get the impression I don’t have time.”
Jake shoved his hands into his jacket pockets. He couldn’t argue with her.
“Someone’s after me,” she said in a soft voice.
“We don’t know that.”
“But if I saw something…”
“You need to focus on healing. You’re safe here.”
“You’re kidding, right? I almost died in the E.R., then a crazy cop handcuffs and interrogates me.”
Jake took a step closer. “It won’t happen again. I’m sorry I let Monroe question you.”
“He’s a cop. It’s not like you could have stopped him.”
“It doesn’t matter who it is. You asked me for help. I’ll make sure no one gets that close again.”
She leaned back against the pillow but didn’t look convinced. A distant memory flashed to the surface to taunt Jake. I won’t let him hurt you again, Mommy. But Jake had failed to keep that promise.
“You know the doctor in the E.R., the one who probably put something in my IV?” she said.
“Yeah?”
“I’ve seen him before.”
“You recognized him?”
“Just his eyes.” She hesitated. “Death Eyes.”
The nurse came into the room and checked Robin’s blood pressure. “Your few minutes is up,” she said, not looking at Jake.
“How are her vitals?” Jake asked.
“Everything looks good.” The nurse smiled at Robin.
With a nod, Jake started for the door.
“Wait, Jake?”
He turned to her.
“Thanks, for coming to the rescue.”
“Don’t mention it.”
“Do you…?” She hesitated. “Would you want to sit in here?”
Robin glanced at the nurse.
“If it would make you feel better,” the nurse said.
“It would.” Robin motioned to a chair.
It hit a little too close to home, having recently spent months sitting beside Mom, but Jake read panic in Robin’s eyes. She would feel better if he stayed close.
“Sure.” With a nod, Jake collapsed in a corner chair where he had a clear view of the door.
The nurse finished up and left Robin and Jake alone.
Robin leaned against the pillow and eyed him. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why are you here?”
“Excuse me?” He sat up straight. Had she forgotten asking him to protect her?
“Don’t look so worried. I remember asking you to stay,” she said as if she’d read his mind. “I’m wondering why you came to the hospital with me in the first place.”
Crossing his arms over his chest, he said, “I guess I feel responsible. It’s my fault you ran into the street.”
“You weren’t trying to shoot me.”
“No, but I frightened you, and you tore off to get away from me.”
“I wish I could remember.” She closed her eyes and pulled the blankets up to her chin.
The woman was a mess. Who wouldn’t be? The hospital should be a safe place, a healing place. Instead, it had turned into a war zone where enemies hid in every corner from the E.R. to her hospital room.
Detective Monroe. A complete jerk. Jake couldn’t believe the guy had gone after her like that, handcuffed her to the bed. What on earth was he thinking?
“I wish you could remember, too,” Jake said.
With a sigh, she rolled onto her side, facing him. Wrapped in blankets, she looked childlike and fragile.
“I’m afraid of what comes next,” she said in a soft voice.
“Don’t be. Just rest. That’s the best thing you can do for yourself.”
She nodded and closed her eyes. He folded his hands behind his head and leaned back. This woman tapped into all his protective instincts from his mom, to his ex-girlfriend, to innocents in Iraq. He was overthinking again.
He glanced at the door as someone passed. That’s what he should be focused on, not the tender beauty wrapped in white.
He suddenly wondered if this was his chance at redemption, his chance to make it right. He’d see Robin through to the end and make sure she wasn’t another innocent victim of violence.
Robin awakened with a start, terrified all over again. She glanced around to get her bearings and spotted Jake in the corner of the dark room, asleep in the chair.
She hadn’t slept well, tossing and turning, her thoughts driving her into a deeper sense of foreboding. She’d seen something she shouldn’t have, and couldn’t remember anything clearly enough to help the police find the killer.
Those buried memories were going to get her killed.
She didn’t want to die. She had a lot to do, things to accomplish. Too bad she couldn’t remember what they were.
A creaking sound from the doorway made her jackknife in bed. She squinted through the dark room toward the light in the hallway, but no one was there.
She was tempted to ask for a sleep aid, but didn’t like taking drugs of any kind, even an over-the-counter pain reliever, although she’d accepted a few of those earlier to ease her pounding head.
Placing a hand to her heart to calm herself, she flopped back against the bed and eyed Jake, her self-proclaimed bodyguard. His arms were folded across his chest, his head tipped forward. Guilt snagged her insides. He looked so uncomfortable. She shouldn’t have asked him to stay, but she didn’t know who else to turn to. She needed someone’s help, and so far Jake had been the only person in her life who seemed to be more concerned about Robin than the murder case.
The shrill sound of the phone made her jump. She grabbed it, not wanting it to awaken Jake. “Hello?” she whispered.
“Death Eyes is coming for you,” a gravelly voice whispered.
She slammed the receiver, ripped out her IV and jumped out of bed, backing up against the wall.
“Robin?”
