Chapter 15 #2
She mirrored his stance and in tandem, they worked their way up to the second floor. Tossing a look over her shoulder, she bumped into Luke as he stopped to survey the floors above him before continuing on.
“See something?” His voice was low as he spoke, and his eyes swept their surroundings before returning to hers.
She shook her head. “No, just… You know.”
“Give me your hand.” He held out his hand and she slipped her palm into his. He tucked her hand into the belt circling his waist, then patted her hip. “Hold on to me.”
She clung to the thick leather as they proceeded up the few remaining stairs, and Luke paused outside the door of the second floor. He peered through the rectangular window before slowly cracking the door open an inch. She tried to peer around him, but his large frame blocked her view.
Luke pushed the door open wide enough for them to slip through and he led the way into the lobby. “Where is she?”
“Her office. Are you familiar with this floor?”
He nodded. “All the way in the back to the left?”
“That’s it.”
He strode toward the reception area, head swiveling left and right, searching for anything out of place. When they reached the door, she laid a hand on his shoulder. “Someone tampered with the lock so it wouldn’t close. That’s how I got in.”
His lips flattened into a straight line and he used his free hand to untuck his shirt.
Lifting the hem, he wrapped the fabric around the knob and pulled.
The door swung open easily, and Luke shook his head when he saw the jammed mechanism.
“Simple but effective. Maybe the police will be able to lift some prints.”
“Crap.” At his questioning glance, she elaborated, “I touched the handle when I came in.”
He shook his head. “Likely won’t matter anyway. If he went to this extent to jam it, he probably wore gloves. They can print you just in case to eliminate you, but I can’t begin to imagine how many people have touched this knob today alone.”
Disgusting. She instinctively wiped her palms on her skirt. Luke kept his back to the wall as he peeked inside and examined the hallway. Everything remained silent and still, and he pulled her inside.
Quickly peering into each room they passed, they made their way to Audrey’s office. She sank to her knees beside her and pressed a hand to her cheek.
“Audrey, honey, everything’s gonna be okay. Just hang in there. We’re going to get you some help.” Pressing two fingers to her neck, Hannah searched for a pulse. “Pulse is weak, but it’s there.”
“We need to get some pressure on that wound, stop the bleeding,” Luke commented from above her. “I’ll be right back.”
He jogged out of the room and returned less than a minute later, a roll of gauze in hand as well as a large square of tissue-like material. As he passed the thick material to her, she recognized it as a drape sheet to cover patients during an exam.
“Sorry.” He threw an apologetic look her way. “It was all I could find. All the cabinets were locked. Use that first—head wounds bleed like crazy.”
She nodded. The gauze would come in handy later, once the flow of blood had slowed enough. She applied the large square to Audrey’s forehead, pressing gently. The sound of approaching sirens floated up to them, and Luke pulled out his phone as it vibrated its soft rhythm.
“Stone.” He was silent for a beat as he listened to the person on the other end. “Thanks, Raúl, I’ll intercept them.”
Turning to her, he dropped to one knee. “They’re on their way up right now, and I have to go meet them at the elevators. Will you be okay here for a minute?”
She bit her lip. The thought of being alone made her heart stutter in her chest.
“I’ll stay right in the lobby so I can hear you if you need anything.” He reached out and squeezed her shoulder gently. “I promise.”
“Okay.” The word came out whisper soft and Luke shot her a grim smile.
“She’s a fighter. Just keep talking to her.”
Standing, he strode from the room, leaving her alone with Audrey.
“Who did this to you?” she whispered. “He won’t get away with it. Luke and the police will find him.”
She realized in that moment just how much she believed him. There was something about Luke that she trusted. He was more than just a Marine, more than a security guard. This wasn’t just a job to him—he genuinely cared.
A commotion in the hallway drew her attention, and she reluctantly scooted away as the paramedics filed into the small office. Luke gestured for her to join him where he stood with two police officers, and she made her way to his side.
“Dr. Whitmore actually found her. Hannah, can you tell them what you told me?” He watched her intently as she relayed the details.
“He was average height, maybe a little taller than you.” She pointed to the older police officer before continuing. “But he wore a mask so I couldn’t see anything except his eyes. They were dark brown.”
So dark brown they were almost black. She shuddered and Luke settled a hand at her lower back. His thumb moved back and forth in gentle sweeps, and the silent support comforted her.
One patrolman looked her over. “Weren’t you recently involved in a murder?”
She stiffened and Luke shifted her a fraction closer, into the protective shelter of his body. “I was notified by the killer, that’s correct.”
“And do you think these incidents could be related?”
“I… I’m not sure. I can’t see why anyone would hurt Audrey when I was in the same building. If he wanted to hurt me, I think he would have.”
“We’d like to ask you a few more questions,” the officer stated. “Would you mind coming down to the station with us?”
She dropped her gaze to where the EMTs knelt by Audrey, checking her vitals. “Now? But…”
She wanted to help them catch the assailant, but she needed to be with Audrey more, to make sure she was okay.
The cop must’ve read her thoughts because he nodded. “Tomorrow would be fine.”
She shot him an appreciative glance. “Thank you. I’ll be there tomorrow afternoon.”
Dropping his hand away, Luke directed his attention back to the officers. “Building was clear. Would you like to take a look around anyway?”
Both officers nodded and Luke turned to her. “Will you stay with the medics, show them back to the lobby?”
At her nod, he lightly ran his fingers down her arm. “I’ll meet you down there in a few minutes.”
One of the officers passed her the purse she’d dropped earlier, as well as Audrey’s, then the men ambled away.
A vibration came from inside one of the bags, but she ignored the phone’s persistent alert.
She walked with the paramedics to the elevator and rode down to the ground floor.
The phone vibrated again as she stepped into the lobby, and she dug through her purse, looking for her phone.
Just as the medics wheeled Audrey outside and loaded her into the waiting ambulance, she pulled her phone free.
Several missed calls lit the screen, all from Andrew.
It rang again as she was holding it, but she hit the button to silence it.
She’d call him back later, once Audrey was taken care of.
Luke and the officers exited the stairwell, and she’d just taken a step forward when a man tore through the front door of the building.
“Hannah!”
She offered Andrew a weak smile as he strode toward her. “What happened? I’ve been calling and calling.”
“I know.” She held up the phone. “I’m fine, but someone attacked Audrey in her office.”
His eyes widened. “God. Is she okay?”
“I don’t know.” She drew in a shaky breath. “I have to go to the hospital with Audrey. I have all of her stuff.”
“Of course.” He looped an arm around her shoulders. “Come on, I’ll take you.”
He tugged her toward the doors, and she threw an apologetic glance over her shoulder at Luke. His watchful eyes were pinned on Andrew’s hand where it rested on her shoulder, looking very much like he wanted to rip the other man to shreds.
Muscles tight with tension, mouth set in a grim line, Luke’s eyes slowly slid over to meet hers.
He searched her eyes, and she gave a slight shake of her head.
His lips turned down in a frown as she allowed Andrew to pull her outside, and she let out a sigh.
She’d have a lot of explaining to do later.