Fatal Exposure

chapter 18



The rules be damned.

Flanked by half a dozen guards, Parker strode down the hallway to Brynn’s hospital room the following afternoon, determined to get inside. He was still pushing his IV pole, still wearing the ridiculous, open-backed hospital gown, but he’d added a robe and socks. Police swarmed the hall. Access to the floor was tightly restricted, the security extreme. In the twenty-four hours since that shooting, he hadn’t spent a single moment alone.

Outside the hospital was even worse. This was the biggest story to hit Baltimore in decades. It was a complete media circus with news vans and reporters everywhere. And every law enforcement agency in the region had flooded the hospital—state and city police, the ATF and FBI.

A nurse trotted up beside him. “Excuse me, sir. You need to get back into bed. You’re not authorized to get up yet.”

“Try to stop me,” he muttered, striding past her. He’d twiddled his thumbs long enough. He wasn’t going to wait another second to see the woman he loved—no matter what the regulations said.

He neared Brynn’s room—obvious by the armed guards blocking the door—the desperate need to see her hardening his resolve. Watching Lieutenant Lewis shoot Brynn had been the worst moment of his life—worse than seeing Hoffman hold her at gunpoint, worse than hearing about her abuse, worse even than learning about Tommy’s death. He’d never recover from that heart-stopping moment when he’d thought that she was dead.

And he’d been frantic ever since—during the hours she’d spent in surgery, during the night as she’d lain in the ICU, hovering between life and death. Now they’d finally moved her to a recovery room under heavy police protection, refusing to let him near.

But enough was enough. Nothing was going to stop him from reaching her side. He had to see for himself that she’d survived.

A second later, he reached her room. He recognized several police officers, including the one blocking the door. “Martinez,” he said with a nod.

“Hey, McCall. Love the dress,” Martinez quipped. “You here to give us a fashion show?”

His mouth quirking up, Parker flipped him a rude hand signal, and everyone around them laughed.

But then the guard’s expression sobered. “Sorry, man, but she can’t have visitors yet. Nobody’s supposed to go inside.”

“I’m not here. You didn’t see me.”

“Hell, McCall. You know I can’t let you inside.”

Parker leveled him a gaze.

The guards exchanged glances. Martinez heaved out a sigh. “Fine, you’re not here. I didn’t see you come by. But you owe me for this.” He moved aside to let him pass.

Still wheeling the IV pole, Parker opened the door and stepped inside. His gaze arrowed straight to the bed, and his heart made a crazy loop, fear and love tangling up inside. Brynn looked so small, so defenseless, so pale. But she was alive.

Her eyes fluttered open. Her gaze connected with his, and he struggled to breathe. Dark circles underscored her eyes. The bruise stood out on her cheek. Her hair was a messy splash of color against her white pillow. She still had her arm in the sling. But now bandages covered her chest. Cords ran across the bed like wires at an electrical substation, connecting her to a bank of machines. Black stitches marched across her scalp, trailing a smear of brown antiseptic over one temple. She looked like an alley cat who’d barely survived a brawl with a Rottweiler.

She was the most beautiful woman he’d ever seen.

“Hi,” she whispered.

His throat suddenly thick, emotions somersaulting inside him, he went to her side. For an endless moment he simply gazed into her eyes, too overcome to speak. There was so much he needed to tell her, so much he had to explain.

He managed to clear his throat. “How are you feeling?”

The corner of her mouth slid up. “Like I’ve been shot. But I’m not in any pain. The drugs are doing their job.”

“Good.” He couldn’t bear the thought of her suffering. He wanted to scoop her up and hold her close, to run away with her to someplace safe.

Like he should have done from the start.

His legs unsteady, he pulled up a chair and sat, cursing his weakened state. He could only imagine how she must feel, despite her insistence that she was fine.

Needing a moment to compose himself, he glanced around the room. “Who sent flowers?”

“My agent. She phoned a while ago.”

“So she’s all right?”

Brynn nodded. “She’s at home now. But she still has the bodyguard. She found out who took that photo, by the way, the one that appeared in the newspaper.”

The photo that had started it all. “Who was it?”

“A reporter. He’d been following her for months, watching everything she did. He saw me meet with her a couple of times and figured it out.”

“I’m sorry.”

“I’m not. At least Hoffman is dead now. And we found out who killed Tommy.”

Unable to resist, Parker reached out and took her hand, the soft, silky warmth of her skin, the fragile feel of her slender wrist reminding him of how perilously close she’d come to death. He gazed into her eyes, struggling for the words to say, his heart kickboxing in his chest. “God, Brynn. I thought for sure I’d lost you.”

“Yeah.” Her voice sounded rough. She squeezed his hand, her luminous eyes on his. He battled back a rush of memories, not wanting to relive the terror of hearing that deadly pop, of seeing her fall to the floor.

“I was scared,” she admitted. “When she pulled out that gun...I didn’t see how we were going to survive.”

They nearly hadn’t. She nearly hadn’t. And it was all his fault.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, his voice raw. “I should have figured it out sooner.”

She tightened her grip on his hand. “You couldn’t have known she was involved.”

“I knew something was off when you told me Hoffman was dead. It didn’t make any sense.” But he’d been too slow, his mind too foggy to figure it out. And as a result, Brynn had nearly died.

“What happened to her?” she asked.

“You don’t know?”

She shook her head. “No one’s told me anything yet.”

“She’s dead. Suicide by cop. She knew she couldn’t escape, so she decided to die instead. That’s why she shot you. She knew that as soon as she fired at you, they’d take her down.”

Brynn squeezed his hand, a myriad of emotions passing through her eyes—relief, understanding, sympathy. “I’m sorry, Parker.”

He ran his thumb over her knuckles, his chest suddenly tight. He knew what she meant. She wasn’t sorry that Lieutenant Lewis had died. She was sorry that another officer had betrayed him. She understood how deep this cut, undermining everything he’d once believed.

But had he acted any better toward her? He’d lied about his relationship with her stepfather, destroying her trust—just when she’d needed him most.

He had to plead for forgiveness. He needed to tell her he loved her and ask for another chance. “Brynn,” he began. He swallowed hard, regrets piling up inside. “I’m sorry. I never meant to deceive you. I mean, at first I did. I didn’t know you. I thought you had something to do with Tommy’s death. And Hoffman showed me your file.”

“It’s pretty convincing.”

He nodded, his throat dust-dry. “I didn’t know who to believe. But I realized pretty fast that something was off. Those reports didn’t match what I saw about you, the woman I was getting to know. And when I finally figured it out, I didn’t want to hurt you. You’d already suffered too much. I was trying to find a good time to tell to you. But I really did plan to tell you the truth.”

“I believe you.”

A rush of relief spiraled through him. Declarations crowded his throat—his hopes for their future, his need to stay with her forever, his love.

But a sharp knock came from the door. Then Sergeant Delgado strolled in, accompanied by several guards. Delgado’s gaze met his, and his mouth kicked into a smile. “I figured I’d find you here.”

Parker frowned and released Brynn’s hand. Of all the people to show up now... He gave him a reluctant nod. “Have you met Brynn?”

“Not officially.”

“This is Sergeant Delgado,” Parker told her.

The sergeant swaggered over to Brynn, an interested gleam in his eyes, and clasped her hand. Parker’s eyes narrowed, his face heating when Delgado didn’t let go. But the sergeant was in Don Juan mode, puffing out his chest, flashing her the smile reputed to make women swoon.

Two seconds, Parker decided, working his jaw. And then he’d wipe that smirk off his playboy face.

Brynn extracted her hand, then shot Parker a questioning look. “He’s been working undercover,” he explained, wishing to hell he’d back off.

But Delgado cocked one hip and folded his arms across his chest—to better display his biceps, Parker guessed. “One of our informants gave us a tip,” Delgado told Brynn. “He said there were rumors that a senior officer was involved with child pornography, but he didn’t know who it was. The trail seemed to lead to Colonel Hoffman, but we didn’t have any proof. So internal affairs sent me to the cold case squad, thinking I could monitor him better from there.”

So Delgado hadn’t gotten his position through brownnosing. Parker’s faith in the police force rose. “What the lieutenant said—that something big was going on—any chance that’s true?”

Delgado switched his gaze to him. “Yeah, we think so, but we don’t have any leads yet. We were trying to bring her in alive, to interrogate her.” He shrugged. “About the only thing we know right now is that whoever this mastermind is, he has power.”

Power? “You mean like another cop?”

“Maybe, but our sources are all tight-lipped. Whoever this guy is, he’s got them running scared.” Delgado turned to Brynn again. “And until we catch him, you’re in danger. As soon as the hospital discharges you, we want to put you in protective custody.”

A startled look entered Brynn’s eyes. “You mean a safe house?”

Delgado gave her a nod. “Probably some place out West. Wyoming, maybe. Just until we figure out what’s going on.”

“But why would he want to kill me? My stepfather’s gone. Lieutenant Lewis and her cousin are dead—and they’re the ones I saw in the warehouse. I thought I was safe.”

To Delgado’s credit, sympathy filled his eyes. “I wish you were. But someone ordered Lewis to kill you. Both of you. And this mastermind appears to have a lot of influence, even within the police department. Until we bring him in, we need to put you somewhere safe.”

But Brynn’s mouth turned flat. A stubborn look entered her eyes. “I’m not hiding out again.”

“I know it sounds drastic,” Delgado said. “But—”

“No, absolutely not. I’m not going into hiding again.”

Parker caught his eye. “Listen, Sergeant. Give her some time to think about it, okay? She just got out of surgery.”

“Fine. We’ll talk about it later.” He looked at Brynn again. “We need another statement from you, too, but that can wait until you’re ready.” He gave Parker a nod and left the room.

For a minute, neither spoke. Parker finally broke the silence with a sigh. “As much as I hate to agree with Delgado, he’s right. This isn’t a joke. They don’t put people into protective custody unless there’s a good reason.”

“I don’t need to think about it. I’m not going.”

“Brynn—”

“Listen, Parker. I know you think I’m being unreasonable. But I’ve spent most of my life on the run. Ever since I left home I’ve been hiding, always looking over my shoulder, always worrying that Hoffman would catch up to me. And when Tommy got shot it was even worse. I had to keep moving all the time. When you showed up, it was the first time I’d allowed myself to do anything even remotely permanent—to own a house, to have a garden, to have even a hint of a normal life. And I can’t go back to hiding out again. I’m not going to keep living in fear.”

“It’s only until they track this guy down.” He shifted forward, taking hold of her hand again. “For God’s sake, Brynn. I couldn’t stand it if something happened to you. That moment when Lieutenant Lewis shot you...” His voice broke. A huge lump blocked his throat.

Her eyes softened, all trace of her temper gone. “I know,” she whispered. “I felt the same way in the cabin when Hoffman shot you.”

“Then you can see why...”

“I can’t do it, Parker. It would kill me to hide again.” Her gaze held his. “Are you going to do it?”

“I can’t. I need to stay here and help track him down.”

“Then you’re not quitting your job?”

“I thought about it,” he admitted. “First Hoffman, then Lieutenant Lewis...”

She squeezed his hand. “I know how much that hurts.”

“Yeah.” Their betrayal hurt all right. Even after his father’s arrest, he’d believed in the integrity of the force—an idealism he’d now lost for good. He’d become more realistic over the past few days, more jaded. The blinders he’d worn were gone.

“I might switch to internal affairs, though. There seems to be a need for that.”

Her eyes warmed. “You make a wonderful knight in shining armor, Parker McCall.”

“Hardly.” He’d nearly failed her. “But the bad guys are still in the minority. Most cops are good.”

“Like Delgado.”

“Yeah.” He shook his head. Delgado had turned out to be one of the good guys, even if he was still obnoxious as hell. “But the main thing is that I can’t give up. You taught me that.”

“I did?” She looked surprised.

“Yeah. Your courage... You never gave up.”

“How can you say that? All I’ve ever done is run.”

“You survived. There’s a difference. And you stopped running when people needed you. You risked everything to help them, even when no one believed you. You’re the most courageous person I know.”

Her face turned pink. Her gaze dropped to their joined hands. “You took risks, too. You didn’t hand me over to Hoffman, even when you thought I’d caused Tommy’s death.”

The corner of his mouth edged up. “Yeah. I’ve been breaking the rules since I met you.” But he no longer cared. He didn’t need the regulations to guide him. He knew who he was inside.

And he knew who he needed. Brynn.

His heart drummed hard. His throat turned parched, nerves stampeding around in his chest. Now or never. “I love you, Brynn.”

Shock flickered through her eyes. Then she covered her face with her hand, her sudden silence damning, as if she couldn’t bear to look at him.

His heart plummeted. He’d waited too long. She wasn’t going to forgive him. He’d destroyed any chance he’d had at love.

Desperation clawed through his gut. He had to convince her. He couldn’t stand a lifetime without Brynn. “I need you,” he said. “I love you so much.”

She opened her eyes, and the joy in them crashed through his heart. “I love you, too. I didn’t want to. I was scared. I’ve spent my entire life trying to keep people out. But you snuck through all that. I couldn’t keep you out of my heart. And I fell in love with you.”

Happiness swelled in his chest. Lightness flooded through him, demolishing years of loneliness. “I know this isn’t romantic. The hospital. These machines. I don’t even have a ring. But I promise I’ll ask you again, someplace better. With flowers, champagne, whatever you want. But I have to know... Will you marry me?”

Her lush mouth trembled, her eyes shining with tears. “I don’t want champagne. I just want you.”

His heart went berserk. “Is that a yes?”

“Parker...” Tears brimmed in her eyes. “You gave me hope. You taught me to dream again. Do you have any idea how precious that is? Of course I’ll marry you.”

He surged to his feet. Hardly able to contain himself, he perched on the edge of her bed, careful not to tangle her cords. Then he cradled her jaw and stared into her gorgeous eyes. “I’ll keep you safe. I promise, Brynn. No one will hurt you again. If you won’t go into protective custody, then you can stay with me.”

“Forever?”

“I promise.”

She lifted her hand to his face. He slanted his mouth over hers, ignoring the bandages and bruises and pains. Focusing on her taste, her incredible feel, the miracle of the woman he would love for all time. The woman his brother had brought to him. The woman who’d healed his heart.

And knew he was exactly where he wanted to stay.

* * * * *