Chapter Thirty
Sabrina
I HELD CASH’S HAND IN the private recovery room of the Nashville hospital during the early-morning hours of Friday, hoping he would wake up soon. The bullet fragments had shattered his collarbone, and he’d been in surgery for what seemed like forever. I’d honestly wondered if I was going to be allowed back to see him, or if SPI would just come in and take him. I had a feeling that those who’d rescued us in the cave and had flown us to Nashville via helicopter weren’t normal law enforcement people or medical professionals. They weren’t all that happy that I refused to let them leave me behind. But one phone call from someone, I don’t know who, changed their minds. Honestly, I thought one of them might arrest me.
Cash looked so peaceful as the machines monitoring his vitals beeped off and on, keeping me company. My family was all back at the resort. The entire gang had met us at the cave, worried sick about us. I think Pops was a little upset we hadn’t let him in on the action. Everyone else seemed to be in awe of me. I had a feeling no one would ever think of me as boring again. Although, I could go for a few drama-free days without smugglers or killer mercenaries. Everyone had lots of questions, and I would tell them what I could when I returned to the resort, assuming SPI didn’t take me into custody. But if I did make it back, Lexi and I were so going to talk about the kind of men she dated.
Lexi, for her part, was more than shaken up. Once her adrenaline wore off, she was a hot mess of tears and unable to string two words together. The paramedics had to treat her for shock.
As for Izan, the FBI took him into custody. He wasn’t in great shape when they hauled him out of the cave on a stretcher. As awful as he was, I was glad I hadn’t killed him, although he was probably going to lose his arm.
Agents Todd and Randall secured the diamonds, even though I wasn’t supposed to know that, or who they were.
Now the only thing remaining was figuring out where Cash and I stood.
Exhausted, I rested my head on his bed, keeping his hand between my own, worried he might disappear. I must have nodded off, because the next thing I remember was the sensation of fingers being run through my hair, which had to be looking more like a rat’s nest at this point. At least I wasn’t still in my bloody evening gown. The hospital staff or SPI, I wasn’t sure which, had given me some scrubs to change into when we’d arrived at the hospital.
“Hey there.” Cash’s gravelly voice sounded croaky.
I lifted my head and smiled, so happy he was alive and awake. “Hey there yourself. How are you feeling?”
“I’m too drugged up to tell.” He offered me a sleepy smile.
“I’m sure the pain will come. Your collarbone shattered, and that bullet graze required a lot of stitches.”
“What’s a few more scars?” he said, like it was no big deal.
I grabbed his hand and kissed it, wishing he didn’t have to be so cavalier about getting shot twice in one day.
“I’m all right, Sabrina,” he tried to reassure me. “I’m more worried about you. Are you okay?”
I laughed a tired laugh. “It’s been an interesting week, but oddly, I wouldn’t trade it for anything. This time with you,” my voice hitched. “It’s going to end soon, isn’t it?”
Cash’s brows knitted together, and a tight expression shadowed his gorgeous face. “Yes,” he said in an exhale.
Tears welled in my eyes.
With his good arm, Cash lifted the sheet and blanket covering him, revealing his sexy hospital gown. “Come here.”
I bit my lip. “I don’t want to hurt you, and nurses and doctors, and I think some of your people , are coming in all the time,” I whispered, feeling like I was being watched.
“You won’t hurt me, and I don’t care who sees us together.”
When I hesitated, he added, “You have to be exhausted. Come lie down with me.”
I was more tired than I’d ever been. The emotional upheaval and the worry of the last week were settling in now that it was over.
“Please, Sabrina,” he beckoned me.
I couldn’t resist. I carefully crawled into bed with him, doing my best not to jostle him. When I was situated with my head on his chest, the tears that had been welling in my eyes wetted his hospital gown. “I’m so glad you’re alive.”
“Shh.” Cash stroked my hair. “Sabrina, I’m so sorry I put you in danger.”
“It’s not your fault my sister has horrible taste in men.” I halfheartedly laughed.
“That was an excellent shot.” He kissed my head.
“I couldn’t let him hurt you again, or my sister.” I shuddered, thinking I’d actually shot someone.
“Thank you for thinking I’m worth saving,” his voice wavered unnaturally.
“You are worth saving.” I curled into him. “I love you, and I don’t want this to be the end,” I admitted.
Cash didn’t respond right away, but his heart rate monitor ticked up dramatically, making my own heart race as I waited for him to break it into a million little pieces.
“I love you, Sabrina. Never forget that.”
I wanted to ask what that meant for us, but everything went blank. The next thing I knew, I was stretching out in the hospital bed, reaching for Cash only to feel an empty space next to me. For a moment I was so groggy, nothing computed. I felt like I’d overdosed on cold medication. But I was coherent enough to wonder if someone had drugged me. I’d never felt so sluggish and foggy. Then I realized what that probably meant and sat up in a panic. “Cash! Cash! Where are you?” I threw the covers off me, ready to go searching for him. But a beautiful Black nurse walked in, wearing blue scrubs and carrying a manila envelope. She had the whole young Halle Berry vibe going for her with her pixie cut and enigmatic smile.
“Where’s Cash?” I demanded to know.
The stunning nurse approached me, her smile widening as if she reveled in my distress. “Calm down, love. Cash is just fine.”
I recognized that voice. It was the voice who’d spoken curtly to me when I pushed the button on Cash’s phone. It was his handler, Ivy.
“You’re—”
She wagged her finger in front of me. “Let’s not say any more than we need to.”
I nodded, a little terrified about what she was going to do to me. Cash had warned me that SPI could never find out that I knew about them. I feared what was in the manila envelope. A prison sentence? A syringe with some type of secret formula to kill me and make it look like natural causes? I grabbed the pillow and squeezed it like that would protect me somehow.
Ivy laughed. “Darling, you don’t need to fear me.”
“Uh-huh.” I didn’t buy it.
She laughed. “You’re a smart woman. Quite smart, from what Cash says.”
I swallowed hard. “What did he say to you?”
“Just that you are a clever girl, tracking your sister and guessing the location of the missing items . And you’re a good shot. Perhaps you’re in the wrong line of work.”
Did she think I should be a spy? That wasn’t on my bingo card. “I like making pastries,” I stuttered nervously. This woman had me feeling uncomfortable—like she knew everything about me and loved having the upper hand.
“Pastries,” she laughed.
“Where’s Cash?” I was tired of this game.
She went from amused to staring me down. “That is none of your concern.”
“He is my concern,” I stated boldly, even though I was terrified.
Ivy took a step closer and tilted her head, studying me. “He told you how this works, did he not? We own him, love. He doesn’t just get to ride off into the sunset with you.”
“What will you do to him?” I worried about his safety.
“Don’t you fret. He will receive the best care in the world. And once he’s healed, then he will have choices to make.”
“What choices?”
She grinned and handed me the envelope. “Open it.”
With trepidation, I reached for the envelope. “If I open this, will some powder explode in my face and make me forget Cash ever existed?”
“Darling, you watch too many movies. It doesn’t work like that. We would make you forget you ever existed if we really wanted to.”
I dropped my hand, refusing to take the envelope, fear coursing through me like never before. Now I knew someone had drugged me. The scariest part was, whoever it had been, I hadn’t even heard them come into the room.
Ivy pushed the envelope farther. “If we wanted you out of the way, you’d already be gone.”
Although that certainly didn’t give me any warm and fuzzy vibes, I took the envelope.
“Open it,” Ivy encouraged.
Carefully, I unsealed it and looked inside at the contents before I stuck my hand in. I teared up when I saw the vintage gold filigree necklace with chrysoberyl gemstones that Cash had bought me but I’d refused to accept.
“He wanted you to have the necklace. The photo is from me. If you tell anyone or show anyone that photo, you’ll be wondering who you are,” she threatened.
Despite her warning, I eagerly took both the necklace and photo out. I clutched the necklace to my chest and stared wide eyed at the selfie I’d taken of Cash and me in France three years ago. It was one of the several photos that had mysteriously disappeared from my phone. I was kissing Cash’s cheek, and he was smiling serenely, like he was living in a dream. Now I realized why he’d looked so in awe. To him, it had been surreal.
My gaze drifted up to find Ivy looking at me with a quizzical expression. “Thank you.”
“Don’t go thinking I’m soft,” she snipped. “Or that you will get a happy ending.”
I nodded, even though I was full of the same hope I’d had in France when Cash first disappeared—the implausible hope that makes life worth living. I just couldn’t believe it was the end for Cash and me.
“Now, for your and Cash’s cover story,” Ivy snapped. “The doctors treating him here discovered he’s infected with a rare parasite from his travels to South America. The name of the parasite you can’t remember, but it begins with a z.” She smirked. “All you know is that the CDC has quarantined him for the foreseeable future. Do you understand?”
“How will I know when the CDC has released him?” My family was definitely going to want to know that.
Ivy let out a disgruntled breath, as if my question bored her. “Well, darling, if you haven’t heard from Cash in the next two months or so, consider yourself permanently ghosted.”
“Oh,” I squeaked. Cash wouldn’t do that to me again, would he?
Ivy’s Cheshire grin said she was hoping I would suffer. “We will send in a team to handle the media coverage that will no doubt take place and ensure that nothing that shouldn’t be reported is. But you keep your pretty face out of the spotlight. Understand?”
I nodded.
“Very good, darling. Remember, I will be watching you. Ta-ta, for now.”
For now? I didn’t like the sound of that. When I could finally breathe normally again, I held up the necklace and the photo and gazed at them. “I love you, Cash. Remember, you’re more than you were led to believe. PS: Please come back to me.”