Scent of Danger

"I'm sure I will. Thanks for accelerating the process." Sabrina picked up the card and studied the information. Then, she raised her head. "Have you filled Carson in yet?"

"Of course not. These test results are yours, to hear and to share. If you're asking if you can share them with him now, the answer is yes. He woke up about five minutes after you called. Let me warn you, he's ornery as a bear. He's also forbidden me to let you donate your kidney, no matter what the tissue-typing results show. Have fun."

"I might not have fun, but I'll get my way." Sabrina rose, acknowledging Radison's droll warning with a stubborn lift of her chin. "Like you said, father and daughter steamrollers. Well, when I'm on overdrive, there's no stopping me. Be prepared for some choice words from Carson to rock the halls of ICU. Ignore them. I promise to keep him from going overboard and jeopardizing his condition. Besides, it won't take him long to figure out that this is one battle he won't win. He's getting my kidney if I have to transplant it myself."

"How reassuring." Radison came to his feet as well. "I'll go alert the nurses, tell them to man their battle stations. Mr. Newport, I hope you're a good referee."

Dylan's lips curved in amusement. "Actually, I think I'll let Sabrina and Carson duke this one out. It should be quite a showdown. It'll also be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Carson bested." His amusement vanished, and a look of intense emotion crossed his face. "He couldn't have picked a better time to lose. And, as a result, to win."

CHAPTER 22

8:35 A.M.

Carson was in heated argument with a nurse when Sabrina and Dylan walked in.

"Don't bother bringing me that liquid crap, because I'm not eating it," he was barking. "No Jell-O. No applesauce. No hospital shit period. Starting tonight, I want steak, medium-rare, and a baked potato. Or some grilled red snapper. Move me to that cushy floor, Eleven West. The one that's more like the Ritz-Ca

rlton than a hospital. Over there, they'll bring me some real food."

The trim, middle-aged nurse finished taking his vital signs, glaring at him as she jotted them down. "Believe me, Mr. Brooks, moving you out of here is one of our top priorities. The second Dr. Radison gives the word, you'll be on your way. Eleven West's already been alerted. As a result, half the staff members there have requested transfers."

Sabrina cleared her throat to stifle a chuckle.

The nurse glanced up, spotting Dylan and Sabrina. "Ah, you have visitors. My cue to go. What a shame." She leveled a no-nonsense look at Carson. "Your bland, uninspiring breakfast should be here any minute now. Eat it. It's the only way to build up your strength so you can make that move to Eleven West." She hurried to the door, rolling her eyes at Sabrina and Dylan. "Good luck," she muttered under her breath. "He's in top form today."

"So I see." Sabrina folded her arms across her breasts and gave a resigned shake of her head as she walked toward the bed. "I go away for a few days and you escalate your campaign to terrorize the staff. Okay, I'm back. Now you can pick on someone your own size."

"You're not my size. You're tiny. Only your mouth is big."

"That's heredity for you," Sabrina retorted. "Like all my obnoxious qualities, I got that one from you." She used her sparring time to scrutinize Carson, noting the changes that had taken place since she saw him on Friday. She was relieved and encouraged by what she saw. He had real color in his face, his breathing was even, and his chest tube was gone, as were several of the contraptions he'd been hooked up to last week.

For the first time, Sabrina knew in her gut that her father was on the mend.

"Sit," Carson ordered, gesturing for her and Dylan to pull up chairs. "You're even crankier than I am," he informed Sabrina. "And you look lousy. Didn't you get any sleep this weekend?"

"Not a wink. I was too excited about rushing over here for a dose of emotional abuse."

Carson's lips quirked. "When did you get back?"

"Late last night." Sabrina pulled her chair directly up to the bed. "And before you ask, yes, I did Ruisseau work on the plane—both ways."

"She was also at her desk before dawn today, reviewing stacks of departmental updates," Dylan added, lowering himself into his seat and crossing one long leg over the other. "She comes in earlier than you do and stays later. Frankly, I don't think you're paying her enough."

"Great. Now I've got two wiseasses to contend with." Carson eyed Dylan, his caustic words belied by his affectionate tone and the warmth in his gaze. "Why are you here this early? Did you just miss me? Or did Nina boot you out?"

"I asked Dylan to come with me," Sabrina provided. "I wanted him here when I got the tissue-typing results— which I just did. I came here straight from Dr. Radison's office."

"How are things going at CCTL?" Carson demanded, pointedly ignoring the subject Sabrina wanted to broach. "Are you satisfied with the way it's being run in your absence? And how did things go with those two mega-corporations that dominated your weekend? Did you get them on track, or were they the old-school types whose mind-sets are so rigid there's no getting through?"

"CCTL's running like clockwork," Sabrina replied without missing a beat. "Deborah and Mark are doing a bang-up job. The weekend was a success. Both companies went home with a clearly delineated strategy, and as a far more cohesive team than when they arrived. And the blood test says you and I are a match made in heaven. So, if you need a kidney, you're getting mine. Anything else?"

Carson's jaw set, and he gave a hard shake of his head. "It's not happening, Sabrina. I already told that to Radison."

"I know. And I told him I was coming in here to set you straight. This isn't your choice to make. It's mine. And I've made it."

"Not if I say no, you haven't."

"I beg to differ with you. I'm twenty-seven—way too old for you to order around. You wanted to meet your daughter. Well, you have. You wanted me in your life. You've got that, too. Now I want something from you. I want you to learn how to grit your teeth and accept my help. Because you're getting it whether or not you want it. I'll declare you incompetent if I have to, and sign the papers as your next of kin."