I hadn’t just lost Kane, I’d lost a family — even a baseball family — I’d grown to love in a very short time.
I shook my head, hoping the movement would rattle my brain enough for it all to make sense.
My own mother. The woman who labored with me for sixteen hours, blah blah blah. Did she hate me so much? And why? She was always so much better, more attractive, more graceful than me. Why take the only thing I had away?
“Eliana?”
Numb, I turned to Zoe, who was holding both phones in her hands. She was frowning, like she didn’t know what to say.
“It was the FBI agents calling. They’ve arrested your mother…”
For fucking my fake fiancée?
“And Winston Hampton.”
I stared at her, my jaw sagging open. “Why?”
She shook her head, like it wasn’t important. But I could tell by the look in her eyes that something else was.
“Eliana…”
I waited, barely able to breathe.
“…Kane’s in the hospital. He was drugged. Too much drug.” Her eyes filled with tears. “Eliana, he’s in the ICU. It’s bad.”
***
Deke, the driver was directly outside the apartment door as Zoe, Target, and I ran into the hallway. He ushered us to the car and drove at breakneck speed right up to the hospital door.
“I’ll be back,” I promised the dog and kissed him on his sweet head, then closed my ears to the pitiful whine as I slammed the door shut.
Agents Grinstead and Mason were in the lobby as we rushed in.
“Miss Anderson, we need to talk.”
I didn’t even slow down, just headed for the elevators. I punched a button with my thumb. “So talk.”
The agents looked at each other but were silent on the ride to the ICU floor. “Kane Steele,” I told the woman guarding the door. “I’m his fiancée.”
The woman’s old finger scanned down the names of patients on her page, and I wanted to snatch her clipboard and hurry her up. She looked up at me, her eyes sad. “I’m sorry…”
I stared at her in shock as grief clawed at my throat, my eyes, my heart.
“…but they’ve moved him to room three-twelve.”
My breath left me in a gush. “Which way?”
It took her gnarled little hand forever to raise, but I was moving before it was fully extended. I’d find it. I’d find him.
And I did.
Pushing open the hospital room door, a million emotions flooded through me at the sight of him sitting on the side of the bed. He was fighting with a nurse who was trying to keep him from pulling his IV out.
“Kane Bartholomew,” I barked, doing a fair impression of Nana.
His head snapped up, and relief at seeing me caused him to sag. He stopped fighting the nurse, and instead, opened his arms.
I flew into them, kissing his face, his nose, his eyes, his forehead. “I’m so sorry for running out and leaving you alone. For thinking you would do something like that.” I kissed his lips. “I knew better. I know you better. I’m so sorry.”
He could have died because of me, I realized. I didn’t know how he was saved, or who saved him, but it wasn’t because of me. I’d never forgive myself for that.
“I don’t remember anything,” he admitted, “but from what I was told, it looked bad. Bitch even put mayo in the condom.” He pulled me closer until he was whispering in my ear. “If it makes you feel better, I’ll spank that sweet ass later.”
Happiness and pure joy spread through me. “It will definitely make me feel better.”
Someone behind us cleared their throat, and I turned in Kane’s arms. Agent Mason crossed her arms over her chest, a smile on her face. “Sorry to interrupt, but Grinstead and I have a mountain of paperwork to plow through. Let me give you a report on what’s happened then we’ll leave you alone.”
Kane laid back down, and I curled up on the bed beside him.
“First, we’ve arrested your mother on a number of charges, including attempted murder. Winston Hampton has been charged with multiple sex crimes in addition to felony robbery, attempted rape, and two counts of first-degree murder.”
I stared at the other woman. “So, it was him?”
“Yes, we believe Winston is the man who attacked you and killed Joseph.”
I licked my dry lips. “How do you know?”
“After you were attacked, we sent notices to all the surrounding hospitals and clinics, asking to be notified of any male being treated for an animal bite. It’s required by law for them to report a bite to the health department, but we were hoping the notice would catch the right person’s attention sooner.”
“And it did?”
Agent Mason nodded. “Yes. Winston didn’t go for treatment right away, but one of the bites became badly infected. It was so bad that he required surgery to repair the tissue and bone.”
I thought of Target and the way he had protected me. That good boy would get a lifetime of treats and bubble baths.
“Winston also had wounds consistent with what you described to the police. A long cut on his cheek from where you hit him with your engagement ring. From that, we were able to get a search warrant and enter his home, his office, his computers. Eliana, we found the tapes of you and Brett Southerland. We found tapes of your mother with Southerland as well.”
Zoe stepped in. “You have to be kidding me.”
Agent Grinstead shook his head. “We kid you not. That’s what led us to begin investigating your mother, Eliana. She wasn’t even on our radar until that point. We went to Kane’s apartment to see if you were aware of your mother and Southerland’s relationship. When we knocked, the door wasn’t fully shut.”
Because I hadn’t taken the time to close it behind me when I ran.
“Concerned, we entered the premises and heard vomiting coming from the back room. We found Mrs. Montgomery going through Kane’s belongings. We arrested her on suspicion and called 911 for Kane. Our guys are searching your mother’s home as we speak, and she’s singing like the proverbial canary.”
Agent Mason’s face turned serious, and she pulled a chair over in front of me and sat down. “Eliana, you need to know something else. Your mother is a deeply disturbed woman. She gave Kane a high dose of GHB, far greater than any human should be able to tolerate. If he hadn’t received treatment right away…” She shook her head.
I curled tighter against him, unable to believe I’d come so close to losing him like that. I’d left, thinking he was drunk and then walked around for hours. He could have been dead because I was out feeling sorry for myself.
Agent Mason wasn’t finished. “Eliana, right now, there is a high probability your mother set the fire that burned your apartment building. She was muttering things about revenge, and insurance money so she could escape. We’ll be stepping into that investigation, and if we do find evidence of her guilt, she’ll be facing felony arson charges on top of everything else.”