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“Holy fuck.” My eyes widen in shock. “Please tell me it’s not Barbi.”
“Told you he’d figure it out.” CJ holds up a hand.
Before I know it, Sam flicks a raggedy button toward CJ, who catches it in the air. CJ pockets the button while rage builds within me.
“How certain are we about that?”
“Considering the threat Scott made on Kaye’s roommates, we’re treating it as real.” Sam’s mouth twists. He’s not happy.
“Alec would’ve told me if he was with Barbi.” I don’t believe them. “He’s not the kind of man to keep something like that secret. It could be true, but unrelated?” I say the words, knowing they’re wrong. “How certain are we?”
“Both he and Barbi have charges on their credit cards in Vegas. Same day. Same place. Within minutes of each other. Then nothing. It’s too coincidental not to be true.”
“But his trackers?”
“His trackers blipped out.” CJ pulls at his chin.
“Blipped out?”
“Stopped responding.” Sam rubs his temples.
“So, it’s not just Kaye they’ve taken?”
“Afraid not.” Sam tugs at his ear.
“Fuck.” I lean back in the bed, frustrated and agitated by how helpless I feel. “What now?”
“We find what links the two men together. Use that to find where they take their victims.”
“Okay.” I take a breath. “Any chance I’m getting out of this place? I want to help. I need to help.”
“Actually…” Doc Summers raps on the door and enters with a smile on her face. “I’m going to pull the chest tube, then you’re free to go.”
“You’re kidding?” I don’t believe her.
“Would I ever kid a Guardian?” She folds her arms across her chest and shakes her head. “I’ve learned to be brutally honest. That way, when I say you have to stay, you know I mean it. And when I say you’re free to go, you’ll pay attention to my discharge orders so that you’re not right back in one of my hospital beds.” She looks at CJ and Sam. “Gentlemen, if you don’t mind?”
“Not at all.” Sam pushes the stool back and stands. He moves out of Doc Summers’s way and stands against the wall with CJ while Doc Summers lifts my hospital gown and removes the bandages over the chest tube. “Now, I want you to take in a deep breath and hold it.”
“Why?”
Doc Summers just gives me a look but doesn’t explain herself further. I dutifully suck in a breath and hold it. While I do, she yanks the chest tube out from between my ribs.
“The stitches come out in five days. He can operate, but…” She huffs a soft laugh and puts away her suture kit. “Who am I kidding. Just try to take things easy. I know you won’t, but maybe try not to lead the charge? Let your Bravo buddies support you.”
“Hell, I’ll do whatever you tell me to do as long as I can get out of this bed and get to work.”
“You’re free.” She places a new bandage over my side.
“Thanks, Doc.” I turn to Sam and CJ. “Am I really free to operate?”
“Only because she says.” CJ folds his arms over his chest. “If it were up to me, I’d give it two weeks, but we’ve got work to do. We’ll take you to the war room.”
No doubt, Mitzy and her team are deep at work figuring out what connection ties Scott and the dean together.
THIRTY-THREE
Kaye
