Page 91 of Storm Warning
Zach went to work drawing a blood sample for testing, each movement efficient and clinical. Nick’s jaw clenched when the needle pierced her skin, even though it was necessary.
“I’ll have Logan run this. We might need the evidence, although I’m sure Dr. Hampton will pull blood too.” Zach smirked. “And I need to have him pick up our trash. I want to have a little chat with them.” With that, Zach left the room, leaving Nick alone with Kate.
The silence pressed in, broken only by Kate’s soft breathing. Nick stood for a moment, simply looking at her, before he couldn’t stand the distance anymore. He lay on the bed facing her, close enough to touch, needing to touch. He folded his fingers around her hand, bringing it to his heart, ensuring his fingertips touched her pulse. The rhythmic beat soothed something wild and frantic in his soul.
Nick had no idea how much time passed before Kate stirred—time became meaningless, measured only in heartbeats andbreaths—her eyes fluttering open. His own heart pounded, a drumbeat of hope and fear, as she woke. She looked at him, her eyes filled with confusion and fear, and something inside him cracked. He wanted to take that fear away, to absorb it himself so she wouldn’t.
A wave of guilt washed over him, cold and bitter, knowing he had endangered her. This was his fault. His world, his problems, had touched her and tried to destroy her.
“Nick?” she whispered, her voice little more than a whisper, rough and small, her eyes unfocused. “What happened?”
The sound of his name on her lips undid him. She remembered him. She knew him.
He took a deep breath, trying to find the words to explain, his throat tight. “I’m sorry, Kate. I should never have gotten you involved in this. I should have protected you.” The words tasted like ash. He should have protected her. He’d failed her.
She reached up, her hand brushing against his cheek before falling back on the bed. The touch was feather-light, barely there, but it seared him like a brand. “I’m really tired, Nick.” Her eyes fluttered shut again.
A surge of dismay, sharp and painful, closed his throat. When would she fully wake? She’d spoken this time, though. She would be okay. She had to be okay. He couldn’t contemplate any other outcome.
He lay there watching her breathe, studying the rise and fall of her chest, the flutter of her pulse in her throat, the way her lashes rested against her cheeks. Memorizing her. Thanking whatever deity might be listening that she was here, that she was alive.
Zach returned, escorting Dr. Hampton. He sat up, trying not to disturb Kate, every movement slow and deliberate, and extended his hand to the woman.
“Doctor, thank you for coming so quickly. Kate did partiallywake a few minutes ago, and spoke, but then went out again.” His voice sounded strange to his own ears—too formal, too controlled, when everything inside him was chaos.
“Hmm, Zach showed me the drug vial. Based on the amount missing, she may have been given a second dose. So, first, I’d like to check her arms and see if we can verify that.”
A second dose. They’d drugged hertwice. His hands curled into fists, nails biting into his palms.
Nick stepped aside as Dr. Hampton moved over to the bed and sat on the edge before gently pushing Kate’s sleeve back to study her arm.
Zach lightly tapped Kate's right elbow, where a small band aid now rested. “This one's mine. I pulled a vial for Logan. The site was clean.” Nick’s eyes tracked every movement, unable to look away although watching someone else touch Kate made his skin crawl with the need to intervene.
Dr. Hampton nodded. “I see one point here.” She picked up Kate’s other arm and repeated the process. “Yes, this looks like a second spot. I don’t see any others.”
Relief and rage warred in Nick’s chest. No other injection sites. But two doses.Two.
She sat back for a moment before looking at Nick and then Zach. “If you would excuse yourselves for a few minutes, I’ll check Kate for assault.”
The word hit him like a physical blow. Nick’s heart stuttered, the rhythm going erratic. He knew it was possible—Zach had mentioned it on the phone to the doctor in the car, but the reality of that fear now hit home with the force of a sledgehammer. The room tilted. His vision narrowed. He froze, unable to move, his feet rooted to the floor, his eyes glued to Kate as if looking away might make it real.
“Come on, Nick. We’ll wait in the hall until Dr. Hampton is done.”
Nick numbly allowed Zach to guide him out of the room into the hall, his legs moving without conscious thought. The door closed with a soft click that sounded like a gunshot. He stared at the wood grain, his mind conjuring images he couldn’t bear, scenarios that made him want to put his fist through the wall.
“I know you’re scared, but take a breath and think for a minute. It’s unlikely she was assaulted. Her clothing is intact, and those guys had some training. I’m pretty sure taking her was a job.”
Nick’s eyes flew to Zach’s, desperate to believe him, grasping at the words like a lifeline. He struggled to push the assault thought aside to focus on Zach’s words, forcing air into his lungs, forcing his brain to work through the red haze of fear and fury.
“A job. This saboteur? Yes, of course. They hired the maintenance guy to scare Kate in the spa first.” The pieces clicked together, his analytical mind seeking refuge in logic, in patterns, in anything that wasn’t the terrible alternative.
“Yes. It makes the most sense. Logan is picking our trash up and will hold them. I’m going over to the station as soon as we hear about Kate to interrogate this guy. Logan will allow me access to him. I’ll find out what he knows.” Zach’s tone was grim, determined.
Good. Nick wanted answers. He wanted names. He wanted to make someone pay for taking Kate.
The doctor’s voice carried through the door, snapping Nick’s attention back, his muscles tensing. “You can come back now.”
He almost fell over his feet rushing to Kate’s side, stumbling in his haste, dropping to his knees next to the bed hard enough that pain shot up his legs. He didn’t care. He searched the doctor’s face, trying to read the verdict there before she spoke.