CHAPTER TEN
She hated hospitals.
Would it have killed them to add a little color? The stark white floors and walls drove her mad. The smell of antiseptic was cloying. And the little sounds—the squeak of rubber-soled shoes, the creaky wheels of gurneys, and the incessant beeping of machines—filled her with an anxiety she should probably mention to her therapist.
Maybe it was because those who were in hospitals had very little control over the things that were happening to them, and they were relying on someone else to make it better. She didn’t like the idea of giving up that kind of control. And she could tell by the disgruntled look on Donner’s face that he wasn’t too fond of it either.
“I just want a fucking hamburger and fries,” he said. “I don’t see what the big deal is.”
He pushed the tray of food the nurse had left for him away, and Liv had to agree, a hamburger most definitely would’ve been an improvement to what she assumed was shepherd’s pie, but looked more along the lines of what came out of the back end of the sheep.
It had been two days since he’d been shot, and the doctor said he’d make a full recovery. But he wasn’t quite at the point of getting on a plane and flying across the Atlantic. His tall body barely fit in the hospital bed, his size thirteen feet only contained because the sheet was tucked into the bottom of the bed.
His face was gaunt and pale, and the lines around his eyes more pronounced than usual, but he was feeling well enough to want a hamburger, so she didn’t worry too much about it.
Liv took the seat next to his bed. “I guess there’s a reason the nurses are drawing numbers to see who has to come tend to you.”
“I’m not a good patient,” he said, so pathetically she almost laughed. “I made Karen go back to the hotel and get some rest.”
“How’s she doing?”
“She said she’s never been so mad at me in her entire life. And then she burst into tears.” He sighed and turned his head to look at her. “And then I reminded her she said that exact same thing during childbirth, and she was starting to sound like the girl who cried wolf.”
Liv closed her eyes and shook her head. “Men are so dumb sometimes.”
“That’s what she said,” he told her, eyes sparkling. “I think she would’ve hit me if I hadn’t hit the emergency call button. All those nurses were in here before I could blink. They truly are heroes.”
“Talk about the boy who cried wolf,” Liv said.
“I know, but it was worth it. Karen decided it was probably best for her to go back to the hotel and sleep. She said she was a little too tempted to remove my catheter herself. That woman has a vicious streak. I love her so much.”
Liv laughed, and could see that he did. It was written all over his face when he talked about her.
“If you promise to be nice,” she said, reaching into the big bag she’d brought with her, “I’ll give you something I think you’re going to like.”
“I don’t know if that’s smart,” he said seriously. “My blood flow isn’t what it used to be, and Karen could walk in at any moment.”
“Karen’s not the only one who can pull out that catheter,” she said, lips twitching. “And I can always throw this burger and chips in the trash.”
“You’re damned mean too,” he said. “No wonder Karen likes you.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Did you really bring me a burger?” he asked, his basset hound brown eyes filling with hope.
“I did,” she said, handing him the paper bag with his burger. “I also brought you a to-go cup of Fosters, but if you get caught with it I’m denying I’ve ever met you.”
He sighed and took the styrofoam cup, holding it reverently. “Let’s get married. Karen will never know.”
“Karen knows everything,” Liv said. “Which makes it even more of a miracle that she agreed to marry you. Buy that woman some diamonds and take her on a vacation without the kids while you’re recovering. She deserves it.”
“Hey, what about me?” he asked. “I was shot. Don’t I deserve it?”
“You deserve a kick in the pants for scaring the hell out of everyone.”
“Fine,” he said. “I’ll buy her diamonds and take her on a romantic getaway. But if she gets pregnant again I’m blaming you. Damned woman is as fertile as the hanging gardens of Babylon.”
“If you haven’t figured out how to prevent pregnancy at this point in your life, then you deserve to be a father of five.”
“We need to change the topic. My testicles have crawled so far up inside my body they might never come out. How are things on the work front?”
“I wouldn’t know,” she said, leaning back in her chair and crossing her legs.
“You took some time off?” he asked. “It’s about damned time. But I figured you’d be hot on the trail of those other girls. Are LeBlanc and Petrovich taking it over?”
“That would be my guess,” she said. “I resigned.”
His burger stopped halfway to his mouth and he stared at her with shock. “I beg your pardon?”
“I resigned,” she repeated. “I gave Beck my notice yesterday.”
“Are you on drugs? Why the hell would you do that?”
“I think I know where the girls are.”
“Which by logical conclusion should give you a reason not to quit,” he said.
“Normally, yes, but you know how fast those girls get moved around. I don’t have time to wait on bureaucratic red tape. By the time all the paperwork cleared those girls would be gone. Beck didn’t used to be so concerned about doing things through the right channels. He used to be more concerned about saving lives. I don’t want to work for someone like that.”
Donner sighed and pushed half of his burger away.
“You okay?” she asked. “You’re looking a little green.”
“I’m fine. I just can’t eat as much as I’d like to.” He took a couple of deep breaths and pushed the bag of food toward her, so she hurriedly packed it away and moved the trash can to the side of the bed just in case. She traded out his beer for a cup of water.
“Thanks,” he said after a few minutes, once his color returned to normal. “So because I’m a trained agent and can read between the lines of everything you just said, what you’re getting to is that you quit and now you’re going after those girls on your own.”
“You wouldn’t do it any differently,” she shot back.
“No, I wouldn’t. But you don’t have me or anyone else to go with you. I’ve been in this business a long time. The second you mentioned The Sultan I knew we were in for a fight. Raj Mittal is a monster. His own son is scared of him. And there’s a reason he uses his son’s home in Dubai as a holding place. It’s convenient for travel to get the girls in and out of the country, and it makes his son complicit in international crimes, even though there’s no evidence the son is involved in any of the father’s dealings. You can’t just walk right in the palace and free those girls.”
“I called in a favor,” she said. “I’ll be there as a legitimate guest on holiday. There’s a section of the palace that’s open to the public as a hotel. There are only four available rooms, and it books more than a year in advance, and at a ridiculous cost. It won’t give me access to the private areas of the palace, but it’ll get me close enough.”
“And then what?” he asked. “How the hell do you plan to get ten girls out of that place without anyone seeing you?”
“I’ve done my homework,” she said. “It’s possible. You’re just mad because you’re stuck in here and can’t come with me. I’ll be back before they release you from this place.”
“If you make it back at all,” he said. “You’re taking a foolish risk. I love you like a sister . . .”
“Which makes that joke about marrying me even more creepy,” she interrupted.
“. . . but you’ve been taking more and more chances lately. I worry about you. You live and breathe the job. And your only friend is a middle-aged father of four with a bullet hole in his shoulder.”
“That’s not true,” she said defensively. “Marlena is my friend.”
“She’s your therapist. You pay to see her. That doesn’t count as friendship.”
Liv pursed her lips together. “I enjoy my work.”
“And there’s nothing wrong with that,” he said. “But you’re about as burned-out as a person can be. And when you’re burned-out, you end up making mistakes and taking chances that could cost you your life. I know you took a rough knock a couple of years ago with Simon Locke. You haven’t been the same since.”
“It was a lesson learned,” she said, standing. “I’m a big girl, Donner. And I can handle this. Those girls will be back home to their families before the week is out.” She leaned down and kissed him on the forehead.
“You are the stubbornnest damned thing,” he said, shaking his head. “Your hair sticks out like a sore thumb. I suggest a wig. And call me whenever you get back so I know you’re not dead.”
“I’ll do one better,” she said. “I’ll come by here so I can say ‘I told you so’ to your face.”
“Good,” he said. “Make sure you bring me something stronger than a beer next time. I’m surrounded by women. You’ll all be the death of me.”
“Love you too, Donner,” she said with a grin, saluting as she left him lying pitifully in his hospital bed.