21. No Bed Of Roses
CHAPTER 21
No Bed Of Roses
I sla entered the police station with Levi. Well, station was probably too big of a word. The space Marcus used was a large room off the back of Phail General. There were several desks, a cluster of chairs, and a couch in one area.
Ed sat on a bunk in a cell in the opposite corner. He didn’t look up as they entered, but even the sight of him had a chill running through Isla. This man had tried to harm her more than once. She wasn’t afraid of him. She knew the cell would keep him away from her, but she was weary of the entire mess. They were closer to ending things, but nothing would be over until Glen was in a cell of his own.
Marcus stood from his office chair to greet them. “Thanks for coming in.”
That caused Ed to sit up. “Isla. You have to help me.”
Levi moved between her and Ed. Marcus sighed and turned to Isla. “It’s definitely time to upgrade to an actual police station. Levi, would you mind staying with the prisoner while I talk with Isla in the other room?”
Levi stared at Ed with what Isla thought of as his Army stare. She knew Levi would never hurt a man who wasn’t a threat, but Ed didn’t know that, and she wasn’t about to share. Time for him to be scared for a change.
Ed called out for her, and the fear in his voice was real. She ignored him as Marcus closed the door between them. Troy waved from where he was helping a man look through some tools, and then Marcus led her back to an office that was obviously Troy’s.
He closed that door as well and gestured for her to take a seat. “Sorry about that. Once I have an actual police station, I’ll have a separate section for the prisoners, and people won’t be exposed to them like that.”
He pulled out a recorder and a notebook. “I’m going to have you go through everything with me. In your own words, starting with when you and the others crossed the bank of the creek.”
Isla went through everything they’d done and what they’d seen. When she told about poking Ed in the chest and telling him off, Marcus grinned and kept taking notes.
When she was done, she felt like she’d been run over by her tractor. “Do you have any word on Glen? Has anyone found him?”
Marcus grimaced. “I’m sorry, no. The last place he was seen was in Montgomery, Alabama, several days ago. He was asking about you at several labs in the area. With the information we’ve received from Pringle, I’ve been able to issue a warrant for his arrest. Because his crimes cross state lines, I’ve contacted Shanice Williams over in Bedford. She’s the lead FBI agent in the area and is informing other FBI agencies in other states. We have police departments across this state and others informed as well. He won’t be able to stay under the radar forever.”
She nodded and wished she were as optimistic as the deputy. “I assume he’s not answering his phone for anyone? Has anyone tried using Ed’s phone to call him?”
Marcus grinned at her. “You’d make a good cop with that logical thinking. Unfortunately, it appears Hicks has his phone turned off. We’re not able to ping his location or get him to answer at the moment. But if he turns it on, we’ll get him.”
She nodded, and Marcus turned off the recorder and closed his notebook. “We’ve got video recordings from both Piper and your father of Pringle’s capture. He won’t be sliding out of these charges, but we have to remember Hicks is still out there. Keep being smart and careful. Hopefully, this will all be over soon.”
When Levi had finished his statement as well, she wanted fresh air. They found her father waiting on the sidewalk with most of the people who had helped with the search earlier in the day.
Her father patted her shoulder. “How are you holding up, Isla?”
She smiled, happy for the reminder that a lot of her life was going extremely well. Between being in love with Levi and reconnecting with her dad, she was happier than she’d ever been. “I’m okay. Just wishing this was all over.”
He grimaced. “Me too. I’ve left several messages for Glen, but he hasn’t returned any of my calls. It’s so difficult to believe he’s behind all of this, but with what that other man said this morning, we’ve got proof. I’m so sorry that I’m the root cause of this.”
She reached forward and hugged him. “You’re not. It’s all Glen and his greed.”
Her father sighed. “I thought he was simply lazy and spoiled.”
That made her laugh. Her cousin was definitely both of those things.
Sean spoke up. “Branna and I are opening the Saloon for everyone. We’re going to have a toast to finishing up round one of this mission. Give us five minutes, and come on down. Everyone is welcome.”
There was a general whoop, and everyone turned in that direction. Her father lifted his voice. “First round is on me.”
That brought on another whoop and more laughter. Looked like her father was going to fit right in with her friends.
Carl and Jim, local B&B owners, joined the throng and were introduced to Reg. Her father had driven straight to the farmhouse when he’d reached Phail, so he hadn’t met the men yet. She didn’t know the pair well, but they’d been very nice on Demo Day. While she watched the three men chat, she leaned into Levi’s side. His arm automatically came around her and she smiled up at him. “I really love this town.”
“Me too. You want to go down to the Saloon, or do you need a break?”
No wonder she loved him. “I’d like to go to the Saloon if you’re up for it. I have to find some way to thank everyone for helping us.”
Addison and Nina appeared beside her. Nina bounced as she started talking. “I hear you caught one of the bad guys. Mom wouldn’t let me help. She said it was too dangerous and I was too young. But I could have helped. Can you tell me all about it?”
Nina looped arms with Isla, and the group started strolling to the Saloon. Addison walked along beside her daughter. Isla nodded to her, hoping to convey that she wouldn’t traumatize the girl or encourage her to do dangerous things. “It could have been dangerous. We were lucky to have Levi and Troy with us. They’re trained to handle things. If they hadn’t been there, things could have gone badly. But they were able to take the man into custody with no problem.”
Nina didn’t seem too disappointed. “You must have been scared.”
Isla nodded. “A bit. I’m used to a quiet life. Most of the danger I’ve had in my life has come from the books I read. I want to keep it that way.”
“My mom writes books. She’s really good.”
Addison’s face flushed, and she slung her arm around Nina. “My biggest fan.”
The connection between the mother and daughter had Isla’s heart aching for her mom. For so long, she’d been alone. Having her dad back in her life was a blessing, but she still missed her mom.
She glanced ahead to see her dad still chatting happily with Carl and Jim, along with another woman who walked a pudgy little dog named Potato. The group had reached the corner and were crossing the street toward the Saloon.
Isla’s smile dropped as she saw a car down the street pull away from the curb and pick up speed. It didn’t make a sound as it hurtled toward the men.
Isla knew it was aiming for her dad.
She screamed her dad’s name and ran, calling for him to get out of the way. He looked back at her, and she yelled again for him to run, but the car was almost there.
She couldn’t let him die when he’d come to help her. They’d just reconnected.
Her screams had alerted the men behind her, and she could hear their shouts and their footsteps.
Levi roared her name, but she couldn’t stop.
Her dad finally realized what was happening, but he was turning to protect her, not himself.
The car was almost there, and she used all her strength to throw herself at him, to shove him out of the way.
Then they were flying.
L evi drew his gun the instant he heard Isla shout for her father. It only took an instant for him to realize all the pertinent facts, even as he started to run.
One. An electric vehicle was silently racing toward Reg and the B&B owners. With the way everything had been going, it had to be Glen Hicks aiming to take out Reg before he could change his will.
Two. There were too many people between him and the car for him to use his gun.
Three. Isla was racing toward the speeding car and her father.
Four. He was a dozen yards further away than he needed to be. He couldn’t get there in time.
He roared out her name, hoping to stop her momentum because it was taking her right into the car’s path.
He didn’t think she even heard him. Her pace didn’t slacken as she raced for her father.
Levi watched helplessly as Isla threw herself in front of the car to shove Reg out of its path. The car didn’t slow at all. Isla and Reg flew through the air, but he couldn’t tell from his angle if the car had hit them.
Thanks to his training, Levi didn’t hesitate and didn’t stop to panic. The car raced past them, too far for him to reach but close enough for a shot.
He took aim at a tire and fired. Instead of following up on the shot, he left that for someone else to worry about.
All he had the capacity for was Isla. Be okay. Be okay.
She lay in a crumpled heap on the road. Near her, Reg was shoving to sit up, looking around frantically for his daughter. Carl and Jim were picking themselves up and heading for Isla.
Levi reached her first.
Blood seeped from her head. Not enough to be a catastrophic head injury, but he knew from experience that it didn’t take much to cause death.
His heart hammered in his ribs, and he knew he was barely breathing, but still, the training kept him going.
Be okay. Be okay. Be okay.
He knelt beside her and reached for her pulse. It beat against his fingers, and he sagged with relief. Her eyelids were closed, and she was angled with her cheek on the ground, and her body twisted.
He ran his hands over her as gently as he could, probing for injuries. Nothing was sticking out where it shouldn’t and he managed to draw in a deep breath.
“Isla? Talk to me, honey.”
No response.
He heard the clamor of voices around him, but he didn’t pay them any attention. His only priority was Isla.
He gently brushed his hand over her head, looking for injuries other than the bleeding gash. He didn’t want to move her until she was conscious.
“Wake up, Isla. Let me see those gorgeous eyes. Wake up, Sprite.”
Isla’s lashes fluttered, and she drew in a sharp breath.
He placed his hands on her to stop her from moving. “Stay still, Isla. Did the car hit you? It’s going to be okay. We’re going to make it okay.”
More eyelash flutters, and a soft moan escaped her lips.
The doctor, Lia Moreno, appeared on the other side of Isla. Her hands followed the same path Levi had taken as she probed for injuries.
Levi had enough training to sum it up for her, but he didn’t take his eyes or hands from Isla. “No obvious broken bones, no immediate signs of internal bleeding. She was unconscious, but she’s waking up now. Aren’t you, Isla? I’m here. Doc Moreno is here as well. We’re not going to move you just yet. Can you talk to us?”
“Levi?”
His name was barely a whisper, but relief flared through him. “I’m here, Isla. You’re going to be okay. Stay still for the doc now.”
“My dad?”
Reg leaned in. Apparently, he’d been kneeling at Levi’s side, but Levi hadn’t even noticed the man. “I’m right here, Isla. I’m here. You saved me.”
Reg’s voice shook like the proverbial leaf. A quick peek showed tears running down the man’s face. “You listen to the doc now, Isla. Let her figure it out.”
Isla’s fingers twitched, and Levi shifted to take her hand in his. As soon as he touched her, she smiled softly.
Lia patted Isla’s shoulder. “Levi has some good training. He’s exactly right in what he’s said. No obvious broken bones or other trauma from what we can see. You’ve got a cut on your temple that’s bleeding and a possible concussion. How does you body feel? What hurts more than the rest? Did the car hit you?”
Isla’s lips twitched. “I don’t think so. It’s kind of like the rollover. Everything hurts, but nothing feels serious. I think I’m fine.”
Lia laughed while Levi snorted. “You went cartwheeling like Simone Biles without a mat to land on.”
Her eyes opened, and she smiled. “I doubt I was that graceful. I think I’m okay. Can I sit up now?”
Lia agreed. “Levi is going to ease you up slowly while I monitor. Tell me if anything hurts worse.”
Levi shifted and lifted Isla gently into a sitting position. She grimaced and drew in a quick breath but didn’t complain. She leaned into him while Lia checked out the head wound and where she’d been lying on the ground.
Lia pulled out some gauze and pressed it against the wound. “I’ll have a better look inside the clinic, but the bleeding has already stopped. You’ve got some scrapes on your hands that we’ll clean up as well and have a better look.”
Isla started to stand, but he squeezed her to him, and Lia put her hand on Isla’s. “Two choices. One, you let Levi carry you. Two, I get a stretcher.”
“I don’t need a stretcher.” Isla’s voice was horrified.
Lia nodded. “Okay, Levi, she’s all yours.”
She sure as hell was.
The doctor’s no-nonsense manner helped Levi’s heart settle, but rage continued to flow in his veins. Reg followed on his heels, but Lia shooed everyone else away, telling them Isla would let them know her status soon.
In the clinic, she pointed Reg to the waiting room and Levi to an examination room. When he placed Isla on the table, he didn’t let go. He buried his face in her hair and breathed her in. “You scared the hell out of me.”
She breathed out a shaky laugh. “Me too.”
It took over twenty minutes before Lia was satisfied that she’d removed all the rocks and debris from the cuts on Isla’s body.
As Lia finished up, she smiled at Isla. “You’re very lucky. Again. Your hip is going to have a major bruise, but the bones didn’t get broken or chipped. You don’t appear to have a concussion, but you need to respect the healing process. Everything is going to hurt again. Because you haven’t fully recovered from the rollover, I want you to take this slowly. Let your body heal so that it can go back to full strength.”
Isla nodded. “I don’t have the energy to argue with you.”
Lia smiled. “I know. You’ve been through absolute hell, but I’m glad to say you’re going to fully recover. Don’t be afraid to take the pain meds I’ve given you. If you can let your body relax, you’ll heal more quickly. Now I’ll give you a few minutes alone. Do I have your permission to update your father?”
“Please do.”
For a few moments, Levi and Isla simply stared at each other. Tears gathered in her eyes, but she kept blinking until they disappeared. He lifted her into his arms and sat on the exam table to hold her.
Now that he knew she was mostly okay, he wanted to slip back into warrior mode and hunt down the bastard who’d hit her.
Isla shivered in his arms. Her whisper barely reached his ears. “Don’t.”
“Don’t what?”
She patted his chest. “Don’t go after him. I can’t lose you.”
Hell. He kissed her hair and rocked her. “I’m not leaving you.”
A breath shuddered out of her. “Thank you. Do you think they caught him?”
“No idea. The only thing I could focus on was you.”
She leaned back to smile up at him. “I’m sorry I scared you.”
“Me too. I think I lost a few years of my life. I’m sorry I wasn’t closer to get there first.”
She ran her fingers over his jaw. “You got there. When I woke up, I could hear you, and I knew it would be okay. I love you.”
As simple as that, the rage washed out of him. His priority was her. If his friends hadn’t caught Hicks, they’d make a plan together and get that done. But revenge wasn’t his primary mission anymore.
His priority was in his arms, looking at him with her heart in her eyes.