“Her baby died!” Susanne wailed and the tears came in a torrent. She cried so hard, she started to hyperventilate.
Cody took her by the shoulders and practically held her up. “Susanne, take a slow breath. You’re going to—”
Her eyes rolled back and she passed out. It was all he could do to wrap one arm around her and ease her to the floor without her bumping her head.
“Oh my God.” Kristi rushed forward and dropped to her knees beside him.
Susanne was already waking up and mumbling, “What happened?”
“You fainted.”
She tried to get up.
Cody gently helped her sit and kept his hand at her back to ensure she didn’t pass out again and crack her head on the marble floor. “Give yourself a minute.”
The tears had slowed but not stopped. “I need to see her.”
“You’re in no shape to go anywhere right now. And what if she’s already on the way home and we miss her?” The dean said she was in her dorm with security outside, but Brooke could decide to leave campus and come home to her mother. He doubted it, but it was a possibility.
Susanne pressed her hand to her forehead. “I need to be there for her.” Her voice came out soft and made her sound lost.
“I need you to let me do this. You understand, right?” He didn’t have time to go into what happened between him and Brooke at Christmas. At this point, Susanne had to know the baby was his.
He didn’t even look at Kristi. That was a conversation for another day, to go along with the end of them.
“I just…” She looked at him with teary eyes filled with worry. “I feel sick about all of this.”
He got that when she fainted on him. He’d never seen her do that, but she’d never been rocked by such terrible news like she was today.
“You need to rest.” He hugged Susanne, hoping to reassure her. “Wait here in case she comes home. Please.”
Susanne begrudgingly nodded as he let her go. “Bring her home.”
He gave Susanne a quick kiss on the cheek, so grateful she’d let him go to Brooke alone. “I’ll call you as soon as I see her.” He helped her up and didn’t let go until he was sure she was steady.
“I’m fine. Go. Hurry.”
He took two steps toward the door before Kristi stepped into his line of sight and said under her breath, “Let Susanne go and take care of Brooke.”
He met her angry gaze. “I can’t. Not now. Please take care of Susanne. Brooke needs me.” He slammed the door behind him and ran to his car. The long drive would test his patience. Strained and anxious, he drove, fast and nearly reckless, his focus on getting to Brooke and discovering exactly what happened to her and his baby.
Chapter Six
The normally two-hour drive took him one and a half. By the time he reached campus, he knew several things. The hospital refused to give him any information. They wouldn’t even confirm Brooke had been admitted. He’d called the local police and campus security. Even though he was a lawyer and Brooke’s stepbrother—technically—he couldn’t get any information. Everywhere he turned, he met a brick wall.
No wonder the reporters didn’t have Brooke’s name as the latest victim. The police, the school, the hospital, all of them protected her identity. Cody could only think of one reason they’d do that. Brooke could identify the campus stalker. Also apparently, someone had shut everyone up. That meant money. That meant power. Whoever was behind this had both and was using them to keep everyone quiet. Including Brooke.
Two security guards met him outside the dorm entrance.
“I’m sorry, sir. Only students who live here and have ID are allowed in the building.”
“My name is Cody Jansen. I’m here to see Brooke Banks.”
The two guards exchanged a telling look and turned back to him.
“Are you with the press?” one of them asked.
“No. I’m her stepbrother.” He hated using that to get to her.
