“Damn. Fredericks is a legend! Mind you, April is a fighter, that Mahoney shit proved that,” the second replied.
“They’ve got both of them on the third floor,” the first murmured and sent me a worried look.
Fury boiled up inside me. That bitch lived? God, she didn’t even have the decency to die after what she’d done. Anger choked me as the two nurses gave me a strange look.
I realised I’d clenched my fists and was grinding my teeth. Somehow, I managed to force a smile to my lips, and both flinched and fled as the doors shut. There were now two tasks ahead of me. I stepped out of the elevator as it hit the third floor and began plotting.
If I took Julie, I wouldn’t have time to handle the PI’s piece of trash. But if I shot her and killed her, then during thechaos, I could grab Julie and escape. Nobody would bother with an orderly. I just required a few items to carry out my plan. Something to drug Julie with, a wheelchair, and a few other things. I began walking down corridors, looking for Julie and that PI’s bitch, and figuring out what I needed to deal with them both. Today would be a good day for real men!
April
I heard a shuffling and looked up. A janitor passed by my window, pushing a mop and bucket with his cap pulled low over his eyes. The janitor glanced at me and nodded before moving on. A frown crossed my face; he hadn’t appeared friendly at all, and I didn’t recognise him. Unlike many, I made it a point to get to know the cleaning staff because they were the backbone of the hospital.
I shrugged him away and looked around. Nobody was in sight; Slaughter had taken Clara home and was staying there until relieved. With Margrave loose, I hadn’t wanted her to be alone, and Stone had agreed. Together, we had overruled any arguments she put up and sent her home with a bodyguard. Jinx would take over from him when he left here. Currently, Jinx was guarding Julie while the police organised a guard for her overnight.
Stone was planning to stay the night with me, but, after he witnessed the swill the hospital had served, he had popped out to get real food. The doctor had said I could eat something light, and I was starving now. I spotted movement again and frowned as the janitor passed by, then suddenly spun around and headed for my door.
I hit the alarm before he even opened the door and yanked off my heart monitor. Alarms screamed as I stared at Margrave,who hesitated in the doorway. He aimed a weapon in my direction, and I held his gaze.
“You won’t leave here alive,” I hissed.
Margrave didn’t flinch. “But you’ll be dead too!” he snarled and raised the gun.
I wouldn’t cringe; he wouldn’t get that satisfaction as I gazed at him. Margrave grinned, with his finger on the trigger.
“Gun!” someone shouted. Margrave glanced over his shoulder and hesitated. Hate flashed across his face, and he glared at me.
“This is all your fault,” he yelled and raised the weapon once more. His finger tightened, and then there was a gunshot. I closed my eyes and waited for the agony. After a few seconds, when nothing happened apart from my existing pain, I peeked. Margrave stared at me from the doorway and then gradually collapsed to the ground. There was blood splatter up the doorframe and door itself, and my gaze slowly moved to the inside window, and I gaped at the figure standing there.
Jinx remained with his arms outstretched and pointing a gun where Margrave had stood. He looked shocked and worried, but he kept the weapon trained on Margrave.
“Is he dead?” Jinx asked into the stunned silence.
“Keep that weapon on him, son,” Dr Fredericks said, coming forward. He crouched by Margrave and checked his pulse. After a few moments, Fredericks shook his head.
“He’s dead.” Fredericks moved into my room and silenced the alarms.
“Oh God,” Jinx exclaimed and dropped his stance. He fumbled with the gun and then held his hands up. “I’m licenced to carry. Shit, I killed a man.”
Jinx turned white and headed for a toilet in the corner of the ward. Suddenly, the deathly silence was shattered as several women shrieked and men began yelling. Minutes ticked past asI stared at the dead guy in my doorway. People screamed again when men burst through the ward’s entrance with guns out.
I recognised Detective Lio in the lead.
“Jinx shot Margrave; he was going to kill me!” I yelled before Jinx could be arrested or shot himself.
Lio sent me a surprised glance. “The kid did this? Secure Margrave’s weapon and don’t let anyone in.”
“Harlequin’s not here!” I cried.
“Let Harlequin in from Hellfire MC. He’ll tear the hospital apart to get to his girlfriend,” Lio amended. “Where’s Jinx?”
“I believe the young man is presently throwing his guts up,” Fredericks said and pointed to where Jinx had disappeared.
An officer approached with Margrave’s gun in a bag. “Weapon secured.”
“Can you please get him out of here? I don’t want to see him,” I cried. Even though I wasn’t looking at him, I sensed Margrave’s dead eyes staring through me.
“Hang in, April. We need to take some pictures, and then we can move you.”
