1 #4
“Nothing.” Gideon crossed his arms. “I already told the sheriff and the detectives that before I came to the hospital, I checked the area he came from. Found a blood trail leading back about fifty yards into the trees. His vehicle had a flat and there was a lot of blood on the seat.” Gideon shook his head.
“He may have been looking for a gate but realized he’d gone as far as he could.
Instead of turning around, he got out, climbed the fence, and followed the path to the kennels.
Which is probably what he was aiming for anyway if he was looking for Felicity. ”
One of the detectives walked over. “I’m Detective Mike Eubanks. Could we get your statements?”
“Of course.”
Over the next thirty minutes, they spoke to the detectives separately, telling what they knew.
When the men left, Felicity paced a small circle.
“This just doesn’t make sense. What happened to trigger this?
It’s been four years. Well, two since I thought Roarke died, but four since Seth was killed. ”
“Roarke.” Maya’s expression darkened. “I remember him. Ambitious. Political.”
“You knew him too?” Leo asked.
“Different unit, same base.” Maya exchanged a look with Felicity. “He had a reputation.”
“I told Leo about him,” Felicity said.
Leo settled into a chair, Auggie at his feet. The dog remained alert, ears twitching. “So we wait.”
One hour stretched into two. Leo bought coffee from the cafeteria. Gideon made calls to ensure the ranch was secure and all was well. Maya and Felicity spoke in low tones.
But that was okay. He simply enjoyed watching Felicity from across the room.
The way she tucked her hair behind her ear when she was thinking.
The slight furrow between her brows. And then he kicked himself for noticing.
He was leaving. In another month, he’d return to Denver, to his apartment, to the job that had once defined him.
The thought excited him on some levels and hollowed him out on others.
Lord, I don’t know what you’re doing here. I came to heal, not to fall in—I mean, not to care for someone. Not when I’m still broken—improved, yes, but I still have work to do—and when I’m leaving in a few short weeks.
A doctor in surgical scrubs approached, clipboard in hand. “Family of Brian Miller?”
Maya stood. “Hi, Priya.” Maya had worked in this hospital for a number of years before going part time so she could run Broken Chains.
She knew just about everyone who worked in the surgery area.
“Brian doesn’t have any family that we know of,” she said.
“The sheriff is trying to figure out who to contact, but he came to the ranch wounded and we got him here. That’s all we know about him right now. ”
“Ah, okay then.”
“Can you share how he is?”
“I’m Dr. Priya Patel,” she told the others.
“All I can say is that Mr. Miller made it through surgery, and while his condition isn’t critical, it is a gunshot wound so we’re watching him closely for now.
We’ve repaired the damage done by the bullet, which thankfully wasn’t a lot, but the main issue is the blood loss. ”
“Will he recover?” Felicity asked.
“He should.” Dr. Patel’s expression remained neutral.
“I don’t see anything to be terribly concerned about.
We did have a bit of trouble getting the bleeding stopped, so we’re going to keep him in ICU tonight as a precaution.
If he stays stable through tomorrow morning, we’ll move him to a regular room. ”
“When can we see him?” Leo asked.
“Once he’s settled, but the visits will have to be short.
” The doctor checked her watch. “He’s heavily sedated and likely won’t regain consciousness until tomorrow at the earliest, so I’d prefer that no one go in until then.
” She nodded toward Maya. “Of course Maya is exempt. She can check in on him anytime.”
“Thank you,” Maya murmured.
“Yes, thank you.” Gideon shook the woman’s hand.
Felicity turned to Maya and Gideon. “Someone tried to kill Brian, and he came to me for a reason. To warn me, apparently. If Roarke is alive . . .”
Maya nodded and studied Felicity. “You’re going to need protection.”
Leo raised a brow. He thought he was getting to know Felicity Bowman over the past couple of months. Now he wondered.
Sheriff Donovan stepped forward and looked at Leo, then let his gaze bounce between the others.
“Miller came looking for you and someone tried to kill him. I’ve got two deputies who can take shifts watching his room for a couple of days while we search for the shooter.
I can always call in some backup from neighboring counties if I need it. ”
“That’s a good idea,” Gideon said.
The sheriff got on his phone, and Maya and Gideon prepared to leave. Felicity sighed. “I think I just want to hang around for a bit. It seems wrong to just leave him alone and unconscious.”
“I’ll stay with you,” Leo said. He resisted the urge to take her hand. “I don’t want you to be alone either.”
For the first time since Brian collapsed at her feet, Felicity’s expression lightened.
“Thanks. I appreciate that.” To his surprise, she took his hand and squeezed—doing exactly what he’d wanted to do.
The gesture was a short, simple thank-you that went straight to his heart.
And stayed with him for a while after she let go.