* * *
I slowly opened my eyes and found myself reclined in the passenger seat, the pain registering before the events came back to me.
Fab, who was driving with a crazed expression, glanced over. “Thank goodness your eyes are open. We’ll be at the hospital in a few.”
“Home,” I stuttered.
“Not until a doctor checks you over.”
“Addy?” I croaked, gently touching my head and wincing.
“Bitch got away,” Fab seethed. “I’d have gone after her, but she shoved you in my arms and took off and I wasn’t leaving you. I’m so sorry. I stopped to help an old dude with his groceries, flirted a bit, and when I looked up, I saw you slumped in her arms.”
“I never saw her coming. She hit me with a stick or something.”
Fab raced into the lot of the emergency room, found a space, and parked. She threw the door open and jumped out. “Don’t you dare move. I’m going to get a wheelchair.” She slammed the door before I could respond.
I watched through the windshield as she flew through the automatic doors and came barreling back out, pushing the chair about the same way as she drove. She skidded to a stop and opened the door.
“I don’t want to hear any whining out of you; you have blood on the side of your head.”
“I hope she didn’t rearrange my brains. I need them.” I managed a smile at her snort. “What do I tell the doctor?”
“The truth. You were attacked by a crazy woman.” Fab helped me out and into the chair.
“Does this have a seatbelt?” I felt at the sides.
“You have my promise I’ll get you inside in one piece.”
It must have been a slow day for emergencies. There were two people in the waiting area, and they didn’t appear to be at death’s door.
Fab pushed me up to the counter and did all the talking, answering all the woman’s questions and telling her I’d been attacked in a grocery store parking lot.
My head hurt and burned like the dickens. I slumped to one side and closed my eyes. I tugged on Fab’s skirt and she leaned down. “Call Creole,” I croaked.
“The second we get you checked in,” Fab assured me.
I could hear someone’s voice approaching, and then a nurse took control of the wheelchair and pushed me down the hall for a CAT scan. I lay in the loud machine and hoped they’d get done soon and give me something for my throbbing head. It wasn’t long before I was taken to one of the private cubicles.
Fab, who’d been on the phone, speaking in a low tone, shoved it in her pocket and moved to a chair in the cubicle as the nurse helped me onto the bed. “The husbands are en route.”
“How many do you have?” the nurse joked.
I liked her and relaxed at her humor. “One. Seriously, he’s all I can handle, and I know he feels the same about me.”
Another woman came and introduced herself as Dr. Gwen. She came to the side of the bed where I sat propped up and removed the temporary bandage to examine the side of my head. “You’re lucky. A stitch or two and you’ll be fine.”
The doctor—who was in her forties and curvy, with a friendly smile—told me that she specialized in emergency medicine and had worked at the hospital for a number of years. Her authoritative demeanor put me at ease. She injected a local anesthetic, cleaned the wound, and sewed up the small gash in the side of my head, covering it with a small gauze pad.
Kevin poked his head in the door. Our eyes met. He gave me a once-over and grimaced, but ever so quickly—you had to be looking at him to notice.
“It’ll be another few minutes, Deputy Cory,” Dr. Gwen said. “I’ll let you know when you can question the patient.”
Kevin nodded and motioned to Fab, who followed him into the hall. They stood in front of the window, where I could see them talking.
“We’ll keep you a short time for observation, and if you don’t have any issues, you’ll be released to go home and rest. The scan didn’t show any internal hemorrhaging or skull fractures, and lucky you, you lost a minimal amount of blood. A little glue, some stitching, and it will heal without scarring.”
“No Frankenstein stitching?”
Dr. Gwen laughed.
Creole ran up, Didier at his side, and skidded to a stop in the hall, grilling Fab and Kevin simultaneously. Didier stayed behind to fire a few questions of his own as Creole opened the door to the room.
I waved.
Creole closed the space between us in a few steps and introduced himself to the doctor.
“Madison will be ready to go home in a little while. We’ll try not to keep her any longer than we have to, and we’ll have her paperwork in order by the time she’s ready to go.” Dr. Gwen told him. “Just make sure she gets plenty of rest and doesn’t overdo it.”
“Who are you again?” I blinked at Creole.
“You’re not funny,” he groused.
The doctor laughed. “I’ll be back to sign you out.”
“Tell me what happened.” Creole leaned down, brushed my hair back, and kissed me. “Fab confessed to hitting on an old guy and didn’t see what happened until you were being dragged away.”
I told him in as much detail as I could.
Kevin knocked and walked in. “I’ve got a few questions.” He fired them one after another and got the same answers as Creole. “I’m not up on the investigation in Card Sound, but I’ll get up to speed on it. I’ll get a photo of this Addy Clegg character and get it circulated so local law enforcement can keep an eye out.”
“I’m rooting for you to arrest her,” I said. “The sooner the better.”
“We like our reputation for having a low crime rate and being a safe place to live and want to keep it that way. I’d rather be called out on one of your bar fights,” Kevin said with amusement.
“Ssh.” I crossed my lips. “We haven’t had one in a while and want to keep it that way.”
“I know where to find you if I have any more questions.” Kevin waved and left.
Creole pulled up a chair. “I’m not letting you out of my sight.”
“If you think I’m going to complain about that, you’re wrong. I just want you to take me home and ply your nursing skills.” I gave him an exaggerated once-over. “Do you have an outfit?”
Creole laughed, reaching over and pulling me into his arms. “Your friend is beating herself up because she wasn’t paying attention.”
“That’s nonsense. If Fab hadn’t been there to rush to the rescue and stop Addy when she did, who knows what her plans were for me. This could’ve had a different outcome, and no one would have known where to look.” I shuddered at the thought of another trek through the mangroves.
“We’re going to get her.” Creole hugged me hard.
* * *
Back at home, Creole settled me on the couch with orders not to move without his assistance. Fab had argued with him in the parking lot of the hospital, wanting me to recuperate at her house, which Creole nixed with my full agreement. It was much more comforting to be in my own environment, even with the cats howling for attention.
Fab and Didier had arrived ahead of us, and with Creole’s permission, she used the code and went inside to put away the groceries while Didier chopped the vegetables and fish and made skewers.
“I’ll have a pitcher of margaritas,” I said when Creole and I arrived at the house.
“They’re not very good without the tequila,” Fab said.
I made a face. “Ick!”
The guys went outside to fire up the barbeque.
Fab came over to where I was sitting on the couch and put her hand under my chin, turning my head and staring at the bandage. “You’ve got good color. No funeral pallor for you.”
I moved my legs to the coffee table so she could sit next to me.
“Didier and I were talking on the way home and decided that all of us need to stay on high alert.”
“I’m not allowed to leave the house without my husband’s permission, and I don’t think he’s going
to give it anytime soon.”
“You don’t look very upset about his edict.” Fab faux-frowned.
“A couple of days ignoring the craziness sounds good to me.”
The guys had taken over dinner—cooking it and setting the table. To my surprise, I was actually quite hungry. We moved the party outside to the deck as the last of the white clouds drifted across the horizon. A light breeze blew in off the water.
Chapter Thirty-Five
Having had enough of recuperating under Creole’s watchful eye, I called Mother to wrestle a day of fun with Mila, since neither Fab nor I had had her to ourselves in a while. I tried to impress upon Mother that sharing Mila’s time wouldn’t kill her, which landed on deaf ears. And she wondered why I was forced to choose the sneaky route. I called Fab and ran my plan by her.
Fab liked my idea, but thought it had zero chance of success. “The only thing saving you from certain death is the guards Caspian posted.”
Caspian had called for an update from his charming daughter, as he liked to call her, and got a colorful rendition of Addy’s attempted kidnapping. In response, he’d flipped and sent over two armed guards with instructions not to let either of us out of their sight. Fab threw a hissy fit, but Caspian was adamant that until “crazy broad” was in cuffs, they stayed. He’d gotten even more protective since becoming friends with Harder and getting updates from him too.
I put my foot down and decreed that the men were not going to sit or stand out in the scorching heat, dripping in sweat. Fab agreed, unlocking the side entrance to her backyard so they could sit inside or out and have access to the kitchen. We’d agreed not to sneak around and, in fact, to inform them of our comings and goings.
I texted my guard that I’d be leaving the house in ten minutes, and when I walked out the gate, he was parked in front, waiting on me in an SUV with tinted windows. I walked over, and he rolled down the window. “I’m stopping at the Bakery Café, then going to my brother’s. I won’t be there very long and will be returning home. Don’t worry, you’ll be able to keep up with me.”
He grinned.
I drove into the underground garage at Brad’s, my escort following me, and lucked out with available guest parking. I grabbed the pink box off the front seat and took the elevator to the top floor, where I knocked on the door and waited patiently.
The door opened, and Mila ran out, dressed for the day. “Auntie Mad,” she squealed.
I picked her up and spun her around.
Behind her, Brad was looking harried and running behind as he still had on sweats and a t-shirt. His frown disappeared at the sight of the box, and he pulled me inside. He crossed to the kitchen and set the box down, then turned and enveloped me and Mila in a hug. “I don’t know what you’re up to, but seriously, today’s not the day.”
“There’s never a good day,” I grouched.
Brad took Mila from my arms and set her on the floor. “Go find your favorite book.” She ran out of the room. “Slow down,” he called after his daughter. He turned my face from side to side. “You look pretty good, all things considered. I got the update from Creole. Too bad Addy’s not a man. If I caught up to her first, I’d beat the you-know-what out of her.”
“I called Mother, and her schedule with Mila is booked to infinity. So… I’m here to appropriate your daughter.”
“You’re putting me in the middle? Making me choose?” He groaned. “What are your plans if you take her for the day?”
“Whisk her off to Fab’s, where we’ll turn my bedroom into a playroom. You’ve seen that bed?”
“It’s kind of obscenely large.”
“It’s perfect for jumping, rolling around, and having a great time. There will be all kinds of healthy food, courtesy of Didier. There’s a ton of security, thanks to Caspian. Even now, a guard’s waiting downstairs to escort us back.”
“You’re making me choose between being a crappy son and a crappy brother.” Brad was definitely torn.
“I’m making it so you can claim ignorance and everything can be blamed on underhanded Madison.” I smiled cheekily. “Mother is due here in a half-hour. In that time, you’ll need to shower so you can leave for the office, right?” He nodded. “So you’ll tell Mother in an offended tone that you can’t believe your own sister would be so sneaky as to stop by with treats—” I pointed to the box. “—and offer to watch Mila while you get dressed, only to nap your daughter, leaving behind a note.” I pulled a piece of paper out of my pocket.
“Maybe I can pull that off if I don’t get too wordy.”
“Stick to the script.”
Mila bolted back into the room, favorite book in hand. Brad hoisted her in the air and kissed her cheeks. “You have a fun day.” He peered over her head. “Shall I tell her to enjoy her last day with you? I’ll have to come up with a good explanation for your sudden disappearance and why she now has to visit Gammi in j-a-i-l.” He set Mila on the island to look at her book.
“And people say I’m the dramatic one.” I pointed to myself in faux shock.
“Warning: Mother is going to storm your house and, when you don’t answer, head straight to Fab’s. So don’t be surprised.” He pointed to my bruised face. “You’re already in trouble. I’m willing to bet you didn’t tell her about your latest adventure. She’s also going to notice that the Hummer’s back and know that you lied about getting a new car. Your sins are multiplying. I’m going to miss you.”
“I’m a grown adult.” I waved him off. “I know it’s not an excuse she’ll accept. My plan on that front is it to tough it out and hope I can skate past her radar.” I ignored his shaking head and tapped my nonexistent watch. “Time’s a-wasting. You don’t want to be late to the office.”
Brad kissed my cheek and Mila’s, then picked her up and set her on the floor.
“Ready for an adventure?” I asked Mila, and held out my hand, which she clasped. At the door, I grabbed her backpack and flung it over my shoulder. Brad leaned against the wall and watched with amusement as we left.
I picked Mila up so she could press the elevator button, we got in, and she told me all about her book as we rode down. The guard, who stood waiting at the fender of his vehicle, met us and took the bag while I buckled Mila into her car seat. The ride home was uneventful, and I drove straight to Fab’s. As expected, she met us at the door.
“I can’t believe you pulled this off,” Fab said in awe. “Does Brad know?”
“Of course he knows. I feel bad that he’s going to have to break the news to Mother, but if he follows the script we went over, he should survive unscathed.”
“What do I tell the guard when he calls and asks if he can admit her?”
“I didn’t get that far in my plan,” I said.
“That’s not like you.”
“Do you think when we have children we’ll get to raise them? Or will we be relegated to visiting once in a while?”
Fab made the decision to have the guard tell Mother that we were gone and would be back in the afternoon. It gave us the morning to roughhouse and act like hooligans. Fab taught Mila an abbreviated version of the cartwheel. I passed and instead took pictures. Lunch rolled around and we picnicked on the floor, and afterwards, the three of us were ready for a nap. Maybe not Fab, but she lay down with us anyway.
Mother was back in late afternoon, her muscle in tow. She flounced through the front door, irritation etched on her face. Spoon wasn’t able to maintain his straight face; his lips continued to quirk.
Mila charged Mother and hugged her legs. She picked her up and laid a loud kiss on her cheek, then checked her over. “None the worse for wear, I see.” She handed her to Spoon, who Mila had held her arms out to as soon as she saw him. Mother flicked her hand at me, cutting off a response. “I should be shocked, but I’m not. I realize that I have a hard time sharing, and when you called, I should’ve been more accommodating. I’d like more grandchildren; having a crowd of kids at my house every day would suit me just fine.”
/> I turned and rolled my eyes at Fab. Told you so. I turned back. “I’ve given you two. You can’t even be bothered to give them a head rub.”
“Really, Madison. Those cats?” Mother shook her head.
Spoon smirked.
Fab laughed and, when she recovered, glared at me as though I’d tricked the laughter out of her. “Cold drinks all around?” she asked and led us out to the patio. She pointed Spoon, who wasn’t the least bit disgruntled, to the bar and settled in a chair, picking Mila up and putting her on her lap, opening her book.
Without asking, Spoon served us what he knew we liked and joined us.
Mother, who didn’t drink around Mila, sipped on iced tea. “I thought you traded the Hummer for another SUV.”
“Actually, I had it repaired,” I said, trying to pass it off casually.
“I walked around it and inspected it. Whoever did the work did a great job,” Spoon said. “Equal to my shop. Maybe it’s someone I can use in the future.”
“Like you, he’s appointment-only, and I can’t pass along his name without asking first,” I said.
“What about the other car you bought?” Mother asked.
“It was actually a loaner while the Hummer was being fixed.”
Mother sighed in annoyance. “It’s not that I don’t want you to use Spoon’s shop. I just don’t want him ending up dead.”
“Your mother and I have had a long discussion. In the future, call me, and I’ll decide for myself whether I want to lend assistance.”
Mother blushed and covered her husband’s hand with her own.
“I get Mother’s point, and frankly, I don’t want anything happening to any of us.”
“The hot gossip at the beauty salon was that my daughter was attacked in the parking lot of a grocery store.”
I struggled not to squirm under Mother’s stare. Sadly, I was out of practice.
“I laughed it off, since I hadn’t heard a word about it,” Mother continued. “Then I read about it in the local paper. Would it be a good guess that the stitches on the side of your head are where you got clocked?”
“I didn’t see it coming.” I did my best to sound casual, as though being accosted in a parking lot was a regular occurrence. “The woman stepped out from between two cars and landed a powerful whack.”
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