Page 65 of On the Chase
She waited impatiently for Blessard to return, her knee bobbing up and down like a sewing machine. Finally, she couldn’t stand sitting any longer, and she jumped up to pace the waiting area. It hurt her ankle and her ribs and every sore muscle in her body, but it was better than trying to sit still when all her anxiety was raging to get out.
When the lieutenant returned to the waiting room, he looked even more cranky than usual, and Grace’s stomach turned sour. Was there bad news? She hurried over to him.
“Lieutenant Blessard?”
He scanned her as if checking for visible injuries. “Ms. Robinson. How are you doing?”
“I’m fine,” she said dismissively. “How is Hugh?”
Blessard continued to eye her skeptically, but he didn’t press the issue. Grace wondered if that was because he could tell how close she was to a complete meltdown. “He’ll be fine. Concussion and a broken arm—just a simple fracture of his radius. He’s asking to see you.”
Relief filled her with helium, making her so light that she felt she could float right up to the ceiling. “Good. That’s so…good. Can I go now? To see him?” She knew she sounded like a ditz, but Grace didn’t care. Hugh was going to be fine, and he wanted to see her. For the first time all day, she could breathe again.
The tiniest of smiles crossed the lieutenant’s face. “Go ahead. We need to talk to you immediately afterward, though, to get your statement.”
She winced, not wanting to relive it, but knowing she didn’t have a choice. “Okay.”
“Jesus Christ, what a mess. The feds are going nuts… Never mind.” Looking incredibly tired, Blessard rubbed a hand over his face. “Better go see Hugh now, before he drags his stubborn, injured ass out of bed to look for you. He’s in Room Eight.”
“I’m going. Thanks, Lieutenant.” As she hurried down the corridor toward Hugh’s room, Grace marveled that there was a hospital with single-digit room numbers. When she reached the right door, she knocked, shifting impatiently during the half second it took for Hugh to yell, “Come in!”
She burst into the room and took in Hugh sitting up in bed, a bandage on his head and a cast on his forearm. A furious-looking Theo leaned against the wall. She eyed Hugh’s too-healthy-looking form lounging—yes,lounging—on the bed, and her relief was shoved aside by anger. Propping her hands on her hips, she gave him her best glare. He laughed. He actuallylaughed.
“Hey, Gracie. Thanks for coming to see me.”
“No.” She strode forward until her knees were almost touching the bed. It was better to loom over him so he could see how deadly serious she was. “I’m sick of this. You do not get to throw yourself on top of me like some kind of hero anymore. I am not a damsel. I get to save you from life-threatening events at least as many times as you’ve saved me. Until I’m caught up, there will be no more heroics from you, understand?”
His lips were twitching, and she knew he was about to laugh. Grace was tempted to smack him. Maybe he’d be serious then. “Not sure what to say to that. Sorry?”
“It’s not enough. You have a bullet hole in your leg, a broken arm, and a bruised brain. No. More. Hero. Crap. Got it?”
He laughed, but then immediately clamped his mouth shut. “Sorry.” He kept his sober expression for almost three seconds. “You’re funny, though. You have to admit that you’re funny.”
“The situation is not funny,” Theo chimed in. “If you are hurt seriously again, I’m going to kick your ass.”
Grace gave Theo an approving nod. “Me, too.”
“Aww, Gracie. Your threats are really sweet, as well as exceptionally hot, for some reason.” Reaching out his unbroken arm, Hugh caught her hand.
The rough feeling of the smaller, more professional bandages now covering his palms reminded her of his rope burns, and she glared at him again. “And your poor hands, all ripped up while saving me and Lexi. No more. I’m sick of worrying about you.”
He gave her hand a squeeze and smiled. It was his adorable puppy smile, and she knew she was going to fold in a matter of seconds. There was just no way to resist Hugh when he grinned at her like that. As if he could read her mind, his smile widened, and he tugged her closer. With her legs already pressed against the side of the bed, her upper body started tilting toward him. Although Grace knew that she should resist, that Hugh wasn’t taking her seriously, and that she needed to get him to promise he wouldn’t almost die for her ever again, she was unable to stop herself from leaning in until their faces were just inches apart.
“And I’m out,” Theo said. Startled, Grace tried to jerk back, but Hugh’s grip tightened, holding her in place. Despite his injuries, he was surprisingly strong. Theo gave Grace a reproving look, and she dropped her gaze.
“I know.” She shot a quick glance at Hugh before sheepishly meeting Theo’s eyes again. “I folded. Sorry. It’s that puppy-dog look…” When his disapproving scowl didn’t waver, Grace, like the chicken that she was, tossed out a guaranteed distraction. “Jules is here.”
With a shake of his head that expressed his disappointment in her lack of staying power against Hugh’s puppy eyes, Theo stalked to the door. “I don’t need to watch what’s coming.”
“Not when you can go find Jules and have a make-out session of your own, right?” Hugh said slyly.
Turning, Theo gave Hugh a severe look. Grace would’ve crumbled under that glare, but Hugh merely met Theo’s gaze with raised eyebrows and a smirk. Their stare down lasted an uncomfortably long time before Theo’s mouth twitched.
“Maybe.” He left the room, closing the door behind him with a sharp thump.
As soon as he was gone, Grace tried again to extricate herself from Hugh’s grip.
Hugh didn’t let her go anywhere. In fact, he reached over with his casted arm and awkwardly caught her free hand in his protruding fingers. “Where do you think you’re going?”
