Cross My Heart (Ty & Hunter 1)

He shook his head, unable to answer that one verbally.

“Then get out of here, Ty. I’ll be fine in the five minutes it takes Derek to get here. And I promise to wait for him, okay?”

Ty was torn, but Dr. Sanford had said her vitals weren’t stable—

“Go,” Lilly said, already shutting the water and reaching for the towel.

He nodded, then pushed open the sliding glass shower door and gave her a too-brief kiss before running down the hall and to his car, hoping he’d get to the hospital in time.

Fourteen

T y paced the hospital emergency waiting room. Though he was immediate family, the doctors needed time with his mother, who, thanks to the paramedics, had regained consciousness on the way to the hospital. In all likelihood she’d had a heart attack, at least according to Dr.

Sanford but since the man was a psychiatrist, Ty wasn’t convinced. He needed to know his mother would be okay.

He rubbed his hands over his eyes and checked his watch. He figured Lilly would be here with Derek any minute, which would ease one of his concerns.

He glanced up in time to see Dr. Sanford walk out of the back room where they’d taken Ty’s mother. “What’s going on?”

“They’ve stabilized her,” the other man said, placing a hand on Ty’s shoulder. “She’s out of the woods but she needs to be admitted so they can monitor her.”

Ty nodded. “Can I see her?”

“In a little while,” he promised. “They aren’t letting me in, either, in case that’s bothering you.”

The older man spoke with the understanding of someone older, someone with kids of his own.

Ty tried not to squirm or show his discomfort with the conversation. “I appreciate you saying that, but I’m glad you were with my mother when she…..you know.”

Dr. Sanford nodded. “I’ll come out as soon as I have something to report.”

While the other man headed back through the double doors, Ty stepped outside into the cool fall air and opened his cell phone, turning it on. He’d tried to keep it on while inside but even with vibrate mode, a nurse had caught him and made him shut off the instrument.

He glanced down at his phone and realized Derek had called him more than once. He dialed the other man’s cell phone. “What’s up?” he asked as soon as Derek answered.

“The cops came by to question me. Seems Dumont called them and reported a stalker outside his home.” Derek paused, then said, “I think he’s got a friend on the inside because this guy’s stalling me.”

“You’re telling me you haven’t left for Lilly’s yet?”

“No, but I bet Dumont has.”

“I’m on my way.” Ty slammed the cell closed and headed inside to tell Dr. Sanford he’d be back, and to keep him info rmed by phone of his mother’s progress.

Then he sped toward his mother’s house where he’d left Lilly alone.

LACEY PACED the floor, periodically looking out the window for any sign of Derek’s car.

Derek had promised Ty he’d be there in fifteen minutes. Almost twenty-five had passed since Ty left for the hospital which was only five minutes away. Uncle Marc’s place was ten minutes by car. Derek should have been here by now. Five more minutes and she’d grab the car keys on the kitchen counter and take Flo’s car to the hospital herself.

She tapped her foot against the floor, then unable to stand around and do nothing any longer, she called for Digger who hopped off the couch and ran to her, tail wagging.

“Come on, girl. You need to go into the kitchen.” Lacey walked toward the room where they’d set up gates, locked the dog in for her own safety, and snagged Flo’s car keys.

With a last pat on Digger’s head, Lacey grabbed her purse, opened the front door and came face-to-face with her uncle Marc. Fear rose in her throat and she tried to slam the door in his face but his foot stopped her.

“Go away.” She pushed the door again but he was stronger.

“Lilly, we need to talk. I need to talk to you. It’s important.”

She shook her head. “I’ve seen your definition of talking. Hit and run and arson. Thanks but no thanks.” Her heart rate sped up and she grew nauseous just looking at him.

“It wasn’t me.”

“Is there anyone else who wants my trust fund badly enough to put me in foster care to scare me so I’d come begging for you to help me and sign my birthright over to you? Is there someone else who’d inherit if I were dead?” She kicked uselessly at his foot which remained wedged in the door.

Where the hell was Derek?  she wondered, panic racing around inside her.

He leaned his shoulder against the door frame. “Lilly, please,  listen. It looks like I want you dead and I understand why you think I’m behind these things, but it isn’t me. I can explain. Just let me inside—”

“So you can kill me in the house and not on the street?”

He shook his head. “You always were a stubborn one,” he muttered. “Fine, we’ll talk here.”

Before he could say another word, a car screeched down the street. Her uncle turned, and a loud bang echoed around her, like the backfire of a car.

“What was—”

Her uncle jerked, falling backwards onto her, nearly knocking her over. “Uncle Marc?” she asked.

Then she saw the blood.

Lacey screamed and glanced up from her uncle’s body to the sight of the car door opening. She didn’t stop to see who was climbing out. Unable to shut herself safely in the house because her uncle’s prone body blocked the door, she scrambled over him and ran back inside.

Digger barked from inside the kitchen and Lacey ran in her direction, nearly tripping over the gate in her rush to get to the dog. At the edge of the kitchen was a door leading to the backyard.

Just as she flung the door open and let Digger run out, she heard the sound of footsteps inside the house. Outside she’d be easy target practice but inside, she realized she had a chance.

Beyond the small alcove where her old bed used to be was a pantry door that Lacey used to use as a closet. It wasn’t a full walk-in, but it was large enough for her to crouch inside, and not be seen. In seconds, she was able to duck into the alcove, jump behind the couch and slip into the small closet.

Whether or not she was spotted remained to be seen.

She hated tiny, dark spaces because they reminded her of the old places she’d slept during her early days in New York City . The bugs, the rats, the awful smells. She shuddered, wrapped her arms around her knees and waited.