Grayslake: Furrever Yours(5)

“She was beaten up really, really badly,” she added, meeting his gaze boldly. “Lip split open, bruises all over her body, her hair was matted with blood. Have you arrested the person who did it?”

“No, I need to talk to her first,” Knox said. “I need to get a statement from her. And with her being that badly injured, she could suffer a brain bleed, she could be hemorrhaging internally… We’ve got to find her, fast.” He looked genuinely worried – but why had the girl been so frightened? There was no faking that fear.

“So she’s from Sugar Creek?” Heather stood her ground. Nothing about the evening made sense – and it wasn’t just the fact that she’d seen a girl turn into an animal. Why was Knox searching for a girl who was from out of state? And for that matter, she suspected that he’d come by earlier to look for the girl. There was no other reason for him to have stopped by. He’d used going to the men’s room as an excuse so he could walk around and try to pick up her scent.

So somehow, he’d known the girl might be heading to the emergency room.

“You know where she is?” Knox asked, frowning, and she saw his nostrils flare slightly. He’d avoided the question.

Was he scenting the air to see if he smelled the girl on her?

“I haven’t seen her since she was first admitted,” she said. “I helped get her into bed, then the doctor and nurse came in, and I had to go attend to some other patients.” That should explain why the girl’s scent was on her.

I’m going crazy. I’m standing here figuring out how to outsmart a werewolf.

“Why would she know where the girl is?” Amelia said, with an undertone of annoyance in her voice. “She just said she went looking for her and couldn’t find her.”

“Right. Well, call me right away if she comes back here,” Knox said, and he headed for the exit.

He was going to look for Margaret. Would she have enough time to escape?

An idea flashed through Heather’s head.

“Excuse me, I have to go check on a patient,” she said.

She hurried into Crazy Phil’s room. He was thrashing around and muttering incoherently. Heather gulped hard, then thought of Margaret and the fear in her eyes. She had to slow Knox down.

She quickly untied Phil’s restraints. He leaped out of his bed and lunged for her, and grabbed at her throat. “Werewolves!” he screamed. “They’re coming for me! They’re coming for us all!”

Crud. He was actually telling the truth about werewolves, wasn’t he?

She staggered back and fell against the supply cabinet, fending him off by flailing her arms at him. “Help me!” she shouted at the top of her lungs. “Phil got free, bed 14 – help me!”

Within seconds, the curtain flew aside and the room filled with nurses, and two security guards. Phil grabbed her arm and held on with a death grip.

Then Knox came barreling in. He elbowed the others aside and grabbed the guy’s arm. He squeezed it so hard that she heard a bone crack, and wrenched Phil off of her. Phil screamed in pain and fell backwards, collapsing into a heap on the floor.

“Werewolves,” he whimpered.

Knox quickly pulled her to her feet, and Heather slumped against him, her knees weak. She found herself pressed up against his chest, trembling with the adrenaline rush.

Knox’s big, muscular arm was looped around her, and he stared down into her eyes, his thick, dark brows knitted in concern.

“Are you all right?” Knox rumbled, and again she could have sworn his worry was legitimate.

“Yes, I’m fine,” she said. She could feel the thud of his heartbeat; was that because of her? She should step away, but she didn’t. She glanced over at the nurses and security guards; Phil was still shrieking and thrashing, distracting them. “Thank you,” she added.

He stared down at her and let a long, long moment pass before he finally let go and stepped back.

“You should be more careful,” he said to her. “When you’re dealing with that kind of patient, don’t go into the room alone.”

“Yeah, you’re right, that was foolish of me. But I thought he was restrained.”

He glanced towards the exit; he was going to go after Margaret.

“Oh,” she whimpered, “I think twisted my ankle.” And she stumbled and fell into his arms.





Chapter Three




“You should get that X-rayed,” Knox said, looking worried, as he carried her out of the room.

Behind them, she could hear Phil’s screams as they held him down and injected him with Ativan. Now they’d have to set his arm too. Good thing they were in a hospital.