"Ha-ha, very funny." I drank down my shake and threw a change of clothes into my bag. "No, there is a difference. Any other night, I'd be out in the parking lot your entire shift," I mumbled as I continued throwing in more items.
"What did you just say?" The quiver in her voice made me turn and look at her. Her face had lost the pretty pink color that she normally had. She stood there frozen, blinking a few times.
I took a deep breath. I didn't think she would have heard me. I walked over and placed my hands on her shoulders. "I watch out for you. I stay out in the parking lot. I've never just dropped you off and left."
She swallowed hard. I wasn't sure if I was in deep shit and should duck or not after all she had been through. "You spend ten to twelve hours in a parking lot...waiting for me?"
I chuckled. "Well, not exactly...I mean...I come in to pee and get something to eat. You know they really should leave that little cafe open in the lobby longer than they do. They have good stuff in there."
She surprised me by wrapping her arms around my midsection and resting her head against my chest. In turn, I wrapped my arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "Tonight you are going to have to drive yourself. I am not all that comfortable with any of this," I said, shaking my head.
"I'll be fine, I promise. I'll wait for you and you can follow me home. Now let me get a good look at you while you can still open both of your eyes."
She looked up into my face, smiling. Home. I loved the sound of that—a place that we shared together. "I've never lived with a woman before," I whispered as I brushed a few stray hairs from her face and kissed her forehead.
"Really? You sure about that? I mean you keep the toilet seat down. I was sure you were a pro."
I wrapped my arms around her tighter. "Nah, I just try to be considerate, make you happy," I said, pressing my lips to hers.
"It's working. I've never felt like this before."
I kept watching her, the look in her eye growing serous as she stared back at me.
"Is it too soon for me to be thinking that I love you?"
My breath caught in my throat as the words left her lips. I knew how I felt about her, but I didn't think she felt the same. "Well…" I cleared my throat. "This could be a product of the situation. You know, like, you're not used to a guy like me." I shrugged, trying to play it off.
"I guess you might be right." She sighed and placed her forehead down on my chest. I ran my fingers into her soft, silky hair and let my fingers massage her scalp.
"Well, maybe I am right, but that wouldn't explain why I love you too." My face flamed as the words fell from my lips. Another first for me: I had never told a woman that. At least, not one I wasn't related to. I pulled her closer to me and held her. "Nothing can happen to you. Got it? Stay at the hospital. I will come for you."
"Okay. I promise. Please don't worry. I will wait for you." She ran her hand down my arm and laced her fingers with mine, then reached up to meet my lips. "All right, let’s get you packed up for tonight, shall we?" she said as she kissed me one more time, taking her lips from mine.
Chapter 19
Katy
I shut my locker and hummed to myself as I made my way to the nurses’ desk in the ER. A slight smile played on my lips at the thought of the intimate moment that Derrick and I had shared before we both left tonight.
I nodded at one of the doctors as I grabbed a cup of coffee and continued quietly humming the melody of one of my favorite songs as I made my way to my station. Mollie was already seated behind her computer and gave me a funny look as I took a seat beside her. "Wow."
"What?" I asked as I sat down behind my computer and logged in.
"Looks like someone is love!" Mollie teased. I could feel the blush rising to my cheeks as she tilted her head. "Anyone I know?"
I knew she had been watching that plastic surgeon chase after me since I had started here, and I wanted to dispel that myth immediately. I didn't need any office gossip going around about me. I also knew that she had been watching me go on my break to go to the cafeteria to meet Derrick every night for weeks. That was abnormal behavior for me. Normally, I just munched on popcorn behind my computer and worked on my paperwork during my break. I typed in my password and shrugged. "His name is Derrick."
Mollie's forehead furrowed. "Derrick? Which doctor is that? Do I know Derrick?"
I snickered at her confusion. I knew she hadn't been expecting that answer. "He isn't a doctor. I think you called him Dagger." I giggled as her eyes widened in shock.
"I'm so happy for you! He's one of the good ones. Plus, he is nice on the eyes as well." She laughed, placing her hand on my shoulder. "Good for you, Katy. You deserve happiness. So does he. You want anything from the vending machine?" she asked, getting up and wrapping her sweater around her.
"No, I'm good, thanks. Already got my coffee," I said, nodding to my cup.
"Okay, I will be right back."
For some reason, even though I had told myself it didn't matter what anyone thought, I was glad she liked him, and that someone finally approved of a relationship I was in. Even if that someone really had no bearing on my life whatsoever. I had never gotten any kind of reassurance from anyone when it had come to Jonas, or any other previous boyfriend, for that matter. Her approval actually made me feel hopeful; hopeful that I had for once had chosen a good guy.
I began reading the notes about all the patients on the floor currently when I felt someone staring at me. I looked up and there stood the pretty boy plastic surgeon on the other side of my desk looking down at me, smiling.
"Can I help you?" I did my best not to show the annoyance on my face. He had no reason whatsoever to be up here.
"Katy, sweet Katy, when are you going to take me up on my offer? I happen to have a room booked at the Marriott this weekend in the city and dinner for two at that new expensive steakhouse. What do you say?"
"I say I don't think my boyfriend, Derrick, will approve. You remember him don't you, doc? He was in here a little while ago for some stitches above the eye. Big guy, fighter. Surely, you remember," I said, taking a sip of my coffee.
Mollie slid in beside me and looked from Dr. Pretty Boy to me. "Hey, doc! What are you doing all the way up here? We didn't call you," she said from her seat.
"Oh geez, I've got to go," he said, fiddling with his pager, the look on his face telling me I didn't have to worry about him anymore.
"Have a good night, doc. We will call if we need you."
As soon as he was gone, I turned to Mollie. "He came up here to ask me on a date. I let him know I wasn't interested."
Mollie let out a laugh and shook her head. I didn't have a chance to take another sip of my coffee because an ambulance showed up and the chaos began. Two victims due to a car crash. Typical start to a weekend: people partying too hard at the beach who decide they are more than fine to get in a car and drive. Before long, I was so wrapped up in doing my job that I barely had time to watch the time pass. As soon as we had stabilized the first set of patients, in came two other ambulances, two more car accident victims, followed by one gunshot victim and a stabbing. By the time I got a second to finally glance up, it was nearly eleven. I knew Derrick would be fighting soon, and I wanted to send him words of encouragement since I couldn't be there.
I removed my dirty gloves, washed my hands, and started walking towards the nurses’ station when the doctor on call handed me a couple of files.
"Katy, could you please update the computers and get those labs sent down ASAP."
"Sure thing." I nodded and took the files from him and made my way to my desk. I had almost perfect timing. No one was around, so I took two seconds and grabbed my cell phone from my purse and quickly sent Derrick a message.
ME: LOVE YOU, DERRICK. GO KICK BUTT. AND PUNCH FACE. AND DO WHATEVER ELSE IT TAKES NOT TO END UP IN THE EMERGENCY ROOM FOR ANY OTHER REASON THAN TO MEET ME. IT'S BUSY IN HERE TONIGHT.
I hit send and sat down behind my computer and quickly
entered the patients’ information into their respective charts. Then I called for lab pickup. I glanced at my phone before going back. I didn't expect to hear from Derrick, but there was a message waiting for me.
DERRICK: I LOVE YOU TOO. SEE YOU SOON! I GOTTA GO WIN THIS FIGHT.
He ended the message with a winky face kissing emoji, which filled my heart. I felt confident that he would do well, and I returned my phone to my purse and headed back in the direction of the next patient.
It was midnight by the time I had returned from my first quick break of the night. I had decided to stay and help out with what I could until Derrick called to tell me he was on his way. We were still slammed, so they were grateful for the extra set of hands.
I quickly shoved the last piece of banana into my mouth when one of the girls from the registration area came over to Mollie and me. "Hey, ladies, there's a guy out front. Says that someone hit a black SUV." She rattled off the license plate. "Does it belong to any of you? Police are out front taking a report. Apparently a hit and run."
I swallowed hard. My new car. "That is my plate." I frowned. I was parked in the employee lot, but due to some construction that was being done, that lot wasn't as secure as it normally was. Lately, non-employees could and did sneak in and park there, since you didn't have to pay, but it was unusual for there to be an accident.
"Well, you better go out there and talk to them and see what's up," she added and turned to head back to her station.
I stood looking after the girl from registration. Mollie glanced at me before she murmured, "You better see what's up."
I shrugged. "I'll be right back." I shoved my cell phone into the pocket of my top and rushed out the back of the emergency department and straight across the lot to where my vehicle was parked in the employee lot. When I got out there I realized that I had made a horrific mistake. There were no flashing lights, there were no police, and there was also no Derrick watching for me throughout my shift.
My stomach started to turn, and I decided to turn on my heels before I ever even made it all the way to my vehicle. That was when Jonas stepped out of the shadows behind me, blocking my path back to the hospital.
A sense of dread coursed through me as I realized he had been watching and waiting and I had fallen victim to the perfect trap. Jonas had found me and he stood a few feet across from me, staring. I slowly began to back away. I knew I wasn't going to be able to outrun him; I never could. I had my keys in my hand, and I glanced around the parking lot to see if anyone was out there, but there wasn't a single, solitary person who could help me. Shift change had already happened, so unless someone was leaving work early, I was all alone until security did their rounds at four. I should have known Jonas would do his research. He had probably been watching this place for months, which meant he would know about Derrick.
I suddenly wished that I had listened to Derrick. He had begged me that under no circumstances was I to leave that hospital. Why hadn't I been smart and told the girl from registration to have the police meet me in the emergency area? I glanced around the area praying that perhaps one of the guards was out for a smoke break tonight.
"If you're looking for your security guards, there's a fight on the other side of the hospital. I reported it. They all ran off like little puppets to save some helpless victim." He grinned, his voice sending waves of unease throughout my body. He was smarter than I gave him credit for. "Well, there isn't really a fight, of course, but it gives me time."
I swallowed hard as I continued to back up slowly. "Time...time for what?"
"Time to teach you a lesson and remind you who the boss is." His eyes darkened as he lunged at me. I turned and started to race away, running in and around the cars. I was smaller and more nimble than Jonas. He was big, bulky, but he had strength on his side. I ran hard and tried to circle around and make it back to the door, but I didn't win. He grabbed my scrub shirt and yanked me backwards, sending me down to the pavement, my head connecting with the cement. My eyes rolled back into my head and I struggled hard to open them up in time to see him standing over me. He delivered one solid, hard punch to my face. I felt the explosion of pain across my cheekbone, and this time, when my head connected again with the pavement, everything went dark.
Chapter 20
Dagger
The bell rang out, letting me know I had won the first round with a knockout. Coach called me over to the side and squirted water into my mouth. "You were quick on your feet. You did awesome. Last round, get ‘em, Dag."
I didn't know how I had done it. The whole time I had been thinking about Katy and what she had said. The only reason she wanted to see me in the ER tonight was to pick her up; she didn't want me coming in there all beaten and broken. She had no idea how opposed to that idea I was as well. This match was huge, and there were agents everywhere, scouting and looking for their next star, and their next star would definitely not be the one who ended up in the emergency room.
"Word has it two of the scouts from Vegas are here. You’ve got to do this, Dag. Keep going and fucking win!"
I was pumped as the starting bell for the next round sounded. Adrenaline coursed through my veins, and every hit, punch, and kick I made was for my girl. No sooner had my opponent hit the floor, the bell sounded and I was proclaimed the winner. I climbed out of the ring, and within seconds, coach and I were surrounded by several agents. Some I recognized, others I didn't, but each one represented different groups in the MMA industry. As I was pulled and questioned, I wished from the bottom of my heart that Katy could be here; she would be so proud. I was eager to share this with her.
I spoke to each agent as I made my way down the line. They all had one thing in common: each one of them was based out west. One was from LA, another from Seattle, a couple more from LA, and the final one from Vegas. The bright lights of the Vegas MMA were finally calling to me, and I couldn't wait to talk to my girl.
"Before I commit to anything, I will need to speak to my girl and decide where she wants to relocate to," I told each one of the agents, not shooting any of them down right away. I wanted Katy's input on this decision. "She's a nurse, and she is working right now." I chuckled. "I'm just lucky that I don't need her services right now. Can I let you know on Monday what we decide?"
Each of them nodded, were completely understanding, and they all shoved a card into my hand and begged me to call. I pushed through the crowd to the changing room. I was eager to get cleaned up and go see her at the hospital. I showered and dressed, received my payout, and made my way to my car. I was walking on air. At almost close to nine grand, this was the biggest payout I had ever won and would easily cover us for three months of living and gym expenses. I grinned and pulled out my phone. I couldn't wait to get there to tell her; I needed to let her know now. I needed to hear her voice.
I threw my bag into the back of my car and got into the driver’s seat, first pulling my phone from my pocket. I pulled my belt across me and stared down at the screen of my phone. There were a slew of missed calls, messages, and one single text from an unknown number. My gut churned and my heart sank. Something was wrong. I read the text first to see if it told me anything before I dove into the messages. It was Mollie from the hospital.
MOLLIE: I GOT YOUR NUMBER FROM YOUR MEDICAL FILE, PLEASE DO NOT REPORT ME, ITS AN EMERGENCY, KATY IS MISSING
I quickly searched my contacts and pulled up the hospital information. I was put through to Mollie within minutes of stating who I was.
"Mollie, it's Derrick, what is going on?" I asked, trying to remain calm, even though every part of me was vibrating. I had let my girl down.
"Hey, Derrick, they told us that her vehicle had been hit and she needed to meet the police outside. She never came back. Security checked her car. It's fine, not a mark on it. It's still in the parking lot, but she is gone. They are reviewing the security cameras right now."
"Well, where the fuck did she go?" I demanded into the phone.
"That's not all. They foun
d blood droplets in the parking lot and a dent in a hood of another car. Do you know anything?"
I let out a breath. Thank God; it didn't sound like they were suspecting me. At least, I didn't think so. "Listen, Mollie, I am going to send you a picture. Please give it to the police. Katy was running from an ex-boyfriend. He may have something to do with this. Actually, I am almost positive it’s him. I am on my way. I will attach the details."
I hung up and searched my phone for that picture of Jonas I had taken. I attached it to a message for Mollie.
ME: SHE WAS RUNNING FROM AN ABUSIVE EX. HIS NAME IS JONAS, NO IDEA OF HIS LAST NAME. I WAS SUPPOSED TO BE PROTECTING HER.
Without waiting for a reply, I dropped my phone down in the console and reversed out of the spot. I was overcome with guilt. I had totally let her down and didn't do my job. I didn't blame her at all for this. I should have turned down this fight when she wouldn't come with me. After all, there would be more. There wouldn't be more Katy if he got his hands on her. If I had been in the parking lot, this wouldn't have happened, and she would be safe with me, wrapped in my arms in bed by now, not out there alone with him.
At the next light, I skidded to a stop after remembering I had her on the Find My Friend app. I opened my phone and quickly messaged Mollie.
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