Deadly Dealings (Hardy Brothers Security Book 13) (3 page)

Mandy woke up to the sound of James’ steady heartbeat, her face pressed against his chest. Her whole body ached, and it didn’t take her more than a moment to realize they weren’t in their bed. Mandy forced her head up so she could study James’ face.

He was asleep, although the shadows under his eyes told her it wasn’t a restful one. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and when she shifted she realized she was in a hospital bed, an IV attached to her left arm.

A doctor stood beside the bed, her thoughtful brown eyes fixed on Mandy as she got her bearings. “Welcome back.”

“What happened?” Mandy’s voice was hoarse, and it wasn’t until she tried to speak that she realized she was dehydrated.

“What do you remember?” the doctor asked.

“I … .” Mandy broke off when she felt James move next to her and she snapped her eyes back to his face.

When he forced his eyes open, the first thing he saw was his favorite color in the world: the sea-blue of her eyes. “Baby.”

“Hi.”

“Oh, my baby.” A tear slid down James’ cheek as he kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a tight hug.

“Can you sit up?”

Mandy turned back to the doctor, furrowing her brow. She was so confused. “I think so.”

James helped her struggle into a sitting position, kissing her cheek and neck as he situated her so her back was settled against his chest. He ran his hands up and down her arms, as if marveling she was there so he could touch her. “What do you need, baby?”

“I’m really thirsty,” Mandy admitted.

“I’ve got it.” The doctor moved to the pitcher of water beside the bed and poured Mandy a glass.

Mandy’s hands shook as she accepted it and James lifted his hands to help her, making sure it didn’t spill down the front of her hospital smock. He watched her down the cup of water and then hand it back to Livingston wordlessly.

“This is Dr. Livingston,” James said. “She saved your life.”

“I wasn’t the only one,” Livingston said, smiling. “Your husband was the one who made it so we didn’t have to tie you down. He also managed to lower your blood pressure so we didn’t have to pump you full of medication after we flushed your system.”

“I don’t understand what happened,” Mandy admitted.

“What is the last thing you remember?”

“I … we were at Hell House,” Mandy said, racking her brain. “I wanted to see the aquarium up close.”

“I knew that’s what you were doing,” James grumbled.

Mandy ignored him. “I thought I was alone and then … there was a guy in there. He was wearing one of those plastic masks.”

“I saw him.”

“He wouldn’t get out of my way and I told him you were going to kick his ass,” Mandy said. “When I started to move past him I felt … something … in my neck.”

“He injected you with a drug,” James said. “When we found you … you were barely on your feet.”

“That’s the last thing I remember,” Mandy said. “I saw you and knew everything was going to be okay.”

James tightened his arms around her. “They almost weren’t, wife,” he murmured. “You almost left me.”

Mandy’s eyes widened as she tilted her head toward James. “I … .”

“Don’t say anything, baby,” James said. “You’re tired and you need to get your strength back.”

“The police are also here,” Livingston said. “They want to talk to you.”

Now James was the confused one. “How did they find out?”

“We identified the drug in your wife’s system last night,” Livingston replied. “I was going to wake you, but you two were so … still … I didn’t want to risk it. I had to call them because we got a warning notice from state law enforcement earlier this week in case we stumbled across this particular drug. That’s the only reason I knew how to treat it so quickly.”

“What drug?” James asked.

“Twilight.”

“Like the movie with sparkly vampires?” Mandy asked, making a face. “Are you saying I got taken out in a haunted house by a drug named after a movie with wimpy vampires? That’s such a disgrace.”

James didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. “I have never been so happy to hear anyone complain in my entire life.”

“WHERE
is everyone else?” James asked, his eyes serious as they met Grady’s matching set twenty minutes later. “I just realized I had no idea what happened to you guys after I left the lobby.”

“I wouldn’t worry about it,” Grady said, sitting on the edge of Mandy’s bed and lifting her hand so he could study her pale skin. “You look horrible, kid.”

“Thanks.” Mandy was blasé.

“Nice,” James muttered.

“You look like crap, too,” Grady said, giving his brother the once over. “To answer your question, though, we made Finn take Emma home. She put up a fight, but we knew it wasn’t good for her and the baby to sit on those lobby couches all night. Once the doctor told me Mandy was out of the woods, I called them.”

“How come you didn’t wake me up?” James grumbled.

“Because you and Mandy were in another world and there was no way I was visiting it.”

“I … .”

Grady held up his hand to silence his brother. “Ally was a complete and total mess all night,” he said. “We tried to bribe a nurse to drug her, but the nurse threatened to call the cops until Jake flirted with her and won her over.”

“I’m sure Ally loved that,” Mandy said.

“Once she found out you were going to be okay, Jake managed to wrangle her out of this place,” Grady said. “She was kicking and screaming the whole time. I don’t think we’ll be free of her … energy … for long.”

“Probably not,” James said. “Where is Sophie?”

“She’s at McDonald’s getting Mandy’s favorite breakfast,” Grady replied. “She’s also picking up something for you and me.”

“That was nice of her but a little unnecessary,” James said. “I’m not sure I can eat. Can you eat, baby?”

Mandy made a face. “My stomach is upset.”

“It’s probably going to be that way for a day or two,” Livingston said, moving to Mandy’s side. “We had to flush everything out of your system and you’re going to be shaky because of it.”

“She’s okay, though, right?” James asked. “She’s not going to have any problems once she gets better, is she?”

Livingston tilted her head to the side, her eyes never leaving Mandy’s pale features. “I wish I could tell you that she’s going to be back to a hundred percent tomorrow, but I’m not sure that’s the case,” she said. “Twilight is known to take as long as two weeks to completely leave someone’s system – that is if it doesn’t kill the person first, which happens seventy-five percent of the time.

“You were very lucky your husband found you when he did, Mrs. Hardy,” she continued. “He thought fast and he didn’t wait for an ambulance to come to him.”

“I know I’m lucky,” Mandy murmured.

James rubbed Mandy’s back. “We’re both lucky. I wasn’t thinking when I brought her here. I just knew I needed to get her help. Things worked out. I will be forever thankful.”

“You should be,” Livingston said.

“What kind of side effects could she have?” James asked.

“She could be tired and weak, especially for the next few days,” Livingston said. “She needs to be kept quiet … and at home.”

“I’ll tie her to the bed.”

Livingston pressed her lips together to keep from laughing. “I … um … .”

“Don’t worry. He won’t really do it,” Grady said. “He’ll be more apt to carry her wherever she needs to go and dote on her twenty-four hours a day.”

“That’s good,” Livingston said. “She needs rest, nourishment, and relaxation.”

“I can handle that,” James said, kissing Mandy’s cheek again. “I can handle anything as long as I have her.”

“Yes, I’ve gathered that,” Livingston said, her eyes twinkling. “Every nurse in this hospital is in love with you after the way you took care of your wife, Mr. Hardy.”

“Did you hear that, baby? I’m a wanted man,” James teased.

“Why am I not surprised?” Mandy muttered.

“There is one other thing,” Livingston cautioned.

James, Mandy, and Grady waited expectantly.

“Twilight is a drug that invades a person’s sense of reality,” Livingston explained. “Mrs. Hardy could be plagued with nightmares the next few weeks.”

“I’ve had nightmares before,” Mandy said. “I’m sure I’ll survive.”

“These could be more akin to night terrors,” Livingston replied. “You could wake up screaming and it might be hard for you to differentiate between what’s real and what’s a dream when you first wake up.”

“Oh.” Mandy’s face was drawn.

“You could lash out and hit someone when you’re in this state,” Livingston said. “You need to be careful.”

“You’re saying I should sleep alone until we’re sure,” Mandy said, worrying her bottom lip with her teeth. “You’re afraid I’m going to hurt James.”

“Not purposely,” Livingston said. “You two love each other more than … well … anyone I’ve ever seen. You might not know what you’re doing.”

“We have guestrooms,” Mandy said decisively. “I can move to one of them.”

“You will not.” James was adamant.

“James … .”

“No!” James shook his head. “I will not be separated from you. You’re sleeping in our bed and I’m going to be right there with you.”

“I don’t want to hurt you.”

“I don’t care,” James said. “We’re sleeping together and that’s all there is to it.”

“James, if I were to hurt you … .”

“You won’t,” James said, capturing her hand and bringing it up to his lips. “It will be okay, baby. They’re nightmares. We can handle nightmares. We’ve been through a lot worse than that.”

“But … .”

“No! I almost lost you last night, wife. I will not be separated from you.”

“Give it up, Mandy,” Grady chided. “He’s going to win this argument. Let him have what he wants.”

Mandy nodded mutely, her eyes swimming with tears.

“If you hit him in your sleep can you please give him a black eye?” Grady asked, going for levity. “I’m dying to tell people that his wife beat him up.”

Mandy tried to force a smile for Grady’s benefit and failed. “I can’t hurt him.”

“Stop doing that,” James ordered. “If I have to wrap myself in pillows to make you feel safe enough to sleep, I will. What I won’t do is be separated from you. Not ever.”

A sob caught in Mandy’s throat. “I love you.”

“Baby, you have no way of understanding how much I love you,” James said, burying his face in the hollow of her neck. “It’s going to be okay. I promise. Don’t worry about this.”

Mandy nodded mutely, afraid to speak.

“I’m going to let the police in so they can question you now,” Livingston said. “I will have instructions printed out for you so you can take care of your wife, Mr. Hardy. As long as her tests come back negative, she can leave around noon.”

“Thank you,” James said.

“I was doing my job.”

“Well, your job saved my wife’s life … and my own,” James said. “I won’t forget what you’ve done for us.”

“And I won’t forget watching you love your wife so much you managed to overcome a powerful drug that should’ve killed her by all rights,” Livingston replied. “You let me see a miracle. That’s enough thanks for me.”

THE
police officers who visited Mandy’s room a few minutes later were from the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department. Mandy told them what she knew, and they diligently took notes, and then they opted to share information with James, Mandy, and Grady – something that surprised everyone.

“You guys usually don’t volunteer information,” James pointed out.

“Sheriff Morgan is aware of who your wife is, sir,” one of the deputies replied.

“You’re sharing information because of Hardy Brothers Security?” James was surprised.

“That and the fact that Mrs. Hardy is a county employee with the full force of Judge MacIntosh behind her,” the deputy said.

“I guess that makes sense. What do you have?”

“Twilight is a boutique drug and we can establish a link between it and the deaths of at least seven women in the county,” the deputy replied.

“Omigod.” Mandy’s hand flew to her mouth and James snuggled her in closer to his side.

“You’re okay, baby,” he murmured in her ear. “No one is getting close to you.”

“We also have three women who have gone missing from local haunted houses,” the other deputy added.

“Do you think one person or a group is doing this?” Grady asked, realization at just how lucky Mandy was flipping his stomach.

“We don’t know,” the deputy said. “What we do know is that Mrs. Hardy is the only one we believe to have been targeted by this group, or individual, who managed to escape.”

“You’re worried someone might come looking for her because they think she can identify them, aren’t you?” James asked.