Chapter 20

Shea~

I couldn't decide if I didn't trust my new guard because I wasn't used to having one or if it was because he'd been the one to offer his help with supplying Noah with an alibi if my husband ever decided that he needed a blonde to satisfy his needs after all.

At any rate, having a guard took a lot of getting used to, no matter the reason. Though I was lucky enough that I could work my shift without him breathing down my neck, it still felt weird to have a ‘driver'. When Noah had assigned Craig to me, he had also informed me that my car would be stored in the garage, the keys safely secured inside the glove compartment since I would no longer be using it. If I wasn't with Noah, then I was going to be with Craig, no exceptions. Luckily, it was the second day of my two-day rotation, so I had Tuesday and Wednesday without Craig unless I needed something.

When I stepped out into the brisk evening air, I didn't see the car, but I did see Craig waiting outside for me. While I thought it a little odd, I knew nothing about the rules to having a chauffeur, so the car could have a flat for all I knew.

"Mrs. Murphy, this way," Craig instructed as soon as I was close enough.

"Where's the car?"

"Around the back," he answered. "It's not safe to be predictable, so there will be times when the car is out front, out back, or a block away. There will also be times when I'll ask you to leave the building through another exit."

I gave him a nod of understanding. "That makes sense."

"The same strategy will apply for when you go shopping, visit your parents, etc.," he went on. "Your routine will no longer be a predictable one, for good reason."

"It seems a bit of overkill when no one even knows that I'm married to Noah," I remarked as we made our way towards the east side of the hospital. "I mean, I haven't even changed my last name yet."

"All it takes is for one person to know, Mrs. Murphy," he replied. "Besides, after our security sweep of the hospital last week, almost every employee at Donza Medical knows. Better safe than sorry."

"Yeah, of course."

Our walk down the alleyway reminded me of a scary movie, the scene where there's a light right above the vehicle, but the dark patches to get to it could be riddled with monsters. Now, while I wasn't exactly scared, I was suddenly feeling wary, a cold dread trying to sneak up my spine. I mean, while what Craig had said made sense, why not let me know the change of plans before my shift? Better yet, why not give me a rundown of how he conducted his security detail?

However, before I could dwell on those questions some more, the wind was knocked from my lungs as my body was slammed against the brick building, my head cracking against the impenetrable cement work. My body fell to the ground as a muffled gunshot rang out, and the pain that sliced through my right arm and head was unlike anything that I'd ever felt before.

As my body hit the asphalt, it shook with the impact, making my teeth rattle, and I had to close my eyes as blood began to flood my vision. Even through the haze of pain, I knew that I'd been shot, but I was too stunned to mentally assess the damage.

Nevertheless, when the voices hit my ears, that's when I knew that it was over and that I had no one to blame but myself. Noah had never lied about not wanting a wife, and with Declan having been the one to force this marriage, I could see how this had been Noah's only way out.

"Hurry up, you fool," Craig hissed. "Make it a clean shot and do not fuck it up."

"Go stand in front of her body," a second voice suggested. "It needs to look like you were trying to protect her, so that the cops can't say anything."

"Noah better appreciate this," Craig complained. "If you don't know what you're fucking doing, I might bleed the fuck out."

"Quit bitching," the second voice chided.

"We need to check if she's dead," a third voice chimed in, making me almost vomit.

"Do not go near her," Craig ordered. "It'll look suspicious if you mess with the body. Take her purse but that's it."

"But what if she's not dead?" the third voice asked.

"I shot the bitch twice," the second voice drawled out. "She's dead."

"Even if she's not, I'll make sure that she bleeds out once you guys leave," Craig promised them. "No way are we fucking this up for Noah."

When a third muffled shot went off, I could hear Craig let out a low groan, a silencer being the only reason for the muted gunfire. I wanted so badly to cry for even daring to believe that Noah had been telling me the truth these past couple of days. I wanted to cry when I thought back to last night and how he'd made good on every wicked promise that he'd sworn to, and by the time that I'd been allowed to finally go to sleep, I'd become addicted to Noah Murphy, and I'd been on the verge of calling a truce just so that I could get my fix each night.

I felt sick with how I had fallen for his pretty lies, and all the while, Noah had been plotting to get rid of me. Since divorce hadn't been an option because of Declan, that left my murder. Noah had said that he was going to honor his vows, and this way, he'd be able to.

"Fuck, fuck, fuck," Craig hissed when another shot rang out. "I didn't tell you to shoot me twice, motherfucker."

"Trust me," the second voice said. "It'll sell the story better."

"Fine," Craig snapped. "Now get the fuck out of here."

"Not a problem," the third guy said. "It was a pleasure doing business with you, man."

"Just remember, we don't know each other," Craig said, his voice cracking.

"Until you need us for another job," the second guy joked.

"There's only one bitch that needed disposing of," Craig told them, and nausea was threatening to give me away. "And don't forget the fucking purse. The agreement was to make this look like a robbery gone bad."

I remained motionless as someone yanked my purse from around my wrist, the damn thing stubbornly staying on through my fall, and then I felt Craig's body fall across my feet as I heard the sounds of pounding footsteps fading away.

I wanted to laugh to myself when I thought about how Noah had done a security check of the hospital to ‘deem whether it was safe to work without a guard or not', and now I knew that it'd been to stage this little ambush. While there were cameras everywhere around the perimeter of the hospital, I'd bet what was left of my life on there not being any cameras in this area or that they weren't working.

"Motherfucker," Craig hissed, reminding me that he was set on making sure that my murder went according to plan. If he fucked up, there was no telling what Noah would do to him.

I had only seconds to decide what I wanted to do. Since Craig had been shot twice, there was a good chance that I could get away, but how far? I was losing blood, and while I could pinpoint the pain in my arm, I had no idea where I'd been shot in the head; I just knew that I had been.

However, before I could run or give up, I heard some more voices in the distance, then the telltale sounds of more footsteps. If the other two had come back to make sure that I was dead, then I was fucked. Granted, they could be coming back to ransack the car since it was supposed to be a robbery- gone-wrong, but either way, I couldn't afford to have them come back here to discover that I was alive.

"Oh, my God!" someone shrieked, and while my body wept with relief that it wasn't the shooters, my mind was quick to remind me that I was still fucked.

I laid still as my savior yelled into her phone for some help, and I wasn't even sure if that was a good thing at this point. Noah wanted out of our marriage enough to have me killed, and since this ‘accident' failed, there was no telling what would happen now. Would he plan something else, or make my life a living hell because he was stuck with me now? After all, another attempt on my life would be too suspicious for even my parents to ignore, let alone Declan O'Brien.

When I felt two fingers press against my neck, I didn't move. Even if Craig found out that I was still alive, I didn't want him knowing that I'd heard anything. If I showed my hand right now, then I really would be screwed, and I had only one chance at saving myself. I needed to remain ‘unconscious', and I needed Craig to believe that I hadn't heard anything. I also needed to make sure that I remained in the hospital until I could check myself out. Without my purse, it was going to make life a little harder when I finally ran, but at least I'd be alive to run. At this point, I was fine with being homeless as long as Noah couldn't find me to finish the job.

"Oh, Christ," a deep voice next to me said. "It's Shea Burke."

"Hurry!" another voice yelled.

"Shea, if you can hear me, it's Dr. Younger," Arthur Younger said. "We're going to take good care of you, honey."

I almost laughed. Doctor Arthur Younger was one of the best doctors at Donza Medical, so Noah was shit out of luck because I was probably going to live.