AllFreeNovel Stories worth discovering

Cross That Line

Page 94

by Barbara Freethy

As he stopped at a light, he gave her what felt like a loving look. "I think you made a good start last night."

"I agree. Because you gave me the courage to jump. Right into your arms," she added with a laugh.

"That part was rough," he said dryly.

She gave him a playful punch on the arm and then said, "Well, we don't ever have to do it again."

"Let's not go that far. We still have our room at the hotel."

"We should have checked out."

"We need somewhere to stay tonight, and I like our suite."

She liked it too, but she liked him even more. "Maybe just one more night, and then we need to be more practical."

He laughed again. "I thought you were becoming a risk-taker."

"I can't change myself completely."

"I wouldn't want you to, Rachel. You might not believe this, but I'm starting to like you just the way you are."

She felt the same way about him, but the practical side of her mind told her that while it was fine to have some fun, she needed to keep her expectations low, because who knew what would happen at the end of all this?

When they got to St. Anne's, they went up to the third floor, where Megan was recovering in the ICU. There were two guards on her door, which was just down the hall from the nurse's station, although her vitals were being recorded on a monitor at the desk.

"Dr. Broward said he could speak to us this afternoon about Dr. Megan Prescott," Tyler told the nurse at the desk, showing her his FBI credentials.

"Yes. He mentioned you'd be coming by. I'll call him. He's just finishing with a patient."

"Thanks." They moved a few feet away from the desk as the nurse picked up the phone to call the doctor.

"I hope we can talk to Megan," Rachel said.

"So do I. She might be able to give us enough evidence to get a search warrant." He paused as his phone rang. "This is Kara. I'm just going to step into the waiting room."

"I'll wait for the doctor," she said.

As he moved into the nearby room, she looked around, thinking this was the third medical facility she'd been in today. Feeling thirsty, she moved down the hall to the drinking fountain, which was just past Megan's room. After taking a long drink, she lifted her head, her gaze catching on a woman coming through the stairwell door.

Her dark-red hair immediately caught her eye, but it was her face that made her jaw drop. It was Naomi Randall. What the hell was she doing at St. Anne's, on the same floor where Megan was being treated? It all added up in a flash.

And then Naomi saw her and stopped abruptly, her eyes filling with guilty panic just before she turned and bolted through the door.

Rachel took off after her, forgetting all about waiting for the doctor. Naomi was involved in this. There was no other reason for her to be at St. Anne's and definitely no other reason for her to be running. She flew through the door and down the stairs, her heels clattering on the concrete as she yelled for Naomi to stop.

Naomi looked back at her and then stumbled down the last step, grabbing onto the rail to stay on her feet. That momentary hesitation gave Rachel all the impetus she needed to catch her. She grabbed her arm and yanked her back from the door leading out of the stairwell.

"Stop," she told her. "Are you the one, Naomi? Are you siphoning patients to Waverly? Are you selling their personal information?"

Naomi's eyes widened and she looked terrified. "No. No. It's not me."

"You're lying. I can see the truth in your eyes."

"Let me go. I have to go." Naomi yanked her arm away from her and pushed through the door, which led out to a path on the side of the building. She raced toward the parking lot, dodging a car as she picked up her pace.

Rachel pushed as hard as she could, wishing she had on running shoes instead of heels. But she was still faster than Naomi, and she caught up to her on the edge of the lot and grabbed her arm again.

"You have to talk to me," she told her.