Vendetta (Otter Creek Book 10) Read online

  “Is it possible you scratched him?”

  Paige blinked. “Maybe.”

  “I’ll come to the hospital later to talk to you again, see if you remember more. I need my crime scene kit. If we’re lucky, we’ll find evidence of your attacker under your nails.” He squeezed her shoulder briefly. “Marcus will stay with you, and I’ll only be a minute.”

  No one would slip by Marcus to hurt Paige a second time. After Nick jogged from the gym, Marcus swiveled, scanning the gym floor. “I see your phone, Paige. I’ll be right back.”

  He hurried to the center of the gym, picked up the phone, and glanced at the screen. His cheeks burned. She had keyed in the first numbers for the police. Marcus returned to Paige’s side and laced his fingers with hers. “Got it.”

  Relief flooded her face. “Thanks.”

  The swirling lights of the ambulance created a kaleidoscope of color on the gym wall. Marcus tightened his grip on Paige’s hand. Who wanted to hurt her?

  A moment later, the door opened again and Rio Kincaid, a medic with Fortress Security, strode into the room leading a collapsible gurney followed quickly by a young EMT. The detective also walked into the gym, carrying a black case. “Marcus, Nick,” Rio said. “What happened?”

  “Someone attacked Paige, choked her out. Give me a second to scrape under her nails, then I’ll get out of your way.” Nick quickly took the nail scrapings, then stood and moved back so Rio could take his place.

  “How you doing, sugar?” Rio knelt beside Paige and pulled out a penlight to check her pupils.

  “Been better.”

  He smiled. “I bet. Pupils look good. What hurts?”

  “Throat. Head.”

  Rio checked her skull, paused when she hissed. “Got a good-sized knot back here.”

  “He shoved me against the wall.”

  Marcus’s jaw flexed, furious at what she had been through. He was glad he’d listened to his gut and stopped to check on her.

  “Might have a concussion. We’ll take you to the hospital and let the docs check you out.”

  “It’ll scare Gram.”

  “She’ll worry more if you don’t go,” Marcus said. “This town has a grapevine that works faster than the Internet. Jo will know before tomorrow morning what happened whether you tell her or not. At least you can ease her mind about your injuries.”

  “Listen to Marcus,” Rio said. “If you’re lucky, you’ll be out of there in a couple hours.”

  Scrutinizing his friend’s expression, Marcus had a feeling Paige would be admitted to the hospital until tomorrow sometime.

  The medic gently checked Paige’s neck. “You will have some serious bruises. Use an ice pack a few times a day, twenty minutes at a time. Anything else hurt?”

  “I don’t think so. Why are you working with the EMTs?”

  “Volunteering with the county tonight. They’re shorthanded.”

  “Lucky for me.” She gave him a weak smile.

  Rio motioned the EMT forward. “Let’s get her to the hospital.”

  Marcus reluctantly released Paige’s hand and moved out of the way. As soon as he stood, he realized he was weak. Great. He’d grab something to eat at the hospital. He wasn’t letting her go alone, especially since they didn’t have an ID on the creep who hurt Paige. The hospital had many entrances and exits. The guy who hurt her could walk right in and no one would recognize the danger.

  Rio’s eyes narrowed as he took in Marcus bracing himself against the wall. “You okay?”

  “I’ll be fine.”

  “Marcus.”

  “It’s nothing serious.” Not yet, anyway. “I haven’t had dinner yet.”

  “You going with her to the hospital?”

  He nodded.

  “Hey, I’m right here, you know. You don’t have to go with me, Marcus. Please, go eat.” Paige protested.

  “I’ll be all right.”

  She didn’t look convinced.

  “Wasting your time arguing with the preacher, Paige. Let’s go.” Rio motioned for the other EMT to proceed.

  Marcus followed the two men, scooped up Paige’s purse and laptop case as the other two men maneuvered the gurney through the gym and into the back of the ambulance. He climbed in after Rio. After slamming shut the doors, Rio’s partner for the night slid behind the wheel and cranked the engine.

  “Is this really necessary, Rio?” Paige asked.

  “Yep. Suck it up, cupcake.” The medic reached into a large black bag, pulled out a protein bar, and handed it to Marcus.

  His cheeks burned, but he wasn’t stupid enough to pass up the bar. “Thanks. You always carry your mike bag when you volunteer?”

  “I never go anywhere without it. Never know when I might have a cranky pastor to deal with.”

  Marcus sighed as he ripped the wrapper from the bar. “Sorry, man. It’s been a long day.”

  “Anything you can talk about?”

  “Jeb Kirkland passed away not long ago. I spent a couple hours with his family.”

  “Aww, man. Sorry to hear about Jeb. I enjoyed talking to him. He loved to come to PSI and watch Durango put the trainees through their paces.”

  That news didn’t surprise Marcus. Jeb had been fascinated with all things military despite the fact he never served. No better place to indulge the fascination than to hang out with Rio’s Delta team or Trent St. Claire’s team at Personal Security International, the bodyguard training arm of Fortress Security. “I’m sure he enjoyed that.”

  Rio snorted. “Not sure what he enjoyed more, seeing the trainees go through training or eating the food Nate prepared. We always fed him when he was on our campus.”

  “Probably enjoyed both.” Nate Armstrong, Durango’s EOD man, was also a trained chef.

  The ambulance made the turn into Memorial Hospital as Marcus finished the last of the protein bar. At the emergency room entrance, he hopped down and moved out of the way, trailing behind the gurney into the hospital.

  With Paige’s bags in his hands, he followed the entourage into the examination room. Rio flashed him an amused glance. Again, his cheeks burned. Too bad. He wasn’t leaving her in this room alone until the doctor arrived and he was positive his friend was safe.

  CHAPTER THREE

  Paige scowled at the doctor. “Tell me you’re kidding.”

  “Sorry, my dear.” John Anderson’s blue eyes twinkled at her. “You need to stay overnight for observation.”

  “I don’t want to leave Gram by herself. She has guests at the bed and breakfast tonight.”

  “I’m sure she’ll understand. Jo Jensen strikes me as a sensible woman. She’d want you to have the care you need. Look at this this way. If you go home, your grandmother would be forced to wake you every two hours to check on you. If you stay here, a nurse will check you.”

  “You used to be my favorite doctor,” she groused. “All right. I’ll stay. But I want your word you’ll be here first thing tomorrow morning to spring me from this prison. I have a report to finish for the town council meeting tomorrow night. I also need to help Gram turn the rooms because we have more guests arriving in the afternoon.”

  “I’ll do my best to arrive early for my rounds.” Anderson patted her hand. “Rest as much as you can tonight.”

  A minute after the doctor left, a light tap sounded on the door to the exam room. Marcus Lang poked his head around the door frame. “All right if I come in?”

  “Sure.”

  He walked inside, carrying her purse and computer bag. “I thought you might want these.”

  “Thank you, Marcus.”

  “What did the doc say?”

  She wrinkled her nose. “I need to stay overnight for observation.”

  “I was afraid of that. Want me to call Jo?”

  For a minute, she was tempted. “I’d better do it. She’ll worry more if she doesn’t hear my voice.”

  “I’ll step into the hall while you talk to her.”

  “Don’t leave.” Didn’t make s
ense, but she didn’t want him to go.

  With a nod, he handed Paige her phone.

  At the first ring, Jo Jensen snatched up the phone. “Don’t tell me you’re still at the center, honey.”

  “I’m not, Gram. I’m at the hospital.”

  “Why? What happened?”

  “Someone broke into the center.”

  “Were you hurt?”

  She hesitated, not wanting to alarm her grandmother more than she already was. She also didn’t want to lie to her. “I have a concussion.”

  “Paige.”

  Oh, man. That tone of voice. Her grandmother knew she was holding back. “A man broke into the center and choked me, Gram. But I’m okay. I have to stay in the hospital for observation because of the concussion.”

  “Oh, honey. I’ll get someone to stay at the house in case our guests need something, then stay at the hospital with you.”

  “You don’t need to do that. Marcus is with me.”

  A pause. “You called him before you called me?”

  “He drove by, noticed something wasn’t right at the center, and stopped to check it out. Marcus chased the guy off.”

  “Thank God for that. Are you sure you don’t need me to come?”

  “I’m be fine, I promise. Dr. Anderson promised to spring me tomorrow morning. Get some rest, Gram. I’ll see you in a few hours.”

  “Nicely done.” Marcus’s eyes twinkled. “You realize Jo thinks I’m staying here with you, right?”

  Her cheeks burned. Yeah, she’d sort of given her grandmother that impression. “I didn’t want her to come. She’d feel obligated to stay up all night and watch over me. Gram has to cook breakfast tomorrow morning for a family of eight.” She hoped Dr. Anderson did arrive early for his rounds. She had promised to help Gram in the kitchen.

  “Is there someone else you want to call?”

  She squashed the disappointment spiraling through her. Stupid. Of course, Marcus wouldn’t want to stay. It’s not like they were dating. Wishing he would ask her on a date didn’t change the fact that he hadn’t. Of course, every single woman in town seemed determined to rid Marcus Lang of his pesky bachelorhood. To her knowledge, he hadn’t been on a date since he arrived in town. “No. Thanks for staying this long. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  Before he could respond, an orderly arrived pushing a wheelchair.

  “Ms. Jensen, I’ll take you to your room now.”

  Marcus walked with her to the elevator and up to the third floor. Once she was settled, Marcus came into the room, shifted the chair to her bedside, and sat.

  “Marcus, aren’t you going home?”

  He shook his head. “I’m not leaving you, Paige. You need someone with you right now.”

  She stared. “Do you always stay overnight in hospital rooms with church members?”

  “When they need me to, sure. But I’m not here as the pastor. I’m here as your friend.”

  What did that mean? Paige was too tired to untangle her thoughts and emotions. “Thank you for what you did.”

  “I didn’t do anything except let the guy who hurt you get away.” His voice reflected the disgust he felt at that.

  “You followed your instinct to check on me. If you hadn’t stopped, he might have finished what he started and we wouldn’t be having this conversation.”

  “I wish I could have caught the guy so you wouldn’t worry about him anymore. Did you recognize anything about him? His voice, a smell, anything?”

  She couldn’t think with her head hurting this much. “Not that I remember, but I’ll keep trying tomorrow. Can you turn off the overhead light? The glare is making this headache worse.”

  He crossed the room and turned off light.

  Paige sighed, relieved the intensity of the headache eased without the overhead lights burning.

  “Better?”

  “Much.”

  “Rest while you can. The nurse will be in soon to check on you. I’ll be here.”

  Paige held out her hand. Marcus took it in his, squeezed. She expected him to let go. Instead, he scooted his chair closer, retaining her hand in his.

  His touch sent warmth through her. Shouldn’t have been possible, but his touch chased the lingering chill from her body. For the first time in hours, Paige felt safe. “Thank you for staying with me.”

  “Shh. Rest.”

  Paige closed her eyes and drifted. Later, the nurse came and asked her questions, checked her vitals, and continued on her rounds. She glanced at Marcus, found him watching her.

  “How do you feel?” he asked.

  “Headache is still bad. Throat hurts.” She realized with surprise he was still holding her hand.

  “Need anything?”

  “I would kill for a glass of ice.”

  He chuckled as he stood. “I’ll see if I can scrounge up ice. Can’t have a friend commit a felony.”

  Friend. Not church member. Did that mean anything? She sighed. At two in the morning, why was she torturing herself with a question she couldn’t answer?

  When Marcus returned, he carried a large Styrofoam cup and a plastic spoon in one hand, an ice pack in the other. He positioned the rolling table by the side of the bed and handed her the ice.

  She scooped a spoonful of ice. Heaven. Once she’d consumed a quarter of the glass, she set the rest on the table. “Thanks, Marcus.”

  “Get comfortable and I’ll lay the ice pack on your throat.”

  Paige settled against the pillow. Seconds later, Marcus placed the ice pack against her throat, then draped a blanket over her. That done, he returned to his seat. This time, he was the one who offered his hand. That had to mean something, right?

  She shouldn’t read too much into simple human contact. She and Marcus were friends. She squeezed his fingers and closed her eyes. Better not to ask questions right now.

  At four, the nurse returned. Marcus took Paige’s glass to find more ice while the nurse asked her the same questions about her name, the date, the president. By the time she finished checking Paige’s vitals, Marcus returned with more ice and another ice pack.

  “Marcus, you should go home and rest.”

  “I’m fine, Paige.”

  Her eyes narrowed. “I know better. Every time I woke, you were awake.”

  “I catnapped. Besides, my truck is at the community center and I’d rather not call someone to come get me this early in the morning. If you want me to leave, I’ll go to the waiting room.”

  Paige covered his hand with hers. “I was thinking of you, not myself. I’m glad you’re with me.”

  “Think you can sleep?”

  “Doubt it. I usually get up around this time anyway. When we have guests, I help Gram prepare breakfast before I leave for the center.”

  “Do you have a lot of traffic through the B & B?”

  “It’s fairly steady year-round. We have more reservations during the summer and early fall when people are interested in visiting the mountains and the Cherokee reservation.”

  “How long have you lived in Otter Creek, Paige?”

  “Since I was five. My parents died in a car wreck. Gram took me in and raised me.” She smiled. “She says I keep her young.”

  “Jo is a special lady. If I was old enough, I’d make a play for her myself.”

  Paige laughed. “I’ll tell her you said that when I need a pass from the dog house. She’s impressed with you.” She eyed Marcus a moment. “Would you answer a question for me?”

  “If I can. Ask.”

  “Why haven’t you dated anyone since you arrived in Otter Creek?”

  His eyebrows rose. “Noticed that, did you?”

  “Hard not to. Several women are disappointed you haven’t shown them any interest.”

  He flinched. “They’re still talking about that? The parade of casseroles left at my doorstep finally stopped when I hired Serena Blackhawk to cook my meals. I hoped the speculation had stopped at the same time.”

  “Sorry to disappoint you. You
didn’t answer my question.” She squeezed his hand. “Chicken?”

  “Maybe the right woman hasn’t shown interest yet.”

  Did that mean there was a woman who interested him? Disappointment spiraled through her. “Maybe she doesn’t know you’re interested.”

  “Think I should tell her?”

  She frowned, hearing his uncertainty. That wasn’t characteristic of Marcus. “Why not?”

  “Dating a pastor is a challenge for any woman. Doing it in a small town presents unique difficulties. Any romance is going to be fodder for the Otter Creek gossip mill. If the relationship doesn’t work out, she might feel the need to leave the church because she’s uncomfortable seeing my face three times a week.”

  He was interested in someone at Cornerstone? Paige’s heart sank. Bad enough to know he was interested in a woman. It was worse to know his interest focused on someone she attended church with.

  A light tap sounded and Rio pushed open the door, smiled when he saw Paige was awake. “Hi, Paige. How do you feel?”

  “Like some mad elf is pounding on my head with a sledge hammer. Other than that, I’m peachy.”

  The medic chuckled as he walked further into the room. “How’s the throat?”

  “Marcus has been getting ice and ice packs for me all night.” She frowned. “I hope my throat doesn’t look too bad. I don’t want to upset Gram more than I already have.”

  “Your grandmother is a tough lady. She can handle a few bruises.” Rio turned to Marcus. “Need coffee?”

  “That would be great.”

  “Hey, what about me?” Paige asked. “I could use a cup.”

  “Wait until your stomach settles down. I’ll bring you a soft drink. If you think you can handle coffee later, I’ll buy you a cup.”

  “Sounds fair. You finished playing EMT?”

  “I finished my shift at midnight.”

  She blinked. “What are you doing here this early?”

  “I’m always up this early. PSI classes start at six and Darcy has to be at the deli about this time.” He patted her hand, then turned toward the door. “Back in a minute.”

  No sooner had he left, then the door opened again. Paige’s eyes widened. “Nick, what are you doing here?”