Until Cobi
Page 2
“Harmony’s good, out of surgery and resting. The doctors expect her to make a full recovery.”
“Thank goodness,” she whispers, releasing the blanket as her friend reaches over to rub her shoulder.
“Thank God you’re okay too,” Brie says, and Hadley looks up at her.
“I know,” she agrees, and an uncomfortable feeling fills the pit of my stomach, one that has everything to do with the fact that I could have lost her before I even knew who she was to me.
“You shouldn’t have followed them,” I say. Her head turns toward me and her back instantly goes ramrod straight.
“Damn straight she shouldn’t have followed them,” Brie adds, but Hadley’s eyes stay locked on mine.
I think I like Brie.
“I had to.”
“I told you I was right behind you. I told you to keep fucking driving,” I growl, unable to keep control of the rush of emotions filling my stomach and chest.
“And I told you I couldn’t do that.”
“You should have listened to me.”
“Are you going to arrest me for not listening?” she asks, and I’m actually taken aback by the amount of attitude she’s giving me. Most people don’t talk back to me, and women never give me attitude unless I’m telling them that things between us are ending and it’s time for them to move on.
“No, but maybe I should spank you for not following an order and for putting yourself in danger,” I reply.
Fuck. Why did I say that?
She inhales a sharp breath while Brie does the same. “I can’t believe you just said that,” Hadley hisses, pointing at me.
“Believe it,” I return, watching her eyes that are still locked on mine change from misty blue to deep green while her cheeks turn pink with aggravation.
Fuck, she’s beautiful when she’s pissed.
“Well, this is interesting,” her friend says, breaking our stare down, and we both turn our heads in her direction at the same time.
“Don’t you need to leave for work?” Hadley snaps at her.
“I’m not going to work today. I’m staying here with you.”
“No, you’re not,” Hadley denies with sharp jerks of her head.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not. I’m going to be lying in bed all day. You don’t need to be sitting here staring at me.”
“I won’t stare at you. I’ll read a magazine.” Brie shrugs casually.
“Brie, you have to go to work. You know and I know that you can’t miss any more days,” Hadley says, and Brie’s eyes narrow.
“It’ll be okay if I miss today.”
“You know it won’t,” Hadley insists. “Marian is looking for a reason to fire you. You miss today, you give her that reason.”
“She can shove it.”
“Brie.” Even not knowing Hadley, I can hear the warning in her voice. “Go to work. You have a job to keep and a wedding to pay for.”
“Fine,” Brie grumbles. “I’ll go to work, but only because I know you need rest and won’t do that if I’m here.” She leans over, wrapping her arms around Hadley and saying quietly, “I’m seriously glad you’re okay, but I’m also really mad at you.”
“You’ll get over it.”
Brie shakes her head, standing and pulling her purse higher up on her shoulder. “Let me know if they release you today. If they do, call me and I’ll be back to pick you up.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I can catch a cab home if they let me go,” Hadley says.
“You better call if they release you,” Brie repeats more firmly, planting her hands on her hips once more. “I’m serious, Hadley.”
“Fine, I’ll call,” she agrees, sounding reluctant.
“Rest,” Brie orders, and then her eyes come to me. “Detective, don’t give her too hard of a time.” Then she’s gone, and Hadley and I look at each other once more.
“Your friend’s a little crazy.”
“She’s been my best friend since we were ten. She’s like a sister to me.”
“She loves you.”
“We make each other crazy, but love each other unconditionally. She worries about me all the time,” she says, starting to lie back down, and I see her eyes fill with pain.
“You want me to call the nurse to get you some meds?” I question softly.
“Do you have multiple personality disorder?”
I grin at her smart-mouth comment. “I don’t think so.”
“So you don’t know if you do or not.”
“I’ve never had a doctor tell me it’s something I need to have checked out.”
She sighs, lying back fully and wincing.
“Let me call a nurse in here. They can give you something to help with the pain.”
“I’ll be okay.” She turns her head to look at me. “Where’s your notebook?”
“Pardon?”
“Your detective notebook… to take my statement. Where is it?”
“I don’t have one,” I lie.
“Hmm.” She looks at the ceiling once more, then asks quietly, “What do you need me to tell you?”
“Nothing.” I stand and look down at her. “Not right now. Your friend was right—you need to rest. I’ll get your statement later.” Her eyes study me while her teeth nibble on her bottom lip again. “We’ll talk soon, Hadley.” I pull out my wallet from my back pocket and flip it open, taking out one of my cards. “That has my cell number on it. Use it. Call if you need anything, even if it’s just to talk.” I hand it to her.
“Thanks.” She takes it, clutching the card against her stomach.
“What you did was stupid.” Her eyes narrow on mine then widen as I skim my fingers down her soft cheek. “Stupid, but really fucking brave. Rest. I’ll see you soon.” I turn and leave without a backward glance, wondering just how long I will be able to stay away.
My guess? Not fucking long.
Chapter 1
Hadley
I STARE AT THE TV in the corner of my room and pull in a shaky breath when another image of the outside of the hospital I’m in appears on the screen. My eyes close briefly when my name along with Harmony’s is mentioned once again by the news broadcaster. Until I turned on the TV in my hospital room after Cobi left, I just thought I witnessed a crazy man kidnap a woman and that I did what anyone else would have done—attempt to help someone in need. I had no idea what happened to Harmony and me would make national news. I didn’t know that the man who kidnapped her was a doctor at this hospital, a hospital she worked at as a nurse.
Dr. Hofstadter, the man I saw die last night, was involved in a dozen or more sexual harassment complaints that had been swept under the rug for years. Instead of Hofstadter being reprimanded like he should have been, his family—who were on the board of directors—fired almost every nurse who made a complaint against him, to hide what was going on. This went on for years until he made advances toward Harmony, who set out to bring to light what was happening. That’s why he kidnapped her. From what the news said, he thought if she disappeared, so would the truth about what he was doing. No such luck.
Even from my bed, I can see what looks like ten news vans parked along the street with the satellites on top pointing at the sky. News anchors and cameramen are set up on the grass and sidewalks, stopping almost every person who walks out of the hospital. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of here without being questioned by the media, and I really do not want to be asked about a situation I know nothing about. For me, what happened to Harmony and me last night is a completely different story than the one that happened to her here at this hospital, but I don’t think the media cares about the semantics.
“Both women were shot at as they ran for their lives,” the anchorwoman says, and I quickly press mute as a shiver slides down my spine and fear fills the pit of my stomach. I do not need the reminder of what happened, of what could have happened.
“Knock, knock. Can we come in?” I look across the room at a man and woman I don’t know standing just outside my open door. The woman is pretty, with long dark hair, wearing a simple white tank, a long beige cardigan thrown over it, dark jeans, and boots that go up to her knees. I notice she’s holding a large bouquet of flowers and six or more Get Well Soon balloons tied to the vase with different colored ribbons. The man with her is scary hot, with a faux-hawk and tattoos covering almost every inch of his exposed skin. He’s also huge, his tight white shirt and jeans showing off that, even for an older gentleman, he takes care of his body.
“Thank goodness,” she whispers, releasing the blanket as her friend reaches over to rub her shoulder.
“Thank God you’re okay too,” Brie says, and Hadley looks up at her.
“I know,” she agrees, and an uncomfortable feeling fills the pit of my stomach, one that has everything to do with the fact that I could have lost her before I even knew who she was to me.
“You shouldn’t have followed them,” I say. Her head turns toward me and her back instantly goes ramrod straight.
“Damn straight she shouldn’t have followed them,” Brie adds, but Hadley’s eyes stay locked on mine.
I think I like Brie.
“I had to.”
“I told you I was right behind you. I told you to keep fucking driving,” I growl, unable to keep control of the rush of emotions filling my stomach and chest.
“And I told you I couldn’t do that.”
“You should have listened to me.”
“Are you going to arrest me for not listening?” she asks, and I’m actually taken aback by the amount of attitude she’s giving me. Most people don’t talk back to me, and women never give me attitude unless I’m telling them that things between us are ending and it’s time for them to move on.
“No, but maybe I should spank you for not following an order and for putting yourself in danger,” I reply.
Fuck. Why did I say that?
She inhales a sharp breath while Brie does the same. “I can’t believe you just said that,” Hadley hisses, pointing at me.
“Believe it,” I return, watching her eyes that are still locked on mine change from misty blue to deep green while her cheeks turn pink with aggravation.
Fuck, she’s beautiful when she’s pissed.
“Well, this is interesting,” her friend says, breaking our stare down, and we both turn our heads in her direction at the same time.
“Don’t you need to leave for work?” Hadley snaps at her.
“I’m not going to work today. I’m staying here with you.”
“No, you’re not,” Hadley denies with sharp jerks of her head.
“Yes, I am.”
“No, you’re not. I’m going to be lying in bed all day. You don’t need to be sitting here staring at me.”
“I won’t stare at you. I’ll read a magazine.” Brie shrugs casually.
“Brie, you have to go to work. You know and I know that you can’t miss any more days,” Hadley says, and Brie’s eyes narrow.
“It’ll be okay if I miss today.”
“You know it won’t,” Hadley insists. “Marian is looking for a reason to fire you. You miss today, you give her that reason.”
“She can shove it.”
“Brie.” Even not knowing Hadley, I can hear the warning in her voice. “Go to work. You have a job to keep and a wedding to pay for.”
“Fine,” Brie grumbles. “I’ll go to work, but only because I know you need rest and won’t do that if I’m here.” She leans over, wrapping her arms around Hadley and saying quietly, “I’m seriously glad you’re okay, but I’m also really mad at you.”
“You’ll get over it.”
Brie shakes her head, standing and pulling her purse higher up on her shoulder. “Let me know if they release you today. If they do, call me and I’ll be back to pick you up.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ll be okay. I can catch a cab home if they let me go,” Hadley says.
“You better call if they release you,” Brie repeats more firmly, planting her hands on her hips once more. “I’m serious, Hadley.”
“Fine, I’ll call,” she agrees, sounding reluctant.
“Rest,” Brie orders, and then her eyes come to me. “Detective, don’t give her too hard of a time.” Then she’s gone, and Hadley and I look at each other once more.
“Your friend’s a little crazy.”
“She’s been my best friend since we were ten. She’s like a sister to me.”
“She loves you.”
“We make each other crazy, but love each other unconditionally. She worries about me all the time,” she says, starting to lie back down, and I see her eyes fill with pain.
“You want me to call the nurse to get you some meds?” I question softly.
“Do you have multiple personality disorder?”
I grin at her smart-mouth comment. “I don’t think so.”
“So you don’t know if you do or not.”
“I’ve never had a doctor tell me it’s something I need to have checked out.”
She sighs, lying back fully and wincing.
“Let me call a nurse in here. They can give you something to help with the pain.”
“I’ll be okay.” She turns her head to look at me. “Where’s your notebook?”
“Pardon?”
“Your detective notebook… to take my statement. Where is it?”
“I don’t have one,” I lie.
“Hmm.” She looks at the ceiling once more, then asks quietly, “What do you need me to tell you?”
“Nothing.” I stand and look down at her. “Not right now. Your friend was right—you need to rest. I’ll get your statement later.” Her eyes study me while her teeth nibble on her bottom lip again. “We’ll talk soon, Hadley.” I pull out my wallet from my back pocket and flip it open, taking out one of my cards. “That has my cell number on it. Use it. Call if you need anything, even if it’s just to talk.” I hand it to her.
“Thanks.” She takes it, clutching the card against her stomach.
“What you did was stupid.” Her eyes narrow on mine then widen as I skim my fingers down her soft cheek. “Stupid, but really fucking brave. Rest. I’ll see you soon.” I turn and leave without a backward glance, wondering just how long I will be able to stay away.
My guess? Not fucking long.
Chapter 1
Hadley
I STARE AT THE TV in the corner of my room and pull in a shaky breath when another image of the outside of the hospital I’m in appears on the screen. My eyes close briefly when my name along with Harmony’s is mentioned once again by the news broadcaster. Until I turned on the TV in my hospital room after Cobi left, I just thought I witnessed a crazy man kidnap a woman and that I did what anyone else would have done—attempt to help someone in need. I had no idea what happened to Harmony and me would make national news. I didn’t know that the man who kidnapped her was a doctor at this hospital, a hospital she worked at as a nurse.
Dr. Hofstadter, the man I saw die last night, was involved in a dozen or more sexual harassment complaints that had been swept under the rug for years. Instead of Hofstadter being reprimanded like he should have been, his family—who were on the board of directors—fired almost every nurse who made a complaint against him, to hide what was going on. This went on for years until he made advances toward Harmony, who set out to bring to light what was happening. That’s why he kidnapped her. From what the news said, he thought if she disappeared, so would the truth about what he was doing. No such luck.
Even from my bed, I can see what looks like ten news vans parked along the street with the satellites on top pointing at the sky. News anchors and cameramen are set up on the grass and sidewalks, stopping almost every person who walks out of the hospital. I have no idea how I’m going to get out of here without being questioned by the media, and I really do not want to be asked about a situation I know nothing about. For me, what happened to Harmony and me last night is a completely different story than the one that happened to her here at this hospital, but I don’t think the media cares about the semantics.
“Both women were shot at as they ran for their lives,” the anchorwoman says, and I quickly press mute as a shiver slides down my spine and fear fills the pit of my stomach. I do not need the reminder of what happened, of what could have happened.
“Knock, knock. Can we come in?” I look across the room at a man and woman I don’t know standing just outside my open door. The woman is pretty, with long dark hair, wearing a simple white tank, a long beige cardigan thrown over it, dark jeans, and boots that go up to her knees. I notice she’s holding a large bouquet of flowers and six or more Get Well Soon balloons tied to the vase with different colored ribbons. The man with her is scary hot, with a faux-hawk and tattoos covering almost every inch of his exposed skin. He’s also huge, his tight white shirt and jeans showing off that, even for an older gentleman, he takes care of his body.
