“Whoa.” Wolf grabbed her elbow to steady her. “You okay?”
“I took one of the pain pills.” She wrinkled her nose. “I’m feeling a little dizzy. Just let me…” She didn’t finish her sentence. Instead, she threaded her arm through his, leaning heavily against him.
He was in the process of trying to wipe the goofy smile from his face when the police officer’s radio chirped.
“Officer Ryan,” that crackling voice sounded through the speaker, “I have an update on Cliff Barnes. His Toyota was found in a ditch three miles from the hospital, but he’s fled the scene. We have units searching for him now.”
“Roger that.” The policeman shook his head and said to Wolf and Chrissy, “If Cliff isn’t bellied up to the bar somewhere, he’s here at the E.R. trying to score pain meds.”
Chrissy grimaced. “I suppose I should feel sorry for him, but I can’t help hoping he gets put away for a nice long stretch considering he’s thesecondman who’s tried to make me take a dirt nap in less than twenty-four hours. Heaven help me if what they say is true and the third time’s the charm.”
The thought was enough to have Wolf’s skin going clammy. In response, he wanted to hulk over Chrissy, just snarl and snap at anyone or anything that got too close.
But he satisfied himself with the hand she wrapped around his bicep and decided the occasion—and Chrissy—could both do with a little humor. “Oh, I don’t think you have to worry about that none, darlin’. You’re just about ornery enough to be immortal.”
“Me?” She hooked a thumb toward her chest and then pointed at the scar across his temple. “You’re one to talk.”
“That’s my point.” He grinned. “Takes one to know one.”
She opened her mouth to respond, but closed it when a taxi pulled up beside them. “Oh, thank goodness.” Her uninjured shoulder drooped in relief. “I just want to crash face-first into my own bed.”
Wolf was tempted to ask if she wanted company, but this time he managed to silence his inner devil before the bastard spoke for him. “Your wish is my command,” was all he said as he swept open the taxi’s back door.
Once she was secure in the backseat, he turned to their police escort and voiced aloud the thought that’d been banging around inside his head for the last five minutes. “When I saw that sedan headin’ for her, I thought for sure those bastards from the warehouse were comin’ to finish what they started.”
“Nah.” Officer Ryan gave a jerk of his chin. “This was nothin’ more than a case of wrong place, wrong time.”
“Funny. That’s what Detective Dixon told Chrissy last night about her run-in with the shooter.”
“Woman must’ve walked under a ladder, crossed paths with a black cat, or broken a mirror is all I can say.” The policeman doffed his hat to run a forearm over his sweaty brow.
Wolf chalked up the niggle of apprehension that scratched at the back of his brain to being overly protective—and maybe overly paranoid—when it came to one Christina Rachel Szarek.
“See you at Miss Szarek’s house,” Officer Ryan said before heading toward his vehicle.
Right as Wolf was sliding into the taxi, the wind picked up. It washed over his face and sent fingers through his hair, reminding him of the woman waiting inside the car.
Like the west wind, she was warm and sweet and blustery.
And somehow I have to find a way to make her fall in love with me.
Chapter 13
9:29 AM…
Wolf had closed the car door behind him when he heard the taxi driver say, “Chrissy Szarek, is that you?”
Chrissy was adjusting her sling, but at the sound of her name, she glanced up. The smile on her face when she met the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror was absolutely radiant. Wolf wasn’t sure he’d ever heard her voice sound quite so chipper as when she chirped, “Billy Morris! What are you doing back in town? Last I heard, you were up in North Carolina singing for your supper!”
What the hell happened to all that pain med lethargy?He scanned the cabby’s handsome face, noting the heavily lashed eyes and the deep look of appreciation in them when the man stared back at Chrissy.
Ah,he thought.It jumped right out the window, thanks to Mr. Tall, Dark, and Taxi Driver.
Just that easily, that damned green-eyed monster hopped atop his shoulder.
“Still am,” Billy of the swoony blue eyes and movie star grin replied. “I’m here on vacation.”
“Vacation?” Chrissy looked around the cab.
