Page 74 of Mr. Dangerous

"Why? Someone hurt Dad. Whoknowswhy."

"Yeah? So what does that have to do withNaomi?"

I shook my head, irritated. "I want to cover all mybases."

"You like her, and you want an excuse to cage her up at the house." Liam shook his head. "Don't do it, brother. She's going to cageyouup."

"Don't talk about Naomilikethat."

Liam whistled. "Youare..."

I took a step towards him. All my pushed-down adrenaline was rising, even though Liam wasn't the right target. But the hospital door swung open almost as soon as someone rappedonit.

Naomi rushed in, followed by a security guard. Her face crumpled with relief when her eyes met mine. "Oh, you reallyarehere."

"What's going on? What's wrong?" I asked. Naomi hurled herself against my chest, and my arms closed automatically around her. "Naomi?"

"Did you want to file a report?" The guard in the door askedimpatiently.

"Whatever, I don't know." Naomi waved him off. She sounded cold, dismissive, but I knew her betterthanthat.

"Give us a few minutes, please," I said, steering her over to the chair in the corner. She sat heavily, and I knelt in front of her, my hands on her knees. Naomi’s eyes were wild. "Whathappened?"

“Did you call me?” she asked. “Did you call me to come up here? Because I don’t get reception in thehospital.”

“Naomi, what happened?” But her face was still frantic, waiting for my answer, so I said, “No, I didn’tcallyou.”

She raked a shaking hand through her hair. "I was reading when this man came up to me. He said, the Delaneys asked you to come to their room. I tried to call you, but I don't get any reception in the hospital." She held up her cell phone, her hand trembling. "He said yeah, that's why they had to call down to the reception desk. And he was dressed like the greeters at reception. With the logo t-shirts,youknow?"

"Okay," I said, rage boiling through myveins.

"But then we walked through the hospital to the elevator bank in the back. I was getting kind of lost. I was trying to make small talk with him and it felt weird... off. And so we get in the elevator and there's no one else in there and he pressed the buttonfordown."

"To the parking garage," I said, because I could see where this wasgoing.

"I think he grabbed for me, but I jumped out of the elevator as the doors were about to close and I ran all the way back to the main lobby and I wouldn't go anywhere until Security came. And I still wasn't sureaboutthem."

"Well, you're here now with me," I said, hugging her close. "You'resafe."

“Maybe it was a mistake. Someone else called reception and it gotmixedup.”

“Maybe,” I said, because that might help her shake her fear. I squeezed her tight. I sure didn’t think it was a mistake. Even as I held her, I felt my body on high alert, ready to fight off any attack. Someone had to bewatchingus.

I whispered into her hair, “Whatever happened, you’re safe now. I’ll keepyousafe.”

Safe, and I was never going to let her out of my sight again if I couldhelpit.

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