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Sergei’d had a long conversation with someone in Russian last night. He’d kept his gaze on Jerry while he talked. Like he and whoever was on the phone were planning something. Afterwards, he and Yuri spoke intently, glancing at him every few seconds. Something was going on. Who had Sergei been talking to?
Whoever it was, Jerry was pretty sure it didn’t bode well for him. He hadn’t liked the way they’d fingered their guns.
So he had a plan B. If he saw an opportunity, he’d take his chances and run.
And Alex? Maybe the Russians would kill her. If they did, as her husband he’d inherit the house and her money. All that money would make him very comfortable in his new life in the witness protection program.
A sad end for Alex.
Happy ever after for him.
* * *
Gideon sat beside Alex’s bed in the emergency room, gripping her right hand while the doctor examined an x-ray of her broken left arm. He’d been surprised when she’d reached for him, but he’d wrapped his fingers around hers.
The doctor finally turned to Alex and smiled. “Good news, Ms. Conway. It’s a clean break with a minimal degree of bone displacement. We’ll correct that, then put your am in a cast. It should heal very well. It’ll take about six weeks, but we’ll check it periodically to see how it’s coming along.”
Gideon closed his eyes for a moment, thanking whatever fairy godmother had been watching over Alex. With that huge lump on her arm, he’d been afraid the break was a bad one. The kind that would require surgery.
As if she’d read his mind, Alex frowned. “There’s a huge bump on my arm. I figured that was the bone pushing at the skin.”
“That’s a blood clot, which forms when the bone is broken,” the doctor said. “There are lots of blood vessels inside the bone, and when it breaks, they bleed and form a hematoma.” The woman, who had short, curly dark hair, smiled. “Fancy word for a large clot. That will eventually solidify and form a callus, which will bind the bone together.” The doctor patted her shoulder. “I’ll get one of the nurses and we’ll put a cast on that arm for you. Once it hardens, which doesn’t take long, you’ll be good to go.”
As she headed out of the cubicle, she glanced over her shoulder. “Any preference for color?”
“Color?” Alex echoed with a frown.
The doctor smiled. “Boring white casts are old school. Our casts come in designer colors now. Red, pink, green, blue, purple, orange, yellow -- you name it, we have it.”
Alex’s mouth curled up. “In that case, I’d like a red cast.”
“You got it,” the doctor said. She exited the cubicle and pulled the curtain closed.
Gideon studied her for a long moment. “Why red?” he finally asked.
For the first time since their fight yesterday, Alex smiled. “If I have to go to court before the cast is off, I don’t want the jurors to miss it. I’ll rest it on the defense table. Maybe it’ll distract the jurors when the prosecutor is speaking.”
“That’s devious,” Gideon said, studying her with a tiny smile. “Very strategic.”
Alex shrugged. “Any decent attorney would do exactly the same thing. You use whatever you have.”
Gideon didn’t want to point out that Alex might not be in court within the next six weeks. She might not even be back in Evanston. It all depended on what happened with Jerry and the Russians.
He, Mel and Dev had had a meeting set for today to figure out the plan, but that was off the table now.
As they waited for the doctor to return, Gideon’s phone buzzed. He looked at the screen. Brynn. “Yeah?”
“Your buddies have arrived,” she told him, her voice low. “Two cars. The white Benz and a dark gray Chevy. They drove into the parking structure. Pulled in down the row from Nico. Got out of their cars and walked up the ramp. Nico suspects they’re looking for a place to hide. To ambush you when you get in the car.”
“Good to know. What about Spence?”
“Just heard from him. He’s on his way to the hospital. Told him to hang around the ER door. We don’t want all three of our cars in the parking garage. When you’re about ready, I’ll go get your Forester. Nico left the key under the driver’s side floor mat.”
“Great. I’ll give you a head’s up before we leave the ER.”
“Got it,” Brynn said.
After sliding his phone back into his pocket, Gideon reached for Alex’s right hand. “Trotter and the Russians are here. In the parking garage.”
