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Jude walked to the cafeteria where he and Rebecca usually met. For some reason, she loved the food in the place, so she liked to come in early to eat. People milled about the tables—a heavier crowd than normal—but the noise level was surprisingly down. He spotted Rebecca in time to see her cover the taco on her tray with a napkin.
She had her dark brown hair in a bun today, and her black uniform looked freshly ironed. She didn’t have time to hide the huge, purple hickey on her collarbone. He made sure she caught his stare at it, then grinned at her.
Rebecca pulled her shirt collar over it and waved her fork around. “Bad accident on Red Bank Road this morning. It’s set us back, so you have an extra fifteen minutes.”
“And the love bite?”
She pointed at his neck. “I got it to go with yours. Can’t have anyone getting confused when we’re out today if we don’t match.”
“Very funny.” He had a small one—very small. But it did remind him that he still had a half hour, or forty-five minutes now, before his shift and there was a man he should seek out somewhere in this building. He rolled back on his heels, and shoved his hands in his pockets. “Have you seen Dr. Frost?”
Rebecca turned, her smile sort of freezing on her face. “Unfortunately. He’s been in fine form this morning. Just watch.” She pointed toward the hall. “If he comes storming back this way, the people will part like the Red Sea. One poor intern actually splashed into a wall trying to avoid him.”
Jude thought again of the way Snow had looked at him last night when he’d dropped him off at his place. For a moment—just a moment—their eyes had locked and Jude had felt powerful, roiling emotions in the man. Emotions he ruthlessly tried to hide. Jude had thought maybe his general wanted to stay the rest of the night, but was afraid to ask. He’d searched Jude’s eyes, tightened his lips and backed away.
And Jude had let him. He’d needed the space to think, to figure out if the drama and danger of Snow’s life was something he wanted to bring into his own life—to risk his own family—if he was going to keep pursuing the surgeon. Unfortunately, he wasn’t much better off after taking it.
Still, walking away had been surprisingly hard. “You have to try understanding his mood. Someone was killed in his home and everyone here outside of his team is acting like he did it. Not to mention he just buried a close friend.” And he was trying to take down a psychotic thug determined to make his mark in a criminal underground world that made Jude sick.
She leaned closer and lowered her voice. “That’s because his alibi hasn’t come forward.” She air-quoted the word alibi.
“His alibi most certainly did come forward.”
“But not here. Nobody here has heard the truth.” She stopped talking as a group of nurses passed them, then continued, lowering her voice. “Look, I know you said you didn’t think he needed more gossip, but maybe you should say something.”
Whispers of Snow’s name came from three different conversations around them. Jude shut his eyes briefly before pinning his gaze on his friend. “Not without talking to him first. He has enough to deal with.”
“You’re telling me.” She paused, set down her fork, and the way her lips thinned warned him he wasn’t going to like what she was about to say. “I do think I know where he is. There’s a rumor the chief called him into his office.” She paused. “And that the hospital is putting him on leave until all this passes.”
Despite his indecision over what he wanted to happen with the man, worry tightened his gut. “I’m going to find him. I’ll meet you outside when our shift starts.”
She nodded and picked up her fork.
It took ten precious minutes to find out what had happened. The hospital had definitely put Snow on administrative leave until his personal situation calmed down. Calmed down. As if finding someone murdered inside your home was something that would just blow over. Jude was fuming when he shoved open the door to Snow’s office to find him slumped on the edge of his desk, cradling his hand. Dismay shot through him when he saw the blood dripping onto the floor. Blue eyes lifted to his, flared with surprise, and Jude wanted to kick himself. Yes, he’d seen things he wished like hell he hadn’t and yes, a lot of bad things had happened since he’d hooked up with this man, but the way he was looking at him…it broke his heart. And he knew he wasn’t ready to give up on whatever this was between them. Not yet. Possibly not ever.
