It had been terrifying, but a minute later, she was on her feet again, and ten minutes later, she was back with her friends on the swings, the incident totally forgotten, until now.
She’d had the wind knocked out of her, badly. Her shoulder hurt and, knowing how delicate her skin was, she’d be badly bruised. In the next couple of days, there would be a rainbow of colors on her shoulder, the palette dominated by black and green.
But that was it. She took in a deep breath and felt no pain at all. She felt shaken, a man had broken into her office and threatened her with a gun to the head. Feeling deeply rattled was only natural. And she was tired, because she was now going on thirty-six hours without sleep. But there was nothing broken inside her.
Another man entered the room, crouched next to her, a familiar face. Mike the cop.
Sam frowned at him. “What the hell are you doing here?”
“Word travels, bro. Cop shop jungle drums. Harry’s here, too.”
Sam swiveled his head. Behind Mike was a tall man with lines of suffering on his face, on crutches. He was an unhealthy pale color, big-boned but painfully thin, the emaciation of illness or injury. Nicole recognized it immediately.
The medic stood. “Okay. Vital signs are good, but we’re taking you in for observation, ma’am. It would probably be a good idea to stay overnight, just so we can be sure you’re not concussed.”
“No,” Nicole said calmly.
The medic had been beckoning to someone at the door, but he turned around at her tone. “No?” It was as if he’d never heard the word before.
“No. No question. I’m not going to the hospital.” Nicole had spent two months accompanying her father to the hospital for radiotherapy, every single day. Just walking through hospital doors and inhaling the smell of formalin and alcohol made her nauseous.
She didn’t need the hospital. She was shaken and scared but not hurt, not seriously. Staying in a hospital was not going to make her feel better. “I know myself. I had the wind knocked out of me, that’s all. I’m a little bruised, but there’s nothing broken inside. I’m just fine.”
Sam’s jaw muscles jumped. He was literally biting down on words. “You could be concussed.” Each word sounded pulled out of him by red-hot pincers.
“If I’m concussed, being in the hospital won’t help.” But she wasn’t. She hadn’t bumped her head. Her muscles hurt, not her head.
“You’re coming home with me, then.” Sam’s deep voice was belligerent, as if spoiling for a fight. “And at the first sign of something I don’t like, you’re going to the hospital. That is non-negotiable.”
Usually, Nicole was like a cat. You did not order her about. Under normal circumstances, her pride, if nothing else, would have made her refuse Sam’s orders. But actually, going home with Sam sounded wonderful. If she went back to her own home, she’d have to face the night nurse and, maybe, her father. The last thing he needed was to see her bruised and shaken.
Going home with Sam, maybe sleeping a few hours in his arms, sounded like heaven right now.
“Okay,” she said softly. “Deal.”
Sam had assumed a fighting stance, legs apart and braced, clearly ready to put up a fight. He blinked, the wind taken out of his sails. He relaxed a little and nodded, eyes never leaving hers. “Deal.”
“Ma’am? I’m Lieutenant Kelly. Do you feel up to answering a few questions?” Nicole looked at the man standing next to Mike. Lieutenant Kelly looked tired, as if just coming off a very long shift. He was tall, heavyset but very fit-looking, dressed in a rumpled gray suit that matched the gray at his temples.
She had to twist her neck painfully to look up at him as he walked around her, pulling up one of her client chairs. A Louis IV, which she’d had covered inAntico Setificio Fiorentinodark green brocade. It was exceedingly pretty and fragile. He sat on it gingerly as if hoping it wouldn’t crack under his weight. She sat on its twin, turning it so they were face to face, almost knee to knee.
Sam pulled up another chair, placed it as close to hers as it could go, and sat down.
Lieutenant Kelly leaned forward, elbows on knees, holding a worn notebook. At his soft instigation, Nicole gave her name, address and office, home and cell phone numbers.
“Do you want to tell me what went down, Ms. Pearce?”
“Yes. Of course.” She took a deep breath, marshaling her thoughts. “I, um, didn’t go into work today. I wasn’t, um, feeling very well, so I worked from home. Or tried to.” Next to her, she could practically feel Sam vibrating. The lieutenant was watching her carefully, bruised-looking gray eyes fixed on her intently. Nicole hoped with all her heart the man didn’t have telepathic powers, because she would die on the spot if he figured out exactly why she didn’t come in to work today. Because she’d been rattled by the most intense night of sex of her life. Whew.
He simply nodded at her, made an annotation in his notebook, then looked back at her.Go on. He didn’t betray any impatience, but the words hovered in the air.
God, she was tired. A sudden wave of debilitating exhaustion swept over her. She looked down in her lap, horrified to see her hands shaking. She clutched them, hoping the detective hadn’t noticed.
He’d noticed.
So had Sam.
Sam reached over and curled one big hand over her clasped ones, stilling the trembling. But she was trembling all over now and felt cold, chilled to the bone.
