Chapter 19Jude pressed the medical tape against his skin with his free hand while looking back over his shoulder. It was holding down the gauze he’d snatched up after pulling out the IV needle. Rebecca was doing a good job of distracting the cop and nurse who had been headed toward his room, but he knew she could keep it up for only so long. She’d rushed over after getting his text that he’d been in an accident and needed her there for help. His partner had not been thrilled about his desire to escape, but she didn’t argue much.
He needed to get the fuck out of the hospital. He’d been there too damn long already, and he needed to get to Snow.
Cursing himself and the pain that spread through his skull from where he’d hit his head, Jude hurried down the corridor. He didn’t know this Northern Kentucky hospital. All his runs took him to the various hospitals around Cincinnati. He paused in an intersection, looking for signs that would point him toward an exit when a strong hand grabbed his elbow and jerked him toward the right. A little yelp escaped him as he stumbled sideways, falling against a strong chest. He looked up to find himself leaning against Noah Keegan. Rowe’s boyfriend was a welcome sight.
“If you’re looking to escape, you’re going the wrong way,” Noah said with a wicked grin. “Let me give you a hand.”
“Thank God,” Jude sighed. He got his feet under him again and jogged behind Noah as he wove down a few more corridors with beige walls until they reached a staircase. An ambulance had arrived ten minutes after the cops did, and Jude had been bundled off to the hospital for a handful of stitches and a scan of his head. He’d been tucked into a room while they waited for another doctor to read the scan and make a decision about what to do next.
There was no question that he had a mild concussion and really needed to be resting, but nothing was going to keep him from finding Snow. Nothing.
Nearly two hours had already been wasted at the hospital with the cops peppering him with questions he either didn’t know the answers to or wasn’t comfortable responding to. He’d told the cops the truth. He’d had no idea who had followed him or why they’d run him off the road or what the fuck happened to Snow. However, he might have held back on the why, suspecting that it was all tied to Jordan’s attack and Anthony’s shooting.
The only good thing to come out of this was that he hadn’t been taken to UC hospital. His mother didn’t yet know about the accident or Snow’s kidnapping. He couldn’t worry about her health. She needed to focus her energy on Jordan and leave him to finding Snow.
On the empty landing, Noah turned and pushed Jude against the closed door. He narrowed his eyes and stared into Jude’s. “I’m stealing you out of here on the belief that you’re not gonna keel over due to internal bleeding or some other injury from the car wreck.”
“No, I’m fine,” Jude said sharply, but Noah didn’t even budge. “Yeah, yeah. I’m not in danger of dying. Mild concussion, few stitches on my left arm and neck from broken glass, and bruised ribs. Nothing rest and painkillers won’t help.”
Noah grunted and released Jude. Lifting his right hand, he handed Jude a heavy black parka with the Ward Security logo on the front. “Here. Put this on and try to look less like a patient. Rowe’s got a car waiting out front.”
Jude happily accepted the coat. His had disappeared at some point, and he felt lucky they’d left him with his T-shirt. He managed to find only his keys, wallet, and cell phone before he escaped his room.
“Have you found him? Do you know anything yet?” Jude demanded as he followed Noah down the flight of stairs while fighting to pull on the coat. It was blissfully warm, and Jude was grateful Noah had the forethought to bring it along for him.
“The triplets are working on it. They managed to hack the traffic cameras around the area and are tracking the SUV that hit you. Rowe was checking in on them when I came in to get you,” Noah said.
“The triplets?”
Noah paused in front of the door on the first floor and smirked at him. “Quinn, Cole, and Gidget. Rowe’s IT specialists. They’re all working on tracking down Snow.”
Sticking his head out the door, Noah briefly looked around before leading the way. Jude joined him, acting as casual as possible. It was likely that they’d only just now discovered his disappearance, and the word hadn’t yet spread to the rest of the hospital. They quickly crossed the lobby and out the double automatic doors.