Kaylin burst through the stairwell door into the hall and froze. A vase sat on the nurses’ station counter, exploding with dark, purple calla lilies. They drooped like hooded monks, staring. Accusing.
“Dr. Lawrence,” a nurse at the desk said, beckoning her over.
Please don’t be for me, please don’t be for me,Kaylin whispered under her breath.
“These came for you,” the nurse said.
“Shit.”
“Excuse me?” The nurse raised an eyebrow, confused.
“Nothing,” Kaylin said. “Sorry. Forgot something. You sure these are for me?”
The nurse jotted something on a clipboard. “Uh-huh,” she said. “And there’s a note.”
Kaylin hesitated before reaching in for the note. She unfolded the paper. It was handwritten in all capitals—the same writing as the notes on her door.
WHO WERE YOU WITH LAST NIGHT, it screamed.
Kaylin’s heart pounded up into her throat, and she fought the urge to throw up right there in the hall.
“Got a page,” Kaylin said. She dashed into the breakroom and dialed Rusty as fast as her trembling fingers could.
* * *
Kaylin tookoff sick the rest of the day and called in a colleague to cover her shift; her hands were shaking too hard to complete surgery without turning it into a butcher job. Rusty met her outside the hospital.
“You need to stay with me until we catch this guy,” Rusty said. “He’s clearly stalking your apartment and following you. He might be watching us now.”
“How long?” Kaylin asked. “I didn’t bring very much.”
“That wasn’t much?” Rusty joked.
“We can’t all be Bear Grylls,” she said.
Rusty sighed, exasperated. “Fine. We’ll go back to your place so you can get what you need.”
“Let’s walk there. You can keep a look out for anyone suspicious. If he’s watching us now, I want to flush him out,” Kaylin said.
Rusty’s eyes bulged. This woman was going to drive him crazy—and he liked it. It was taking everything in him to keep a straight face and not crack a smile. How would it look if he smiled in a situation like this? He was supposed to be tough. Seasoned. A pro. “All right. Let’s go,” he said.
He kept pace a few steps behind her. They’d just turned a corner when a black limousine pulled up beside her. He resisted the urge to grab her arm but stopped short, pretending to look at a news kiosk. He wanted to see the face of the person inside, to see if this was the guy. The window rolled down.
“Jimmy?” Kaylin said, bending down to speak at his level. “How you feeling? On the mend, I hope.”
“Much better, thanks to you,” he said. “I should also be thanking you for bringing in a new customer. Your friend, Natalie, booked a ride to the airport yesterday.”
“That’s great, Jimmy. I’m glad you were able to help her out.”
“Headed home?” He held up his wrist. “Isn’t it a bit early for that?”
“Yeah, I’m not feeling well,” Kaylin lied. She glanced at Rusty, who pretended to be texting.
“That’s too bad,” he said. “Should you be walking?” He opened his door and started to get out. “Let me give you a ride.” He opened the back door and reached for her, trying to usher her in.
“No!” Rusty said, springing at them.
Jimmy shoved Kaylin, trying to stuff her into the car. She stumbled over the curb, catching herself on the door. Rusty tackled Jimmy to the ground. Jimmy pulled a gun out from inside his coat. He pointed it at Rusty’s head. “Get on your knees!”
