Chapter 16 #2
I gripped his arm. “How did he know we were here?”
“Kendrick has his ways. Probably knew the minute I asked for permission to dock.”
I looked around. Did that mean the man who attacked me could do the same?
Locke rubbed my arms. “Let’s worry about your staples first.” He wound his arm around my back and slowly led me toward the ferry. “Stay close.”
I wasn’t about to argue. We found a spot on the open part of the ferry for the ride out to Salem. Locke caged me in along the edge of the observation deck. He felt so solid behind me that I didn’t even think about complaining.
I kept looking around at the people around us. The tall man with the black hoodie had me on alert, but when I got a look at him, he was a young, blond, college-age guy.
“Relax,” Locke said against my ear. He banded an arm around my middle, bringing me back against him. “We’re just a couple on a day trip.”
“Right.” I dropped my hand on top of his arm.
“Next up, Salem.”
A shiver ran down my spine as we approached the wharf. It looked much different in the sunshine. No dark corners, just slips of boats in all sizes as well as sailboats dotting the open ocean.
We waited out the first rush of people getting off the ferry, then blended in with the slower day trippers who were chattering excitedly.
Locke’s hand found mine and laced our fingers.
My heart kicked—hard. Just play acting.
No big deal.
When we got to the stairs, he hitched me up onto his hip and took the stairs two at a time before we burst out onto the ramp. I held onto his shoulders and grinned at the older woman who fanned her face.
“Now that’s what I call a man.”
Locke’s lips twitched, but he didn’t quite let a smile free. He let me down as we got near the end of the ramp and held me close to his side as we fell into step with the last of the passengers. He was scanning the crowd, but had a purposeful stride. He cursed as we got to the parking lot.
“What?”
He sighed and turned us toward a black SUV.
“Is this yours?”
“No. It’s a company car.” He reached under the wheel well and came out with a little box. He pressed his thumb to a pad, and it popped open with a key. He shoved the little box into his pocket and opened my door with his thumb once more.
“Not sure I’ve ever seen a lock like that.”
“Easier than trying to find keys all the time.” He got me settled in the seat and snapped my belt around my hips.
“I’m not a child.”
His gaze drifted over my face to my lips before returning to meet my gaze. “Definitely not a child.” Then he backed up and shut the door.
My heart was careening around my chest like a drunk canary.
What the hell was that supposed to mean?
He got in his side then reached beneath the seat and I heard another mechanical click. He pulled a gun out from under the seat and tucked it into a special holster beside the steering wheel.
“Is that necessary?”
“Not sure. I’d rather have it.”
I twisted my hands in my lap. The vagabond Locke was replaced with someone else.
More remote if that was at all possible.
Even his demeanor was different. His shoulders were back and his posture perfect.
He pulled out of the spot and fought his way over to the exit around people who obviously didn’t know where they were going.
We avoided the heart of Salem, instead heading for the hospital. Once out of the touristy part of the city, it was smooth sailing. Locke still had his eyes on his surroundings, and my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
What kind of man was Locke? The man away from the boat—the man who worked for The Kendrick Group.
Instead of parking in the regular lot, he drove around the back of the hospital.
“Why are we going back here?”
“I don’t want to sign in if I don’t have to.” He parked near a few other cars, and took the gun as he hopped out.
He came around the SUV, stuffed the gun in the back of his jeans, tugging his T-shirt over it. He hustled me past the dumpsters and into the hospital.
“Won’t we get in trouble?”
“I already scouted this out last time you were here.” He grabbed my hand. “Try to walk through the pain if you can. I don’t want anyone to think we don’t belong.”
I lengthened my stride a little and the burn kept me focused. We hustled down a hallway and out to another part of the hospital. He pushed open a heavy door and suddenly we were at the elevators. A nurse gave us a weird look and Locke pulled me into his arms for a hug.
My whole system went haywire, as his hand slid down my back in a soothing caress. “Everything’s going to be okay.”
I shuddered. I knew it was for show, but right then I hoped it was true.
When the nurse kept on moving, he tapped the button on the elevator to go up.
“I hope you know where we’re going.”
“I called before we left. The doc said she’d take the staples out in the outpatient surgical floor.”
Someone followed us on the elevator and Locke pushed me behind him, his fingers still wound around mine. Was this how he protected people in his job?
Was there really danger around every corner?
I leaned on him a little to give my leg a break. It was more walking than I’d done in weeks.
“You okay?” he asked over his shoulder.
“Just a little sore.”
I didn’t have time to think about it as we arrived at our floor. He walked slower now that we were officially in the right area. He glanced at the cameras in each corner of the hallway, his arm still proprietary on my hip as he supported me down the hall to the desk.
“Priscilla Barlow for her two o’clock.”
The woman behind the desk smiled. “I just need some information.”
I nodded and came forward to answer questions.
Locke stood directly behind me like the sentry he was. My system was on overdrive. From barely noticing me to now fully in my space, I didn’t know how to feel. And the awareness of him as well as the fact that someone could be watching me left me shaky.
“We’ll call you in a few minutes.” The receptionist nodded toward the waiting room. “Shouldn’t be too long.”
I could tell Locke was ready to bark out an order and took his hand. “Thank you.”
He practically growled.
“Can’t make them take me any faster.” I eased down on the couch and collapsed back on the cushion.
His jaw did that muscle twitch thing, and I grabbed his hand. “I’m fine. Just have been a lump for two weeks, remember.”
“Yeah. Sorry I had to push you.”
“It’s fine.”
He sat down on the edge of the couch, his knee bouncing as he looked around.
“So is your boss as intense as Leo?” I reached over and covered his knee until he stopped.
He sighed, propping his elbows on his knees. “Kind of. Dominic is more tactical. Leo is more focused on the business side of the company.”
“And Nyx?”
“Nina Kendrick—we call her Nyx—is the cyber side of things. I knew asking her to look into the other victims was going to bite me in the ass.”
I drew my hand away from his knee and back into my lap. “I should have been asking you questions about all this.”
“It’s okay. It was more important for you to heal.”
“Hide, you mean? Kinda like you.”
He gave me a long look, but didn’t argue.
“Miss Barlow?”
I smiled at the receptionist and stood. “Yeah. We have a lot to talk about.”
I swayed a bit as the room spun. Locke gripped my arm and gathered me close. “I pushed you too hard.”
“Maybe a little,” I said shakily.
He helped me get to the room and boosted me on the bench.
I gripped his shoulders. “You must be tired of picking me up.”
His gaze dipped to my lips as he licked his before he stepped back. “It’s fine.”
The doctor came in, and Locke moved in front of me for a moment before he hugged the wall, his hands fisted at his sides.
The doctor was a sunny blond with a high ponytail. She wore teal scrubs under her lab coat frowned at him, then smiled at me gently. “I’m Dr. Hansen. Dr. Mercer ended up in surgery.”
“It’s okay, I barely knew her.”
“I heard it was a rather intense few days at North Shore for you. How have you been? Staying off your feet?”
“For the most part. Little hard on a boat.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “A boat?”
Locke cleared his throat. “She’s staying with me. I have a catamaran.”
“Well, that sounds like a nice place to rest and relax to me. Can you lift your legs and lie back so I can take a look?”
I nodded.
She helped me pull my dress up. “Have you been keeping it covered?”
“Only when I sleep. And today since we had to take the ferry.”
“Good.”
She pulled the bandage back and probed lightly. “Staples look good actually. Just a little bit of tearing which isn’t surprising because of the placement.”
“It pulls like a bitch.”
She laughed. “I bet it does. Okay, it’s going to sound worse than it feels.”
I nodded. “Ready.”
The snip of the staples being cut away made me jump.
Locke hurried over to me. I lifted my arm over my head, and he held my hand. I closed my eyes at the position. I wanted to hold his hand, but the position suddenly dragged me back into the darkness.
Dr. Hansen backed up, the tool in her hand.
My breath stalled and I tried to drag in oxygen. He stepped closer and drew my arm back down to my middle, his long fingers brushing my naked belly. I sucked in a breath as he pressed his lips to my forehead. “Easy. We’re in the room. I’m here.”
“Right. Sorry.”
“Nothing to be sorry about.” Locke glanced at the doctor. “Just a little PTSD. Give us a second.”
The doctor nodded. “Take your time.”
“I’m fine. I’m okay.”
He tipped his forehead to mine. “Go ahead, doc.”
She stepped forward. It was a slow process, but Locke’s scent and his warmth grounded me. I tried to relax my leg, but each pop of the metal was jarring.
“Just two more. You’re doing great.” Dr. Hansen’s voice was even and soft.
“Two more and we can go for ice cream.”
The quick laugh whooshed out of me, and I couldn’t help tightening my fingers laced with his. “Ice cream sounds good.”
“Okay, you did great.” The doctor stepped back.
Locke stepped away from me, his fingers slipping away from mine and dragging along the skin of my middle. “I’m just going to step out for a second. Let you get cleaned up.”
“That’s fine.”
I think we both needed a second away from each other.