Page 102 of Fatal Intent

“He’s injured a lot?”

“Hazard of the job.”

“Is he a cop?”

“He used to be on the job. Now he’s in private security. The work can be dangerous.”

“I see. I’ll message the doctor about the patches. Let me know if Mr. Bowen needs anything else.”

“Thanks.” Rayne retraced her steps down the hall and knocked softly on the door. She slipped inside the room.

Grant’s looked more miserable than he had three minutes earlier.

Not good. She slid the cold packs in place and snatched up the small plastic bin in case nausea got the upper hand and placed it by Grant’s side. Opening the green can, she poured part of the liquid into a plastic cup, dropped a straw in it, and held it to his mouth. “This should help.”

He sipped and moaned. “This tastes so good.”

“Go easy, buddy,” Elias warned. “We want you to keep that down.”

Grant took two more swallows, then eased back onto the pillow. “Thanks.”

“We’ll let that settle, then try more.” Rayne brushed Grant’s hair from his perspiring forehead. “Sleep if you can. Every minute helps.”

He gave a slight nod and closed his eyes.

Ten minutes later, the desk nurse tapped on the door. “Dr. Green authorized an anti-nausea patch.” She waggled the packet as she walked to the bed. “How’s he doing?”

“A little better. The ice and soft drink helped.”

“Good.” She ripped open the packet, grabbed the patch, peeled off the paper backing, and placed it behind Grant’s ear. “Takes about an hour for the patch to be effective. If you need more soft drinks, let me know.”

“We will. Thank you.”

After the nurse left, Elias headed for the hallway. “Seth and Teagan will take over the watch in an hour.”

Good to know. She’d been concerned about Elias and Iona staying on duty for such a long time. This arrangement would give Elias and her team leader a chance to rest.

Rayne frowned. But who would watch over the rest of the Bowen family? Someone must keep them safe. If anythinghappened to more members of his family, Grant would be devastated.

She watched Grant sleep for a while. When he grew restless, she climbed back on the bed and settled beside the man she loved. He opened his eyes for a beat, went boneless, and fell into a sound sleep.

Nice.

Later, after a soft tap on the door frame, Teagan peered inside. She smiled. “How’s he doing?”

“Finally sleeping. The nausea must be gone now.”

“That is the worst. I hate to barf.”

“You’re singing my song, sister.”

Teagan smiled. “Try to rest.”

“Copy that.”

Even knowing Teagan was on watch, Rayne only allowed herself to slip into a light doze. Although she trusted her teammate, every voice or unexplained noise brought her to full alert. With Grant’s life at stake, Rayne was taking no chances.

The rest of the night passed with hourly interruptions from the medical staff checking on Grant’s vitals and his progress. Thankfully, the nausea remained at bay, and her husband-to-be was able to rest in between medical visits.