AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I have no doubt you’ll catch him soon.”
“No, we’ll catch him together. Never pay the ransom, right?”
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. “Never forget that.” He pointed his spatula at her. “And never overcook the steak.”
The sickening smell of well-done filets pulled Rosalie back from the last time her father had barbecued. His last time foreverything, thanks to Malgor’s sniper bullet that had slumped her father over his prized custom-built grill.
Rosalie wrinkled her nose and wrapped her arm around her mother’s shoulders. “It’s not easy having Devon around, but I’m happy for the lovebirds.”
Folding the sweater over her arm, her mother sighed. “I guess in some bizarre way, your father is responsible for Bella’s happiness. I just wish you’d find someone to help you move on with your life.”
How could meeting your supposed soul mate erase horrific memories?
Love didn’t solve anything. Until Malgor paid for murdering her father, she wasn’t free to pursue anything other than justice. “Maybe someday you’ll get to throw me the engagement party of your dreams, but not now.”
Her mother pointed to the bride and groom-to-be embracing by the wall of windows overlooking the hospital’s main entrance. “Your someday isn’t going to happen if you don’t stop intimidating men. A fearless streak and a thirst for vengeance is not attractive. It’s?—”
Rosalie shushed her mother as she dropped her hand to her gunless hip and studied a van, turning toward the hospital. On the side panel, a cartoonish crimson rose with a thick, long green stem, exactly like the calling card Malgor included in his ransom email, glowed under the moon. As the van came to a stop in the hospital’s circular entrance, a chill more frigid than Cannon’s dismissal froze the air in her lungs.
“Your services aren’t wanted here.”
“What a dick thing to say.” Cannon jammed a to-go cup under the hot chocolate dispenser in the cafeteria so hard the Styrofoam bent. He’d kicked Rosalie out of his hospital hours ago, and he still couldn’t get those callous words out of his head.
Officer Grady Dalton, his best friend since childhood, sidled up next to him. “You being a dick again?”
“It was bound to happen after the day I’ve had.” Cannon pressed the start button on the machine. It rumbled along with his stomach. He’d been in meetings with their security vendor, lawyers, and the hospital board straight through dinnertime and into the night. “Did you bring in an injured victim?”
Grady tossed his Colorado State Patrol hat onto the table. “Yeah. My dad was working in the barn and cut his hand.”
“Shit. How bad?” Grady’s dad was only three months post–heart attack. He didn’t need an injury added to his list of ailments.
“Deep enough to need stitches. I called ahead to Annie, and she took him back as soon as we arrived.”
Cannon felt a tap on his shoulder. He turned and scowled at his sister. “What are you doing here? You were supposed to go home after work and rest.”
Julia’s uniform hung from her thin frame, and her utility belt barely stayed up on her hips. The dark circles under her eyes were nearly, but not completely, gone. She’d bounced back quickly after her last bout with cancer, but she still wasn’t operating at one hundred percent. He’d hoped to pay the ransom and resolve the situation before she found out about the attack, but with the way gossip traveled in this hospital, she likely already knew.
She waved off his concern. “I’m good. I stopped by to see Annie, but she’s so busy she barely had time to say hello.”
“Dammit, she should be home too.” Her shift had ended an hour ago.
Julia helped herself to a cup of coffee. “Why are you so cranky?”
He snarled. He had every right to be cranky, but if she was asking, maybe word of the attack hadn’t reached her yet. “I’m fine. Go home and get some sleep.”
Julia grabbed his hand. Her blue eyes twinkled with trouble. “You’re not going anywhere until you tell me all the details about the woman you kissed last night.”
“How do you know about that?”
“I bumped into Annie’s grandson at the ER intake desk. He said he spotted you making out with a brunette by the ski school.” Julia quirked a thin shoulder and smiled. “What’s the mystery woman’s name? Where’s she from?”
Grady leaned against the table and stretched his long legs in front of him. “Did you take her home?”
Cannon shot them both a hard look. “None of your business.”
Julia fiddled with her utility belt. “Fine, don’t give us details. I’m just glad you’re making time for a sex life.”
More like sex snippets. Life suggested long-term plans. Unless this experimental cancer treatment worked, Julia didn’t have long-term anything. Until cancer ceased to be a threat to her existence, he didn’t have the luxury of planning his romantic life past today. Once again, fate was a cruel bitch for enticing him with an alluring snow angel. Hell, even if he and Rosalie hadn’t butted heads, their time together would have been limited. The young, determined agent didn’t belong in a small town with a battle-hardened doctor.
