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“I didn’t know that Hudson was evil.I swear, I didn’t.He was better than me when it came to wearing a mask because I didn’t know.If I had known…if I’d realized…” The faint lines near his mouth deepened.“I would have killed him before I let him hurt you.You are my priority.I believe you.”
She lifted up.And pressed her mouth to his.
“Thanks for your assistance, Lateisha,”Madeline murmured.“You can wait outside.”
They’d gotten everything that was needed from Brock Arison.
The scalpel had vanished.Lateisha nodded and walked calmly for the door.When she pulled it open, Colson stared inquisitively at her, then he glanced back at Madeline.
She nodded.“I’ll be out in just a moment.Make sure no one interrupts.”
Colson closed the door.He braced his legs apart, planted his feet firmly on that tiled floor, and whispered, “Vivisection?”
Lateisha grimaced.“You heard that part?”
“I’ve got exceptionally good hearing.Plus, I was eavesdropping for all that I was worth.”
“I thought I’d faint when she said that.”She balled her hands into fists so that Colson wouldn’t see the trembling.She hadnevermeant to accidentally scratch the guy with the scalpel, but he’d moved, and she’d nicked him.Twice.She’d been about to burst out with her apology and then Madeline had gotten all super scary on her.
“Thank Christ.”He exhaled.Mock shuddered.“Because if you went around on the weekend slicing and dicing people, I’d be scared as hell of you.”
Yeah, well, she was currently scared as hell of her new boss.“Is Madeline always that intense?”
He nodded.“Welcome to the Agency.”
“Uh, thanks but?—”
A scream erupted from inside the hospital room.
Lateisha stared at Colson.He stared at her.And then she shoved past him and thrust open the door and rushed into the hospital room where she saw?—
Blood.
Blood-soaked sheets.
A blood-soaked gang member with a scalpel in his throat.
“He got out of the cuffs,” Madeline gasped.She had one hand on the scalpel.One hand on Brock’s throat.“Came at me…” She looked up at Lateisha and Colson.“Get a doctor!If I move the scalpel, I’m scared he’ll bleed out!”
Uh, it already looked as if he was bleeding out.
Colson ran down the hallway, shouting for the doctors and nurses.
Lateisha ran to the bed.After all, Madeline hadn’t been lying when she said that Lateisha had been in med school.She had.Madeline had told her before that all lies should have some truth buried in them.
I don’t perform vivisections on suspects.Hell, no.
But…
She had been a med student.
And maybe, just maybe, she could save this jerk’s life.
ChapterTwenty-One
“Declan got the files you needed.”
Eb glanced over at Hunter’s low voice.He and Naomi were in the kitchen—she’d been making eggs and grits, and he’d been trying to keep his hands off her so she could complete the task.