Targeted (Firebrand Book 1) (22 page)

“It’s a severe reaction someone has to certain allergies, like bee or insect bites.”

Ash glanced at Reese. “I’ve been away for a while, so I don’t know if she’s ever had a reaction or not.”

The doctor held a clipboard in one hand and he tapped it against his leg. “We don’t usually see a rattlesnake bite victim go into shock like she did unless they’re predisposed to anaphylaxis. What kind of symptoms did you see on the way here?”

“Well, she became dizzy soon after being bitten. She had a weak pulse, trouble breathing, and passed out.”

The doctor nodded. “All signs of anaphylaxis. And she never said anything about carrying an auto-injector?”

Ash shook his head. “She never said anything to me.”

“Um-m,” the doctor said as he stroked his chin with his free hand. “It sounds like she may not have known the danger.” He inhaled. “Well, she’ll bear watching for the next 24 hours to make sure the danger has passed. I’m going to put her in the Intensive Care Unit for the rest of the night.”

For the first time Ash felt a flicker of hope. “So she’s okay. She’s not going to die?”

The doctor pursed his mouth and frowned. “Let’s not talk about that right now. We’ll see how the night goes. Now why don’t you go on home and get some rest? We’ll call you if anything changes.”

Ash shook his head. “Go home? You’ve got to be kidding. I’m not leaving her.”

“But Mr. DeHan your sister-in-law is going to be in the Intensive Care Unit, and our rules don’t allow family members to stay there. The nurses can take care of her.”

Ash took a menacing step closer to the doctor and glared at him. He was shaking all over from anger, from guilt, and from frustration at not having protected Lainey. “A few nights ago three people were murdered in this hospital, and there were nurses and employees everywhere. I don’t care what your rules are, I’m staying with her, and nobody is going to stop me.”

The doctor started to say something, but then seemed to think better of it. He sighed and shrugged. “Very well. I’ll take care of it.”

Ash knew he should thank the man, but he only nodded. Reese spoke up. “Thank you doctor. We appreciate it.”

The doctor cast one last glance at Ash before turning away. “We’ll let you know when we’re ready to move her.”

After he had gone back into the room, Reese turned to Ash. “Do you need me to stay at the hospital tonight? I can sleep in the waiting room.”

Ash took a deep breath and rubbed his fingers across his eyes. “No. Go on back to the center and make sure Max is safe. I’ll guard Lainey.”

Reese nodded. “Okay, if you think you’ll be okay by yourself.”

“I will.” He stared at his friend and remembered all the times they’d watched each other’s backs. Reese had done that for him again tonight. Ash touched the spot on his arm where the Firebrand symbol had been tattooed and smiled. “Thanks.”

Reese smiled in understanding and touched his arm. There was no need for words between the two of them. The gesture said it all. Reese turned and walked down the hall, leaving Ash to wait for Lainey’s transfer to Intensive Care.

Thirty minutes later she was settled in an ICU bed, and the machines they’d hooked to her body hummed. Two nurses had gotten her settled, all the while giving Ash long looks and communicating their displeasure at his presence with glances at each other. He ignored them and concentrated on Lainey.

When they finally stepped back to the nurses’ station across the hall from her room, Ash pulled a chair close to the left side of her bed and sat studying her. Her temperature was still high and her blood pressure hadn’t returned to normal. With the help of oxygen she appeared to be breathing better, but her chest still rose and fell more rapidly than he thought was normal.

As he stared at her, his eyes filled with tears. He’d faced death many times before, but he’d never been as scared as he was tonight when they were on their way to the hospital. Then when she’d asked him to take care of Max, he’d thought his heart would break.

For the past ten years, he’d told himself how much he hated her, and for the few days he’d been home, he’d tried to reinforce that by being as uncaring and unfeeling toward her as he could. But it had all been an act. The truth had hit him in the face the moment she opened the front door of his family’s home the day he arrived. He didn’t hate her. He’d never quit loving her.

He reached out and wrapped her hand in both of his. She felt so hot to the touch, and his heart thudded at the thought that she still could die. A helpless feeling engulfed him.

He suddenly remembered looking out the window of Reese’s office to the meditation garden below and thinking that God could never love someone like him. But could He? What about Lainey? Surely He loved her. She was good and kind and a great mother.

He lowered his head until it rested on their clasped hands. “Please, God,” he prayed. “Don’t take her. Max needs his mother. Take me instead. Just leave her and take me.”

She didn’t move, and he pressed his lips to her hand and kissed it. “I love you, Lainey,” he whispered. “Don’t leave Max and me.”

The chime of an incoming text message on his cell phone echoed in the room, and he sat up straight. He pulled the phone from his pocket and stared at the words. I told you I’d see you at the Firebrand Center, but I missed you. I hope Lainey got the present I left for her. See you again soon. Eve

Ash drew back his hand to throw the phone across the room, but then he thought better of it. He hadn’t responded to Eve’s previous message, but maybe he should to this one. He glanced at Lainey’s pale face once more before he began to type.

The score of our game may be in your favor right now. But this is only halftime, and you should start to worry. The momentum is about to shift in my direction. So keep looking over your shoulder. Tell Diaz I’m coming for him and everybody working with him. Ash

Ash reread the message once, then hit Send. He had no idea where the message was going, but he knew who would get it. And he meant every word he said.

Chapter 12

Lainey opened her eyes and blinked to focus her vision. A pain throbbed in her temples, and she lay still, staring upward. Her gaze moved from right to left as she struggled to identify the trail of white blocks that swirled above her head.

A ceiling. She was staring at a ceiling of flat, white tiles. Squares end to end that stretched as far as she could see. 

A buzz like that of an electric saw vibrated in her head, and she narrowed her eyes as she zeroed in on one of the squares. The small holes that covered it reminded her of a honeycomb. Maybe the droning sound in her head was caused by tiny bees trying to escape the tiles that held them captive. Ridiculous thought. She wanted to laugh but didn’t have the strength.

Panic welled up inside of her, and she moaned. Where was she?

A rustling sound next to her caught her attention and warm fingers grasped her hand. “Lainey, are you awake?”

Ash! Her heart jumped into her throat, and she forced herself to turn her head in the direction of his voice. He leaned over her and stared into her face. She swallowed and flinched at the raw burning in her throat.

“Ash?” she whispered. “Where am I?”

“You’re in the hospital. We brought you here last night.”

Hospital? She frowned and searched her mind for a memory, but a memory of what? Running up the stairs to her room. Grabbing her sweater from the closet. Reaching for the shoes. And then pain. “The snake,” she gasped.

“Yes. You were bitten, and you’ve had a rough time of it. But you’re going to be okay.”

With a sudden flash of fear she tried to push up. “Max? Where’s Max?”

Ash’s hands pushed her gently back down to the pillow. “Max is fine. He’s with Casey. I talked to them a little while ago. Max is eager to talk to you, and I told him we’d call when you felt up to it.”

Relieved, she relaxed. “Good.” Her dry tongue slid across the roof of her mouth that felt as if it were lined with cotton, and she licked at her lips. “Thirsty.”

Another sound drew her attention, and she turned her head to see a nurse standing beside her. “I’m glad you’re awake, Mrs. DeHan. You’d like some water?”

“Y-yes. Please.”

“I’ll raise your head some,” the nurse said.

Lainey closed her eyes as her head began to rise to an accompanying whirring sound. When she was positioned in a half-sitting position, she opened her eyes, and someone held a cup of water in front of her. Her lips closed around the straw, and she sighed inwardly as the cool liquid slid down her parched throat.

“That’s enough,” she said, pulling away and glancing up. It wasn’t the nurse who held the cup, but Ash. His red-streaked eyes, his uncombed hair, and his general unkempt appearance startled her. “You look tired.”

The nurse chuckled as she lowered Lainey’s head a bit. “He should look tired. He wouldn’t leave your side all night long. He sat in that chair and watched every breath you took. You must be very special to him.”

Ash turned away to set the cup on the table next to her bed but not before she saw the flush that covered his unshaven cheeks. Lainey tried to think of a response to the woman’s statement. But there was no way to convey the complicated relationship she had with Ash. When she spoke, it wasn’t what she’d intended to say at all. “He’s my brother-in-law.”

The nurse laughed. “Then he must like you a lot. My brother-in-law won’t give me the time of day. I can’t stand the guy.”

Lainey nodded. “Yes, Ash is special.”

Ash cleared his throat and turned back to face the nurse. “I’ve been watching Lainey’s monitors, and it appears that her vital signs are returning to normal.”

“Yes. Everything is looking good this morning, and she’s breathing on her own now. That’s why we removed the breathing tube.” The nurse tucked the covers around her and smiled. “You just relax now, and we’ll get you something to eat in a little while. The doctor should be in before long.”

“Will I get to go home soon?” Lainey asked.

The nurse’s smile grew bigger. “I don’t know what he’ll say. We have to wait and see.”

With that, she turned and walked from the room. For a minute neither Lainey nor Ash spoke. Her head felt clearer now, and she turned her head to stare at him. He looked as if he was about to fall asleep on his feet.

“Thank you for staying with me last night.”

His Adam’s apple bobbed as he swallowed, and he sank down in the chair next to her bed. “I’m so sorry, Lainey.”
      

She frowned. “For what?”

“I promised I would protect you, and I didn’t. If you had died, it would have been my fault.”

She reached out and put her hand on his arm. “You can’t blame yourself for that. It was an accident.”

He shook his head. “It was no accident. That snake was put there to bite you.”

Her mouth gaped open, and she stared at him in surprise. “Ash, don’t be ridiculous. It was. . .”

He held up his hand to stop her. “No. Casey figured out that kind of rattler doesn’t live in this part of the state, and then I got an email from Eve confirming that it was meant to be there.”

“So you’re saying. . .” She stopped mid-sentence, afraid to voice the words. She covered her eyes with her uninjured hand and shook her head. After a moment she lowered it and stared at him. “I thought we were safe at the center.”

“I thought so, too. And I blame myself for not watching you more carefully.” He scooted the chair closer to her bed. “But I promise I’ll do better in the future.”

Tears flooded her eyes. “Oh, Ash, how are we going to stop this killer?”

“I don’t know. Yet.” He raked his hand through his hair and let out a ragged breath. “Lainey, have you ever had a severe allergic reaction to an insect sting or bite?”

She blinked at the unexpected question. “Yes. About three years ago. I keep an inhaler in my purse.”

“Why haven’t you told me?”

      
“I don’t know. I’ve never had to use it, so I guess I didn’t think to mention it.”

He let out a long breath before he reached up and pressed his fingertips to his eyes. After a moment, he pulled his hands away and straightened in his chair. “I was so scared, Lainey. I didn’t want. . .”

He choked on the words, and her heart pounded as his gaze raked her face. “You didn’t want what?”

“I didn’t want you to die,” he whispered so softly she almost didn’t make out the words.

Her heart lurched. He’d thought she was going to die, and he was scared. “I’m sorry, Ash. I should have told you about the inhaler. I went into shock, didn’t I?”

He reached for her hand and held it in both of his. “Yes. I’ve seen men die before, Lainey, and it’s always been bad. But nothing like last night when I thought Max and I might lose you.”
      
His fingers tightened around hers, and it seemed as if all the years of being apart had vanished. They were together again. She’d hardly dared let herself think Ash would forgive her or that they could ever find what they’d once had. But the scared look on Ash’s face told her something had happened to him while she was unconscious.

She smiled at him. “I’m going to be okay, Ash. I’m sorry I gave you such a scare.”