Page 84 of One Killer Night

My face brightens. “Did they find the people who did this?”

Noah shakes his head before kissing my forehead gently. “It’s nothing you need to worry about, killer. Just some questions for me because my bike was involved, that’s all.”

I glance at the men’s unreadable faces before I take a step back, suddenly hearing my sister’s voice, so I turn toward it.

“Hey, there you are.” She comes to stand next to me before hugging Noah in greeting. “They just told me I can go back and see him. We all can.”

I smile but Noah frowns, hitching a thumb over his shoulder. “You guys go first. I’ll catch up in a few minutes. I just have to deal with this.” His eyes lock to mine. “Tell him I’m here, please.”

I nod. “Yeah, of course.” But I hug him once more, not really wanting to let go.

He places his palm over the back of my hair. “Go on. I’ll be right there.”

My sister gently tugs the back of my hoodie when I don’t let him go, so I step back, looking at the detectives again. I don’t know why I feel uneasy, but it’s just a gut feeling. Or maybe I’m picking up on Noah’s mood because all the rawness I saw in his face, not even ten seconds ago, has completely vanished as he turns back toward them.

I frown as I follow the waiting nurse with Evie, glancing over my shoulder as I go.

Noah’s standing sideways, arms crossed while he rubs his tensed jaw. Both officers look down at their notebooks before each of them asks him something, but he looks so uncomfortable. His eyes glance up at mine, seeing me watching, before he casually turns his back to me.

“You okay?” my sister whispers, calling my eyes back to hers.

“Yeah.” But I glance back at him again. “Do you think he could be in trouble for letting Chase borrow the bike?”

“No. Why? Are you worried?”

The nurse stops and swipes her card in front of a secured door.

I shrug. “I just think it’s weird that detectives are here and want to talk to him. He was across the country. How could he even help them?”

I look over my shoulder one last time as we walk through the secure entry, and I watch him until the door closes behind me.

But it’s not Noah who’s staring back at me. It’s the detective with the little notebook. And his eyes don’t leave my scowling face until I blink first and walk away.

“You gave us a real scare, man,” Noah says as I lean into him.

Chase starts to nod but barely lifts his head, as if it’s too heavy, before he plops it back down on the pillow.

“Whoa,” Chase groans, still hoarse from the tube that was down his throat. “My whole body hurts. I feel like I got hit by a car ...”

“You did,” Noah offers gently, making Chase scowl, then move his lips around as if he’s just discovered them.

“That’s not right,” Chase draws out, repeating the last syllable of the word a few times. “Cars hit deer and speed bumps.”

Noah grins at me, and I chuckle because Chase is so high.

“At least he’s feeling no pain,” I whisper, rubbing Noah’s arm. I look up at him, relieved to see him less stressed.

“You’re soooo pretty,” Chase slurs, turning his attention to Evie, who’s seated in a chair by the door. “How did I convince you to marry me?” He looks at us, trying to whisper but failing. “How did I convince her to marry me? She hates me.” His eyes grow wide. “Did she hit me with the car?”

Evie smirks along with a huffed laugh, but the nurse looks over her shoulder nosily.

Uh-oh.I make eyes at Evie to say something, because I’m not quite sure how much trouble we could get into since we aided and abetted an entire hospital in violating the HIPAA Act.

“Love is crazy like that, hubby,” Evie says, giving me a dirty look. “People do bizarre things in the name of it.”

I grin as the nurse moves past us, checking Chase’s vitals. His head lolls sideways trying to track her, making his eyes cross for a minute.

“How are we feeling, Mr. Beckett? Any pain?” the gray-haired older woman says, smiling down at him.