by Sadie Jacks
Beverly pulled on her limb. Stuck her nose higher into the air. “I would never strike my own flesh and blood.” She glared at me until I dropped her wrist. “Who are you? Where’s Ethan?” she asked Willow before I could answer her.
I leaned forward. “Your pet monster is dead. I’m Ryker Penn. The man your daughter is going to marry. What are you doing here?” I asked again.
Beverly blinked rapidly as if she had a faulty computer in her head and couldn’t quite process the information she was receiving. “Ethan’s dead?” Her face drained of color. “H-h-h-how?”
I smiled, baring my teeth, but remained silent.
Willow shook her head.
“That’s unfortunate.” Beverly glanced at her watch quickly. “If you’ll please excuse me?” She spun on her heel and strode back down the hallway the way she’d come.
My brow furrowed. “That’s unfortunate? The man was literally the one they picked for you and her son in law. And all she has to say is that’s unfortunate?”
Willow remained silent.
I loosened my hold, moved around so I could see her face. Her eyes were wild, her expression vacant.
Fuck.
I dipped, pulled her up into my arms. I darted down the hall. Looked in each room until I found an empty one. I pushed open the door, eased it closed after we’d slipped inside. I set Willow down on the bed, her arms limp, her legs dangling like a puppet’s with the strings cut.
Hearing Jessa’s voice in my head that pain wouldn’t work if Willow had fully dissociated, I bent down so I could look into my woman’s face. “Willow?”
Nothing.
“Blink if you can hear me.”
She blinked, a quick fluttering of lashes.
Thank fuck. “Pain?”
She blinked again in rapid succession. Over and over again.
I looked over my shoulder, made sure no one was paying us any attention. Thankfully, it looked like we were still unnoticed. I turned back to Willow, took her arm between my hands and gave her a friction burn so hard my own hands started burning.
Willow sucked in a noisy breath. “Again,” she whimpered as tears traced down her cheeks.
I did it again. I’d do it a million times if it meant my girl was back with me. Leaning forward, I kissed at the tears on her cheeks as I wrenched my hands in opposite directions on her forearm.
“Again,” she pleaded.
I laid my lips against hers. Bit into the delicate skin as I set my hands into her flesh. My hands were burning, but I didn’t care. I pushed the pain aside.
She arched up into the curve of my body. Her arms slid around my neck as she tucked her face into the space under my chin. Shudders and sobs wracked her body as I gathered her against me.
I pulled her up into my arms. Switched our spots so I was sitting on the bed and she was cuddled in my arms. I held her as tears flowed and soaked into my shirt. I was going to hunt that bitch of a mother down and flay the skin from her bones while she was still awake.
The door opened, drawing my attention.
An orderly came in. He startled as he saw us. Backed out after a moment with a sympathetic look on his face.
After about fifteen minutes, Willow finally started to calm down. Her breathing evened out as her body became slightly heavier in my arms. When she blew out a long breath, I knew she was back with me.
I dipped my chin, tried to look down at her face. “Okay?”
She nodded. “Yeah. Sorry. That—she—came out of left field. I was even thinking in the elevator on the way up that this was the first time in however many years that I didn’t have to be afraid of this place.” Her chuckle was raw and wet. “Guess I was wrong.”
I felt the hate and anger inside me well up again. I was going to take her parents apart. Worse than my own father, they treated Willow as nothing more than a commodity. One they only wanted to rid themselves of. They were going to get a lesson in manners they won’t soon forget.
Willow petted her hand down my chest. “I got you all wet.”
I chuckled. “Pretty sure that’s supposed to be my line.”
Her giggle snort was about the cutest thing I’d ever heard. “You should sell cheese; you’ve got more than enough to go around.”
I stiffened my fingers, dragged them over her ribs. Her bucking, shaking, and laughing felt like sunshine after a downpour. “I’ll keep all the cheese to myself, you little jerk.”
She tumbled off my lap, would have landed on the floor, if I hadn’t caught her. “Easy, cupcake. Can’t have you damaged again.” I helped her stand. “You okay?”
Laughter still lighting her eyes, she nodded, smiled. “Yeah. All good.” She leaned forward, draped her arms over my shoulders. Laid her mouth to mine. The kiss was soft and gentle and said so many things.
I groaned, pulled her towards me with my hands on her ass. “More,” I growled as she pulled away.
She pecked my nose. “We did come here for a reason. And feeling each other up in an open room on the oncology ward wasn’t it. Unless I missed some kind of memo.” She leaned her forehead against mine. “Thank you, hero. You saved me again.” She rubbed her nose along mine.
“Always,” I replied. “Always.” I kissed her once more before I eased her back so I could stand up. I looked down at my shirt. Shrugged.
Pulling her under my arm, I turned us so we could leave the room. As we stepped out into the open area we saw Nik was at the charge nurse station, speaking quickly and fiercely to the staff. “If you make me have to find him myself, you won’t like what happens to your life, Phyllis.”
“Nik?” I called as we walked up behind her.
She spun around, her eyes wide. “Thank fuck! Ryker, they won’t let me in. Said I’m not family.”
I nudged her to the side. Giving the nurse’s name badge a single glance, I felt my lips quirk. “Bethany, this is Nik. She is Corrie’s sister. Please add her to the list. I’d also like to speak to your supervisor.” I settled my features. “Now.”
Bethany, her hazel eyes wide with fear, backed up her rolling chair so fast she sailed into her counterpart on the other side of the station.
“Hey!” he called as he glared at her over his shoulder. “Watch it, Beth.”
“Sorry, Clint. Sorry.” She backed up some more. Grabbed up a phone. “Nurse Panthorn to the station. Nurse Panthorn to the charge station. Code orange.”
Clint backed up, whirled around. “What’s going on here?” He stepped between me and Nurse Bethany.
“I simply need to speak to your supervisor. My sister was removed from this facility without the proper orders. I want to know whose names will be going on the lawsuit for dereliction of duty, medical negligence, and anything else I can get to stick.” I smiled pleasantly. Deep inside I laughed like a maniac as Clint and Bethany started stabbing at computers with all the frenzy of a hacker on meth.
“Bethany, Clint, what the hell? I was in the middle of a consult with Dr. Myers,” a woman said as she rocketed up to the charge station.
Bethany pointed at me with one shaky finger.
The Charge nurse sighed as she turned to me. “Mr. Penn, how unpleasant to see you again. What are you threatening this time?”
I pouted. “Now, Abigail, what makes you so sure I’m threatening anything?”
Abigail snorted, smiled. “Honestly, I was in the middle of something important. How’s Corrie? Does she need anything?”
I eyed the woman who had been part of Corrie’s care team since we moved her here. Her face was open and responsive. No lying markers that I could detect. My gut wasn’t shouting at me of her guilt. “Corrie was abducted from this facility. She was held as blackmail against me. I want to know how they slipped her from this hospital without anyone contacting me or my mother.”
Abigail’s face blanched. She shook her head. “No.” Her mouth worked as if she were chewing on some gristly meat. “No.” She shook her head again. “No! That can’t be right.” She bent over the desk, starte
d typing away at the computer. She was still shaking her head as she flipped through whatever she was seeing. Her eyes widened briefly.
She straightened and looked up at me. “We need to speak in private. Bethany, Clint, call Doctors Smith, Gregson, and Amgardner.” She hit a couple buttons on her computer. The printer next to her buzzed to life.
Bethany and Clint were on the phones. They spoke in low tones to whoever was on the other end. Bethany held up her phone. “Admin says she’s busy.”
Abigail grabbed the receiver. “Then make her unbusy or this hospital is going to be held liable for gross negligence.” She handed the phone back to her subordinate. She scanned a screen on the wall behind her. “Go to room 635. I’ll be right there with the proper paperwork and our administrators.”
I nodded. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I turned us all in the right direction. I hit the speed dial on my phone for my mom’s number. She picked up before the first ring went all the way through. “Mom, we’re going into a conference with the charge nurse and head honchos. Where are you?”
“Still in the ER. Give me two minutes to tell her physicians where I’ll be. What room?”
I told her. Hung up. We pushed into a different vacant room. I got Nik and Willow settled on the only semi-comfortable chairs. I stood, arms folded over my chest, feet braced apart. I was sick and tired of this hospital being allowed to jack with the people I loved.
It ended here.
Chapter 14 – Ryker
Abigail pushed into the room. She had a thin folder, a laptop, and her phone with her. She was busy tapping at the screen. She looked up after she hit a final button. Her smile was curiously mysterious. “Just making my excuses to the consult team.”
I nodded. “What the hell happened, Abigail? When did this become a drive-thru for people to pick up patients?”
Abigail stiffened. Narrowed her eyes at me. “You know better than that, Mr. Penn. I take each of my patient’s care very seriously.”
I nodded again. “Yes. You do. The same obviously can’t be said for the others. If we need to move Corrie to a different facility where this kind of shit won’t happen again, simply tell me and I’ll get her moved.”
Abigail shook her head. “Wait for the hospital admin to get here. I can’t discuss the internals without them in the room.”
“They’ve got five minutes before I start calling the media and making a fuss.” I tipped my wrist, took note of the time.
Abigail sighed. “You’re a hard man, Mr. Penn. I even respect that, for the most part. I also admire your laser focus in dealing appropriately with the guilty people and not spreading the blame to everyone else.” She gave me another significant look. “If you could please be patient, I would be personally appreciative. If you decide to move Corrie, I’ll help you find a different ward.”
Something else was going on here. And my inside woman was having to be cautious about what she said out in the open.
Willow tapped her foot against mine. My girl had obviously picked up on it too.
I gritted my teeth. “Fine. For you, Abigail. But I’m running very low on patience with this entire hospital.”
Abigail nodded, smiled.
Willow tapped my foot again.
“I apologize in advance for any of the backlash that gets tossed on you.”
If it were possible to pet me with her foot, Willow did it. I could have sworn I felt her love and appreciation oozing at me from where I’d set her. Women. Making men into better humans with a simple foot tap.
I was turning into a pussy.
Two doctors breezed through the doors like they owned the place. While almost true, they set me off by leading with their proverbial dicks in this instance. I eased my weight to the balls of my feet. Sized each of them up.
Dr. Nancy Smith and Dr. William Gregson. Two of the worst power-hungry people in this godsforsaken place of torture and pain.
“Mr. Penn. Why am I not surprised?” Nancy said.
Abigail eased to the side, her eyes wide and downcast. She shook her head as her mouth tipped up at the corner. Apparently Dr. Smith wasn’t well liked by her underlings.
“Nancy, you’ve got two minutes to talk yourself out of criminal charges.” I looked at my watch again. “Your time begins now.”
My mother pushed through the doors. Her lawyer face was on and it was impenetrable. “I’ve got the documents right here.” She waved some papers in her hands. “I’ve also got the DAs office and some police officers waiting downstairs to frog walk you out of here.”
Nancy snarled. “Daphne.”
“It’s Mrs. Sheridan, Nancy. Don’t make me repeat myself or my son do so either. I believe that leaves you ninety seconds.”
“What is the meaning of all of this? What criminal charges?” Dr. Gregson bellowed.
Abigail stepped forward, handed both doctors a set of papers from her folder. “This is the meaning of this meeting, Doctors.” She turned back to me, her gaze penetrating but the message was unclear.
I was quiet as they scanned whatever Abigail had given them. As I watched them read over the documents, I heard Nik’s gear bag signal an incoming encrypted packet. I looked over my shoulder at her.
She was watching me, her fingers poised over the zippers of her bag.
I nodded.
She unzipped her bag and pulled her iPad out. She unlocked it, pulled open the right app, then handed the device to me.
I flicked my gaze back to Abigail’s. With the slightest dip of her chin, she told me who the sender was. I skimmed through the document.
Right there in black and white were the signed orders stating that Corinne Sheridan was to be transferred to a different facility for specialized testing. The orders were signed by Drs. Smith, Gregson, and Amgardner.
“Yes? Obviously these are our signatures. What is the problem?” Nancy complained.
“The facility listed on the orders. Can you please read that one out loud?” I said as I waved my mother over to view the screen.
Both Nancy and Dr. Gregson skimmed their eyes down their papers. As if on cue, their eyes both widened before a public face smashed down, closing their expressions off.
“Yes, I see you understand the problem.”
My mom pulled the iPad from my hands. “You bastards. You didn’t even check the paperwork. You signed it blind?” Mom slapped the device back at me. Slammed it into my chest. I hurried to grab it.
Nik inhaled quickly behind me as I steadied it in my hands.
“Where the hell is Amgardner?” my mom snarled through her teeth. “You know what? Never mind. Criminal charges will be forthcoming. You can kiss your glorious medical careers goodbye.”
Mom turned, pulled her phone from her purse. “Judge Thomas, please. This is Daphne Sheridan.”
“Mrs. Sheridan, I’m sure we can work this out. We can come to some kind of arrangement,” Nancy said. Her voice reminded me of a used car salesman’s.
Willow snarled, pulling the doctors’ attention.
“Who is…Willow Errington? What on earth are you doing here? How’s Ethan?” Dr. Gregson said, nothing but big smiles on his face. He turned to me. “Dr. Ethan Errington is the Chief of Trauma Surgery here. I’m sure he could help you understand this.”
Willow sucked in a noisy breath. “What was your name again?” I felt her push up against my right arm.
He stepped forward, stuck his hand out. A huge, jovial smile was on his face. “Dr. William T. Gregson, ma’am. Such a pleasure to see you again.”
Willow shrank back from his hand. “And when was that? I’m sorry, I’m terrible with names.”
Dr. Gregson blinked a couple times. “Of course. You did look a bit deep in your cups that night. I would say about five—no, seven—years ago now. The annual gala your parents throw. Such a wonderful cause. We’ve spoken a few times since then. The gala. You remember?”
Willow nodded. “Yes, of course, Dr. Gregson. How silly of me.”
My balls tried to s
hrivel up and hide inside my body at the sound of her voice. The man was truly stupid if he thought hers was one of greeting.
His face lit up in smiles. Stupid, stupid, stupid. “How are you parents? How’s Ethan? The man’s so busy, I haven’t talked to him in at least a week.”
Willow chuckled politely. “Yeah, he’s up to his neck in it.”
Nik snorted. Tried to turn it into a cough.
“I actually just saw my mother not even an hour ago.”
Gregson smiled, nodded. “Yes. Getting everything ready for this year’s gala. I’m assuming you’ll be attending? We did miss you last year.”
Willow threaded her hand over my elbow. “Yes. Mr. Penn and I will be attending together.”
“Wonderful. Isn’t that so much better than fighting or threatening lawsuits?” he said. I wanted to bash his face in for his patronizing tone. I could only imagine what Willow wanted to do to him.
“You said you saw me seven years ago now. But that I’d been drinking a bit too much. Was I wearing a red dress, by chance?”
Gregson’s eyebrows winged up. A disturbing light entered his eyes. “Yes, as a matter of fact, you were. You looked gorgeous that night.”
Willow’s fingers dug into my arm. “How interesting you should say that. I remember parts of that night like they were yesterday. And,” I saw her tap her finger to her chin, “now that you mention it, I do remember you from that night.” Her coquettish laugh felt like fingernails down a chalkboard. “A bit younger then, not as much gray in your hair. But I do remember you.”
Gregson leaned forward. “Oh?”
Willow’s hand snapped out. The sharp crack of flesh on flesh resounded in the room. Even my mother and Nancy stopped their bickering.
“That’s for cornering me and touching me without my consent.” She stepped forward, smashed her knee into his balls. “That’s for helping three monsters get away with killing seventy-three women. I’ll make sure to spell your name correctly in the statements I give to the DAs office, you pathetic asshole.”
Gregson bent in half, gasped for air. “You…little…bitch.” He reached for her.