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“I’ll need to check Ms. Frost’s vitals before I print out the discharge paperwork.” The nurse smiled and skirted around the other side of the bed to unravel the blood pressure cuff. She measured her pulse and blood oxygen, noting down the numbers. “All right, everything looks stable. I’ll see about getting you out of here.”
Gus had been smoothing his hand over her hair, for his comfort as much as hers. The gut-wrenching fear had subsided only slightly now that she was awake and speaking. The ambulance ride had been hell, and not because he’d refused medical treatment so he could ride beside her. His limbs had shaken, and dizziness had spiked with every blip of the monitors. Now that the adrenaline had faded, his chest hurt, probably from his heart battering his ribcage. His back was raw, fresh stitches closing up the places where shrapnel had lodged into his skin.
“More visitors,” Isaac stated from the door.
“Might be Detective Wright and Agent Nilsson.” Thank God Nilsson was working closely with the state police now that there seemed to be a connection between the death of Sasha’s family, the missing kid found on her property, and the murders of individuals connected to the fire alarm companies. Nilsson had agreed it would be a good idea to stay close to Sasha, including at the crowded fundraiser. “I gave my statement earlier, but they’ll want to talk to you. There have been some developments in the cases we’ve been working.” He stepped away from Sasha just as the two women approached the door. Everything inside was raw and jumpy, and by the way Sasha’s muscles tensed, she was feeling it, too.
“That’s our signal to step out. We’ll see you at home. I hope you’ll start coming around more, Sasha. It was nice to meet you.” Julie put a hand on Easton’s arm then Isaac’s, and led them out of the room to allow Wright and Nilsson a place to stand. Julie was going to get her wish, starting the moment they were discharged. Until they could figure out what the hell was going on, Sasha wasn’t leaving his side. He straightened as Detective Wright stepped inside the room first, followed by Nilsson.
They both gave him a nod and turned their attention to Sasha. He hated that she had to answer questions right now. Not after seeing her art massacred and nearly being killed.
“I’m sorry about yesterday’s events,” Agent Nilsson began. “The fire department, bomb squad, and ATF are working in unison to uncover the details of the explosive. Law enforcement believe that a leaking acetylene cylinder resulted in the blast.” Someone had placed the explosive beneath the car, and the moment he hit the key fob, the spark ignited the gas.
Metal squealed against linoleum as Detective Wright pulled the two seats against the wall closer to the bedside, and both women sat. “At this point, we’re not sure who the intended target was. Officers secured your car, and nothing had been touched. Your art was, though. Who knew you were going to be at the auction yesterday?”
“It was public information. All someone would need to do is look at the hospital website, social media.” A dull ache must have been building between her shoulders because she shifted, as though trying to find some comfort.
“What about personal contacts?” Nilsson reached into her bag to retrieve a pen and notebook.
“My agent, Lynn Arnold. As I’ve mentioned in the past, I’m not close with my relatives. My aunt and uncle are the only ones nearby.” Sasha’s voice was still hoarse from breathing in the black smoke that had funneled from the explosion.
She was picking the cuticle of her thumb raw with her index finger. He clamped down on the urge to cover her hand with his own to stop her, but he didn’t need to light up a neon sign that read, Sleeping with witness. As her only close friend, wouldn’t Ted have known she was there? Was he still pissed off that Sasha had rebuffed his advances?
“My friend Theodore Wilson knew, too. He was giving a lecture tonight at the Seaport Hotel in Boston.”
Damn, she was already defending the man, and he hadn’t even mentioned that Theodore was on his mind as a possible suspect. So were her aunt and uncle. She wouldn’t care so much about the latter, but broaching the subject of her childhood friend wasn’t going to be a smooth conversation.
“We’ll need their contact information. Any communication within the past days or weeks with your aunt and uncle?” There was a note of empathy in Wright’s voice, while Nilsson’s pointed questions were remote, bordering on cold. It pissed him off, even if she was just doing her job as an agent.
“No, we rarely speak.” Sasha’s tone was tired and clipped. Who could blame her? Her quiet life had been upended.
“And the people in the room when we arrived?” Nilsson searched Sasha’s face, and his gut clenched. Did his colleagues suspect there was something between them?
“They were here for Detective Lambert.”
“I thought I recognized one of them.” Nilsson worked in the same building as Easton, and even though he liked to stay buried on the lower level with his computer equipment, their paths must cross from time to time.
The questions continued, and just when he was gritting his teeth in frustration, they left Sasha their cards with a promise to follow up with any new information.
He took one of the seats and dragged it even closer to the bedside. For a moment, he just soaked in the soft dips and lines of her face. Gold freckles dusted the bridge of her nose and the tops of her cheeks. A purple bruise, most likely from his chest connecting with her face in the fall, spread over her jaw. More scratches and splotches peppered her arms, most likely her whole body beneath the hospital gown. He wanted to get her home, tucked into his bed, and fall asleep with her in his arms. That wasn’t going to happen, though. He needed to stay professional and would take the living room couch, leaving her the bed. He took his home security seriously, especially since Jules spent some nights there alone when he was on duty. Maybe he’d be able to relax enough to sleep if Sasha was in the protection of his space, too.
“You scared the shit out of me last night,” he whispered.
The stark, colorless room was no place for Sasha. She belonged with her paintings, in her home with all its melding colors. Not the victim of a deliberate attack. Hadn’t she survived enough?
“Likewise.” She choked out the words, tears streaming down her face again.
“I’ve got you now.” He leaned in and kissed her temple. Didn’t give a fuck that he choked on the words, because the lump in his throat was the size of baseball. Sasha was different, he’d known that from the start, but almost losing her had solidified the feelings he’d been scared to face. He had never felt a fraction for anyone what he felt for Sasha. What a twisted irony to feel these things for a woman who was so incredibly off-limits. The best action he could take was to keep connecting the pieces until they had enough evidence to make an arrest. The problem was, whatever was developing between him and Sasha might be broken if the perp was someone close to her. He wouldn’t hesitate to bring a suspect into custody, not even if the hard evidence pointed to Sasha—not that he believed for a second it would.
Ted had known Sasha since childhood, had witnessed the pain that losing her family had caused her. Did he leave Melissa Fletcher practically on her property as some sort of prize to win her favor? The night Melissa disappeared, though, Ted had an alibi tutoring two students. Maybe the callous uncle had wanted to inflict pain for all the grief caring for Sasha had caused him. There had been several domestic disputes at the house, which escalated in the number of officer visits each year. The violence was there, but the motive wasn’t as strong. And Sasha’s aunt? She’d lost her sister in the fire. There was still a chance that the abduction and homicides weren’t related, but now that Sasha had been targeted, there wasn’t any angle he would dismiss.
“I hate that you were injured protecting me, but I’m grateful, too.” Sasha’s small hand covered his. The difference in sizes was almost comical and made him want to protect her even more.
“You never have to thank me for protecting you.” He looked away, then forced his eyes back to her. “I’m beating myself up for taking a step back. For having another officer accompany Wright to your home to share the connection between Jefferson and Sons and Haven Security. For letting you think I was nowhere in sight during those interviews. I could see how stressful it was on you.” There was a heaviness that hadn’t left his body for the past two weeks as he weighed the repercussions of being with Sasha and his duty to the police force. Staying away was the right decision, but seeing Sasha’s tired eyes and slumped shoulders was maddening. The drive to be near her, bolstering her spirit, letting her know she wasn’t so alone, made him crazy.
“Letting me think you were nowhere?” She blinked quickly, confusion stirring over her features.
“I observed.” He leaned in, catching a hint of her honeyed lemon scent beneath the layers of smoke and burnt plastic that clung to her hair. “Every time one of my colleagues implied that you might have something to hide, it was hard to stop myself from breaking through the one-way glass.”
