Please let Reagan be okay. She needed to get herself up and be there to support him.
“That’s for the doctor to decide.” It came from a voice she’d never heard before.
“She’s more than likely got a concussion. We’ll know more once we get her to the hospital.” Hmm. Another unidentified voice.
The hospital? Who was going to the hospital? Reagan? When the paramedic pumped up the blood pressure cuff on her arm, she realized they were talking about her.
She slowly opened her eyes as clouds floated out of the sun’s path and a sharp brightness invaded the shady overhang in front of the spa, intensifying her headache. She closed her eyes again, welcoming the darkness.
“She’s waking now. Ms. Ross, I’m Tim, and this is Parker. We’re going to take good care of you.”
“I don’t need to go to the hospital.” Her voice shook. Chancing it, she opened her eyes again, thankful the cloud cover had returned. She looked around for Jesse. She’d heard his voice, knew he was close by her.
“Kate, thank God. How do you feel?” He looked at her with fear in his eyes, his voice distressed. She’d never seen him like this, so vulnerable, so afraid, not his confident, in control self.
“I’ve got a hell of a headache.” Headache was a small word for what she felt. Her head had never felt this agonizingly painful. She never wanted another migraine.
He took her hand and brushed the stray strands of hair from her face with the other. His shaking didn’t go unnoticed.
“Do you hurt anywhere else?” Tim asked.
She looked at the EMT and tried to smile. It hurt too much to smile, to move facial muscles. Hell, it hurt to blink and the bright light returning didn’t help.
“My head feels like it’s going to explode. And I’m a bit nauseous. That’s all.”
“Let’s hope that’s all there is after the nasty experience you’ve had.”
“What happened?” What did he mean nasty experience?
Jesse squeezed her hand. “The bomb must have been timed to go off after we were in the SUV.”
That’s right, Jesse’s SUV had exploded. Jesse was here with her so that meant he was okay. Thank goodness. She couldn’t stand it if he’d been hurt or killed. “Was anyone else hurt? Ariana?”
“Don’t worry. Just some cuts and scratches. You were the only one who had been knocked unconscious.”
He refused to leave her side so the EMTs worked around him.
“I’m all right now. You can let me up.” She struggled to sit up and a wave of dizziness overtook her, leaving her with no alternative but to fall back onto the gurney, her head protesting the movement.
“No. You’re going to the hospital to be checked out.” Jesse squeezed her hand.
“I don’t need to go to the hospital. Really, it’s just a headache.” Plenty of people had been knocked unconscious and didn’t require an ER trip.
The EMTs lifted and pushed the gurney into the back of the ambulance.
“I’m riding to the hospital with her.”
Tim shrugged, realizing he had no choice. “Jump in, but stay out of my way.”
“My head is already feeling better. All I need is an aspirin or two, and I’ll be fine.” She hated lying, but she didn’t want to go to the hospital. It brought out a multitude of unhappy memories. Her parents’ deaths. Her being shot. Joy’s death. Mary being beaten. She just needed to rest and take something for her head, and she’d be fine.
Jesse shook his head and looked at her as if he didn’t believe her. “You still need to be checked out by the doctor.”
“Can I just get some aspirin and go home?” Maybe Tim would listen to her. She was the patient after all. She should be the one to say whether she wanted to go to the hospital or not.
He looked at Jesse then back to her. “Sorry, they have to check you out at the hospital first.” Tim turned his attention to his notes while Parker drove the ambulance away from the spa.
“Coward.” She fell back asleep.
* * * * *
“Miss Ross, your cat scan is fine.” The emergency room doctor scribbled something on her chart. She wasn’t sure he’d introduced himself. If he had, she’d forgotten his name. He looked forgettable, average height, average brown hair, average features and average body. He’d have made a great spy being able to slip in and out of places without much notice.
“Can I go home now?” If it hadn’t been for Jesse pushing her to have the tests done, she’d have been long gone by now.
The tortured look on Jesse’s face told her he felt that he’d failed her. If she’d listened to him, and not been her stubborn self, refusing to let him stop her from going to the spa, refusing to stay back and wait for H.I.S. to double-check the SUV, she wouldn’t have been injured. His holding her back, even for that brief moment, had saved her life. He needed to know that.
“You have a bad concussion, so we’re going to keep you overnight for observation.”
“Really, I don’t need to stay overnight. My head feels better.” Her nausea had eased a little, but she couldn’t shake her severe headache. But she’d deal with it quietly if she could leave the hospital. She hadn’t been at the hospital in years. Now, she’s been on both sides of the emergency room within weeks of each other.
Her anger with this shooter turned poisoner turned bomber intensified.
“Kate, you’ll stay.”
She turned her head toward Jesse too fast and winced at the pain. “Are you sure everyone else was okay?”
“Everyone is fine. Ariana said she’d have to wear pant suits for a while to cover the bruises and cuts on her calves, but that’s it.” He tried to give her a reassuring smile, but failed.
It could have been much worse. She hated what Agents Brent and Keller were about to deal with, but they’d screwed up and she could’ve died.
AJ would have new FBI agents assigned to her, if not already. They might have to park out on the road well away from Jesse’s house, because after this fiasco he probably wouldn’t allow them on his property. This was going to be a battle of wills between brothers because both were going to want her in their safe house.
No one cared what she had to say even though she was the one they were protecting. Well, she had a big voice, and they were going to listen.
The doctor gave an order to the nurse then turned his attention to Kate. “I’m leaving you something to help with the nausea and the headache. I’ll see you in the morning.” He and the nurse turned and left the room.
Jesse approached the bed and took her in his arms. His hug was gentle, tentative, like he held glass. “I thought that I’d lost you.” His hoarse, tortured voice was barely above a whisper. “I thought I’d lost you.”
She didn’t know what to say to his display of emotion. It touched her heart and broke it at the same time. “I’m all right.”
“You could have been in that SUV.”
“You could have been too.” She shuddered at the thought.
He released her and reached for her face, avoiding the bruise on her cheek. With her face in his hands, he leaned down and kissed her, soft, tender and loving. She wanted more and tried to deepen the kiss, but he wouldn’t allow it.
“We’re going to find this bastard, so you can be safe again. I don’t know how you can’t hate me for bringing this to your doorstep.”
She’d forgotten this had started with him. “I couldn’t hate you, Jesse.”
In fact, I love you
.
“I’m going to make sure he doesn’t hurt you again.”
“Will you stay with me?”
He looked into her eyes and took hold of her hand. “You couldn’t drag me away.”
Ariana knocked on the half-open door. “Kate, are you all right?” She eyed their joined hands.
“Hi, Ariana. I’m fine. Just a bump on the head. I want to go home, but no one will listen to me.” She tilted her head toward Jesse, immediately regretting it.
“I’ll give you two some privacy.” He left the room and closed the door behind him.
Her sister sat in the chair beside the bed. “He was really torn up about this.”
“He blames himself.” She needed to find out what was going on inside his head. She couldn’t let him blame himself for today. He’d warned her how dangerous it could be. She should have known better.
“Kate, I told you that he cares for you.”
“I know he cares, but I want him to love me.”
She adjusted the controls on her bed to sit up, unable to find a comfortable position. Her sister had changed into a navy blue pant suit. Kate felt self-conscious in the hospital gown. She reached up to run her fingers through her wavy hair, trying to control it somewhat and make herself presentable. No matter how much she worked at it, her sister would outshine her.
“You could tell him that you love him. You are living in his house, and I’m guessing the same room.” She raised her eyebrows challenging her sister to contradict her.
“He would run if he knew that I loved him. It’s not a conversation I’m willing to have with him yet. Not a chance I’m willing to take.”
“The two of you are made for each other. It’ll work out. Give it time.”
Time. How much time did she have to make Jesse fall in love with her? It was a terrible thing that she hoped they didn’t catch the killer just yet. She needed that time with him. “I forgot to ask, how badly were you injured today?”
“Nothing serious. I was treated on the spot. You gave us quite a scare when you didn’t wake up. I thought Jesse was going to strangle the cute ambulance driver for taking so long to get there.”
“I can’t believe he made me come to the hospital. It was just a knock on the head. Now, they won’t let me go home.” Whatever the doctor had given her had begun working. Her headache still pained her, but at least, she could tolerate it now. She felt herself start to float. Before long, she’d be in a drug-induced euphoric state.
“It won’t hurt you to spend the night here.”
“The bed is uncomfortable, and the food is going to be terrible. It’s not like a night at the Ritz.” She shouldn’t be whining. She should be thanking God that she was alive, but right now, she just wanted to go home.
Ariana laughed. “You have to take what you can get.”
“Well, I bet you could’ve negotiated a way to be released already.”
“Probably.”
They laughed. When her head throbbed harder, Kate stopped laughing.
A special news alert of the bombing flashed on the wall-mounted TV. A journalist broadcasted live on the scene with the burned out shell of an SUV in the background. She imagined the spa was having a fit. No one should be blown up at their spa. She wondered if they loved Ariana enough to welcome her back.
The journalist talked about Kate, connecting the shooting, Joy’s death and now the bombing. She turned off the TV. “Is it bad?”
“Your boyfriend and his handsome, broad-chested brothers chased the reporters out of the hospital. I doubt you’ll have to worry about them.” She chuckled, looking as if she was privy to a private joke.
Kate relaxed at the news. Maybe it was the medicine that had her relaxing. Her muscles began to feel like they had after her massage, like melted butter. She sighed. “How’s it going at Ross?”
“Things are good. We’ve settled everything on the new station.”
“What are you going to do now?” She readjusted her bed, wondering if the couch would be more comfortable and if she could make it to it without falling flat on her face.
“We’re going to look at more syndicated talk shows. The talk radio listening audience has grown faster than expected. We have an opportunity to gain more listeners if we add a few more hosts and shows. Lee’s been chomping at the bit to do this, so I’m going to give him full reign to make it happen.”
“I’d love to hear about them when you put them together. You know that I love talk radio.” She had to get more involved with Ross in case her career in the FBI was over. She should be involved more even if her career was safe. She owed it to Ariana and the Rosses.
“Of course. I wouldn’t exclude you.” Ariana frowned. “So, what’s going on with the bombing? Do they know who did it?”
“Jesse thinks it’s the same guy that shot at us and tried to poison me. They still don’t know who he is. They haven’t had any luck finding the driver from the shooting. Once they have him, they’ll get the killer, and this will be over.”
“I still can’t believe someone wants to kill you.”
“It’s a nightmare. Jesse says I should hate him for getting me mixed up in this, but I can’t.” If she hadn’t have been mistaken for someone he loved, she never would have let herself get this close to him, never let herself fall in love with him. She almost wanted to thank the killer. Almost.
“I’m angry at him for getting you tangled up in this. I don’t care how much you love him. Because of him, we were almost blown up today.”
“We were almost blown up because there’s a madman out there who has decided to target me.” She’d have to stay away from her sister in the near future to keep her safe. Today had been too close to losing her, the only family she had left.
“Are you going to tell me where you’re hiding away so I can come see for myself that you’re safe?”
Always the protective big sister worrying about her. “I’ll ask Jesse. He doesn’t want anyone to know where we are. Come to think of it, I couldn’t even tell you the address.”
Ariana stood and took Kate’s left hand in hers. “The only thing that matters now is that he takes care of you.” She squeezed Kate’s hand and left the room.
Jesse entered carrying a large bouquet of fall flowers, sunflowers accompanied by peach roses, white lilies and purple flowers she couldn’t identify, in a lovely green vase.
“Everything all right? Did you have a good visit? Ariana didn’t look happy when she left.”
Kate smiled at his thoughtfulness. She couldn’t remember the last time she’d received flowers and hated she’d almost been blown up to receive them this time. “Thank you for the flowers. I had a good visit with her. She’s upset about the bombing.”
He sat the flowers on her bedside table. “That’s understandable.” He pulled her hand to his lips. “How are you feeling?”
The feel of his lips on her sent a tingling sensation through her limp muscles. “I’m all better now. I really think I should be able to leave.”
He chuckled. “You are a persistent little thing. You’re staying right here until the doctor says different.”