Page 24

24

G abby blinked as she rose in bed. Knight sprang into action the moment she moved.

“What do you need?” he asked as he scanned her from head to toe. His forehead wrinkled in concern.

“Nothing. I have to pee. The baby’s sitting on my bladder. What time is it?”

“It’s seven,” Knight informed her as he lowered the railing. “Do you need a nurse? Did they say you can get out of bed?” He frantically searched for the call button. “Shit. I probably should’ve asked before lowering the bedrail.”

“The nurse will unhook me from the monitors. I already pushed the button when I sat up,” she stifled a giggle that threatened as he continued to appear frazzled.

“Good morning, Gabby. I’m Catherine, one of the nurses here. Kassie asked me to come down and check on you. What can I do for you?”

“Can you unhook me? I need to use the restroom,” she explained.

“Absolutely. When Dr. Beecham returns this morning, she may discharge you to the cabin if your vitals stay stable.” Catherine unplugged the monitors and removed the belt around her stomach. Gabby pulled the blanket higher, not wanting Marcus to see how big her belly appeared.

“I’ll help her,” he offered.

“No. It’s fine. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” Gabby hastily reassured him. Catherine walked beside her while she entered the bathroom. The nurse left, giving her privacy. When she finished, she washed her hands and opened the door to discover Marcus waiting for her.

“Catherine received a page. I assured her I’d help you back to bed. The OBGYN will arrive in fifteen minutes.”

Gabby let out a relieved sigh. “I hope she discharges me. I missed the view of the mountains Saint promised me.”

“It’s still early. We might still get a nice view,” he offered. “Gabby, I understand you’re upset with me and have every reason to be. I want to ask if I can stay at the cabin with you. I promise not to argue. It’ll give us time to talk and figure things out.”

Gabby slowly sat on the bed. “Marcus. I don’t think it’s agood idea.”

“I can care for you and the baby. I want to show you I’ll be there when you need me,” he blurted out.

Gabby closed her eyes. “Did they find Jackie yet?”

“No. They found her apartment and she’s not there. Leo stopped by this morning before PT. Taco and Matthew staked out the accounting firm, hoping to catch her there,” he informed her.

“Oh, good. Jackie has keys to the office. I need to call Mr. Wilkinson today about my time off. I’m not sure what to say to him.” Gabby shrugged as she bit her lip.

“I’ll call him. You won’t return until we know what’s going on,” he stated firmly.

“I can’t miss work. Maybe Mr. Landsford kept this a secret from the other group, and they don’t know anything,” she suggested as she pulled the covers over her legs and he raised the railing.

“You met with two people the morning after discovering everything. Don’t you find it odd your boss called you in and Jackie didn’t return your call? It tells me at least one person there knows you found something,” he laid out the facts.

“I can’t afford to miss work. I can’t even act like I’m working from home without the ledgers,” she said panicked. “Plus, I need the money. I budgeted for six weeks off and four days personal days to care for the baby should it get sick.”

“Good morning,” Dr. Beecham greeted them. “I checked your vitals and the baby and you both seem recovered. If I send you home, I expect no lifting, rest, and you can work since you hold a desk job. Avoid stress and I’ve ordered a nurse to check your vitals daily. I prefer you not stay alone since you passed out last time. As soon as we know you have someone covering you at the cabin, I’ll start the discharge papers.”

“I’m Knight, her husband, and I’ll stay with her. What about her diet?”

“Avoid things high in sodium and drink water. As long as her BP stays stable, I won’t need to add restrictions,” she informed him. “I’ll start your discharge then.”

When the doctor left, Gabby turned to him. “I don’t feel comfortable staying in the cabin with you. Ask the spaghetti man to come up.”

She saw the hurt expression cross his face before he masked it.

“Saint’s team plans on working this case’s leads, including Ragu. It’ll be easier if I stay with you. I’ll sleep in the extra room and when you need privacy, you’ve got it,” he practically pleaded.

“Fine. It’ll give us time to work through the custody agreement and set up ground rules,” she said firmly.

A scowl crossed his face before he nodded.

An hour later, he pushed her wheelchair to the emergency entrance while an aide held it as he helped her up and into the truck. They remained silent on the short drive to the cabin, where he helped her out of the truck and inside the cabin.

“Do you feel hungry? I can make us a sandwich or heat up some soup,” he offered as he turned her legs on the couch, handed her the TV remote and covered her with a blanket. “Do you want a fire? Milk?”

Gabby sighed. Five minutes in the cabin and he was smothering her. “It’s only nine in the morning. I ate breakfast at the hospital,” she reminded him. “I need to call the office. Maybe we can call Saint and ask him what they want me to say.”

Knight pulled out his phoneand dialed Saint’s number.

“Saint,” he answered.

“It’s Knight. Gabby says she needs to call into the office. Do you want her to say anything specifically?”

“Hold on,” Saint ordered while he spoke with someone in the background. “We want Gabby to use the car accident as an excuse. Since you’re her husband, we want you to go in and pick up a few of her belongings. Do they know you and Gabby plan to divorce?”

Knight turned to Gabby, who seemed focused on the floor. “I accepted the position to start fresh. They knew of the divorce as I asked for the day off in my negotiations to return to court.”

Knight swallowed hard. “They know,” he repeated back to Saint.

“You’re on speakerphone,” Leo’s voice came over the line. “After learning about the accident, you rushed to your wife’s side and experienced a change of heart. Gabby will gush about you rushing to her side. Can you handle this, Gabrielle?”

She leaned toward the phone. “Yes. I’ll call as soon as we finish.”

“Since they don’t know the extent of your injuries, you can say you’re staying with friends close to the hospital. They won’t allow Knight to leave without putting a tail on him. We’ll follow them. It may allow us to discover who they are,” Leo explained.

Gabby glanced fearfully at Knight. “What if they try running him off the road?”

Leo chuckled. “He’ll take one of our vehicles. It’s bulletproof and we’ll follow. If he’s in danger, we’re there to protect him. Knight already proved he knows evasive maneuvers.”

Gabby nodded while gazing at her soon-to-be ex.

“I’ll let you know what they say.” Knight disconnected the call. He handed her his phone. “Use mine. Saint’s checking yours for trackers and bugs. It’ll reinforce your story.” He refused to meet her eyes.

She dialed the number and waited until the receptionist answered.

“Hello, Charmaine. It’s Gabrielle Hutchins. Can you connect me to Jackie?”

“Oh, honey. We heard about your car accident. I hope you’re all right. They assigned a temp to you. Jackie got called away on a family emergency and won’t return until Monday. Mr. Wilkinson asked if you called to patch you through to him directly. Please hold.”

Gabby glanced at Knight and licked her lips nervously.

“Gabrielle. I’m glad you called. Jackie left a message. She rushed home to handle a family emergency. I’ve assigned you a temp. If you tell me where you’re staying, I’ll ask him to deliver any files you might need.”

“Oh,” Gabby faltered. “Umm. My husband arrived when he learned of my car accident. He took me to a mutual friend’s home. They’ve offered to keep an eye on me while he drops into my office and picks up my prescription refills.”

The phone went silent momentarily before Mr. Wilkinson’s voice came over the line. “I’ll ask your temp to pull what you need.”

“I made a list for Marcus. I left my prescription and prenatal vitamins there. With the accident, I need a few personal items from my office to get me by before I return to my apartment,” she assured him.

“I can’t wait to meet him. When did you say he’ll arrive?”

“He’s running a few errands.” Gabby peered at Knight, who held up a finger and she nodded. “He’ll stop by in an hour.”

“Tell him to stop by my office before he leaves,” Mr. Wilkinson ordered.

“I’ll make sure he gets the message. Thank you,” Gabby agreed.

“Get better, Gabrielle. We can’t wait for your return to the office.” He hung up the call.

“Maybe you shouldn’t go alone,” Gabby watched as Knight texted Saint.

“I’m not. Saint and Shadow will follow me. Patch will stay with you. Spaghetti man, Ragu, left for Seattle a while ago. Make sure you don’t call him that to his face. For a military wife, you never picked up the lingo,” he chuckled.

Gabby stayed silent.

“What do I need to pick up?” he asked.

“In my desk on the left, I put the ledgers inside the files. Bring the entire stack. I have a large bag behind the door for shopping. Everything will fit in it. There’s a sweater on the coat rack. I left my prenatal vitamins in the middle drawer. Keep those in your hand, along with my wallet. It’ll make the story more plausible.” She brushed the hair back from her face, unable to control the trembling in her hand. Knight took it in his warm one.

“Hey. You’re safe here. I’ll return before you know it. The men will follow me and Saint vouches for them,” he reassured her as he tucked a stray strand behind her ear.

“Be careful.”

“Always,” he whispered as he leaned in and paused as if asking permission to kiss her. She smelled the sandalwood from his cologne, triggering memories of happier times.

The doorbell rang, pulling them from the spell.

“Hey, asshole,” Patch greeted him when he answered the door. “The team’s waiting at the facility. You’ll exchange vehicles there.” Patch strode into the living room. “You’re stuck with me, beautiful. I know after hanging around his mug, you’ll fall in love with me, but I must warn you, I’m taken. Claire doesn’t share. Trust me. She throws a fit when I eat all the mint chocolate chip ice cream and don’t get me started on the last piece of pecan pie from Miss Edie.”

Gabby laughed.

Knight lingered at the door. “Bye, Gabby.”

She heard the forlorn sadness in his voice and she fought the need to wrap her arms around his neck and kiss away the pain. Marcus hurt her and there was no going back.

Knight checked his rearview mirror for the tenth time, making sure Saint’s team kept their word. He didn’t worry about himself but he didn’t like leaving Patch with Gabby. The man acted cocky and arrogant as all hell.

His phone rang, bringing him back to the present.

“Knight,” he spoke into the phone.

“Hello, Mr. Hutchins. It’s Elsie with Coastal Realty. They finished the inspection. With them paying cash, they want it rushed. We can close at the end of next week.”

“Next week?” he parroted. He didn’t expect to leave Gabby so soon.

“We can extend it if you’re having second thoughts. It’s rare in this market for someone to pay in cash. I advise you to jump on it. If they feel you hesitate, they may rescind the offer and search for another home.”

“No. It’s fine. When do I need to return?” Knight asked as he glanced in the mirror again.

“I’ll email you the information as soon as I get the confirmation. If you’re flying in, I can make it for later in the day,” she suggested.

“Early afternoon works best,” he informed her as he turned into the accounting firm and hung up. His eyes wandered over the prestigious building and pride for his wife filled him. She worked hard for her degree and he missed it. He felt the disappointment of missing her special day.

He entered the building and walked to the receptionist. “I’m Marcus Hutchins. My wife, Gabby, asked me to pick up some items from her office.”

“Hello, Mr. Hutchins. I’m sorry to hear of Gabrielle’s accident. Let me take you back.” The woman led him to an elegant office and returned to her desk.

Knight walked around the room, seeing Gabby’s personality in the décor, classy with a hint of sass. Walking behind her door, he pulled out the bag. He went behind her desk and pulled open the drawer containing the files, finding it empty. He sat down in her chair and opened the middle one, removing her prenatal vitamins and wallet. Then, he saw it. A picture from their wedding day sat in a sterling silver frame. Beside it, an ultrasound image sat in a small white frame. Their child sucked its thumb. His heart beat faster as he snagged both frames and added them to the tote.

“Hello, Mr. Hutchins, I’m Mr. Wilkinson. I happened to walk by and saw you here. How’s Gabrielle?”

He rose and shook the older man’s hand. “She’s healing.”

“You must tell us the address where she’s staying. We want to send her flowers.” Mr. Wilkinson sat down in one of the soft leather chairs. “Do you plan on staying in town for long?”

Knight smiled. “My wife’s accident brought us a new perspective. I plan on staying with my family.”

“Good. I’m glad you’ve come to your senses. We felt concerned about her living situation, especially since our positions pay exceptionally well. She insisted on staying there another six months.”

“I’m sure we’ll find a place soon. Gabrielle seems anxious to get settled before the baby arrives. I’m determined to keep her safe.” Knight stared at the man, wondering what he knew. “Gabrielle asked me to pick up the files in her drawer, but it’s empty.”

The man appeared surprised by the news. “I’ll check to see if her temp removed them. I highly doubt it, considering it’s his first day and Gabrielle didn’t request them from him.”

“Great. I’ll continue gathering the items from her list. As you can imagine, I’m in a hurry to return to her.” Knight rounded the desk and picked up the sweater she requested.

Mr. Wilkinson rose from the chair and left the office. A few minutes later, a tall lanky man with black glasses entered.

“I’m working as Mrs. Hutchins assistant. I’ve only answered calls and taken messages. Since she didn’t come in, I had no reason to enter the office. I can access her files from my computer.”

Knight paused. “All of them?”

“Yes. I’ve worked on the list her assistant left.”

“May I see the list? It might be something my wife might need while she recovers.” He didn’t want to appear too eager.

“I can make you a copy and put it on a flash drive,” her assistant offered.

“Thank you. I don’t know how she sits and stares at numbers all day, don’t you get bored?”

The assistant smiled. “Luckily, I send files, take messages and copy stuff. I can’t imagine a more boring job.”

Knight grinned as if they shared some private joke, but it helped him rule out this dude. They walked to his desk outside Gabby’s office and the assistant opened a mirror image of Gabby’s computer. An image of him and Gabby filled the screen. They sat on their couch, his arms wrapped around her and his face snuggled into her neck, both of them smiled as she snapped the picture. He’d forgotten how she liked to snuggle and watch scary movies. It almost made him chuckle out loud. No, she loved them until they scared her and he held her all night after reassuring her nothing hid in the closet or under their bed. Those nights always ended up with them making love as she tightly clung to him as if he represented her knight in shining armor, ready to slay her dragons. When did he stop?

“Here you go. Please let Mrs. Hutchins know I’m here if she needs anything else.” The assistant held out a flash drive and Knight took it, placing the drive inside his pocket. He walked to his truck while covertly scanning the parking lot. It took him a hot minute to see Saint’s vehicle as he hopped into his. Starting the engine, he pulled out. They didn’t make it three blocks when Saint’s number showed on his dash. He answered the call.

“Knight.”

“You’ve got a tail. Let’s send them on a little tour of Seattle before losing them. I’ve already called in the plate to Matthew. Stop at a pharmacy and we’ll see if they follow,” Saint commanded.

He drove a couple of blocks before turning into a parking lot. Entering the store, he went toward the pharmacy and roamed the aisles, waiting for word on what to do next.

A text popped up.

Your friend followed you in. Act as if you’re picking up prescriptions and return to your vehicle.

Knight approached the line and waited his turn. When he stepped forward to the counter, he smiled at the clerk.

“I’m checking to see if a prescription for my wife, Gabrielle Hutchins, got called in,” he informed the pharmacist.

“Let me check for you.” The woman went behind the counter and returned. “I’m afraid I don’t have anything ready for her.”

“Thank you. I’ll return later.” He turned and left the store. He backed out of the stall and turned onto the street when Saint called again.

“Let’s lose him here. He’s only now backing up, evade him in the traffic. We’ll follow him and see where he returns.”

“I’ll see you later.” Knight changed lanes, made a quick turn, and went in the opposite direction from where he pulled out. It would take him a bit longer to return to Serenity, but he didn’t want to chance being followed.

Turning on the radio to fill the void of silence in the truck, his thoughts turned to Gabrielle. If she felt nothing for him, why did she have him on her screensaver and a photo of the two of them on her desk? The gap between them grew wider by his screw-ups, and he felt like a snowball running down a steep hill. The more he gained momentum, the greater hurt he caused.

Rubbing the scruff along his jaw, he desperately sought answers on how to stop the situation he made. His hand reached for the bag and he pulled out the ultrasound photo. They always discussed having kids, and he smiled as his thumb caressed the grainy image. He tapped on the steering wheel anxiously. Knight turned out to be a shitty teammate and husband. Would he strike out by becoming a crappy father, too?