Page 60 of Avenging Angel

The doctor smirks at my quip but doesn’t comment further on my appearance. “So is your friend. You can see him when I finish cleaning your wounds.”

For the next ten minutes, I sit there wincing every time a fresh coat of antiseptic is applied to the scrape on my face. I’ve been told that my road rash is superficial and won’t leave any scars, but that doesn’t stop my mind from wondering if I’ll scare Angel away when I return to Oregon. That’s not a reunion that will happen until after I talk to Mason and Gemma Bloom, who, by the grace of God, weren’t home.

“All done,” the doctor tells me. “Your friend is recovering in room 204.”

I hop off the table, thank the good doctor, and then travel down the hallway. Before I enter Bennett’s room, I look upward and take a moment to thank God for giving me another day. “Lord, twice this week I’ve come close to meeting You face-to-face. I’m not sure whether to take the mercy as a sign to back off because it’s a three-strikes-and-you’re-out kind of thing, or take it as a sign that I still have a purpose I need to fulfill. Either way, gratitude fills my heart for the mercy You’ve bestowed upon me. And thank You for keeping Bennett alive and the neighbors safe.”

Taking a deep breath, I knock on the door before entering the hospital room. I find Bennett lying on the bed with IVs and wires hooked up to him to monitor his vitals.

His head lolls in my direction, but there’s no expression on his face that indicates he’s relieved to see me. “What do you want, Daisy? I’m really not in the mood for your ire to be directed my way.”

I sit next to his bed and hang my head. “You may have hidden secrets and kept things from us, but you’ve been honest about your intentions from the start. I’m sorry for the way I’ve treated you; for the way my brother has treated you. He let his past cloud his judgment, and there have been things that have happened in my life that make trusting people fairly difficult.”

Bennett’s slow-forming smile is genuine when he asks, “Are you trying to befriend me, Daisy?”

A bark of laughter escapes from my belly. “No, not at all. Once this case is over, I hope we never have to see each other again. However, I do want to thank you for risking your life to save mine.”

“Then you turn around and save mine. I guess we’re even.”

“Hardly. You still owe me answers once you get out of here.” I give his hand a gentle squeeze before standing up, and when he squeezes back, I see something in his eyes I recognize. Loneliness.

“The doctors want to keep me here for a few more days, so those answers will have to wait.”

I let go of his hand and walk to the exit, turning around one last time. “I’ve waited two decades for answers since Sadie’s death. I can wait a few more days.”

“Are you heading back to Oregon?”

I shake my head. “Not yet. I still need to talk to Mason and Gemma Bloom.”

Bennett’s eyebrows furrow until two creases form between them. “Why? The evidence you were looking for was destroyed.”

“I just want to ask them about their son and about what happened to him. They might have a picture of him on their phone. In fact, I’m betting on it.”

“Okay. While I can’t go with you for obvious reasons, if there’s anything I can do, let me know. And before you go, what should I tell the police when they come in here to question me? Our stories need to be straight.”

I wink. “No one will be coming to talk to you, and you can thank our friends at the FBI for that. They took over the investigation into the bombing because it ties into the abduction case.”

When I leave the room, I hear Bennett say, “I’ll see you in a few days to keep my promise. But remember my warning: you won’t like the answers you’re seeking.”

Chapter twenty-four

Angel

“Stand down,” Roger says through our comms. “Return immediately.”

I glance over at Owen and then at Scott, who both appear equally perplexed by the order. “We’re prepared to neutralize targets and bring them in for questioning. Are you sure?”

“There’s been an incident. Return to the cabins now.” His tone brooks no further argument from the team. Faith and Jaxon also acknowledge the order, and the way Jaxon does so means he’s just as confused.

We wait until Ken and Eva duck back behind the moss before we reverse crawl from our position until we’re far enough away to stand without being seen and our voices won’t carry. Owen finally breaks the silence that has stretched across our comms.

“All clear. Roger, please tell us what’s going on.”

Instead of Roger, it’s Vinny who responds. “Roger is currently engaged with more pressing matters. He’s on the phone with Director Finnegan, calling in a special favor.”

“Somebody better tell us what’s happening,” I say. “We were so close. Instead of walking back empty-handed, we could be bringing in two people for questioning, two people who appear to have the same objective as we do and might have information vital to us.”

“That’s what we’re trying to discern,” Vinny says. “Jerry was on the phone with Daisy and Bennett when a bomb at the Bloom residence was triggered. The last thing Jerry heard was the explosion before the line went dead.”