Chapter Eighteen

Christian was basking in the afterglow of mind-blowing sex with Aja Blue when his phone buzzed. Aja Blue made a sound and snuggled against him as he reached over to pick it up from the table. He didn't recognize the number.

"Hello?"

"Christian Zamora?"

"Yes."

"I'm calling from the Sentara Norfolk General Hospital. There's been an accident."

He sat up, dislodging Aja Blue, who grumbled her displeasure. "What happened?"

"I'm not at liberty to discuss specifics, but I wanted to inform you that there has been an accident. Ms. Presley Parrish was brought in. You were listed as her emergency contact."

Christian leaped out of bed and dressed. "Can you tell me her condition?"

"I'm afraid not."

Damn HIPAA laws. "I'm on my way."

Christian disconnected and pulled on his tactical pants.

"Christian? What's wrong?"

"Presley was in an accident."

Aja Blue gasped and shot out of bed, dressing in record time. He notified Kayne, who was ready when they ran down the steps.

"How is she?" Kayne asked, his jaw clenched.

"They wouldn't tell me."

The ride to the hospital was filled with nervous tension. Christian whipped into a visitor space, and they booked it for the entrance. He made a beeline for the check-in station.

"We're here for Presley Parrish."

The woman typed into a computer. "She's been admitted to Room 322."

Christian thanked her, and they found the elevator bank. One opened immediately, and they filed on. When they reached the third floor, Christian followed the signs to the room and pushed open the door. Presley was lying in a bed beneath dimmed lights with a sheet wrapped around her torso and a bandage on her head. Cuts on her face and arms had been cleaned and dressed. She was hooked up to machines that beeped softly. Christian clenched his jaw, wondering what had happened to his friend and coworker.

Presley's eyes blinked open, and she glanced around the room. "Where am I?"

Christian stepped into her line of sight. "You're at the hospital. You were in an accident."

That seemed to jar her from her stupor, and she shot up, her head scanning back and forth. "What happened to Detective Herbert?"

"We haven't heard."

"I'm on it," Kayne told them as he hustled out of the room.

"How do you feel?"

Presley collapsed onto the bed and closed her eyes. "Like a wrecker plowed into us. The impact was on the detective's side, so she took the brunt."

"What else do you remember?"

"We had the green light. Everything after that is a blur."

A woman in a white coat with a stethoscope around her neck entered the room. Her black hair was pulled back from her face, and she wore silver wire-rimmed glasses. Her brows narrowed as she scanned the people in the room.

"Ms. Parrish, I'm Doctor Palmer." She picked up the chart at the end of her bed and read whatever was there. When she closed it, she removed her glasses. "Do you want to clear the room while we discuss your injuries?"

"No. I want them to stay."

"Okay. You have a slight concussion, but the x-rays were clear, along with various scrapes and cuts. You were fortunate."

"I can go home then?"

"I'm afraid not. You lost consciousness for an extended period. You need to spend the night so we can monitor for any signs of additional damage. Head trauma isn't something to ignore."

Presley opened her mouth, probably to argue about going home, but Chrisitan said, "What time can we pick her up in the morning?" He felt guilty since he wouldn't want to stay either, but Presley was injured on his op, so he called the shots.

"Ten or so. That will give us enough time to evaluate her."

After a few more questions, the doctor left.

"Thanks a lot," Presley grumbled. "I hate hospitals."

"You heard her," Aja Blue scolded. "You don't mess around with head injuries."

Kayne returned. "Detective Herbert's in surgery for a broken foot, and she's being monitored for a head injury."

"I'm going to see if I can find someone from her department," Christian said.

"The waiting room is full of cops," Kayne told him.

"I'll be back."

He took the elevator to the first floor. Signs pointed him to the emergency room. Kayne had been right. The place was packed with officers in uniforms. Christian scanned the crowd and spotted the man he was looking for.

Captain Parsa looked up when Christian approached. "Mr. Zamora."

He held out his hand. "Captain Parsa. Do you have a minute?"

"Sure." He tipped his head. "Let's talk over there."

They moved away from the others to an empty hallway. "How is Detective Herbert?"

"We're waiting on word." Parsa shook his head. "Her car was destroyed. Thank goodness for airbags and safety features. One of your people was with her?"

"Yes. Presley Parrish. She has a concussion but should be released tomorrow."

"Good."

"Do you know what happened?"

Parsa's jaw clenched. "It was a hit. The truck was parked along the curb. The driver waited until Herbert moved through the intersection before plowing into her. He tried to get out and run, but bystanders tackled him and held him until backup arrived. He's being questioned now but admitted that he'd been paid to do it."

"By who?"

"That we don't know yet. He lawyered up."

"How did he know where she would be?"

"Someone slipped a tracker on her car."

It took guts to place a bug on an official police vehicle. Unfortunately, that meant the CObrA Securities safe house had been compromised. There was no indication that the person responsible for the accident had anything to do with Pastor Chet. One of the criminals the detective had put away over the years might've made the call. Christian wasn't taking chances.

"What about the men the detective was going to question?"

"One of the other detectives took over."

That could be bad. They might not know what had happened. Detective Herbert was well-versed in all aspects of the case. "Do they know the situation or what questions to ask?"

"Yes. Herbert had filled him in earlier, and he was going to accompany her to the interviews. He's one of the best at getting criminals to spill their guts, so she would've relied on him to coax a confession."

"Good."

After asking the captain to keep him in the loop and exchanging contact information, Christian headed back to Presley's room. On the way, he texted BeBe, asking for new accommodations. His phone rang seconds after he hit the send button.

"Hey, Christian," BeBe said. "You don't need to apologize."

"I do. You shouldn't have to be on call twenty-four seven." Though he didn't know what he or his coworkers would do without her. He told her his fears that their location had been compromised.

"It's what I live for," she responded. "Well, after Tank. He's number one. Anyway, I always have a backup," she revealed. "It's not the first time this has happened." She gave him a new address and a code to open the gate.

"You are incredible. Thank you."

When Christian returned to her room, Presley was asleep. Aja Blue and Kayne sat beside her bed. They both stood when he entered, and they left together. He told them what he had learned from the captain and about their alternate lodging.

"I'm sure the detective has plenty of enemies," noted Kayne. "Why do you think the accident had something to do with Aja Blue's case?"

"I don't know if it does, but I'm not taking chances."

#

Aja Blue felt horrible that Presley and the detective had been injured. It was hard not to feel responsible. Presley was in Virginia because of her. No, it wasn't Aja Blue's fault that someone had targeted Jay and thereby her, but that didn't change how she felt.

Packing up the house went fast. Christian had told her to live out of her suitcase, and now she was glad. A few items in the bathroom were all she needed to collect, and she was ready to go. She glanced at the bed where she and Christian had first made love, hating that she had to leave. She knew it would happen eventually, but it would always hold special memories for her.

Christian wanted to take the groceries, so they packed them into boxes and loaded them into the SUV. Instead of driving two vehicles, they would leave one, and someone from their office would arrange to return it. Since the one Presley and Kayne used had equipment and supplies in the back, Christian chose it.

Kayne drove with Christian riding shotgun. Aja Blue sat in the back and tried not to panic about everything that had happened. She'd never been a doomsayer, but the last few days had tested her resolve. She was afraid to let her guard down for a moment. It felt like something ominous was around the corner.

The gate opened, and Kayne motored through. Something pinged against the driver's side door and the next thing Aja Blue knew, Christian ordered her to get down as he rolled down his window and fired his weapon. She was thrown forward when Kayne shifted into reverse and gunned the accelerator. They came to a screeching stop back inside the gate.

"There. I saw him," Christian said. "Aja Blue, stay here. I mean it."

The doors opened, and then Christian and Kayne were gone, leaving her in a sudden silence punctuated by the pounding of her heart. She felt helpless doing nothing while they risked their lives.

A gunshot sounded, and Aja Blue forgot to breathe.