Deadly Proposal(15)

“We can’t be a hundred-percent sure she was specifically targeted either,” Grady added. “While I think it’s unlikely it was random, it’s still a possibility.”

James didn’t like either scenario. “The only thing we have going for us is that she’s going to be relegated to the apartment for the next two weeks,” James said. “She’s going to have to recover. It’s going to be easy at first. She’s not going to have the energy to leave.”

“What are you going to tell her?” Finn asked.

“The truth,” James said. “I’m not going to start lying to her now. If I explain how dangerous things are, then she’s more likely to agree to house arrest.”

“That doesn’t sound like you,” Grady hedged.

“I’m learning,” James admitted. “I’m going to tell her the truth. She needs to know.”

“And if nothing happens once she’s recovered?” Finn asked.

“I’ll deal with that when the time comes,” James said. “Right now, she’s my patient, and I’m not letting her out of my sight. Period.”

Grady shrugged as Finn’s probing gaze hit him. “We don’t have a lot of options right now.”

Finn blew out a frustrated sigh. “Okay. We need information. We can keep her safe now that we know someone is gunning for her. We’ll do what we can, one step at a time.”

“I only care about keeping her safe,” James said. “That means I can do office work, but you two are going to have to pick up all the slack in the field. I will not leave her alone.”

It was a statement, not a request.

“It’s going to work out,” Grady said. “We’re all in this together.”



WHEN James returned to the hospital, it was later than he initially hoped. He’d showered back at the apartment, settling on the couch long enough to watch the noon news so he could see the coverage on the explosion. Unfortunately, he’d fallen asleep.

The previous evening had not been an exercise in relaxation. Mandy had been still – eerily so – the entire night. James had tried to lull himself into sleep with the sound of her rhythmic breathing, the feel of her steady heart under his hand, but his mind had been jumbled. When it was all said and done, he’d only managed to catch about two hours of interrupted slumber. He was exhausted.

Once he entered her hospital room, guilt about falling asleep rampant, things got worse. Dr. Fitzgerald was hovering at her side, a thermometer in his hand, and a grave expression on his face.

“What’s wrong?”

Fitzgerald glanced at James. “She’s running a low-grade fever.”

“Is that dangerous?”

Dr. Fitzgerald held up a hand to caution James. “It’s not especially dangerous. In fact, this is what I was worried about and why I wanted to keep her two nights.”

James dropped the two bags he was carrying onto the chair by Mandy’s bed. “What does it mean?”

“It means she’s fighting her condition,” he said. “Her body has been through a trauma. She’s healing a lot of wounds. She’s not in any immediate danger, Mr. Hardy. She does need to stay here.”

James cringed when he saw Mandy’s eyes swimming with tears. She wanted comfort. She wanted their bed. She wasn’t going to get that tonight. “It’s going to be okay,” he said. “You just need another night here. You can go home with me tomorrow.”

“I want to go home now.”

“I know,” James said. “I brought home to you. I’ll be here with you all night. I promise.”

Mandy lifted the covers over her face, hiding the tears James knew swam beneath them. She hated crying. She considered it emotional blackmail. James perched on the bed next to her, drawing her healthy hand into his and rubbing comforting circles across the bridge of her knuckles as he regarded Dr. Fitzgerald.

“Can she still go home tomorrow if the fever breaks?”

“Yes. She really just needs rest. Her two friends weren’t exactly conducive to relaxation.”

James scowled. “What did my sister do?”

“She didn’t do anything,” he replied. “She’s just a ball of energy. Ms. Avery doesn’t need a ball of energy. She needs quiet.”

His words made sense. James would give Mandy anything her heart desired – as long as it didn’t endanger her health. This was the one scenario where he wouldn’t cave.

“She’ll be quiet.”

Dr. Fitzgerald nodded. “Try to get some food into her. I’ll be back in an hour or so. I assume you’re spending the night again?”