Elizabeth shook in Toni’s arms. “My fault,” she whispered. “He was after me. I need to go. I can’t…I have to be there. The hospital. Pray. Pleasepray.”
Toni released her. “Of course. Go. I’ll be there as soon as the cops let us lock up therestaurant.”
Milos appeared at Elizabeth’s elbow. “Miss Elizabeth, I have to stay here with the police. I killed the man who hurt you. Viktor will meet you at the hospital. You met him at the house before you left. Do you rememberhim?”
She nodded, not trusting herself tospeak.
“Don’t go anywhere alone. Do youunderstand?”
“I won’t let her. Don’t worry,” Thomas replied. “Comeon.”
“Wait!” One of the uniformed officers blocked their way. “We need to ask her somequestions.”
“Miss Elizabeth needs to go to the hospital, which is where I’m taking her,” Thomas replied sharply. “Unless you think the bullet wound to her thigh should gountreated?”
“What?” Elizabethasked.
“It’s a graze, miss. But between that and your wrist, you need to be seen,” Thomas replied. He gestured to the ripped material of her jeans. The deep gash oozed blood, but the pain barely registered. “You can talk to her at thehospital.”
Thomas ushered her two blocks down to the limo. By the time he held the front door open, her wrist had started to protest and her thigh burned. “You’ll ride up front so I can keep an eye on you.” He waited for her to get in, and then shut the door firmly. When he slid behind the wheel, he turned, his face as serious as she’d ever seen it. “Buckle up. I used to be a stuntdriver.”
Six hours later, Elizabeth sported a wrist brace and a thick bandage on her thigh. Samuel had brought her a change of clothes, and she’d changed into black wool pants and a rose-colored cashmere sweater she was certain hadn’t been in the closet when they’d left thehouse.
Next to her, Alexander lay in the narrow bed, a heart rate monitor beeping regularly.Too pale, she thought as she stared at his bare chest, and the tube still inserted between two of his ribs. The bullet had pierced his lung and had taken a path dangerously close to his heart, but the doctors assured her that he’d make a full recovery—despite his blood pressure dropping dangerously low on the operatingtable.
Elizabeth sat next to the hospital bed and stroked her fingers lightly over the back of Alexander’s right hand. She traced each of the veins along his skin, memorizing the feel of him, remembering the strength of his grip, the firm heat of his lips, and his commandingvoice.
For two hours, she’d fought with the nurses. She wasn’t family, and they’d refused to tell her anything or let her into the ICU. But then Nicholas had strode into the ward and told them that if they didn’t put Elizabeth on the family list, he was going to call the hospital administrator and pull all Fairhaven funding for the rest of his naturallife.
Now, he slipped back into the room. “The police won’t bother you again until tomorrow,” Nicholas said quietly. “The U.S. Attorney has Hayes and Pastack in custody, and Carter is spilling hisguts.”
“Thank you,” she whispered and leaned into his hand on hershoulder.
Nicholas sighed. “He’s a stubborn son of a bitch, Elizabeth. If you haven’t learned that about him bynow…”
“I know. I’ll feel better when he wakes up.” She tried to keep the wobble from her voice but failedmiserably.
“You should get some rest. I know you want to stay, but you’ve been through a lot these past few days too. I’ll keep watch over him. Thomas can take you home for a fewhours.”
“I’m not leaving him,” she protested, and Nicholas drew his hand away so he could take a seat next to her. When she met his gaze, she found his pale blue eyes bloodshot and full ofconcern.
“It’s two in the morning. He’s stable. There’s nothing else you can do rightnow.”
“She stays.” The whisper from the bed startled them both. Elizabeth gasped. Alexander’s eyelids twitched, and his lips parted as he groanedsoftly.
“Alexander, look at me,” she begged, leaning closer and bringing his hand to herlips.
A muscle in his jaw flexed. He tried to take a deeper breath, but pain ghosted across his face, followed by a weak smile when his eyelids fluttered open and he focused onher.
“Hey there,” she said, unable to stop hertears.
“Stay.” The single word was all he managed before his eyes closedagain.
“I’m not going anywhere. They’ll have to drag me out with a team of rabiddogs.”
“Dogs aren’t…allowed.”
“Well, then a team of rabid Candy Stripers. Do they even still have Candy Stripers anymore?” she asked Nicholas, who was chuckling quietly in the otherchair.
