Debra Cowan - Witness Undercover

He saw curiosity and a brief flash of pity in her eyes, just long enough to make him stiffen. Then it was gone.

“I’m sorry.” She gestured toward the picture. “For whatever happened.”

She squeezed his forearm, then walked out. His chest hurt from her words. It was clear that she knew his friends were dead, but he saw no reason to confirm it. How could she know that? Maybe it wasn’t hard to figure out, but it made him feel as if she were in his head.

The realization made him want to bolt. He didn’t do personal, not after what had happened in Afghanistan. And not after what had happened once he’d returned home to Emily.

If Laura had been any other client, he would have passed her off to Boone or Sydney, but because of his friendship with Joy, he couldn’t.

He glanced back at the photo of him, Ace, Davy and J.J. His jaw tensed.

Griffin didn’t want to be responsible for Laura Prentiss aka Parker, but he was. He wouldn’t fail her the way he’d failed his teammates.

* * *

Last night at Griffin’s had gone better than Laura had expected. She’d been comfortable and somewhat relaxed, but after what had happened at the hospital, she couldn’t shake the fear that Vin had found her.

Though Griffin had stayed nearby, he hadn’t crowded her. And for the first time since Laura and her father had their falling-out three years ago, she hadn’t felt alone. Even with Vin, it had often seemed as if she were all by herself.

This morning she was still thinking about Griffin’s reaction to her seeing the photo of him with his friends. The tortured look in his eyes had troubled her. It had been obvious something awful had happened. She didn’t really blame him for not wanting to talk about it.

It wasn’t her business. In another week, she would be gone and she would likely never see him again. Still, she’d wanted to know about the photo. And him.

Though she had tried not to dwell on his reaction, she wondered about it. Wondered about a lot of things. He knew a lot about her. She knew next to nothing about him. Except that she was finding it hard not to like him.

Sydney had arrived for Joy, assuring Laura they would meet her at the hospital. The brunette had an ease about her that made her easy to believe. Laura and Griffin had left soon after.

Now she and her bodyguard hurried across the hospital parking lot and into the warmth the building provided. As they stopped in front of the elevators, Laura removed her coat. The paperwork she’d brought added a little weight to her purse.

“So your new clothes fit okay?” Griffin asked in a deep rumble.

She glanced down at her dark purple sweater. “If it hadn’t been for you, I’d be wearing the same clothes until my things arrived from Pueblo. I appreciate you stopping last night so I could buy what I needed.”

“You’re welcome.” The barely there smile he flashed had her smiling back.

All in all, he had gone to a lot of trouble. “I’m sure you weren’t expecting houseguests. Thank you for everything.”

“Sure.” He looked away, as if uncomfortable with the compliment.

No one else stepped into the elevator car and as Laura pushed the button for the seventh floor, so did Griffin. They quickly broke apart but just as it had earlier when he had entered her prints and information into his security system, the feel of his hand on hers lingered. Strong, warm, rock steady. She glanced up. “No word yet on what was in the syringe?”

He shook his head. “I expect to hear anytime now.”

As the bell dinged their arrival, Laura looked up at the man beside her. “I hope my—Nolan’s awake this time. After I turn in this paperwork, I want to see him.”

As they exited, she lightly touched Griffin’s arm. “I’d like to use the restroom before we check on him.”

“Sure. I’ll wait for you here.”

She walked back past the elevators and down the sparsely populated hall, then pushed open the door to enter the ladies’ room. Chrome faucets gleamed against the white countertops and sinks. The floor and stall doors were also white.

She finished quickly and moved to the sink, putting her purse on the floor at her feet. After washing and drying her hands, she bent to pick up her bag.

Suddenly something snaked around her throat and bit sharply into her skin. She registered a thin cord around her neck as she was jerked back against a hard masculine body. The cord tightened, cutting off her air.

Choking, she clawed frantically at his hands, trying to get her fingers beneath the razor-thin band. It tightened even more, pulling at her hair and crushing her windpipe.

Spots danced before her eyes. The edges of her vision went black and a surge of pure panic shot through her. She twisted, still trying to get her hands under the cord biting into her flesh. The man lifted her off her feet and she struggled, accidentally kicking the trash can.

Desperate for help, she kicked violently, connecting again with the can. She managed to slam the heavy metal container into the wall. Her vision blurred as she distantly heard what she thought was the sound of the falling can.

She felt herself fading. A scream welled up, but she couldn’t get out even a sound. Terror flooded her.

Abruptly, the pressure around her throat eased and she fell, hitting her head on the corner of the sink. She was conscious enough to register a series of grunts and then a sickening thud against the tile.

Suddenly Griffin was on the floor beside her.

“Laura?” He leaned over her, moving her hair gently out of her face as he peered at her. “Laura?”

His face came into focus, his hard-edged features stamped with concern.

She lifted a shaky hand to her throbbing head.

“Can you breathe?” he asked.

She nodded, forcing words past her bruised throat as she gripped his hand. “What happened?”

“You were attacked.”

It had come too close on the heels of yesterday’s attack. Fear sliced through her like a blade, jamming her breath painfully in her chest. “He found me. Vin found me.”

“Looks that way.”

Everything went black.

THREE

It was the blood. There wasn’t even that much of it, but the sight of it had images ricocheting through Griffin’s mind. Seeing Laura crumpled on the floor brought back the ambush. The firefight. The searing pain in his broken femur as he carried Ace’s body down the rocky terrain.

This wasn’t the same. Griffin fought to push away the pictures. He carefully helped Laura to a sitting position, glad to see recognition creep across her chalk-white face.

Fear sharpened her pretty features. Eyes wide, she stared up at him. “Who just tried to kill me? Did you get them?”

Griffin shook his head. “I heard the noise in here and rushed to reach you. I only saw his shadow as he headed into the emergency stairwell. I headed straight for you, and Sydney went after the assailant. Did you see anything? Can you describe him?”

“No. He was behind me.”

“Did you notice anything about him? Cologne? Distinctive voice? Scars or tattoos?”

Laura thought hard. “There was something on his left wrist or hand. It might’ve been a tattoo. I don’t know. Everything happened so fast.”

The tattoo possibility was something at least, Griffin thought grimly.

“Laura?” Joy rushed into the ladies’ room, followed by Cheryl, the red-haired nurse. “What happened?”

“Are you all right?” The nurse moved closer, her gaze probing.

Laura struggled to stand and Griffin clasped her elbow to steady her. Once she was on her feet, he curled his hand lightly around her upper arm to make sure she stayed upright. She was still pale. And trembling.

Concern pinched Joy’s features as she looked her niece over. “What happened?”