shy about sharing that information. Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Someone tried to take out Devin Bowen a few hours ago. When he failed, he attempted to abduct Nicole. She fought him off, but fell down a flight of stairs.”
“She all right?”
“Broken arm, cracked ribs, but she’ll recover. Had to surgically repair the arm.”
“Oh, man. Grace wasn’t hurt?”
“No.” But it could have been his girlfriend. Next time, she might not be so lucky. “Have anything new for me?”
“I’ve been doing some research.”
“And?”
“Found confirmation that Clarice Bowen and Ron Satterfield are having an affair. They haven’t been as careful as they should be for the past year. There’s a trail of credit card receipts for hotel rooms and vacation getaways for two on dates when Bowen was occupied somewhere else. The interesting thing is all the reservations are in Mrs. Bowen’s name, but the food, champagne, flowers, chocolate, and couples massages were on Satterfield’s card. That’s not counting the number of meals they shared in Dumas. I can’t figure out how a neighbor or friend hasn’t run across them on one of their many trysts and informed Devin.”
Trent frowned. Based on what he’d overheard Devin tell Grace and Nicole, he was surprised she would jeopardize her marriage and the income generated by G & N Chemicals. If Devin found out about Satterfield, Clarice stood to lose everything. Money, status, security. Didn’t add up for her to take such a risk. “Did you learn anything else?”
“Satterfield is a trust fund baby. His parents are deceased as of five years ago. Left him with a sizable amount of money at the time.”
“How does the account look now?”
“Anemic. The lawyer bought his way into a partnership at the law firm, then proceeded to systematically live like he’s much richer than he is. He’s blown through ninety percent of his trust fund. At the rate he’s spending, Satterfield has about a year left. After that, he’ll be stuck living on his salary.”
Trent grunted. That would hurt. Cutting back ingrained spending habits was hard to do. So why was Clarice with this clown? Maybe she didn’t know he skated on thin ice financially. What did he have to offer her that Devin couldn’t? “Hospital security sent me footage from the cameras around the time of Nicole’s attack. When I finish tracking the man through the hospital, I’ll send you a copy. See if you can ID this mutt. So far, I’m not having much luck. He’s smart, covered his face and hair with surgical gear before he came into the hospital.”
“And that made him stand out. Did he have hospital ID on his clothes?”
Trent frowned. “Yeah, I did see a tag. I doubt it’s real.”
“Maybe not. I’ll track it anyway, see what turns up. How’s Adam?”
“Sleeping right now. He’ll keep a discreet eye on Mason and Nicole for a few hours tomorrow while Grace and I look for Satterfield and Clarice.”
“You sure you want to include Grace in this snipe hunt? If you corner the tango, he’ll fight back.”
“I don’t have a choice, Z. I can’t leave her unprotected at the hotel.”
“What about stashing her with Adam at the hospital? She could visit with her sister.”
“If I thought she’d stay there, I would choose that option. Grace is worried about me not having anyone at my back to protect me.”
Zane was quiet a moment. “Do you know what a gift she is?” he asked, his voice soft. “Most women want nothing to do with our work. Yours is fighting for the right to protect you, to be part of your world on a small scale.”
“I won’t ever take the gift or the woman for granted. I didn’t believe I’d find anyone who could handle my career choice until I met Grace. I’m in love with her, Zane. As soon as I can convince her to take a chance on a lifetime with me, I’m marrying her.”
“Congratulations, Trent. Grace Rutledge is a treasure worth protecting. Just watch your step, buddy. The cops aren’t going to like you interfering in their case.”
“At the moment, they’re convinced the four of us are guilty of murder.”
“Then don’t give them an excuse to look deeper.”
Trent ended the call and returned to scouring the security footage. The short break from the screen had cleared his vision and his mind. Another hour passed when his concentration was broken by Grace’s door opening.
He set aside his laptop, grabbed his Si
g and stood, concern tightening his gut. “What’s wrong, baby?”
“Can’t sleep. Do you mind company?”
“Of course not.” Trent slid his weapon back into his holster. “Come sit with me. I need to finish scanning the security footage from the hospital. Want to help? Fair warning, though. It’s about as exciting as watching paint dry.”
In answer, she sat on the couch. She wore tennis shoes, yoga pants, and one of his Navy t-shirts. His lips twitched. He’d wondered where that shirt had gone to. Made him feel good that Grace had stolen his shirt to use for sleepwear, as if she wanted him close to her heart even while she slept.
Trent resumed his seat on the couch and grabbed his laptop. With a touch of his finger, he restarted the video feed of the corridors leading to the critical care unit. The man Trent followed on the security feed appeared on the screen.
Grace leaned closer to the laptop. “There.” She pointed to the masked man. “That’s the guy I saw in Devin’s room.”
“How can you tell?” he asked, curious about her observation skills. He was convinced this was the man who hurt Nicole as well. “He looks like hundreds of other men in scrubs to me.”
“Look at the way he holds his left hand. The guy in Devin’s room had the same nervous twitch. Can you zoom in on his shoes?”
He turned on his mouse and shifted the view on the screen. Trent focused on the shoes and enhanced the picture. He frowned. “Dress shoes.”
“No intern, physician, nurse, or orderly wears dress shoes while working. Too easy to slip and you’d kill your feet before your shift was finished.”
Pleased, he pressed a hard kiss to her mouth. “You’re amazing, baby. Good job. I missed the shoes and the hand motion.” He’d been more interested in catching the face without the mask. Now he was a step ahead of the game.
“Did you talk to Zane?”
He gave her a summary of the information the Fortress tech guru passed on to him.
Sorrow shadowed her features. “I feel bad for Devin. He’ll be devastated when he learns the truth about Clarice and Ron.”
At that moment, the fire alarm went off.