Page 22 of Nowhere to Hide

Darker.

Almost like syrup. But it kept pumping around my hands as if there was a never-ending supply.

Even though I knew that was a lie.Milligan certainly hadn’t had enough to keep him here.

But she had. I had the text from Stone to prove it.

I looked down at my shaking hand, almost expecting it there. Nothing but calluses and a cut down the side from leaping off my boat.

I didn’t even realize it happened.

I curled my fingers tight until my hand stopped shaking.

A commotion at the end of the hall dented my panic. I crept down the hall, my heart pounding as I noticed the crowd of people where her room was.

Priscilla.

Cilla.

Her jagged voice lived in my head almost as loud as Milligan’s.

I didn’t realize I was jogging down the hall until I was upon them. Stone and his partner ripping into the cop on the door.

A flurry of nurses pushing their way inside even as Stone tried to stop them.

“What’s going on?”

Stone turned, his face morphing from anger to an unreadable mask.

“What’s wrong?” I asked again.

“It’s none of your concern, Mr. Jordan.”

I whirled to his partner’s cool, clipped voice. I wanted to snarl that she was wrong, but she wasn’t.

Priscilla didn’t mean anything to me.

Liar.

I gnashed my teeth together. That time I wasn’t sure the voice was Milligan’s or my own.

“Back up.” Detective Diaz crowded into me. She was wearing another one of her blazers even in the oppressive humidity, but this time it was shoved up her arms. Her weapon showing—on purpose.

I stood my ground, but didn’t press forward. “Is she okay?”

Her dark eyes flared with anger before going flat. I knew that gaze.

I had one of my own.

Where you slammed down the emotions for the sake of the business at hand.

I couldn’t seem to find my own barriers just then.

“You need to go,” she said and turned away from me and stalked back into the chaos outside her room. I tried to push forward, but Stone redirected me into the waiting room.

“What the hell is happening, Stone?”

“Someone broke into Miss Barlow’s room.”