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Are in stable condition?The reporter had to have been referring to Marcia and Susan.It was a relief to learn her coworkers had survived the man’s attack.Although she must have missed the part about Norris, she couldn’t erase the horrific vision of watching the young man being killed.
Hot tears unexpectedly rose in her throat, choking her.They burned her eyes and heated the surface of the skin on her face.The terror and fear she’d been able to keep tamped down welled up with a force she couldn’t handle.Breaking into uncontrollable sobbing, she rolled over and buried her face in the bedspread as she clutched it with both hands.
She had no idea how long she cried.It wasn’t until she heard a pounding on the motel room door that she finally lifted her face.Swiping her eyes with her hands, she went over to peer out through the peephole to find Rhyne standing here.She was about to unlock the door when she remembered his word of warning.
“Who is it?”
“Rhyne,” he answered.
Relieved, she unlocked the door and turned the knob, then went into the bathroom to blow her nose and throw some water on her face before going back to face him.Despite her actions, she knew he’d be able to tell she’d been crying, but he didn’t comment about it.
He plugged the new charger into the wall socket next to the nightstand sitting between their beds, then plugged in his phone.Watching his actions brought up a question.
“Won’t Welsh be able to track your whereabouts through your phone?”
“Not in the way you think.We all have one of those prepaid phones.A burner phone.Now, if law enforcement wants to, they can track my location through the cell phone towers.But, no, Welsh can’t track this phone, even though he has my number.He can’t track Nash, either.Same as I can’t track him or Nash.”
“Speaking of Nash, do you plan to call him and tell him what happened?”
“He probably already knows by now.At least, he’ll have heard Welsh’s version.”
“What would Welsh’s version be like?”
“Somehow he’ll blame me for him going into the hospital.Maybe say that I told him to go get you, and he was just following orders.He might even claim that he was trying to save you from me, which was why he followed you out into that field.He’ll then play the victim if the cops ever catch up with him.”
“Buthek-killed Norris, not you.”
Rhyne’s gaze softened.“Like I said, if the cops manage to get their hands on him somehow, he’ll probably tell them it was all my idea and claim I’d threatened him if he didn’t obey.”Rhyne grimaced.“Damn.Poor Norris.”
Grace pointed to the TV.“I was watching the news.They already know it was Welsh who was in the hospital.The police are looking for him.”
“Which means they’ll go to the house and find out about me and Nash.Damn!”He scratched the back of his head.“Just the other night, Nash mentioned it was time we moved on to another city, but Welsh and I both argued against it.”
“Why?”
The man chuckled.“Strangely enough, now that I reflect on it…” He looked up at her.“It was because of you.”
“Me?”
“Welsh wanted you because… Well, we already know why.But my excuse was that I just wanted to get to know you better.”
Grace sat back.“Because of my blood,” she bitterly accused him.
He slowly shook his head.A flash of sadness crossed his handsome features.Still handsome in spite of the fresh marks he’d suffered during his conflict with Welsh.
“I didn’t know about you being the person with the miraculous AB negative blood, Grace.Swear on my life, I didn’t find out until last night when I went to warn Norris.”
“So, when you came to have coffee with me…”
Rhyne smiled.“I just wanted to spend some time with you.That’s all.”
She sat back to study him.She knew she wasn’t a real good judge of character, but Rhyne gave off vibes that he was being truthful.Grace hoped she was correct.
“Why did you go warn Norris?”
“Because when I realized I’d gotten several swallows, albeit diluted, of that AB negative blood, and all Welsh got was a smear, and my vision reverted within three days, I feared that at any moment Welsh’s eyesight would revert back to black and white sooner than mine did because he’d gotten a smaller sample.And when it did, he’d go looking for you.Norris promised to stay at the hospital after his shift so he could catch you first thing this morning and warn you.”
Her eyes started welling again as she nodded.“He did.He tried to warn me, but…but I didn’t believe him.I…” She drew a shaky breath.
