Fatal justice, p.27
Fatal Justice, page 27
“I need to see her!”
“We’re taking good care of her. Don’t worry.”
Don’t worry. Sure. “Gonzo!”
“Right here, Senator.”
“What’s going on with Sam?”
“The paramedics are working on her.”
“Did they get her out?”
“Not yet. Looks like they’re stabilizing her before they move her.”
“God,” Nick whispered. “Don’t let her die. Please don’t let her die. If she does, I will, too.”
Gonzo placed a hand on Nick’s uninjured shoulder. “Hang in there, man. She’s tough. She’s going to be fine.”
Nick wanted to believe him, but the hitch he heard in Gonzo’s voice told him he wasn’t the only one who was frightened for her.
They were transported in separate ambulances. Halfway to the hospital, Nick’s lung collapsed. He’d never, in all his life, experienced pain quite like that. As he gasped for air, the paramedics moved quickly to insert a chest tube to re-inflate his lung. The minute he could breathe again, he asked what was happening with Sam.
“She’s stable, Senator.”
“Is she awake?”
“Not yet.”
Nick realized his mouth had dried up, and his head buzzed. “What’d you give me?” His tongue suddenly felt too big for his mouth.
“Something for the pain.”
“Don’t give me any more. I need to stay alert.”
“It’s gonna be bad.”
“No meds.” Nick tried to move his left arm and gritted his teeth against the agony. “Will you call and check on her? Please?”
The older of the two paramedics nodded to his partner who reached for his radio.
“Nothing new,” the younger paramedic reported a few minutes later.
They pulled up to GW Trauma where a swarm of reporters had gathered outside the E.R. Nick heard the paramedics radioing to the police, asking for help with the crowd. Even from inside the ambulance Nick could hear Gonzo screaming at the reporters to get the hell out of the way. For the first time in more than an hour, Nick smiled.
“We’re going to put this over your face to preserve your privacy,” one of the paramedics said, draping a clean white towel over Nick’s head.
“Make sure they do the same for Sam,” he said. “She’d hate to be photographed when she’s out cold.”
“Of course, Senator.”
“You could probably call me Nick at this point.” He hated the way everyone fawned over him these days. It was the one thing about his new life that didn’t sit well with him. It wasn’t like he’d run for office and won. No, his friend had been murdered, and he was just filling in for him. Maybe he’d feel differently if he won in November. Until then, it just seemed weird to be afforded respect he’d done nothing to earn.
The next couple of hours passed in a blur of pain, doctors, nurses, X-ray technicians and needles.
“How’re you feeling, Senator?” the doctor in charge asked.
“Like I got hit by a bus.” Nick wished he hadn’t been so obstinate about the pain meds. He hurt everywhere, and his chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it. Every breath required supreme effort.
“The X-rays show a broken clavicle and a fractured rib, both on the left side in case you didn’t already know that.”
“How’s Sam?”
“We’re talking about you.”
“I don’t care about me. Tell me what’s going on with her.”
“The plastic surgeon put forty stitches in her hairline. Remarkably, she doesn’t seem to have any other injuries besides a severe concussion.”
“Is she awake?”
“No.”
“Is that normal? Shouldn’t she be awake by now?”
“Head injuries are tough. It can take an hour or a day, but she should be fine.”
Should be wasn’t good enough for him. “I need to see her.”
“I’ll arrange that after orthopedics deals with your shoulder and wraps your ribs. I don’t want you to move around too much until then. The fractured rib is what caused your lung to collapse.”
Nick winced at the reminder of that painful ordeal. “You’re sure she’s okay?”
“Right now she’s stable. That’s all I can tell you.”
Nick studied the doctor’s face, trying to see what he wasn’t saying. “I need to call her dad.”
“I believe Detective Gonzales took care of that. There’s quite a crowd forming in the waiting room.”
“I’m sure the entire MPD is here.”
“Some of them are asking for you, too. People are here from your office, and we received a frantic phone call from your father. He said to tell you he’s on his way.”
“Oh. Okay.” Nick was surprised and touched by his father’s concern. “Is Captain Malone out there?”
“I can check, but you have to rest and take it easy.”
“I need to see him. It’s important.”
“I’ll send him in.”
Malone came into the room a few minutes later. “How’re you doing, Senator?”
“If one more person calls me that tonight, I’m going to lose it. My name is Nick.”
Malone’s solemn expression shifted into a small smile. “Are you okay, Nick?”
“I will be. Sam, on the other hand, I’m worried about.”
“She’s in good hands,” Malone said, but Nick could see the concern etched into the older man’s face.
“When she wakes up, she’ll be freaking out about the Sinclair case. We were on our way here when this happened.” He filled Malone in on Sam’s theory about Diandra possibly paying someone off to take out Julian and mentioned the wire transfer Detective McBride uncovered.
“How does the son’s shooting fit into that?”
“She wasn’t sure yet. She was waiting for ballistics to see if the same gun was used in both shootings. She felt like she was getting close to some answers. We also figured out that Julian had lunch with Senator Ackerman, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, earlier in the day he was killed. Sam was going to talk to him in the morning.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll put Gonzales on that. He’s been a mess since he saw you two in the wreck. This’ll give him something to do with his considerable energy.”
“There was an officer there. Montgomery. He was a big help to us. If there’s anything you can do for him…”
“I’ll make sure he’s recognized.”
“Good,” Nick said, his energy flagging. He closed his eyes for a brief moment. When he opened them, Malone was gone and Skip Holland had taken his place. “Hey,” Nick said. His voice sounded gravelly, so he cleared his throat.
“How’re you doing?”
“Okay.” He shifted in the bed, trying to find a more comfortable position. Pain radiated from his head, ribs and shoulders, briefly taking his breath away.
“You don’t look okay.”
Gritting his teeth, he sucked in a deep breath. “How’s Sam?”
“The same. Celia, Angela and Tracy are with her. I wanted to check on you.”
“Thanks, but I’m fine. I’m sure you want to get back to her.”
“I hear your dad is on his way.”
“So they say.”
“Then I’ll stay until he gets here.”
Chapter 32
Nick awoke a few hours later and insisted on being taken to Sam’s room. They’d given him a pair of scrubs to wear since his clothes had been cut off in the ER. Because he was more comfortable standing than lying down, he hovered next to Sam’s bed, staring at her pale face, willing her to wake up. Her sisters had encouraged their father to go home when he showed signs of tiring. Nick’s own father spent a couple of hours with him until Nick sent him home, too.
“You really ought to get off your feet, Nick,” Sam’s sister Tracy said at two in the morning.
“I’m fine.” In truth, he hurt from the top of his head to the end of his toes and everywhere in between. But until Sam woke up, he couldn’t think about anything but her.
The door opened, and Freddie Cruz stuck his head in.
“Come in,” Nick said.
“How is she?”
“The same.”
Freddie approached the bed and rested his hand over Sam’s. “Why doesn’t she wake up?”
“I don’t know. They keep saying she will.”
“When?” Freddie glanced at him. “That was a stupid question. Sorry. How are you?”
“I’ve been better.”
“Why aren’t you in a hospital bed?”
“Because I need to be with her.”
Sam’s sister Tracy squeezed Nick’s uninjured arm. “Ang and I are going to find some coffee. Can I get you something?”
He shook his head.
“Are you sure?”
“Yeah, thanks.” Shifting his injured arm in the sling the orthopedic doctor insisted on, he gasped at the shaft of pain.
“Nick, why don’t you sit for a while?” Angela said.
He bit back the urge to snap at them. “I’m fine,” he said through gritted teeth.
“We’ll be right back,” Tracy said, shepherding her sister from the room.
“Take your time,” Nick whispered after the door closed behind them.
“Getting on your nerves, are they?” Freddie said.
“They can’t take care of her, so they’re determined to take care of me.”
“You look beat up, man.”
“Tell me something I don’t know.”
“Um, the media has taken over the hospital lobby?” Freddie said with a sheepish grin.
“Ugh. Blood-thirsty vultures.”
“It’s a big story—the lady cop and the dashing senator in a car crash.”
Not wanting to think about the morning’s headlines, Nick linked his fingers with Sam’s and brought her hand to his lips. “I wish she would just wake up!” When his outburst failed to stir her, Nick tightened his grip on her hand. “How’s your shoulder?” he asked Freddie.
“Better. I’m finally free of the sling.”
“Now it’s my turn.” Brushing the hair back from Sam’s face and trying desperately to get his mind off his worries, Nick said, “So I hear you have a girlfriend.”
Taken aback, Freddie sputtered. “Ah, um, well, I guess.”
Nick laughed softly. “Well, do you or don’t you?”
“I have no idea.”
The younger man’s exquisite discomfort provided Nick with some badly needed entertainment. “What would she say?”
“Probably that I’m a jerk.”
“Why’s that?”
“Because I haven’t seen her or talked to her since the last time we, you know…”
“Ah,” Nick said, enjoying this more with every passing moment. “And why’s that?”
“This isn’t really the time to have this conversation.”
“Give me something to think about other than why she won’t wake up.”
Freddie looked down at Sam for so long that Nick wondered if he was going to say anything.
“It’s just, you know, things got kind of intense sort of fast.”
“You’re in love with her.”
“No! I’m not. I don’t mean intense like that.”
“Then how?”
After another long pause, Freddie muttered, “This is so embarrassing.”
“Just say it.”
“I’ve discovered I like sex. I mean I really like sex.”
Despite the pain it caused him, Nick laughed so hard he wondered if he’d broken a second rib. “And that makes you different from every other guy how exactly?”
“You don’t understand,” Freddie said, taking a sudden and fervent interest in Sam’s blanket.
“What don’t I understand?”
“This thing, with Elin, it’s, um, kind of out of character for me. It’s like I’ve lost my mind and now my dick’s doing all the thinking for me.”
“You sound like a teenager who just got laid for the first time,” Nick said.
“Well…”
Nick stared at him, incredulous. “You’re not saying—”
“Look, I took a vow, okay? It was important to me, but then I met Elin and I’ve become someone I don’t even recognize. All I can think about—morning, noon and night—is sex.”
“You’re making up for lost time,” Nick said, hiding his surprise at Freddie’s confession. “That’s all it is.”
“So there’s not something wrong with me for wanting it all the time?”
“No,” Nick said, laughing. “Welcome to the club. What does she think of your, um, urges?”
“She’s always willing to accommodate them,” Freddie said, flushing with discomfort.
“Lucky you. You managed to hook up with the woman we all dream about first time out of the gate.”
“You’d better watch what you’re saying, Senator,” Sam mumbled.
Nick gasped. “Sam. Babe, open your eyes.”
“Only if you two are done talking about Cruz’s raging hormones.”
“Oh shit,” Freddie whispered, his eyes wide with horror. “How much did you hear?”
The left side of her face lifted into a small smile but her eyes remained closed. “Enough to torment you for the rest of your natural life.”
Weak with relief, Nick bent down to kiss her. “Oh, Samantha, I’m so glad to hear your voice.”
“That’d better be Nick kissing me.”
“Don’t worry. It’s me. How do you feel?”
“Like my head is going to explode.” She finally opened her eyes and looked up at him.
Nick had never been so happy to see her light blue eyes, even if they were heavy with pain.
“I, ah, I’d better go,” Freddie said, backing out of the room. “I’ll let you get some rest, Lieutenant.”
“Call Skip’s house,” Nick said. “Let them know she’s awake.”
“Will do,” Freddie said.
The moment the door closed, Sam laughed and then grimaced at the pain even that small movement caused her. “Clearly, he lost his mind along with his virginity.”
“Try to stay still.” Nick lowered himself gingerly to the edge of her bed.
“You’re hurt,” she whispered. “What happened?”
“You don’t remember?”
“We were in the car.” She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. “Someone shot at us. I can’t remember anything after that. Wait! We were going to see Diandra.”
“Don’t worry. Gonzo and Jeannie are on it.”
“Oh, good. So what happened? Did we crash?”
“We chased them, but they shot out one of our tires and the car went airborne and flipped a couple of times. We landed upside down.” Reliving it, his throat closed when he thought about what could’ve happened, what had almost happened. Overcome, he rested his hand on her chest, taking comfort in the steady beat of her heart. “You were bleeding like crazy, and you wouldn’t wake up.”
She reached up to caress his hair.
“Scared the shit out of me.”
“What did you hurt?”
“Broke my collarbone and a rib. No biggie.”
“Nick,” she said on a long sigh. “I’m so sorry. I never should’ve chased them when you were in the car with me.”
“Why not? Would you rather they’d gotten away after shooting at us?”
“I’d rather you hadn’t gotten hurt because of me.”
“While your driving clearly leaves something to be desired, they weren’t just after you.” Smirking, he filled her in on what he’d heard about the gang initiation. “I was worth triple extra points. You were just regular points.”
“And you’re quite proud of that, aren’t you?”
“You know it.”
“I hope you’re not so freaked out that you’re going to run away again.”
The genuine worry on her face made his heart ache, and he reached for her hand. “I can’t. I made a promise. Remember?”
“Yeah. I remember.” Her fingers tightened around his. “You can’t run. Ever again.”
“Your scar is going to be more gnarly than mine,” he said, referring to the scar over his eyebrow from the bombing incident involving her ex-husband.
Her lips lifted into a smile. “Lay down with me.”
“I don’t know if I can.”
“I’m so tired, but I can’t sleep without you.”
After hearing that, nothing could keep him from trying. “I’ll give it a whirl.” Moving very carefully, he eased himself down on his right side and attempted to find a comfortable position for his left arm. By the time he got settled, he’d broken into a cold sweat.
“You’re hurt bad, Nick.” She wiped the sweat from his brow.
“I’m much better now that you’re awake.”
“Your chest sounds all wheezy.”
“My lung collapsed in the ambulance. That kinda hurt.”
“I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault, Samantha.” He brought their joined hands up to rest over his heart and finally allowed himself to give into the exhaustion. “I thought I knew exactly how much I love you, but I found out tonight that it’s way, way more.”
“So does that mean you want me morning, noon and night?” she asked, mocking Freddie.
Nick cracked up. “Don’t make me laugh,” he moaned, his ribs burning from the movement. “I’m begging you.”
“Is that a yes?”
“You bet it is.”
Freddie leaned against the wall outside Sam’s room, his heart racing. I can’t believe I just had that conversation with a United States senator. And Sam was listening! I’m never going to hear the end of this. He wanted to curl up and die of embarrassment. They must think I’m a freaking idiot!
“Everything all right, Detective?”
Startled out of his thoughts, Freddie straightened at the sound of Captain Malone’s voice. “Yes, sir. Lieutenant Holland is awake.”
“That’s great news.”
“I’m going stir crazy sitting around. There’s got to be something I can do to help in the Sinclair case.”
“The doctor cleared you?”
“Not technically, but I feel fine.”
“You can come back when the doc says you can.”
“I’m not due to see him until next week, but I’m ready to come back.”
