Page 37 of King

“Don’t tell anyone I spoke with you,” he says.“I’m not supposed to, but when I saw who you were…”

“I won’t tell anyone,” I say and feel bad that I’m lying, but at that point, I don’t really care.I just want to get back to work and then talk with Harrison about what I should do.

I get up and open the door, turning once more to Mr.Deluca.“I hope you’re out of here soon.Good luck.”

“Thank you,” he says.“And please.Know that I never meant for it to happen.None of us did.It was purely an accident that your stepfather took the car.It was supposed to stay in the garage.”

I nod and force a smile, although I know damn well that he’s wrong, but I don’t want the poor man to suffer any more than he has already.

I leave the nursing home and get into the waiting limo.I tell the driver to take me back to work and watch the scenery as we drive back to the hospital in Manhattan, my mind whirling at everything Deluca told me.

Poor man.It was Giordano who ordered Rossi to have Deluca tamper with the brakes.Giordano and Rossi — were they both part of the conspiracy?Or just Giordano?

I need to speak with Harrison about this.He’ll have ways of finding out more intel on Rossi and Deluca so I can know if the story he told is true.

I rub my belly and think about the tiny embryo inside.

What kind of world are Harrison and I bringing this baby into?

I spendthe rest of the day at work, trying to catch up and stay an extra hour, like my supervisor said, to make up the time I was away.

Then, I take the limo home, and after I thank the driver, I take the elevator to our apartment.When the door opens, I see Harrison is sitting at the kitchen island, his cell is in his hand, and an expression of concern on his face.

“There you are,” he says and comes to me as I remove my coat and shoes.“I texted you, but you didn’t answer.”

I check my cell and see that it’s died.“Ran out of juice.Sorry.”

We embrace, and I let him hug me close for a long moment.It feels so good to be in his big, strong arms.I glance up, and when I do, he kisses me.We kiss deeply, and then he picks me up.“Do you have enough juice for me?”

I smile.“Try me,” I say, needing the pure pleasure of release to forget about my day.

ChapterSeventeen

Harrison

We lie together naked under the covers, and I feel so relaxed for a change that I could easily fall asleep with Natalia in my arms.

But I can tell by the way she’s playing with the hair on my chest that she’s wide awake and wants to talk.

“How was your day?”I ask, tilting her chin up so I can look in her eyes.“Was it good, medium or bad?”

She sighs.“Good in some ways, bad in others, so if you add it all up, I’d say medium overall.”

“What happened that was bad?”

She hesitates, and I know she can’t talk about work in any detail, so I wonder if something bad didn’t happen with a patient, and that’s what’s weighing on her mind.

“Actually, there’s something I want to talk about.”

“I’m all ears.You know you can talk to me about anything you want.Good, bad or medium.”

She rests her arms on my chest and nods.“I did some sleuthing into Giordano.”

I frown.That’s not something a new medical doctor hoping to be a forensic psychiatrist should be doing.

“What?”

“I was given the name of the mechanic who worked on my stepfather’s vehicle.I did some research, found out where he is, and went to speak with him.”