Next, she broached the issue any professional woman in her situation would be most concerned about. “Do you think he’ll try to come inside the emergency room?”
“Hell’s bells, he’s totally unhinged and brazen as hell. He won’t think twice about shootin’ the place right up.” Watching her wrap her arms around her stomach in what was obviously a protective pose tore at his heart. Scaring the resilient woman he was growing a solid liking for made him feel like shit, but allowing danger to blindside her was the bigger concern.
“Maybe you’re just being paranoid. It could be an adverse reaction of some sort to the medication.”
“Trust me, it ain’t.”
The sound of raised voices filled the air, drifting back from the direction of the medical station. One of the physicians demanded for security to be called in halting, broken English.
Immediately, the compassionate woman standing before him, who’d appeared so composed and intense when she’d enter his room, seemed to fold in on herself. It pained him to see all her assertiveness fall away, leaving fear and anxiety haunting her angelic face. Some protective instinct reared up inside of him, and he wanted to wrap his beefy arms around her and assure her everything was going to be all right, but unfortunately that was not an option at the moment.
Rather than sugarcoat the situation for her, he hissed quietly, “That might be our killer.”
Dropping her chin to her chest, she appeared to be deep in thought or possibly falling into despair. It was difficult to tell.
The disgruntled biker gripped onto the side of the hospital bed, trying to steady himself as he stood with as much dignity as possible under the circumstances. Seeing his knuckles turn white and feeling the sweat dripping down his forehead, he knew without a doubt that he was too weak to run from the diabolical fool chasing him.
His nurse suddenly launched into action, pacing back and forth as she muttered under her breath. “Don’t even think about trying to walk out of here. You won’t make it more than a few steps into the hall before he catches sight of you. We can’t take a chance on him opening fire in the building. There are too many lives at stake.”
Sinking back down on the bed, he whispered, “Got any great ideas, ‘cause I sure the fuck don’t.”
She shook her head. “I’m thinking.”
Ryder hated to see her in the line of fire, another hapless victim caught in the cross fire between his club and a demented madman. “Get the fuck out, doll. Run.”
“I’m not leaving you in the clutches of a coldhearted killer.”
“You don’t even know me.”
“You’re a human being. That’s all I need to know.”
This time, it was Ryder’s turn to be impressed as the seemingly defeated woman found her backbone again. “Fuckin’ stubborn, courageous bitch. Get behind me. Maybe if he nails me, he’ll be so eager to make a clean getaway, he’ll leave you alone.”
“I’m not an idiot. I’m the witness. Killers never leave us alive.”
Rubbing the throbbing vein in his temple, he realized the smart little bitch was right. Shit, what had he been thinking? Everyone knew killers didn’t leave witnesses behind. He watched her pull open a cabinet under the sink and begin jerking out supplies. She chucked handfuls of stuff into a large garbage bin. It seemed like a gigantic waste to him.
Staring at her incredulously, he literally could not fathom what she was doing. “Ain’t no time to be cleaning house, sweet cheeks. He’ll make holes in my road-weary body, faster than you can plug ‘em up.”
She flashed him a quick, mischievous smile, those blue eyes flashing. “Button it up, gorgeous. I finally thought of a way out of this mess.”
As if to demonstrate her resolve, the woman quickly shoved the bin against the wall and walked over to him. “Lean on me.”
Wrapping one of his arms around her neck, she dragged him the few steps across the room. Bracing herself on the built-in cabinet, she turned him sideways. “This is going to hurt, but you need to ease yourself into the opening. I’ll take as much of the weight as possible. Try not to tear open your sutures.”
Winded from the effort of moving, Ryder didn’t bother with a response. The pretty little bitch was saving his life. He needed to shut the fuck up and get with the program. As he bent down, she shifted her leg against him, easing him into the small compartment. It hurt like hell, but he sealed his lips.
Shoving his chart into his hands, she quickly shut the door. Alone, sitting in the dark, Ryder felt like a child again. A helpless little boy hiding from his father’s fists. Forcing himself not to panic, he clutched the cold metal chart as he listened to what was going on in the room.
Within moments, he heard the curtain being ripped open. It was a metal-on-metal scrape he recognized from the nurse coming in earlier.
Tiffany’s genial voice immediately sounded off. “Are you here for our Jeffery Thomas? The ambulance drivers picked him out of that house fire across town. We weren’t sure who to call. Would you happen to have his insurance information? They’re going to need that if you don’t want him to end up with a huge hospital bill.”
Ryder thrilled at the clueless tone of her voice. This chick was good. The momentary relief turned to worry as he imagined the huge, hulking form hovering over the small, vulnerable woman. The sound of boots stalking over to her almost made Ryder jump from his hiding space. Then he remembered this was not only his only chance at life, but it was hers as well. She had been correct about her being a witness. Ace was not the kind of man to leave behind a witness. He’d kill her quick as a wink and not think twice about it.
“It stinks in here.”
Ace’s full-throated growl and close proximity to his new female friend set Ryder’s nerves on edge. Forcing his lips closed, Ryder throttled back the instinct to pummel the man back a few feet from the vulnerable, fresh-faced female trying her best to protect him. Now was definitely not the time for thrilling heroics.