“Shit. I’m sorry.” He threw his hands up in frustration. “Let me pick this stuff up.” Jane quickly dropped into a crouch just in time to stop a ChapStick from rolling off the curb. Sully’s brother watched her with a fevered stare that made the tiny hairs on the back of her neck prickle. Thalia kneeled beside her and began collecting items.
With everything thrown back into her bag, Jane pushed to her feet, not liking the vulnerability of being on the ground in front of Bentley. “I didn’t realize you were still in Maryland. I haven’t seen you since—”
“You accused me of messing with my brother’s monitor?” His face twisted into a snarl. “Yeah, I haven’t exactly felt welcome, but I’ve been around.” His body was tense as though he was going to lunge toward her, but she held her ground.
She wouldn’t apologize for being protective of Sully. Something had happened in that room. She’d stake her life on it. Many nights before she fell into a fitful sleep she thought about Bentley’s reaction in the waiting room. His first thought had been to go on the defensive, not inquire about Sully’s well-being. She wasn’t sure if she’d ever find out exactly what happened, but her gut was screaming at her not to trust this man.
“He’s awake now.” There was an edge of challenge in her voice that surprised even her.
A flash of fear struck his face, but the expression was gone just as rapidly as it had come.
“I’ll have to pay him a visit.” He shoved his hands into his pockets. “That is, if the gatekeeper approves.” The words were muttered through a clenched jaw, but she heard the warning in his voice loud and clear.
“Is that Sully’s brother?” Thalia asked, wrinkling her brow.
“Unfortunately,” she muttered, as they made their way back into the hospital.
“There’s something about him.” Thalia took her hand again, and they both walked a bit faster. “He’s not safe.” Thalia voicing her concerns helped her feel not quite as paranoid.
Jane’s palm met the sun-heated handle of the hospital door and instantly felt more grounded. There was safety in numbers, and the hospital was teeming with people. Not that she expected Bentley to harm her, but he sure did give her the creeps. The warmth of the summer day was replaced by chilled, stagnant hospital air. A shiver seeped into her skin, but she couldn’t be sure if that was the encounter with Bentley or the temperature-controlled space. Hospital staff shuffled through the hallways,weaving between patients and their families to get to their destinations. The space seemed more crowded than when they left. It must be a popular visiting time. They strode through the labyrinth of hallways until they reached the elevator that would bring them back to the ICU.
A static buzz was audible right before an announcement started on the overhead paging system. “Security assist requested on the second floor, D-wing. Again, security request to the second floor, D-wing.”
Thalia tipped her head toward the PA system above their heads. “I wonder what’s going on,” she mused, glancing around.
“Me too, but hospitals tend to get a lot of use out of their announcement systems. You might have a domestic dispute or an upset patient harassing a member of the staff. There could be some kind of threat or just the need for coverage in that area of the hospital.”
A custodian passed them, using a dry mop to shine the floors. He paused nearby and glanced up. “I’d be cautious, ladies. Someone just broke into the upstairs pharmacy and could still be on campus.”
“Thank you,” Thalia said in a low voice as the custodian continued down the corridor, smoothly pushing the mop.
Jane pressed the elevator call button and watched the floor numbers on the digital display quickly count down as the car descended toward them. The overhead paging continued as they took the elevator to the ICU. The nurse behind the desk offered them a tight smile and buzzed them into the hallway leading to the patients’ rooms.
When they entered, Jane immediately sought Sully’s gaze. He was propped upright and when his eyes landed on hers, a slow smile spread over his face. One that was meant for her and her alone. The expression saturated her with warmth, like thesun beaming down. Her breath caught in her throat. What would it be like to belong to this man? For him to be hers in return?
“How was your walk?” Red pulled Thalia into his side and planted a kiss on her cheek.
“We saw Sully’s brother. He nearly knocked Jane off the sidewalk.”
Sully’s expression clouded as he looked up at her. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah.” She didn’t want to worry Sully right now. Not when he’d just woken up and didn’t even recall his brother’s visit and the events that followed. “He was in a hurry and didn’t see us.”
Sully’s hand closed gently on her arm. The simple touch sent a current of electricity coursing through her. “Has Bentley given you a hard time?” She met his eyes, then blinked. The expression on his face was downright scary, but not in the same way as Bentley’s. She wasn’t afraid of Sully. Never of him. The gold flecks in his eyes seemed to sharpen, seeking answers.
“Tell him,” Red said. “Now that he’s conscious, he should know about your suspicions.”
Sully was quiet as he watched her, waiting for her to speak.
“I don’t think now is the best time,” she bit out, not wanting any stressors placed on Sully while he was healing.
“Jane.” Sully’s voice was rough, and a tingle that had nothing to do with fear swept over her skin. Goose bumps popped up on her legs and arms, and the tips of her breasts tightened beneath her shirt. Warmth spread over her cheeks, and she cleared her throat before she dared to meet his gaze again. “Please, let me know what happened.”
She sighed and knew trying to keep this from Sully would be a losing battle. She absently licked her lips, nervous energy buzzing around her. “The first week we were here, the hospital staff was only letting one person into the room at a time. After Bentley visited with you, I found the machine monitoring yourvital signs unplugged. You were in respiratory distress. The monitor would’ve alerted the nurses that something was wrong.”
“And you think he did something?” His expression was unreadable, but he took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze, just like he had on the boat.
“I…” She gripped his hand in return, afraid that whatever she said would be met with denial or hostility. “He’s your brother.”
