Page 73 of Mr. Dangerous

"I don't know." Liam stood for a minute by the hospital bed, worry written across his face, and then took a step back. "I have to go to the nurse's station;I'llask."

"Fine. If they aren't going to get the job done, I'll call Joe. Ask him about privatesecurity."

Liam noddedimpatiently.

When Liam had gone, I finally, reluctantly, had to turn to thehospitalbed.

Mitch's tall, broad-shouldered body looked hollow. A tube ran down his throat, white medical tape partially obscuring his features. For some reason, I flashed back to my father laughing, on the sailboat we took out on long weekends in Rhode Island. His dark hair was caught in the salt-tinged breeze. When his lips turned up in that square-jawed face, his eyes lighting up, it was hard for anyone not to smilealong.

Liam came back in and drew a seat next to Mitch's bed, the wooden legs of the chair squeaking along the linoleum floor. "They're going to send the doctor in soon to talktous."

"Good."

Liam raised his eyebrows at me, then jerked his head towards the seat on the opposite side of the bed. "You gonnasitdown?"

"I'm fine." I waved it off, leaning against the wall. "Just had a long car ride. Don't wanttosit."

For a few minutes, the two of us watched Mitch in silence. The room was eerily quiet, creating a creeping sense of expectation that something had to happen soon. When the door opened and two doctors came in, I felt a sense of relief. I stood away from thecoolwall.

"I'm Doctor Nielson and this is Doctor Brown," the first doctor, a petite woman with white hair said. The doctors shook our hands in turn. She explained that Mitch was stable, but that there was nothing to do for him at this point except wait for him to emerge fromthecoma.

"Which is unlikely, right?" Liam askedflatly.

"It doeshappen."

"Where are the police?" Iasked.

"I don't know anything about that. Do you have any questions about your father's care ortreatment?"

Liam glanced at me. "Did you haveanything?"

I said, "No. We're fine.Thankyou."

Even though the Delaney family, at the moment, was farfromfine.

As soon as they had left, I called Joe. I saw Liam roll his eyes as he leaned forward to speak softly to our father. The low murmur of his voice was lost in the gloom oftheroom.

"Yeah, I know a firm," Joe said. "Good friends of mine, good guys. I'll get someone over to thehospitalASAP."

"Whatever it costs,"Isaid.

"Well, I won't tell them that.Takecare."

"I'll try," I said, hanging up thephone.

Liam looked up. "What'stheword?"

"Joe's going to get us somesecurityhelp."

"Okay. Andthenwhat?"

"Then I'm going to find out who did thistodad."

"You thinkGrandma'ssafe?"

"I think I want her and Naomi locked down at the house while we figure out what'sgoingon."

Liam quirked aneyebrow. "Why?"

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