Page 45 of Bling

Isabelle closed her eyes again and tried to sleep for the remainder of the flight. Thankfully, it was a short one, and she was soon standing in the hospital waiting to see her uncle.

“Daddy,” she said when she rushed into the waiting room. “How is he?”

“He’s getting some more x-rays right now, but so far it just seems to be some broken ribs and a broken ankle. His face has some cuts and scrapes, but otherwise he’s OK.”

She nodded and wrapped her arms around him. “I’m so sorry I wasn’t here.”

“It’s OK sweetheart. Your boss got word to me quickly and sent a car to bring me over here.”

Isabelle turned her attention to Garrett and smiled at him. “Thank you,” she mouthed. She had no idea how he did it, but she was grateful.

He just gave her a half smile and stuck his hand out to her father. “Garrett Oliver, pleasure to meet you. Though I wish the circumstances were better.”

“Jacob Alvarado. I’ve seen you on TV a few times.”

Garrett grimaced. “That’s not a great first impression, I imagine.”

Jacob folded his arms over his chest. “Unless you’re dating my daughter, you have no reason to worry about my impression of you Mr. Oliver.”

Garrett chuckled. “I see what you did there. I assure you, Isabelle just works for me. Though I would date her if she were open to the idea,” he said with a wink in Isabelle’s direction. She just rolled her eyes.

“Don’t let Daddy goad you into saying anything you can’t take back. He’s good at that.”

Jacob scowled at his daughter. “I have no idea what you mean by that.”

Just then a nurse called out for the Alvarado family and Isabelle breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’m going to stay here and get updates from my people at the office. Go visit your uncle,” Garrett said when she looked his way.

She nodded and grasped her father’s hand as they walked back to Henry’s room.

Her uncle was lying in bed with a banged-up face, but he raised one side of his mouth in a smile.

“You were on a date with Mr. Oliver,” he said between heavy breaths.

“Not a date. Just helping my boss out.”

He nodded his head to the TV. “The news says it was a date.”

Isabelle felt her face warm. Had their kiss made it to the news already?

“How are you feeling?” she asked, trying to change the subject.

“I’m feeling like I got beat to hell.”

“Tell me what happened,” her dad said as he lowered himself into the chair near her uncle’s bedside.

“I was just leaving, took some trash out that had accumulated after the evening cleaning crew left. Someone whacked me in the ribs with a board or bat or something. They were looking for Izzy. I wouldn’t tell them anything, so they just kept kicking and hitting me. The voice seemed familiar, but I’m not sure where I’ve heard it before. When I was too weak to stop them, they stole my wallet.”

Isabelle felt her heart skip a beat as panic boiled in her throat. “That means they got your driver’s license with our address on it.”

Henry went stock-still. “I guess you’re right. I’m so sorry, Izzy.”

She backed out of the room, raising her phone to her ear. “I’ll be right back,” she said. As she strode down the corridor, she prayed for someone to answer. Finally, Catarina’s voice came over the line.

“How’s Uncle Henry?”

“He’s going to be fine. I need you and Sarah to check both doors and make sure they’re locked, then go into your room and stay there until I come home OK?”

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