Don't Touch (18 page)

She laughed. “Oh you would be surprised and
how pale I am with out a bit of base and a touch of blush.” She
started on the tubes of lipstick opening a color holding it up to
her face in the mirror then rubbing a bit on the underside of her
arm. “This is nice but a bit too pink. Do you have one that has a
bit more peach in it?”

He grinned widely. “I do as a matter of fact.
Peachberry is the name of the color. You look like a warm fall. Let
me do your face and thrill your husband.”

Sly dog, she thought, casting the fishing
line for personal information. Ryan tried to match his grin. “That
would be a nice surprise. Maybe you could give me a few tips. I’m
terrible with eye shadow.”

Black walked around the counter with a stool.
“Be happy to. I was a make up artist in Hollywood so I know a lot
of little tricks.” He picked up a box of wet wipes and cleaned her
face. It took all her will power not to pull away with revulsion.
Where were Jackson and Thomas?

He gave her a warm smile and his voice was
soft with that dark timber. “You have beautiful dark eyes, and your
complexion isn’t all that fair.”

He applied a light powder base with the large
brush then a soft peach color to her cheekbones. He stepped back
and pushed up her chin with his finger. “Very nice symmetry. I bet
your mother was magnificent.”

“Thank you, she was a lovely woman.” It was
hard not to reveal too much and give him any real information. He
closed her eyes and quickly blended a green and taupe the make her
brown eyes glow. Just as he was about to apply mascara Ryan heard
Jack’s voice behind her.

“There you are beautiful! Wow make that
goddess.” Wiggling his eyebrows he grinned casually. “We had better
run if we’re going to make that movie babe.”

She smiled with genuine warmth as his hand
closed around hers. Without her gloves she had a flash of his panic
when he lost sight of her a bit ago. His heart was pounding as he
searched the booths franticly for her. Then it stopped beating when
his phone rang. He started listening for her voice in the
crowd.

Squeezing his hand in silent thanks she
glanced at his watch. “Oh goodness you’re right. Sorry, maybe I’ll
be back next weekend.”

Black was obviously disturbed by the
newcomer. “I do travel to different markets but I might still be
here. Here have this one on me“. He pulled a tube of lipstick out
of the case. “Since you’re going out for a night on the town you
can’t go unfinished.” Opening the tube he tilted her chin a bit and
skillfully smoothed on the color.

Ryan looked admiringly in the mirror.
“Lovely! You should go back to Hollywood if you can make me look
this good. Thank you for you time.”

As she slid off the stool he gently grabbed
her wrist then placed the lipstick in her hand. “Don’t forget this
you might want to freshen your lips after dinner.”

Visions of Black’s thoughts flashed in her
mind. He had already envisioned her in his trailer changing clothes
and then the knife. Nodding and trying to shake the inner sights.
Ryan thanked him then put her arm under Jackson’s jacket around his
waist to steady herself. She slipped her hand under his shirt to
touch his skin and tried to walk away calmly.

Holding on to Jack and his confidence,
feeling his concern and his love for her. The last emotion shocked
her enough to get to the car. Once there she was starting to feel
light headed. Wiping the lipstick off on the bottom of her shirt
Ryan tried to think. “I think we need to get to the hospital.”

When she kind of fell into the car Jack slid
in next to her and Thomas jumped in the driver’s seat. Thomas
called ahead to the emergency room. “I have a female in her
thirty’s possible drug reaction to GHB. Our ETA is fifteen minutes
or less so be ready for her.”

Ryan was having trouble feeling anything at
the moment but she wanted to hang onto the vision she had when he
touched her hand. But everything was fading to a haze. She started
to tremble unsure if it was due to the drug or because she was
scared. “Jack?”

He was leaning over the seat and pulled wet
wipes out of the glove box. Sitting back next to her he took
tissues first and wiped off as much of the make up as he could. He
had opened two baggies and they were sitting in her lap. Jackson
put the soiled tissue into one bag and closed it.

Taking a wet wipe he gently cleansed her eyes
first then her lips. Pulling another out of the container he wiped
her entire face over and over to get it all off her skin.

Her eyes were heavy and she felt him jostle
her. “Stay with me, Ryan don’t black out. Can you hear me?”

She tried to nod but only succeed in looking
down at her shoes. She finally was able to say it. “Yes, I hear
you.” But even that came out slurred. Her lips were tingly and her
whole body numb. “Jack?”

She felt him slide her into his lap and cover
her with his jacket. “I’m here babe, just stay with me. We’re
almost there. Can you raise your hand to mine?”

Ryan tried to force her mind to cooperate and
lift her hand but only managed to flop like a fish for a second. He
put her gloves on as he continued to talk to her keep her focused
until Thomas screeched to a halt at the hospital entrance.

Jackson carried her straight to the back not
waiting for the desk to check her. Her skin was cool to the touch
and she felt like dead weight.

The nearest empty gurney he laid her down and
started to shout for a doctor. Thomas recognized the doctor as the
one Ryan called to take care of his nephew.

He took one look and started working on her.
Smacking her none to softly on the cheek he tried to get her to
respond. “Ryan, Ryan answer me.” She moaned and moved away from his
rough handling, a good sign. “Ryan, it’s Paul, do you remember
me?”

She wasn’t able to focus on his face but the
voice she knew that voice. “Paul....Paul Torrence.”

“Yes that’s right. We’re going to have to
poke you a bit alright? You won’t fight me will ya Ry?”

She didn’t understand why she would have to
fight him. Where was she and why was everything so blurred? A wave
of nausea hit and she rolled to the side heaving and crying. She
was shaking terrified as sounds started to echo. Suddenly like a
beacon in the fog she felt Jack. He had his palm on the back of her
neck. When the sickness passed she reached for him. “Jack.”

Holding her hand and stroking her hair he
whispered to her. “I’m here, baby. It’s gonna be alright let them
take care of you. I promise I won’t leave your side, you’re
safe.”

Giving in to the voice and letting him take
care of her Ryan gave into the calling darkness and passed out.

Jack held her hand as she convulsed and went
unconscious. She was limp in his arms and panic set in until the
nurse slipped a heart monitor on her and it beeped. The tones were
too fast and irregular.

He pulled of the glove of the hand he held
and pressed her palm to his cheek. He kissed it and tried to put
all his emotions into that hand.

The doctor didn’t make him leave instead he
made the staff work around him as they put in intravenous lines and
drew blood. It seemed like hours before they slowed the frantic
pace and her heartbeat and breathing began to get closer to normal.
After a two more hours passed Dr. Torrence came to her side.

He went to check her pulse, Jackson stopped
him. “You need to have gloves on if you touch her.”

Torrence stopped moving and took in the
detective. The man’s voice was soft yet held a warning that he was
her protector. “So it’s true, what everyone’s been saying about
her?”

Shaking his head Jack sighed. “If you’re
asking if she’s crazy the answer would be no. Ryan is special she
has a gift.”

Torrence slipped on a pair of gloves and took
her pulse. “You know there are a still a few nurses that quake when
they hear her name. Dr. Ryan Reign is a force of nature. I was so
in love with her, her power to command an entire ER through
disasters. I missed that when she went to the ME’s office. Then she
came in that night.”

He pulled another blanket over her and gently
tucked it in before leaning on the bed rail. The doctor looked
Jackson in the eye. “She was a quivering mass of hysteria when they
brought her in. She fought me tooth and nail until I had to sedate
her to get her pulse. Ryan would wake up and it would happen again,
smaller scale but she would panic and scream and fight to keep us
away. Tell me why, detective. I need an explanation for a strong
assertive woman to turn into a frightened waif hiding in her
house.”

“When she touches an object or sometimes a
person she has visions, or impressions of emotions left there. It
sounds insane but it’s true. Ryan is working on a serial case with
my partner and I. She doesn’t hide in her house any more but it
might be better if she did.”

Paul watched as Jackson gently stroked the
back of her hand and smoothed back her hair. It was obvious
whatever relationship they had it went beyond any case. “She’s
going to be fine. She’ll be down for a couple of days maybe. Ryan’s
tough she can over come anything. The witch thinks she’s Wonder
Woman and I know she will refuse to stay here. When she wakes up
and gets the all clear I’ll release her in your care. Good luck
with that.” Chuckling Dr. Torrence left him to it.

Chapter 16

Ryan blinked as the bright overhead light was
turned on by the nightshift nurse. “Do you mind?”

The nurse gave her a look as she finished her
task and went to inform Dr. Torrence that his patient was finally
awake. Ryan reached up to pull the light off and realized she
wasn’t at home. Fear seized her for a moment that Amber had
succeeded and had her committed to the nut house. Sitting up she
felt the IV pull in her arm and looked around frantic till she saw
Jackson sleeping in the chair next to her bed.

His neck was bent in an odd angle as his head
rested on his arm. She sat back knowing if he was there it was
alright. It was then that she noticed the gloves. He had made sure
she had gloves on. He had protected her in all situations. Suddenly
he lurched forward but woke and caught himself.

She couldn’t help but snicker. He raked a
hand through his hair and grinned as if she were the most fantastic
thing he’d ever seen. “Sure you laugh now, wait until I post your
naked ER pictures on the internet.”

Without a second thought he leaned over and
kissed her gently. His warm lips pressed to hers were all the
medicine she would need. “So I’m going to live to terrorize the
world another day?”

He laughed with a whiskey timber. “Yeah,
don’t go scaring me like that again. My heart nearly dropped out of
my chest when I saw you sitting on that stool.”

She reached out and ran fingers through his
hair as a nervous gesture. “He was watching me some guys think
stalling is being flirtatious. So I just went on like I was
shopping. I saw something when he touched my hand but it’s gone
now.”

Jack moved to the edge of the bed. “You’re
lucky you’re not gone now. Whatever he mixes that stuff with hit
your system fast. You had an allergic reaction to it. Do you
remember any of what happened after we left the booth?”

Shaking her head and laying back Ryan took a
deep breath. “Only you telling me I was safe. When I first woke up
I thought I was in some kind of home. I’m surprised they didn’t
strap me down just for the fun of it.”

A familiar voice joined in the conversation.
“It was tempting. I have to admit to fantasizing when you were on a
rant about trussing you up and leaving you in the housekeeping
closet.”

Bowing her head in mock shame. “Feel the
love. Somebody had to keep you in line, Paul.”

Dr. Torrence leaned on the door jam. “That’s
why you went to the morgue. Only half of them would fight with you.
The other half will just lay there and take it.”

Her mouth fell open and Jack snickered. “I
have never been that difficult.”

Sarcastically Paul shrugged. “Oh no never you
Dr. Reign. Pure alpha dog you are and I am glad to see you working
again. Even if you almost get yourself killed.” He signed her
paperwork and handed her the familiar pink colored discharge page.
“Get out I need to give this bed to someone who will appreciate my
delicate bedside manner.”

When he left Jackson pulled her cloths off
the hanger a frightening thought gripped her. “Where is Black? Tell
me someone got him.”

But she could see by his expression something
was wrong. “Marion County sheriffs arrested him but we have no
solid evidence yet that he’s connected. Other than the fact that he
is hocking the same cosmetics the girls had on them and that being
circumstantial they let him go. They are trying to charge him with
your assault but there again we haven’t got proof yet until the
tissues and the lipstick come back from the lab.”

“So he’s out there and on the run. We may
have lost him.” She was angry and threw the covers off jumping to
her feet. A wave of dizziness forced her to grab for Jackson. He
reached her first.

“Hey, we will get him. If he sent me pictures
once he’s sure to contact me again. He’s gloating now. He doesn’t
know who you are so you’re safe but I’m not leaving your side for a
second until he’s locked up. We’re taking today off.”