Chapter Thirteen
Sam had worked herself into a complete panic when a knock sounded on the door.
Nick poked his head in. “Heard a rumor that my wife was in the clinic. I said, ‘How is that possible when my wife notifies me any time she gets hurt on the job?’”
The sight of his handsome face made everything better. “That’s true, except for when the Canadian prime minister is coming to town and her focus is on being able to first-lady tomorrow.”
“What’d you do to yourself, love?”
“I tackled an errant congressman, sprained my wrist and aggravated my healing hip.”
He winced. “And did some damage to my favorite face, too, I see.” He ran a gentle finger over her cheek.
“I’d forgotten about that.”
“Only you, Samantha.”
“I know. I’m such an accident waiting for a place to happen.”
He rested against the exam table. “I meant only you would think last about an injury to your face.”
“I was a bit preoccupied with fears that I’d rebroken my hip.”
“I suppose that would be the headline. I’m so glad it’s only aggravated and not broken.”
“Harry is giving me a cortisone shot.”
“Ouch.”
Her eyes went wide. “You think it’ll hurt?”
“Uh, I mean… Maybe? A little?”
“You won’t feel a thing,” Harry said as he came into the room. “I promise.”
“That’d be good.”
“My Samantha doesn’t like needles.”
“Does anyone?” Harry asked. “Let’s get you back into the X-ray room for this.”
“How come?”
“I use imaging to make sure I hit the right spot.”
“Okay.”
“Can Nick come?”
“Of course. Not sure if you’ve heard, but he’s the boss around here.”
“Don’t make me laugh when I’m freaked out.”
Harry wheeled her into the other room and got her settled on the table as she tried not to scream from the pain.
“Easy, honey.” Nick smoothed the hair back from her face.
She wanted so badly to be brave so she wouldn’t upset him, but that was easier said than done when needles were involved.
A nurse wheeled a table into the room that contained a variety of things that Sam quickly realized she’d be better off not studying too closely.
She focused instead on Nick’s handsome face.
Harry lifted the right side of the gown and painted something onto her skin. “Just some Betadine to clean the area. We’re going to start with a shot of lidocaine to numb you up,” Harry said. “You’ll feel a small pinch and a slight burn as it goes in, but it shouldn’t hurt. Okay?”
Nothing about this was okay. “Uh-huh.” After a pause, she said, “Have you done this before?”
“Many times when I was a resident.”
Sam practically levitated off the table. “How long ago was that?”
Harry laughed as he put a hand on her shoulder to keep her still. “Don’t worry. It’s like riding a bike.”
“Oh my God,” she muttered. “Get me out of here.”
“How long does it take to work?” Nick asked.
“Some people get immediate relief. For others, it takes a day or two.”
Sam hoped with all her heart that she was in the former category. She didn’t have a day or two to wait for relief. “I’m sorry this happened right before your big day.” Her chin quivered as she looked up at Nick.
“Don’t give that a thought.”
“Right. It’s just another Monday around here.”
“All I care about is that you’re okay. The rest will work itself out.”
“Here we go, Sam.”
The “small” pinch and “slight” burn took her breath away and brought tears to her eyes.
Nick took her left hand and held on tight. “You’re doing great.”
“Yeah, cuz that was the easy part.”
“You’ve got this, Sam. I’m going to inject a small bit of dye to make sure we get the exact spot where you need it most.”
She felt another needle go in, but that one didn’t hurt, thankfully.
“There it is. Right there. Hang tight, here we go.”
Oh, holy fucking shit, that hurt!
“Don’t move. We’re almost done.”
“Please,” she gasped as tears rolled down her face.
“All done. You did great.”
She felt like a big, fat baby as Nick wiped away her tears with a tissue.
Her hands were shaking, and she felt like she might hyperventilate.
“Let’s sit her up,” Harry said.
He and Nick helped her up.
Harry rested a hand on her shoulder. “Take a deep breath, Sam. It’s all over.”
That might be true, but she still felt like she was going to be sick.
“Can you stand?” Nick asked.
“I can try.”
With one of them on each side of her, she tentatively got down from the exam table, waiting for the predictable blast of pain from her hip that didn’t materialize. “Oh, that feels better. Wow. Much better.” Other than the dull aches coming from her face and wrist, she felt no pain. “Thank you, Harry. That totally sucked, but it worked.”
“I’m glad it worked quickly for you.”
“Me, too. I have no time to be injured this week.”
“Let’s get your wrist wrapped properly and send you home.”
Twenty minutes later, Nick walked her slowly to the elevator that would take them to the second-floor residence. Her face stung from whatever Harry had put on it, and her throbbing wrist was immobilized in a bandage. “Sorry about all this. The last thing you needed this week was an injured wife.”
“As always, I’m thankful my wife is only injured when we both know it could be much worse.”
“I hope I never again have to have a shot to the hip. I almost passed out.”
“I almost passed out from watching it.”
“I’m going to have nightmares about that for the rest of my life.”
He ushered her into the elevator and pushed the button for the second floor. “Nah, you’ll forget all about it in a day or two.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so, and I’m the boss of the whole country.”
“Not letting it go to your head or anything, right?”
“Of course not.”
They emerged from the elevator to the sound of children laughing as they played chase in the hallway. Scotty was in hot pursuit of the twins, who were doing most of the laughing as they came barreling toward Sam and Nick.
He reached for them so they wouldn’t crash into Sam. “I’ve got them, Scotty. Now what should we do with them?”
“Tickle them until they puke?”
“No,” the twins said, shrieking.
“Anything but that,” Aubrey said.
She hated being tickled, while Alden loved it.
“How about some dinner?” Nick asked, kissing both little faces before he put them down to run off again.
Celia came down from the third floor with Sam’s mother, Brenda.
Sam was surprised to see her mother. “Did I forget something?”
Brenda laughed. “No, I was meeting with Celia to get the kids’ after-school routine down so I’m ready to cover for her while she’s away.”
Celia and her sisters were leaving on an Alaskan cruise on Wednesday.
“Ah, okay.”
Celia eyed the bandage on her arm. “What happened to you?”
“A little skirmish on the job. No biggie. Can you join us for dinner, Mom?”
“I’d love to, if it’s no imposition.”
“The lovely staff is always prepared for an extra guest or two. I just need to change, and then I’ll meet you all in the dining room.”
“I’ll go with you,” Nick said.
He was probably afraid she might fall over, which wasn’t outside the realm of possibility.
Her hip felt disconnected from the rest of her body, which was keeping the pain away but made her feel off-balance and out of whack. Hopefully, she’d figure out getting around before she had to put on heels tomorrow night.
Scotty signaled to her as she walked toward her room with Nick. He waggled his finger to bring her closer so he could whisper in her ear. “The study guide got here today and is already a game changer.”
“Glad to hear it.”
“Best mom ever,” he said as he ran off to find the twins.
His words took her breath away.
“Aw, what’ve you done now to be the best mom ever?” Nick asked.
“That’s between me and him.”
“Why does that make me very suspicious?”
“Because you’re suspicious by nature. Everything is fine.”
“Hmmm.”
In their suite, he helped her change into track pants and a clean sweatshirt and found the fleece-lined slippers he’d given her for Christmas. The others were already at the table when they joined them. Nick had changed into sweats and the T-shirt she’d given him for their anniversary.
“Nice shirt, Dad,” Scotty said.
“Mom gave it to me for our anniversary.”
“Nice one, Mom.”
“I thought so, too.”
“I’m not sure how I feel about you two being in cahoots,” Nick said.
Scotty grinned. “Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m going to lose sleep over what you’re up to. She’s not telling you that you can drop out of eighth grade or anything, is she?”
“Not yet.”
“Well, that’s a relief.”
“What does it mean to drop out?” Aubrey asked.
“Never mind, you,” Nick said with a smile. “It’s not something we do in this family.”
“I want to drop out,” Alden said.
“I blame you for this,” Nick said to Sam.
“What did I do?”
“Mom! What happened to your arm? And your face!”
“Are you just seeing that?” Sam asked Scotty.
“Yes!”
“A little scuffle at work. I won. All is well.”
“You always win, and Dad has the T-shirt to prove it.”
Everyone laughed.
“Is it like this every night?” Brenda asked, wiping away tears from laughing.
“Most nights,” Celia said.
“This family is a mess,” Nick said, his eyes dancing with amusement.
Sam smiled at him. “But we’re your mess.”
“Thank goodness for that.”
After dinner,Sam supervised the twins through baths and bedtime and then went upstairs to check on Shelby and the baby. She was amazed by how she could walk again with no pain, thanks to Harry’s magic shot, although thinking about that needle still made her shudder. She knocked softly on the door.
Avery answered. “Hey, come in.”
“How’re things?”
“Calm at the moment, but that could change at any second.”
“I was hoping to say hello to my pal.”
“She’d love to see you.”
He led her into the bedroom, where Shelby was propped up on pink pillows as the baby slept in her arms.
“You look like a queen,” Sam whispered.
“Ha! I smell like a cow.”
“I doubt that.”
“How’s Lindsey?”
“Still waiting to hear.”
“That’s so scary. I hope everything is okay.”
“Me, too. How are you?”
“A little better every day.”
Sam leaned in for a closer look at the sleeping baby’s face.
“What happened to you?” Shelby asked.
“Scuffle at work.”
“Did you win?”
“Duh.”
Shelby laughed. “I talked to Lilia earlier. Everything is set for tomorrow.”
“You’re on maternity leave. Don’t worry about it.”
“I’m not worried about it with Lilia in charge.”
“She’s the best.”
“Yes, she is.”
“And so are you, Shelby Hill. I know you’ve seen to every detail, and Lilia is following your plans to the letter.”
“I do what I can for my people.”
“That saying is trademarked.”
Shelby grinned. “How’s your case going?”
“Nowhere fast, and lots of high-ranking complications.”
“I’m sure you’ll figure it out.”
“Hope so.” Sam leaned in to kiss Shelby’s cheek. “I like having you right upstairs so I can come visit.”
“I like being here, but Avery tells me we’re moving out this weekend.”
“Boo-hoo.”
“I’ll miss my roommates and the room service.”
“They do have a way of spoiling you around here.”
“Indeed. Thank you again for giving us a place to be when we needed it.”
“My home is always your home. Sleep tight, Tinker Bell.”
“You, too.”
When Sam walked out to the living area, Avery stood. “I’ve made Tom’s phone the lab’s top priority.”
“Thanks, Avery.”
“Anything else I can do?”
Sam debated whether she should air it out with the FBI agent who wanted in on her case, but he was her friend first and foremost, so she took a seat.
He returned to his post on the sofa.
“The AG called me today. Or, I should say, his office called.”
“What did he want?”
“To see me right away. I told him I couldn’t do it today, and we’re meeting tomorrow.”
“I’ll bet he didn’t like being told no.”
“His lackey didn’t like it at all.”
Avery gave her a small grin. “Cox is used to getting his own way all the time.”
“So I gathered. Why do you think he asked to see me again?”
“I have no idea.”
“Maybe he wants to tell me how he and Forrester go way back to college, which he failed to mention the first time around.”
“Could be. When are you seeing him?”
“Nine thirty. Can I ask him about the all-hands message without getting you in trouble?”
“You could’ve heard about that from anyone, so feel free to ask.”
“Any other insight you can give me?”
“What’s Bryant saying?” Avery asked.
“Nothing useful. He has no idea why anyone would want Forrester dead. He had nothing to do with taking Forrester’s family hostage, despite his goons being the ones to hold them and the goons being willing to testify that they were acting on Bryant’s orders.”
“Were they given deals to testify?”
“Yes.”
“Bryant’s attorney will call their motivation into question.”
“And he knows that, so he’s not moved by their willingness to throw him under the bus. The thing is, I know that slimeball is smack in the middle of this, but how do I prove that?”
“Keep working the case and pulling your threads. Something will pop.”
“I hope so. Thanks for listening.”
“Any time. Did Shelby tell you we’re moving out?”
“She did.”
“I found an apartment in Georgetown that’s perfect. It has full security and an excellent view.”
“You’re putting the other place on the market?”
“Already did. I’ve got movers coming to pack up everything for us. I don’t want Shelby to ever have to go back there again.”
“You’re a good man, Avery Hill. Thanks for taking such good care of my friend.”
“I appreciate that you can say that when it was my fault she was attacked in her own home.”
“That’s not true, and you know it.”
“I’m having a really hard time living with what could’ve happened to my family at the hands a scumbag I arrested.” He shook his head. “Willy Peckham is the worst of the worst. I wake up in a cold sweat in the middle of the night thinking about the worst-case scenario.”
“You’re doing all the right things to keep them safe going forward. No one blames you for what those assholes did.”
“I blame myself.”
“Nothing good will come of that. We both do jobs that other people could never handle, with built-in risks we try not to worry about until we have to. I have to think that at the end of the day, we’re doing more right than wrong.”
“I guess so, but I sure do wish I had the benefit of hindsight when I was deciding a career path.”
“You wouldn’t have gone into law enforcement?”
“No fucking way.”
“Really?”
“Really. You would have?”
“I can’t imagine doing anything else that would interest me the way this does.”
“Weirdo.”
Sam laughed. “Believe me, I know I am. Always have been. I used to follow my dad around, asking questions about his cases. My favorite day of the week was Saturday, when he’d take me to work with him.”
“That’s very sweet.”
“I’m not sweet.”
“If you say so.”
“I say so.” She got up from the chair, moving carefully as she still expected to be hit with pain whenever she moved, but was pleased to not experience the knife-sharp agony from earlier. Maybe needles were good for something after all.
Avery walked her to the door. “I’ll check in tomorrow.”
“Thanks for listening.”
“Any time.”
She walked to the elevator because she didn’t want to test her luck with the stairs. That damned shot needed to get her through tomorrow. After that, she’d be able to exhale again. She looked in on the sleeping twins and then went into their suite to find Nick and Scotty on the sofa watching a Caps game while Nick worked on his correspondence.
“How’s Shelby?” Nick asked.
He looked ridiculously sexy in those black-framed reading glasses. “Doing well.”
“That baby is so cute,” Scotty said.
“She sure is. They’re moving out this weekend.”
“Aw, bummer. I like having them here,” Scotty said.
“I do, too, but they need to get back to their own place.” Sam sat between them and leaned her head on Nick’s shoulder.
“Is that the signal for me to get lost?”
Laughing, she reached out a hand to her son. “Not even kinda. I wanted to talk to Dad about renting Ninth Street to Gonzo and Christina. Since the break-in at Shelby’s, they’ve been looking for something more secure for their family, and I thought of our place with all the Secret Service enhancements.”
“I meant to text you back about that earlier but got sidetracked,” Nick said. “That’s a good idea. It’s just sitting empty.”
“That’s what I said, too. I told him they could pay whatever their rent is now, and he was thrilled.”
“Good plan, babe. I like knowing our friends will be safer there and keeping an eye on the place for the next three years.”
“Seven,” Sam and Scotty said together.
“Three.”
“Poor guy,” Scotty said. “He has no clue.”
“I know, right?”
“I can hear you two.”
“Have you heard anything from Terry?”
“No, and I was just about to text him when you came in.”
“Do that, will you?”
“Yes, dear.” He typed out the text on his phone and then read Terry’s response to her. “‘Nothing specific yet, but Lindsey is resting comfortably and feeling better.’”
“That’s great news.” Sam yawned and then made herself get up to prepare for bed before she fell asleep on the sofa. “Get yourself to bed when the game is over.”
“Yes, Mother.”
“I love all this obedience from you guys.”
“Don’t get used to it,” Scotty called after her. “We feel bad for you because you’re injured—again.”
“Haha. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
Nick followed her into the bathroom. “Do you need help changing?”
“Is that a come-on?”
That grin of his was too sexy for words. “Not this time.
“I think I’ve got it, but thanks for asking.”
He kissed her. “I’ll be in as soon as the game is over.”
“I’ll be there.”
“Can’t wait.”
After he went back out to Scotty, she changed into pajamas, which was harder than she’d expected it to be with her bandaged wrist and hand, and then brushed her teeth. Once she was settled into bed, she called to check in with Carlucci.
“Hey, LT.”
“How’s it going?”
“Slow and tedious. We’re still reviewing reams of texts and emails. I gotta say, though, I keep coming back to this thing with the neighbor.”
Sam closed her eyes and rested her head against the pillow. “Tell me more.”
“The neighbor, Ralph Sellers, has three Dobermans, one of which got out of his yard and attacked Forrester’s dog, Snowflake, while the daughters were walking her. The incident was traumatic for the kids, who had to fight off the much bigger dog to save theirs. Naomi Forrester, the older of the two girls, said the Doberman had Snowflake in its mouth and was shaking her violently.”
“Jeez, that sounds terrifying.”
“They said it was. Needless to say, Tom and his wife were outraged and reported the incident to Animal Control as well as their neighborhood association, demanding that something be done about vicious dogs in their midst. Sellers has fought them every step of the way, and they’ve each sued the other, claiming damages.”
“What grounds did Sellers have to sue Tom?”
“Emotional distress and harassment.”
“So his dog attacks Tom’s dog, and he’s the one with distress?”
“That’s what he said. I read both lawsuits, and Sellers claims his family has lost their ability to enjoy their home due to the aggression of their neighbors.”
“Didn’t it occur to him that he could rehome his dogs to somewhere other than a residential neighborhood and begin enjoying his home again?”
“He said he’d never rehome them. They’re part of his family.”
“I think we should have a chat with him tomorrow. Find out where he is during the day and shoot me a message.”
“Will do.”
“Thanks for the good work.”
“You got it.”
Sam closed her phone and plugged it into the bedside charger as she thought about how she might approach an interview with the neighbor. First, she’d speak to Leslie Forrester about the dispute. She should also ask Leslie about Tom’s potential affair, but she wanted to dig into that further before she mentioned it. If it was just a rumor, there was no sense upsetting Leslie more than she already was.
That was the last thought she had before she was startled awake when Nick got into bed.
“What the hell?”
“Huh?”
“I was thinking about something, and the next thing I know, it’s quite a bit later, and you’re here.”
“I believe it’s possible you fell asleep.”
“How does it just happen like that? Awake one minute and dead to the world the next?”
“You’re asking me? That’s never happened in my life.”
“I think, and please don’t laugh at me…”
“I’ll try my best not to, but I can’t wait to hear this.”
“I might be getting old.”
He laughed so hard he had tears in his eyes. “Shut up.”
“I’m serious! Old people do that. They’ll be talking one second and snoring the next. That’s what I just basically did. Next, I’ll be drooling.”
“You’re exhausted, Samantha, after a long, difficult day that involved blood and needles. Cut yourself a break.”
“Don’t forget you promised to still love me when I’m old, which may happen sooner than expected.”
He put his arm around her and made her comfortable in his embrace. “I’ll love you for as long as I’m drawing breath, and then I’ll love you for all of eternity.”
“Wow, you’re good. Who writes your stuff?”
“All original material. Get some sleep. Tomorrow’s a big day around here.”
“I’ll love you for all eternity, too, even if you’re making me have tea with the prime minister’s wife.”
He rocked with silent laughter. “That’s good, because I’m kinda counting on that.”
She fell asleep smiling.