Valerie Hansen - Marked For Revenge

He also knew there wasn’t a thing he could do about it.

* * *

Kaitlin phoned the hospital first thing the next morning. Planning a second visit with the man she’d helped rescue gave her an energy boost despite the fact that she’d tossed and turned during the night.

As soon as she was told the patient was awake and alert she donned her uniform to give herself visible authority and started for town. The drive had seemed unending, the hospital corridor miles long. His door was ajar. She rapped, anyway. “May I come in?”

A woman’s voice answered. “If you must.”

Kaitlin gave the door a push. A lithe, raven-haired beauty stood beside the bed, holding Daniel’s hand possessively and eyeing the interloper. “You don’t look like a regular nurse.”

Kaitlin was grinning. “That’s because I’m not. I was on the ambulance that brought the patient in last night.” She focused on only him. “How are you feeling today? Better?”

“Yes, thanks. And thanks for saving my life.”

“I had help, but you’re welcome.”

His dark eyes seemed to bore through her. “You don’t know who I am do you, Ms. Kaitlin North?”

That took her aback. “How do you know my full name? Did my partners tell you last night?”

“No. I was too busy bleeding to ask.”

A smile lifted the corners of his mouth, making her insides tremble. Maybe Dee had been right. Maybe taking a personal interest in patients was foolish. This one was certainly unsettling her.

“The hospital nurses told you about me?” she asked.

“Actually, no.” He drew his hand over his newly shaved cheek and continued to smile at her. “Think again. No beard. St. Louis. Five years ago. That park by the arch. Remember a beat cop hardly dry behind the ears?”

“That was you ?” Tears gathered. She blinked them back. “I don’t believe it!”

“Believe it,” Daniel said with tenderness, then quipped, “We have to quit meeting like this.”

The woman standing beside the bed was scowling. “Care to let me in on the joke, darling?” Bitterness colored her query and she drew their clasped hands to her chest as if declaring ownership, daring Kaitlin to interfere.

Although she had no romantic intentions toward the injured man, his companion’s attitude set her on edge.

Apparently, Daniel felt the same because he jerked out of the woman’s grasp and avoided her reach when she tried to reconnect. “This is Letty Montoya, Ms. North. She and I were engaged until she decided she preferred my partner over me.”

“Oh, dear.” Embarrassed, Kaitlin started to withdraw. “So sorry to intrude.”

Daniel stopped her. “Don’t go. I want to know all about how you put your life back together after I drove you to your parents’ place.” He looked her up and down. “You obviously got your health back.”

“Yes. I did.”

“Your mom and dad must have been overjoyed.”

“You could put it that way.”

“No?” He was frowning.

“Do you remember what I told you that night? Well, they weren’t glad enough to have me back to make them change. But I stuck it out. They did pay for rehab and my classes to become an EMT. My prior medical school training made it easy.”

Letty huffed with undisguised disgust. “Lovely. Now, if you’re done reminiscing, Daniel and I have personal matters to discuss. In private.”

Kaitlin shrugged. No way was she going to let herself be thrown out by the likes of that woman. What did Daniel see in her, anyway? Guilt for prejudging a stranger rushed in and convicted Kaitlin before she could think of a snappy retort. The injured man, however, had no such problem.

He pushed himself up and grimaced. “No, Letty. We have nothing to talk about. You made your choice and it wasn’t me. You need to leave.”

Tears began to cascade, mascara running, as Letty sobbed. “It’s all your fault. You owe me.”

“I don’t owe you a thing,” Daniel snapped.

Letty made a grab at him. “Please. I have nobody left, Daniel. You—you have to marry me.” Raising her reddened eyes she looked into his stern face. “There’s a baby coming.”

Kaitlin hoped she hadn’t gasped aloud. This was like watching one of Dee’s soap operas. It was super embarrassing to see but fascinating at the same time. “I really should go,” she said, backing toward the doorway.

“No,” Daniel barked. “It’s not mine and she knows it.”

The weeping waned. “But you love me. You said so. We can get married like you wanted. I’ll make you happy, darling. I promise I will.”

“Out!” he shouted, pointing to the exit. “Now.”

Hands covering her mouth, sobs shaking her shoulders, Letty ran into the hallway.

“Shut the door,” he ordered Kaitlin, then added a softer, “please?”

She tried a smile. “Well, since you asked politely...”

“I’m sorry you had to hear that. Letty broke up with me months ago and I thought all the fighting was over.”

“She seems sorry now.”

“Yeah.” He raked his fingers through his wavy dark hair and shook his head. “She didn’t get what she’d bargained for.”

“The other guy ditched her?”

“No,” Daniel said soberly, sadly. “Levi was murdered.”

“Whoa! That’s terrible.”

“Yeah.” He rubbed his leg through the blankets as if that would hurry the healing. “The police think the bullet that killed him was meant for me.”

Speechless, Kaitlin stared. Daniel’s gaze captured hers and held it. The suffering she saw in his expression was unmistakable. There were so many things she wanted to ask that she didn’t know where to begin. One fact was evident. He had been using an alias for a good reason.

“You were in hiding here in Paradise?”

“Yes. My chief sent me to that old homestead in the hopes my department could break up the gang that was out to get me.”

“There’s really somebody after you? You’re sure?”

“Unless this was a hunting accident, the way your sheriff assumes,” he said with a gesture at his bandaged thigh. “I’m not done for, so I’m not positive. Hit men usually have better aim.”

“Terrific. It’s nice to know they take such pride in their work.”

Shock was quickly replaced by his laugh. “You’re something else, Ms. North. You know that?”

“Call me Kaitlin,” she said. “We saved each other’s lives. We should be on a first-name basis.”

“Agreed.”

“So, Daniel, suppose you fill me in?”

“You already know too much. It’s better if I don’t reveal more.”

“Better for who?”

“For you. Letty’s coming here is bad enough. She could have been followed.”

“What did Sheriff Caruthers say when you told him you’d been attacked?”

“He figured a careless hunter shot me and I didn’t argue.” Daniel waved a hand as if cleaning a dry-erase board. “I don’t trust anybody. Okay? It’s not that I think your sheriff is crooked, it’s just that I can’t be certain who he might talk to.”

Scowling, she reminded him, “He knows your real name. It’s on the chart. There’s a good chance he’s already contacted law enforcement because your girlfriend showed up. Where have you been working?”

“Still in St. Louis. I don’t have anybody special there but I did have friends. And a partner I trusted until he moved in with Letty and paid the ultimate price.” He paused, rubbing his leg and wincing. “That’s why I have to get out of here ASAP.”

“Impossible. You shouldn’t be moved, let alone stand.”

“Yeah, well, that can’t be helped.”

“And here I was thinking you were intelligent. You have no proof your real identity has been shared with the bad guys. That woman, Ms. Montoya, didn’t seem like the kind who would purposely out you. After all, you’re no good to her and her baby if you’re on the root side of the lawn.”