a tall pedestal stand down to a multitasked needle implanted in his good arm. The other arm was thick with plaster.
“How’s it going, mate?” Ben sat on the metal chair next to the bed, his powerful jean-clad legs stretched out in front of him, his bedside smile warm and comforting. Geez this guy did weird things to my insides when he smiled. Things that left me with an uncontrollable urge to sit on his lap, wrap my legs around his waist and kiss the stuffing out of him.
There was only one catch. I knew if I ever showed my real feelings Ben might instantly back-off, so I had to suffer in silence. At least, as a mate, there was always the chance that one day he’d look at me, suddenly discover a desirable woman under the freckles and messy hair and take me seriously.
Or un- seriously.
Or any damn way he liked—
As long as he took me.
Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of my fantasy world and returned to the stark reality of Room 32B, where I had a job to do.
“Barney, tell us who did this to you.”
He opened his eyes, stared up at me, but didn’t answer.
“What did he want you to do?” I gently straightened the sheet under Barney’s chin. “Tamper with the starting boxes? Hide a cyanide cylinder inside the favorite’s box?”
Whatever it was…Barney evidently hadn’t followed orders.
“Kat?” I could read the fear in Barney’s voice and see it in his bloodshot, half-drugged eyes. “Kat,” he croaked again, a dribble of spit forming at the corner of his poor bruised mouth. “What are you doing here?”
“I asked you first, Barney. Who did this terrible thing to you?”
His head moved feebly from side to side and when he spoke his throat sounded drier than month-old bread rolls. “No, no,” he protested. “I…fell out of a tree. Stupid thing to do. I was pruning…saw a bird’s nest…baby had fallen out…tried to put it back in.”
Ben lifted a glass of water to Barney’s parched lips. “Come on, mate, you’re among friends here. Tell us who beat the crap out of you and we’ll pay the mongrel a visit. Remember, we’ve got a score to settle too. Turner’s dead and McKinley’s been threatened. We need to stop this scumbag once and for all.” He placed the glass back on the bedside stand, never taking his eyes off the man in the bed. “Did you recognize the guy who beat you up?”
“I-I told you… fell out of a tree.” He closed his eyes, either to sleep or shut out anymore questions.
Tanya, whose job it was to stand guard outside, poked her head into the room. “Let’s go, guys. Nurse approaching from due north.”
Ben unfolded his long frame from the hard metal chair, said goodbye to Barney and strode across to the doorway.
Before following, I patted the steward gently on his good arm. “I hope you feel better when you wake up, Barney.”
His eyes opened. “Be careful, Kat,” he croaked, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear. “Whatever they ask—do it! They’re like animals. No…worse than animals.”
I felt an arctic chill slice into my heart as it pounded against my ribcage. “They?” I repeated slowly. “I thought there was only one psycho. Who do you mean by they ? Barney, you’ve gotta tell me. I need to know who’s out to get me.”
As though he’d been pricked by a pin and lost all his air, Barney’s eyelids closed and he lost consciousness.
“Kat!” Tanya grabbed me by the arm and towed me to the door. “The pillow under the blanket trick didn’t work. The nurse knows you’re missing. Unless you want to sign out, we have to go.”
“But—”
“Ms. McKinley? If you are hiding in the bathroom I insist you come out now.”
Oh, hell! It was Nurse Nightingale on the warpath.
One last glance at Barney’s pasty face and I dashed from the room. After what happened to Matt, and now Barney, I figured I’d need more than Tater and Lucky to protect me from the bad guys. I’d need a brace of ferocious Dobermans, a dozen Rottweilers and
“How’s it going, mate?” Ben sat on the metal chair next to the bed, his powerful jean-clad legs stretched out in front of him, his bedside smile warm and comforting. Geez this guy did weird things to my insides when he smiled. Things that left me with an uncontrollable urge to sit on his lap, wrap my legs around his waist and kiss the stuffing out of him.
There was only one catch. I knew if I ever showed my real feelings Ben might instantly back-off, so I had to suffer in silence. At least, as a mate, there was always the chance that one day he’d look at me, suddenly discover a desirable woman under the freckles and messy hair and take me seriously.
Or un- seriously.
Or any damn way he liked—
As long as he took me.
Reluctantly, I dragged myself out of my fantasy world and returned to the stark reality of Room 32B, where I had a job to do.
“Barney, tell us who did this to you.”
He opened his eyes, stared up at me, but didn’t answer.
“What did he want you to do?” I gently straightened the sheet under Barney’s chin. “Tamper with the starting boxes? Hide a cyanide cylinder inside the favorite’s box?”
Whatever it was…Barney evidently hadn’t followed orders.
“Kat?” I could read the fear in Barney’s voice and see it in his bloodshot, half-drugged eyes. “Kat,” he croaked again, a dribble of spit forming at the corner of his poor bruised mouth. “What are you doing here?”
“I asked you first, Barney. Who did this terrible thing to you?”
His head moved feebly from side to side and when he spoke his throat sounded drier than month-old bread rolls. “No, no,” he protested. “I…fell out of a tree. Stupid thing to do. I was pruning…saw a bird’s nest…baby had fallen out…tried to put it back in.”
Ben lifted a glass of water to Barney’s parched lips. “Come on, mate, you’re among friends here. Tell us who beat the crap out of you and we’ll pay the mongrel a visit. Remember, we’ve got a score to settle too. Turner’s dead and McKinley’s been threatened. We need to stop this scumbag once and for all.” He placed the glass back on the bedside stand, never taking his eyes off the man in the bed. “Did you recognize the guy who beat you up?”
“I-I told you… fell out of a tree.” He closed his eyes, either to sleep or shut out anymore questions.
Tanya, whose job it was to stand guard outside, poked her head into the room. “Let’s go, guys. Nurse approaching from due north.”
Ben unfolded his long frame from the hard metal chair, said goodbye to Barney and strode across to the doorway.
Before following, I patted the steward gently on his good arm. “I hope you feel better when you wake up, Barney.”
His eyes opened. “Be careful, Kat,” he croaked, his voice barely loud enough for me to hear. “Whatever they ask—do it! They’re like animals. No…worse than animals.”
I felt an arctic chill slice into my heart as it pounded against my ribcage. “They?” I repeated slowly. “I thought there was only one psycho. Who do you mean by they ? Barney, you’ve gotta tell me. I need to know who’s out to get me.”
As though he’d been pricked by a pin and lost all his air, Barney’s eyelids closed and he lost consciousness.
“Kat!” Tanya grabbed me by the arm and towed me to the door. “The pillow under the blanket trick didn’t work. The nurse knows you’re missing. Unless you want to sign out, we have to go.”
“But—”
“Ms. McKinley? If you are hiding in the bathroom I insist you come out now.”
Oh, hell! It was Nurse Nightingale on the warpath.
One last glance at Barney’s pasty face and I dashed from the room. After what happened to Matt, and now Barney, I figured I’d need more than Tater and Lucky to protect me from the bad guys. I’d need a brace of ferocious Dobermans, a dozen Rottweilers and
Similar Books
