Lucky Break (Lucky 3)

She tossed and turned for the better part of the night, wishing she’d made him stay.

She woke up later than usual, exhausted and cranky, which led her to the conclusion that the man who’d caused the tossing and turning was also the solution. She’d just resume their sexual relationship as if that awful dinner at his father’s house had never happened. Because clearly she’d feel worse and get less work done if she denied her desire for him.

She’d given Jason a key and could now hear hammering coming from the far end of the house. He and the three men in his crew, Nate, Connor and Ross, always began working farthest from the bedroom, giving her privacy until she joined them.

Since she couldn’t do anything about her sexual needs right now, she would settle for coffee to begin her day.

She had taken two steps toward the kitchen when her cell phone rang; she pulled it from her pocket. A glance showed a restricted number.

A shiver raced through her as she hit the send button to take the call. “Hello?”

“Ms. Perkins? This is Dr. Shaw at the penitentiary. I’m your sister’s doctor. I thought you should know there was an incident this morning.”

She gripped her cell phone tighter, nausea rising in her throat. “What kind of incident?”

“Your sister became unruly this morning. I don’t know how else to explain it. She started to scream and yell and we had to sedate her in order to calm her down.” The doctor’s tone was compassionate.

Lauren swallowed hard. “I don’t understand. She’s been completely nonresponsive. Staring ahead at nothing for almost a year. Do you know what caused the outburst?”

“No. I’m considering asking that she be sent to the hospital for tests, but that would take a court order, which would take some time.”

Lauren stared up at the ceiling and caught sight of a large, ugly crack. Another thing to add to the To Do list.

She refocused on her call. “I’ll be there in a little over an hour,” she said.

At least a half day of work would be lost, but what choice did she have?

“I wouldn’t suggest you come now. She’s sedated and sleeping. There’s nothing you can do for her at the moment.”

Lauren closed her eyes. “I see. Well, I’ll call later to see how she’s doing.”

“That’s fine. As soon as I think it’s helpful for you to visit, I’ll let you know.”

Lauren nodded. “Thank you, Doctor.” She disconnected the call, feeling more agitated than before.

As much as caffeine wouldn’t calm her nerves, she still needed to start her day with the comfort of routine, and that meant coffee.

Wearing an old button-down shirt and soft sweats, her feet bare, she walked into the kitchen and stopped short, frozen in place. Because sitting on the granite counter was a mouse. A light gray, beady-eyed mouse with a long tail.

She blinked.

It wriggled and moved its tail. An old memory of the rat-infested walls in her New York City apartment flashed through her mind. One of those rats had jumped from her nightstand onto her bed and raced over her legs.

Lauren let out a loud piercing scream and leaped onto the nearest chair, shaking. She continued to shriek, but the rodent didn’t run away.

Jason burst through the kitchen entryway at a run, Nate, Connor and Ross right behind him. Jason caught sight of Lauren standing on a chair and skidded to a halt. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She glanced from him to the counter.

The now empty counter.

She pointed halfheartedly. “It’s a mouse.” She continued to gesture wildly toward the spot where the animal had been.

He walked over and looked at the counter, then scoured the floor, finding nothing. “It’s gone.” Walking back to her, he held out his hand. “Let me help you down.”

“You got this, boss?” Connor asked.

Lauren ignored him. In her mind, she still saw the moving tail and those beady eyes staring at her, and she shook from head to toe.