Page 24 of Nowhere to Hide

“And found out this piece of shit came back to try to finish her off. Unbelievable.” I stalked away, then back trying to pushdown the anger. The smells and sounds of the hospital adding to my agitation.

Stone cracked his knuckles. “I’m going to check on her.”

I followed him out the door to the hall where there were now a half dozen cops. It looked as if Diaz was already getting her ass chewed by someone who looked higher up the food chain. He wore a dress shirt with the sleeves rolled up. A gun harness held his weapon in plain sight. He was a solid dude but a little soft in the middle. Hairline hanging on for dear life in a thin sandy color dipping into gray.

Stone swore under his breath.

“Captain?” I asked under my breath.

“Lieutenant. Just as bad.” Stone straightened his shoulders. “Miranda, can I talk to you for a minute?”

The lieutenant dipped his hand into his pocket and the jangle of change made my shoulders tighten. “Looking to take another step down to traffic, Stone?”

“No, Lu. I’m just checking to see if this fits my?—”

“Look, Stone. I know you want to make a name for yourself, but you should stick to fiction. It ain’t there.”

Stone stiffened. “It’s the same guy. He’s escalating. I’m sure of it.”

“This was just finish off the witness.”

The callous way he spoke about her made my shoulders tighten. Like she was more of an inconvenience than anything.

“How many perps do you know who would have the balls to do this with a cop on the door?” I asked evenly.

His lieutenant didn’t have an answer for that.

Instead, the dickhead just turned away from me, heand Diaz walking away with heated whispers.

I wanted to believe they might come around to Stone’s side, but the lieutenant had already made his mind up about this whole scenario.

How the fuck could these cops be so stupid? If it wasn’t a serial offender, he was more likely to skip town than to come after her again. This behavior didn’t line up. I knew obsession could drive a man to do insane things, but that was generally attached to more intimate partner violence.

Stone’s theory made way more sense based on this behavior.

I scanned the area, my instincts back online as the anger abated. A pair of officers covered the hallway near the elevators and the staircase. The nurses were still diligently working in the room across from Cilla’s. A flurry of nurses and doctors rushed in. Whoever it was, it didn’t look good.

But the chaos spilled out into the hallway. The lieutenant was leaning into an epic dressing down for Stone and Diaz. The cop on the door was distracted by the scene, allowing me to get through the door.

“I just need to see her.”

The cop grabbed me by the collar and tried to haul me back, but I was a good twenty pounds heavier and five inches taller than him. It weas enough for me to get a look at her in the bed. Her neck was ravaged and bruised, her nails torn. She was resting, but her brow was furrowed.

Dreams?

Nightmares?

Rage rose up as the cop and Stone hauled me out of there.

“What were you thinking?” Stone said darkly.

I shoved him back and stalked down the hall to the elevators. I needed air.

After living on a boat for the last year, the hospital was even more claustrophobic. Too many people, too many sounds. Too much death and blood.

I blocked out the memories. The last time I’d been in one had been to find out Milligan’s wife hadn’t made it either. I’d lostboth of them—fucked up everything because I hadn’t been fast enough. Smart enough.

I needed to get gone.