Page 29 of Long Past Deadly

“Yes.” The one thing she’d learned about Quaid is the more pissed he got, the shorter his answers were. Some men yelled, punched, hurt. He didn’t. He withdrew. So, yeah. She wasn’t in a great mood. The sound hit her…

“I heard you,” she whispered. “I heard you.”

His eyes rounded, then he grinned.

She increased her volume a bit, testing her ability.. “I heard you.” She laughed.

“Thank God.” He rubbed his eyes. “I was worried it wouldn’t happen.”

“Me, too. If truth be told.”

The bay door opened and Drucker strode in. The man wore black workout gear under a white medical coat. “Has anybody told you two it’s the middle of the night?”

“Actually, no. I have no idea what time it is.” Alanna couldn’t mask her relief and didn’t try.

Drucker came to her side. “I take it you can hear now.”

“It’s a bit muffled, but a whole lot better.”

He used a scope to check both ears, then spoke softly. “It’s the sleep in total quiet, the antibiotics, the pain killers, and the removal of all the debris. Going forward, keep to no loud noises. No bombs, no weapon firing, no loud televisions or music. Don’t push the boundaries.”

She sighed. “Kill joy.”

“Sorry. But it matters.”

Quaid rose and shoved the recliner away from the bed. “We’re moving her. Upstairs. Safer there. Okay?”

“If she promises more sleep and to call me when she wakes so I can check this again.”

Alanna nodded, not willing to antagonize anyone in her corner. Well, except maybe Quaid.

“Dr. Hunter should be here sometime late tomorrow.”

Quaid rubbed his face. “She’ll arrive sooner. It’s who she is. I need some sleep before I have to explain.”

Alanna planned to be far away when he confessed to the Hunters how he ransacked their house.

Niles arrived in a full black suit with a freshly pressed shirt. Drucker passed him with a flourish of ‘she’s all yours.’ The body man came to the end of the bed and waited for instructions.

Alanna found what little she had of manners. “Thank you for coming. What time is it?”

“It’s 0400, ma’am.”

“Let’s get her moved to 501.” Quaid’s gruffness was a counterpoint to Niles’s formality.

“Miss Elizabeth gave me instructions. It’s in progress.”

“Moving me is in progress?” The need for sleep overwhelmed her again. “Do you need my key card because I don’t have it.”

“No, Miss Elizabeth gave me a master. The goal is to get you moved and comfortable as soon as possible.”

“You’re going into my room, packing, and moving me?” Alanna had as much trouble with people touching her things as she did with wearing someone else’s clothes.

Quaid leaned in, his face in hard lines. “Yes. It’s necessary. He’ll take more care than your mother. So let’s find you a robe and a wheelchair and move.”

She wanted to argue. She had two feet and had walked in here, but the pain killers had carried the movement. Everything hurt. And energy was lacking, too. Still her gut twisted, and she wanted to fight to stand on her own.

“Sometimes, Williams, you have to trust the people around you. Let us take care of you. You’re one of us now. We usually do a better job of pulling new friends into our family. I’m sorry. We’ll get this right, I promise.”