Total pages in book: 80
Estimated words: 79253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 79253 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 396(@200wpm)___ 317(@250wpm)___ 264(@300wpm)
I don’t take the main entrance of the hospital, of course. I’d be recognized there. It’s one thing for a guy to wander the streets in his underwear. It’s a whole other thing for him to enter a hospital.
The staff entrance in the back is more private, and a code is required to get inside. I walk over and punch in the numbers. One-eight-seven-one.
Thank God, no one is around. I steal into a medical supplies closet around the corner and throw on a set of scrubs, a medical coat, and a pair of slipper socks. There aren’t any shoes in here, but no one will be paying that much attention to my feet. I hope not, anyway.
I take the elevator to my ward and make my way to the nurses’ station, praying that Dinah is on the clock tonight. I’d hate to have to explain this night to anyone else.
She is. Another stroke of luck.
Her eyes widen as I approach. “Doctor! What are you doing here?”
I lean in, lower my voice. “Can you walk with me toward where we’re keeping our…special guests? It’s been a hell of a night.”
She blinks. “Of course.”
As we walk, I fill her in on the events of the evening. My disguise as a waitstaff member, my exploration of the club. I leave out the part where a male patron—Mr. Rose—fondled me in the middle of the Clubs section. It’s not relevant, and not a memory I’d like to revisit anyway. I tell her about how we discovered a hidden crawlspace, and how Bianca went in and then rushed me out once she discovered what was in there.
“But you didn’t learn what she saw?”
I shake my head. “All the color had drained from her face. She insisted I leave that very second. She thought I was in danger if I stayed at Aces even another moment.”
“My God.” Dinah swallows. “I can’t even imagine what could be so awful. It couldn’t be more horrifying than that poor girl’s head Alissa and Maddox found in the nature reserve out west.”
“I have no idea. Knowing Rouge Montrose, it could be worse.” I take a deep breath in. “Speaking of Maddox and Alissa, how are they doing?”
She offers a small smile. “They’re okay. Responding to the IV’s well. Maddox is still only conscious for a few minutes at a time, but all his vitals are improving. I checked on them both an hour ago, and they were both sleeping. I think it’s best not to disturb them, let them rest.”
“Agreed. I’ll swing by and check on them in the morning.”
“They’d love that,” Dinah says. “With luck, Maddox will be awake by then. He asked about you the last time he was conscious. I told him you were the one who rescued him.”
“It wasn’t just me. I had you and Bianca with me.”
“Yes, well. You drove.” She grins. “I’m guessing, since you’re without a phone and wallet, that you need me to order you an Uber home.”
“If you don’t mind. I’ll pay you back for it, I swear.”
She rolls her eyes. “Doctor, this one’s on me. You’ve had a hell of a night.”
The Uber drops me off in front of my house. Never have the words “there’s no place like home” rung so true.
I don’t have my keys, but I keep a spare in a fake rock in the garden behind the house. I walk over to my backyard, find it and open it, and enter through the back door. I quickly disable the security system. Everything is as we left it. No one’s been here.
I let out a sigh of relief as I spot my phone and wallet right where I left them on the kitchen counter. I quickly text Bianca.
Made it home safe. Let me know how you are.
She doesn’t respond immediately, but she’s probably in the middle of her set. She keeps her phone in her dressing room.
I remove the doctor’s coat and scrubs and change into a pair of sweats and a T-shirt. I sit down on my couch, turn on the TV. I’m not watching, but it’s good to have a little white noise to keep me from freaking out about Bianca’s safety.
I have a headache.
Of course I do. It’s been a hell of a night. I can’t remember the last time I drank any water.
I go to the fridge to grab a Gatorade. That’ll help replenish some electrolytes.
But I’m out. Damn.
I keep some in my trunk. We gave one to Alissa after we found her and Maddox at the Caterpillar Hotel.
I grab my keys—also untouched on the counter—and walk out to my garage, pop the trunk.
I grab a red Gatorade. That one always seems to help the most with headaches. Probably just in my head. I’m about to close the trunk when I notice something.
A colorful gift bag.