Her Mistletoe Protector
She could hardly wait.
* * *
Nick stared at Officer McCarthy in horror. “What do you mean you didn’t find Errol? And now my car is missing? Are you telling me he’s still out there on the loose?” The monitor above his head sounded an alarm and he took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart.
“Yes. That’s exactly what I’m telling you. The only body we found was Gerald Ashton’s. He died of a gunshot wound to his chest.”
Nick momentarily closed his eyes, feeling bad that he’d taken a life. He’d been protecting Rachel and Joey after being wounded himself. But that didn’t really make him feel better.
“Where’s Rachel? And Joey? We need to keep them safe in case Errol decides to come after them.”
“I took them to the bus station, bought them tickets to get home and gave them a little extra cash so they could get something to eat.”
“You what?” Nick shouted, and this time, he didn’t care about the beeping alarms. He tried to throw off the covers and make his way to the side of the bed, but it wasn’t easy when his left arm was wrapped up tighter than a mummy. The doctors had explained the numbness was due to some sort of pain block they’d put in, which made him feel even more like an idiot for the way he’d acted toward Rachel.
But nothing was going to stop him from doing the right thing—now.
“Mr. Butler!” his nurse cried as she came running into the room. “What are you doing?”
“It’s Detective Butler,” he ground out between clenched teeth, trying to ignore the sweat that beaded on his brow. “And I’m getting out of here.”
“You can’t leave!” The nurse looked appalled and she crossed the room to push him back into bed even as she called out for help.
Frustrated to discover he didn’t have the strength of a gnat, he threw a desperate glance at McCarthy. “Help me out, here. Don’t you understand? Rachel and Joey are in danger as long as Karl Errol is still on the loose! The guy is working for Global Pharmaceuticals.”
“I’m calling your doctor,” the nurse threatened, acting as if she hadn’t heard a word he said. Or maybe she just didn’t care.
“Yeah, you do that,” Nick said with a disgusted sigh. “Because I’m pretty sure I have the right to leave against medical advice.”
“Only if you can make it out of here without passing out cold,” the nurse said tersely, holding his gaze with bold determination.
“Now, just hold on a minute,” McCarthy said, holding up his hand and trying to wedge himself between Nick and the nurse. “If you really think Ms. Simon and her son are in danger, I’ll help you. No need to act like a lunatic.”
Nick couldn’t help feeling like a lunatic. He couldn’t explain the bad feeling he had about the way Rachel and Joey had left him. Without saying goodbye. Without having Karl Errol in custody. That creep actually had his car!
“Fine,” he bit out, knowing that he didn’t have the strength to stay seated on the side of his bed for much longer. “What’s the plan?”
“How about if I send some backup out to meet Ms. Simon and her son at the Chicago bus depot,” McCarthy offered. “They can drive her home, stick around a bit to make sure everything’s all right.”
It was a start, but not good enough. “We need to get to Chicago, ASAP. I need you to help me get out of here,” he said to McCarthy. “I’ll need help since I can barely keep myself upright. We need to get to Rachel before Errol does.”
“I don’t know if that’s a good idea,” McCarthy hedged.
“I do. Trust me—I’ll take full responsibility for my decision.” Last year, Jonah had been in a similar situation, leaving the hospital against doctor’s orders. And he’d been fine.
Nick had to believe everything would work out fine this time, too.
Dear Lord, please give me the strength I need to keep Rachel and Joey safe.
* * *
Rachel held on to Joey’s hand tightly as they navigated the crowds at the bus depot. Without luggage, it was easy to push her way through the swarming mass of people to the door, and before long they found their way to the taxi stand. Now that they were back in Chicago, she couldn’t wait to get home. But first a quick trip to her office building.
Her desperation must have shown as a taxi came barreling to a stop right in front of her. She thought she heard someone call her name but then figured she was imagining things. She urged Joey in first and climbed in after him.