Page 76 of Protecting his Heart

“So, why is the first I’m hearing about this coming from a nurse when I’ve just come onto shift? Why did neither of you call me?”

Evan lifted his hand. “I was unconscious.” Sally’s face tightened, but she nodded at him before glaring at her son.

“I was in and out in the ambulance, Mum. And they’ve been testing me while Evan’s been sleeping it off.”

Sally’s face crumpled, and she hid it behind her hands. Her shoulders shook before she inhaled deeply and wiped her tears. “Did you find her?” Evan raised his eyebrows, and Sally snorted. “One of your colleagues recognised me and filled me in on what happened. Felix, I think his name was.”

Felix was a god, Evan decided.

Owen sighed. “We didn’t. It was empty.” Evan waited to see if Owen would expand on what Brett had told them, and when he didn’t, Evan took his cue from him. No point upsetting Sally more than she already was.

She grabbed Owen’s chart, checking things. “You seem surprisingly okay, considering you had a building dumped on you.”

Owen chuckled and groaned. “God, don’t make me laugh. My ribs ache.”

Evan snorted, and then he wished he hadn’t. Sally moved onto his chart. “Cuts, bruises and a concussion.” She sighed and shook her head. “What am I going to do with you both? You’re too old to be grounded, but by god, do I want to.”

She crossed her arms, and Evan couldn’t help but laugh again, even though it hurt like hell. The moment of levity was much needed, and his tear-filled gaze met Owen’s, and he blinked, letting his tears soak into his pillow. He could’ve lost him. Sally could’ve lost him. As much as he loved providing backup for Owen, he wasn’t sure his heart could take it. They’d never been in a life and death situation before, not really. Even with the situation with Dominic, where he’d been shot and left for dead, they themselves hadn’t been in danger.

Sally moved between them and fiddled with the dials, and within seconds, a hazy lethargy came over him at the same timethe pain eased. She brushed his hair back from his forehead and kissed him there. “Sleep. You need your energy,” she whispered.

Before he succumbed to the inevitable medicated sleep, he watched as Sally climbed onto the bed beside her son and took his hand. They spoke softly—or Evan’s ears had stopped working—but then he saw Owen’s blinks lasting longer.

They were both so tired.

But when he woke, he would help them find the girl, and if he got the chance to give Dr Wallis a piece of his mind, he would.

****

Chapter 24

Owen

When Owen had woken after the sleep his mother had made him have, he lay thinking everything through as he listened to Evan’s breathing. As he thought about what he and his mother spoke about before he fell asleep, he remembered the scarf from his so-called admirer. Had whoever that was entered his mother’s house and grabbed the scarf? Or had his mother sent it to the charity shop? Owen hadn’t asked her yet, but he needed to. The idea that someone had entered her house, regardless of whether or not she was in the house, was troubling. But it was something he could deal with once they found the girl.

Later that evening, after arguing for several hours, they were discharged from the hospital on the understanding that someone needed to be with them for at least the first twenty-four hours. His mother took it upon herself to remake the bed in the room Evan had been using and left them to their devices, on the understanding that she would be interrupting them at random times to make sure they were okay.

It was the following day, when his body ached more than ever before, that Brett called him with an update.

“Wallis received another message, this time with co-ordinates. After checking things over, a team investigated. Nothing bad happened, but they found Anika. She was a little bruised from rough handling, but apart from that, she’s doing well.”

Owen exhaled, closing his eyes, and arms came around him from both sides. His mother and Evan. “That’s good news.”

“It is, but we have another issue.”

Owen straightened. “What?”

“I’m sending you some photos.”

He waited for the few seconds it took for the pictures to download, and when he saw the first one, his heart dropped. Anika sat on a chair, bound, gagged and blindfolded, and in front of her was what looked like a kitchen knife embedded into the table with a blue bow on it. There was definitely a threat in that display. He swiped to the second one and froze.

Have you enjoyed the game? You should be able to put all four clues together now. But I doubt you’ll find the ENEMY in time. Enjoy your gifts.

The note was in the same handwriting as the notes sent by Owen’s admirer.

“I guess I don’t need to be worried about it being an admirer anymore,” Evan muttered.

“What do you mean?” Sally said.

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