Page 98 of Fatal Vision

The man shrugged as if it were no big deal. “B updated me right before I got here. Said this serial killer of yours is closing in. A lot of things can go wrong in surgery.”

Shelby’s stomach turned over. “Then you better get in there.”

He handed her a heavy cell phone. “Our boss will be calling you on this secure line. The phone is programed with your fingerprint as the passcode, thanks to our tech specialist. Don’t ask me how he did it, I’m just the messenger. Take the call. Don’t lose the phone.”

He was big, but he moved fast. Before she could respond, he took off for the double doors of the operating rooms.

Zeb started walking too. “Looks like I’m on Connor and Sabrina duty. Nickelback, you stay here with the girls.”

Jaya lit up at that. “Megadeth, Nickelback…what is it with you guys and the code names? It’s all so James Bondish.”

The dark, intense stare of the new bodyguard locked on her. “There are people out there who would like to see us dead or at least locked away in a place where we’d never see the sun again. For your protection and ours, we keep our identities a secret.”

If he thought the steely look would make Jaya back down, he was sadly mistaken. She raised her chin and Shelby saw the fascination in her bold return stare. “You don’t look like a Nickelback. More like Enrique Iglesias with, you know, an edgier edge.”

He tried hard not to laugh, but Shelby saw the twitch that told her it was taking everything in him not to engage in this little verbal sparring. He wanted to—boy, did he—but he was controlled, careful. “Let’s get you ladies to the waiting room.”

Salisbury wagged at him and Jaya winked at Shelby. She took Shelby’s arm and they started slowly back toward the tiny room.

“You always did love to play with sharks,” Shelby said under her breath.

Jaya laughed softly. “Makes two of us, sister.”