He riveted his gaze to her as one word kept screaming in his mind. Doctor. But the look of heartfelt sorrow in her eyes brought him to his senses. Not this doctor.

“He took a bullet in the thigh.”

“But, that’s not usually fatal unless the bullet severs the femoral artery.”

Reid’s stomach threatened to purge as the memory of that day resurfaced. “He didn’t bleed out.”

“Then what killed him?”

His eyes burned as he glared at her before turning and starting down the stairs.

“Do you know the name of his doctor? Maybe I can get a copy of his chart.”

He stopped and spun around so fast she collided with him. He growled as he looked at her. “What good would that do?”

“I could find the cause of death. Maybe help you understand what killed him. I want to help.”

“I’m not interested. I know what killed him.” Reid turned back around and left her standing there. He walked into the kitchen and opened the fridge. There was nothing to eat, never was, and he slammed it closed. Shit. He clenched his teeth and decided to pace.

Why did she have to offer something like that? Some of the doctors he’d met at MSF all offered the same thing, but he knew better. Doctors didn’t help. They didn’t fucking care.

She glided into the kitchen, stopping him in mid-pace. The look in those eyes made his blood warm. She took another guarded step, and another until she rested a hand on his arm. The connection sent shocks through his arm, into his heart, and calmed him in an instant. “Talk to me.”

He covered her hand with his. It was a perfect piece to this hellish puzzle, her hand with his. He studied the way her delicate fingers laced with his. He couldn’t even begin to count the number of things wrong with this—whatever this was—thing between them.

None of that mattered as he pulled her into his arms and slanted his lips over hers. He wanted this to be an easy kiss, one meant for comfort. And that’s what Kaycee Addison was to him. He touched her jaw, running his finger along the bone, up past her ear, and weaving his hand into her hair.

She nipped at his tongue and Reid let his emotions take control of the kiss. Dear God, she blew his mind. He pulled back, knowing if he didn’t, she most certainly wouldn’t. Her eyes glittered with heated lust and once again, he damn near lost his self-control.

They had to get out of the house, if for no other reason, than to stop him from attacking her and burying his cock so deep inside her he’d never come out. “How about breakfast?”

She arched a tawny eyebrow and gave him a come-and-get-me-grin. “I’d rather stay in.”

“Kace, neither of us has eaten since that greasy burger yesterday.”

She dropped her smile. “And you just had a houseful of cops here looking for me. Do you really think it’s a good idea for us to leave the house?”

“The fact that at least one of them knew my brother buys us a few hours before Dave comes knocking. Let’s make the most of it and grab some grub. We can pick up a few groceries after we eat and then come back.”

“Should I dye my hair?”

His gaze jumped to her golden waves. He liked her hair. Loved it, in fact. But, as much as he hated the idea, it made sense for her to dye it. Probably cut it, too. Police were looking for a blonde with buttery waves that fell past her shoulder. Dying it and cropping it off would be the smart thing to do.

Correction. The smart thing would have been to turn her in when the cops were here. But they wouldn’t be able to handle the likes of Dr. Kaycee Addison. Hell, Reid could barely handle her. After playing Sherlock and Watson with Josh for years, it was second nature to breeze through an interrogation. It was a talent he now possessed, thanks to his brother.

Who knew he’d have to put it in to practice in real life.

* * * *

Kaycee couldn’t remember almond chicken ever tasting so good. Then again, she couldn’t remember last week, so that didn’t mean much. But this chicken had her toes curling. And the fried rice? The egg rolls? Sheer bliss.

Of course, it could have something to do with the company. Reid studied her throughout the entire meal, his gaze riveted to her like a chartreuse spotlight. He only glanced away to watch as people came into the sparsely lit Chinese restaurant. With her back to the door, she could only watch his reaction until he relaxed each time.

“Why did you choose this place?” She popped more almond chicken into her mouth.

“It’s dark, isolated, and only the waitress speaks English, and broken English at that. Josh and I used to meet here for lunch all the time. She spotted his badge once and screamed something in Chinese. The kitchen staff scattered. Josh raised his hands and told her he was only here for the almond chicken. She nodded and smiled at him, and we’ve had amazing food at this place ever since.”

“Sounds like your brother. He had amazing taste. This almond chicken is divine.”

“Based on that experience, I’d say most of the staff isn’t here legally. They’d never call the cops, even if they did recognize you.”

“Smart.”

“I have my moments.”

Smiling at him, she let out a sigh and just looked at him. Damn, he had the most amazing bone structure.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Like what?”

“Like I’m on the menu.”

Dropping her gaze to her plate, her grin widened. She couldn’t help it. She didn’t know when. She didn’t know how. She only knew that she’d already lost herself in him and didn’t ever want her life back if it meant continuing on without Reid Cavanaugh.

First, she had to find a way to prove Brad framed her for murder. Only then could she insure a life with Reid and not a life locked behind bars. After cleaning her plate, she jumped up, ready to find a way to get their hands on that autopsy report. “Ready?”

“I haven’t finished my egg roll.”

“But we have to get to the hospital.”

He shot her a warning glare. A table full of four business men all looked up from their food and Kaycee immediately turned her back to them as heated worry burned into her cheeks. Reid stood, popped the last of his egg roll into his mouth, and wiped his hands on the napkin before tossing it onto his plate.

“I guess it’s time to see if Grammy has thrown her bedpan at the nurse on duty yet. Back to the hospital it is.” He dragged her outside into the heat, and into a loud argument between two men who had somehow smacked their cars into each other in the middle of the intersection at the top of a steep, blind curve. Seattle was full of them. “You could have gotten your ass busted in there. You can’t just blurt shit out like that.”

“Sorry. I’m excited to get my hands on that report.”

“Oh, yeah. Reading about dead people is at the top of my list.”

She turned toward the hospital, but Reid’s hand on her wrist stopped her. “What are you doing? The hospital is this way.”

“Which is why we aren’t going that way. You’re crazy if you think we can go to the hospital again. You were already spotted once. There are probably cops crawling all over the place.”

“But we have to. It’s the only way to get ahold of that report.”

Reid took the two strides needed to be inches from her. She slowly brought her gaze up until it met his. His voice was dangerously low as he spoke, but she heard it loud and clear, even though the arguing motorists had escalated to shouts and obscenities. “In case it might have slipped your mind, we are in the middle of the city. The police don’t take kindly to fugitives, or those hiding them. Now, let’s get a few things at the market and then get back to the house.”

She took a breath to come up with another excuse as to why they needed to head to the hospital when the sound of screeching tires stopped her. She whipped around just as a big yellow bus appeared over the hill and swerved to miss the two men and their crunched up cars. The bus veered back when the initial swerve sent it on two wheels. The driver overcorrected again and it crashed onto its side, screeching to a stop in the middle of an intersection and collided against the two vehicles already there.

Screams erupted from inside the bus. The sound of the oddly high pitches sent frightening chills up her spine. Children.

Kaycee leaned forward to run and help, but then skidded to a stop as a motorcyclist couldn’t stop in time and slammed into the bottom of the bus. Another car came from the opposite direction and in no time, cars squealed and rammed into each other everywhere. The entire street was in chaos.

Crying. Whimpering. Little arms poked out of the windows of the bus. People staggered out of their cars. Some of them held various parts of their body, some bloodstained, some not. But it was the cries from the children that sent her into a dead run. The scent of fuel filled the air as diesel poured out of the bus, onto the ground and streamed down the street.

“Kace! No!”

She knew the consequences, but her life didn’t matter, not at that moment. Those children needed her. The adults stumbling out of their vehicles would live. Those children may not if she couldn’t get to them in time. If that fuel caught fire, they’d all be trapped.

“Call 9-1-1,” she screamed at a man on his cell phone, hopefully already on with the police. Without hesitation she jumped into the middle of the chaos, centered her focus, and scanned the scene.

She had to get into that bus. Remembering bus drills from high school, she ran to the back and rattled the door handle. It wouldn’t budge. She kicked at the window, but it still wouldn’t break. Slamming her heel into the window over and over did nothing but waste her time and give her an aching foot.

Reid appeared and kicked out the window. “This is a bad idea, baby. You’re going to get caught.”

“I don’t care. They need me. We have to get these kids out.”

He nodded and helped her inside the bus.

She sliced her finger on a piece of glass as she climbed through and hissed in a breath. “Make sure all those pieces of glass are out. We don’t want any of the kids hurting themselves on them.”

“You got it.”

Once inside, she brought her finger to her lips and glanced around. A cry hovered in the back of her throat. The shock of the sight made her pause. Her heart fluttered and for a split second, she wanted to run the other way from the scene of their little bodies tangled with the various bus parts and with each other.

But that was short-lived. A little voice cried from the front. “Help?”

Kaycee cleared her head with a quick shake. “Who can raise their hand? Can you raise your hand for me?” Several hands came up. Carefully, she stepped through the maze of children. Not a one over ten years old, she’d wager. She reached the first tiny hand. “Can you walk?” It was a little boy. He nodded and stood, and she led him to the back of the bus where Reid waited for her.

“Take the boy over to the side, on that patch of grass by the sidewalk. He’s in the green section.”

“What’s green?” Both the boy and Reid asked at the same time.

She smiled at the boy. “Green means you’re great. Now, you go with Mr. Smith, okay?”

“Okay.”

She turned back and took the next hand, leading a little girl with springy red pigtails to the back of the bus. Reid took her over to the hill to join the boy. One by one, Kaycee picked out the kids who could raise their hands and led them to Reid.

That only left those that couldn’t raise their hand.

“I’m Dr. Smith.” She hated to lie to them, but couldn’t take the chance. “I want to help you, but you need to help me. Can anyone call out to me? Tell me what hurts?”

Whimpers sounded throughout the bus. Cries. It quickened her pulse. If they could make noise, they were yellow.

A little girl not too far from her cried out. “Dr. Smith? My leg hurts.”

Kaycee raced to the back and found the girl. She had a broken leg, no doubt about it. “Put your arm around me, honey. I’m going to be your right leg. Have you ever seen a crutch?”

“Uh huh. I had to use them last year when I hurt my ankle. They hurt my arm pits.”

“They do hurt, but they feel better than walking on a broken leg, don’t they?”

“Same place?” Reid stood at the back of the bus, waiting for Kaycee to deliver another child.

“This one is yellow.”

He nodded and carried her to another spot on the grassy hill.

Within minutes, she’d assessed each of the children’s conditions and triaged them into green, yellow and red sections. Thank God not one of them landed in the black section.

That left the driver. She made her way to the front of the bus and felt for a pulse. Strong. Steady. And a good two hundred fifty pounds. No way would she be able to move him.

“How is he?” Reid asked, appearing behind her.

“He’s going to be fine. Might have some cracked ribs from the seat belt, but it did its job. He’s alive.”

Reid rubbed his chest. “I know how that goes.” He pulled the driver out of his seat and dragged him through the bus, over the broken glass, and out the back, to the grassy hill.

Once she had the bus secured, she turned to the passengers in the cars.

Most of them were already out of their vehicles. Kaycee found one woman too shaken to undo her seatbelt. She sat in her car, her eyes wide, her hands like death grips on the steering wheel.

“It’s okay,” Kaycee explained and placed her hand over the woman’s through the smashed out driver’s window. “I’m a doctor. I’m here to help you.”

The contact seemed to help. The woman turned and looked at her. “Am—am I hurt?”

Smiling, Kaycee shook her head. “Can I help you out of your vehicle, ma’am?” The woman nodded and Kaycee helped her over to the side of the street, into the green section.

She then stole a glance at those in the red section. Thank God there were only a few. But with kids, even one was too many. She only hoped the ambulances would get there in time.

“You’re an angel,” the woman said as Kaycee turned to go back to help whoever else she could.

Kaycee thanked her and ran over to the man on the motorcycle. Judging by the way he lay there, she couldn’t do a thing to help him. At least he was the only one in the black section. She checked his neck, confirmed no pulse, and asked if anyone had a blanket. Someone handed her one and she placed it over the top of the man.

After examining the scene, she felt certain she’d helped every last person involved in the mayhem of the Seattle street on a Saturday afternoon. It seemed so unreal.

“Kace?”

She turned to Reid, his eyes wide, all the color drained from his face, motioning for her to come over to him. As she approached, she saw what had him so upset. One of the children was having a seizure.

“Shouldn’t we do something?”

She grabbed at the child’s wrists. She felt for a medical bracelet on his wrist, and luckily found one stating the child had epilepsy. “No. The best thing for him is to let the seizure complete. Keep him on his side in case he vomits. Aside from that, do nothing. And don’t stick your fingers in his mouth.”

Reid gave her a funny look. “Why would I do that?”

“You’d be amazed what people will do if they think it will help. I’ve seen fingers bitten off because of it.”

He curled his lip and moved his hands away from the child’s face.

“Dr. Smith?” A little girl, maybe seven years old, called out in a weak voice. “It hurts to breathe. Right here.” She pointed at a bloodstained spot on her chest.

Kaycee sat her down and knelt down in front of her. “I’m going to have to tear your pretty dress. Is that okay?”

“My mommy will get mad.”

She wanted to pull her into her arms and take the hurt away. She was only a baby. “No,” she laughed, trying not to cry. “She won’t get mad. I promise.”

The little girl’s big brown eyes blinked at her. “Okay.”

She tore at the rip in the plaid jumper. “What’s your name?”

The little girl watched Kaycee’s face as she worked. “Trina.”

“Trina? That’s a very pretty name.” She found the source—two broken ribs. One had broken clean through the skin, which explained the blood. The other must have punctured one of her tiny lungs.

The sound of sirens off in the distance caught her attention. “Do you hear that, Trina? That’s the ambulance. They’re coming to help you. Do you want to go for a ride?”

Trina’s big brown eyes danced. “A ride? In the back of an ambulance? Oh, yes!”

The first of the ambulances stopped right next to her, with several more right behind it. EMTs jumped out and ran toward the crowd of green patients.

“No.” She motioned for them to follow her. “I’ve already triaged the scene. The group to my right is red. They’re first. This group here is yellow, and that one is green.”

“Are you a doctor?” One of the EMTs narrowed his eyes as he studied her.

“Her name is Dr. Smith.” Trina looked up at the EMT about to take her hand.

Kaycee turned back, meeting the eyes of a young EMT. He studied her with more interest than she wanted, given her current situation. She turned back to see more EMTs working on the red section, and others working on the yellow. The EMT already had little Trina in the back of an ambulance.

And then he jumped out as his eyes lit up. “Wait a second. Are you Dr. Kaycee Addison? Holy shit. You are! Hey! Can I get a cop over here? Hey? Hello?”

“We got our own things to deal with!” someone shouted back.

“But I’ve got Dr. Kaycee Addison here! She’s wanted for murder!”

Several heads poked up like prairie dogs in a field.

What a way to show gratitude, asshat. I triage the scene and you try to get me arrested.

“Shit. I told you this was a bad idea.” Reid grabbed her hand.

And they ran.

 

 

 

ELEVEN

 

“Why isn’t anyone coming after us?”

Reid glanced over his shoulder. “They probably have enough to deal with at the scene. Consider yourself damn lucky.”

They hurried in silence, until the duplex came into view. Sweat trickled down her back and drenched her shirt. His, too. They didn’t slow until Reid had the door slammed and locked behind them. Then he whipped around to her, his glare blazing. “What the hell was that? Crazy. Could have been caught. Out in plain sight. Completely insane.”

How could he be angry for helping all those kids? Maybe even saving some of their lives? “You’ve got to be kidding me. Are you mad that we helped?”

“Hell, yes. I’m mad. You could have been caught.”

“Some of those children needed immediate medical attention, Reid. It’s my duty to help them.”

“It’s your duty to keep your ass hidden. How am I supposed to help you if you won’t help yourself?” He rubbed his shoulder and winced. “And now I’m all sore again. Son of a bitch.”

“Your shoulder? Do you want me to take a look?”

“No.”

“Reid, don’t be so stubborn.”

He shrugged and made a tortured face. “I’ll be what I want to be.”

“You’re being a baby.”

Reid swung around and pulled her to him. She widened her eyes, startled at his abrupt change in attitude. He lifted her into his arms and she wrapped her legs around him. His hard cock wedged perfectly between her thighs.

He shook his head and muttered, “Crazy.” Then he crushed his lips down on hers.

She stiffened in surprise, for about a second. If that.

“You’re driving me absolutely bat shit crazy,” he muttered against her lips. “Sweet Jesus, Kaycee. You make me crazy…for you. I have to touch you, taste you. I’m dying every second for you.”

His voice, so thick and heavy with lust, conveyed the exact emotion coursing through her. She needed him to feel the hunger in her touch. He thrust his tongue into her mouth, and she moaned, kissing him back with equal intensity.

He growled, the sound carnal, primal, and sending shivers ripping up her back. She couldn’t stand it and writhed against him, needing to be closer. She had to touch him, hold him in her hands, and know that he was real.

With her hands shaking in her desperation, she slid off him and reached down. After unbuttoning his jeans, she pulled his engorged flesh out of his pants. As she squeezed and stroked, he shuddered against her lips.

“Holy shit, Kace. You definitely have a way with your hands.”

Her body ached for him to lay his hands on her. He pulled the t-shirt up over her head, removed her bra, and dove for her breasts. She threw her head back and moaned into the air when his lips met one of her nipples.

Walking them backwards, she directed him to the stairs that led to the bedroom. They almost made it, too.

But then they fell against the stairs. He twisted them and landed on his back, Kaycee on top of him. Laughing, she tore at his shirt and lapped at his nipple as soon as she had it exposed.

“Sweet mother of...holy shit.” Reid fisted her hair and pulled her lips to his. He controlled the kiss and she had no problem with that. Pushing his pants down with her foot, she worked them off while he disposed of hers in equal efficiency.

He swung them around, placing her beneath him and thrusting deep into her with one, smooth motion. She arched her back and cried out from the blinding pleasure. And then he held still. She bucked and wiggled for more friction, but he dug his hands into her hips to hold her in place. “Jesus, woman. Just give me a second. I need a little self-control here.”

“Like hell.” She bit at his mouth and rocked up against him, burying his flesh deeper inside her. “Oh, Reid.”

“Kace, goddamn it, you’re so tight. Jesus. Just please, hold still. Please.”

“Reid, I can’t. You have me… oh God. Reid.” She jumped with her hips, bucking almost violently as her orgasm grew like a wildfire in high wind.

With deep lunges, Reid piston drove his cock into her over and over until both their bodies slammed into the other, rising and falling as they pushed toward release.

“Reid. Oh, Jesus. Yes, just a little bit more. Yes. Yes! Yes!” She cried as stars exploded behind her eyes. Her entire body stiffened as her orgasm ripped through her. She scratched at his back as he continued to plunge into her, pushing himself to his own climax. Her bones shattered, each and every one of them, and she cried out again as he thrust one last time before exploding deep inside her.

“Kaycee.” He growled her name and took her lips, kissing her with such passion she tasted it. Only after the last of their joint orgasm ebbed did they collapse next to each other.

She glanced above her head at the last few stairs. “We almost made it this time.”

He laughed and leaned in to kiss her. “I guess we’ll have to keep trying until we finally make it up to the bedroom.”

“Next time, I definitely vote for the bed. I think I have a rug burn on my ass.”

He laughed even louder as he pulled her up off the stairs. “I’ll kiss it and make it all better.”

“Promise?” She wrapped her arms around him and rested her lips against his. “I’m three for three on my promise to you, you know. I’ve made you laugh every day since we’ve met.”

“That you have.”

“I guess that just leaves the third word.” He fingered her hair and pulled her head back to devour her lips. He then moved to her neck.

“How about we start by putting it into practice?”

He grinned. “I like the sound of that.”

* * * *

She laughed as she studied her appearance in the mirror. It didn’t look like her. At almost black, the color was definitely too dark for her complexion. She’d cut it too short for sure. Reid was going to hate it. He loved her long blonde waves. She did too, for that matter.

A knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.

“Are you done, yet? You’ve been in there all morning.”

“Almost.” She brought her eyes back to her reflection. “Almost,” she breathed and thought about her condition. “Episodic Retrograde Amnesia. The loss of recollection of personally experienced events. Nice to know you can remember the important things, Addison.” She hated that she could diagnose something so complex with ease, and yet struggle with the day of the week. Was it Sunday? They’d spent the rest of the day wrestling, making love, and even going for a walk along the trail behind his place. Once the sun set, they made love and spent the night wrapped in each other’s arms.

That meant today was Sunday, right?

“Why can’t you remember? What are you trying to protect me from?” Her reflection didn’t answer. Her mind struggled in the fog she called her memories, but something blocked the way. She had a headache which, under the circumstances, couldn’t be a good sign.

And on top of the chaos surrounding her life, threatening to swallow her up if she slowed to think about it, was Reid Cavanaugh. In a matter of a few days, she’d fallen for him amidst all this craziness. What did that say about them? They’d make it? They’d crash and burn as soon as the rush of the adrenaline wore off?

She certainly hoped not. The sex was incredible.

“You know what happens to girls who have sex before the third date.” Oh, no. Her mother’s words fell from her own lips. At least she could remember her mother’s lectures. Oh, goodie.

Another knock. “Kace? Do you plan on coming out soon?”

“You’re going to hate it.” She sighed and opened the door. He took a breath to say something, but instead slowly let it out as he studied her new appearance. “I know, I know,” she defended and pushed past him. “It’s too dark. Too short. Too…everything. I don’t like it.”

“No. It’s just…wow. It’s…wow.”

“You likes?”

“I don’t hates. You look like a whole different person.”

“That’s the idea, isn’t it? Can we go to the hospital now?” The sooner she could get to the bottom of this, the sooner she could actually be with Reid without having to hide it, without having to be on the run.

“Kace, we talked about this.” He walked into the kitchen.

She stayed on his heels. “No, you talked. I didn’t get a say in the matter.”

He leaned against the counter and shoved his hands into his pockets as he studied her for what seemed like an eternity. Those piercing eyes raked across her, sending whispers of tantalizing chills across her flesh. How did he do that, caress her without a touch?

“Do you really think getting your hands on that report will help?”

“It can’t hurt.”

“You win. We can’t sit around here waiting for something to happen. Besides, I’m sure Dave will be stopping by to question me and until I can figure out what to tell him, I’d rather not see him.”

“Who’s Dave?”

“My brother’s partner. Or was.” He let out a sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. “You’ve got five minutes. Wear the ball cap and sunglasses I got you.”

She squared her shoulders, doing her best guy impression. She even dropped her voice. “Two dudes, just hangin’. We’re bros, yo.”

“Never do that again.”

She laughed and shrugged. “You don’t think I look like a boy?”

Reid chuckled. “Trust me. If anyone mistakes you for a boy, they’re blind.”

* * * *

It only took them half an hour to reach the hospital by foot using backstreets. Reid needed the walk to clear his head. Besides, the sun floated high in the cloudless sky, which didn’t happen nearly enough in Seattle. They had to take advantage of the nice weather while they could, despite the heat.

“Let’s go back to the morgue.”

He slowed, not wanting to go anywhere near the room full of death. “Do we have to?”

“It’s the office I need.” Kaycee led the way down the stairs and through the double doors.

“How can you be so sure Dr. Morgue won’t be here today?”

“Because he doesn’t work Sundays.”

“Mighty sure of yourself, aren’t you?”

“Of course I am.” She thrust out her chin. He had to laugh at the look she gave him. She said one thing but that mixture of uncertainty clouded her eyes. Still, it didn’t stop her from blurting out her answer with confidence.

He motioned toward the doors they went through the last time they had the pleasure of lurking around in the dark halls of the hospital basement. “Here we are.”

She peeked through the small window, and then nodded at him to follow her inside. He did a quick scan of the room as he entered behind her. A chill crawled across his neck when he rested his gaze on the wall of lockers. There were bodies in there. He quickly turned away and followed her to the office around the corner. At least the wall of square steel doors disappeared out of sight.

He leaned up against the wall outside the office and glanced around, feeling about as comfortable being in a dark, cold morgue full of dead people as, well, anyone being in a dark, cold morgue full of dead people. The squeak of the ceiling fan above them filled the otherwise deafening silence. “Hey, Kace?”

She’d made herself at home at the desk. “What?”

“What’s that smell?”

“You don’t want to know.”

He didn’t push the issue and instead rubbed the back of his neck to scratch at the chills that wouldn’t go away. “Does it have to be so damn cold in here?”

“It is a refrigerator, you know. They have to keep the bodies cold to preserve them enough for whatever tests and whatnot is required before they can be released to the family.”

He shuddered at the thought of being surrounded by bodies. If the zombie apocalypse hit at that moment, they’d be screwed.

“Here we go.”

“Did you find something?”

“I’m in the database.” The screen offered a glow to her face that made her deliciously appetizing. Reid licked his lips and cursed inwardly. They were in a body fridge, he couldn’t stop thinking about flesh-eating zombies, and suddenly his libido wanted a little action?

Christ. He was just as crazy as Kaycee. That didn’t make him feel any better about their situation.

“How did you break into the database?”

“Easy,” she answered, still typing. “Matt has a sticky note here on the monitor with the username and password. Take a look at this.” He walked around the desk and stood behind her. She pointed at the screen. “It’s Ruth Bridges’s report.”

He jerked upright when he heard a door. They both stilled as the echo of footsteps filled the air. They grew louder, then faded away as the owner walked past the morgue doors. Reid gave her shoulder a squeeze before moving back to the wall outside the office to stay on the lookout. “Just get the report so we can get out of here before we get caught and both go to jail.”

“I’m printing it now.” The printer whirred to life and spit out paper. He waited until it silenced before turning back around. Kaycee had her nose in the front of the printer, the door open. “The printer is jammed.”

“Swell.” He shoved his hands in his pockets. It was damn cold in here and he couldn’t believe he actually complained about it. Something told him the chills crawling across his skin had nothing to do with the temperature. The sooner they could get out of there, the better. He really didn’t like being surrounded by corpses.

The printer whirred to life again. She crumbled up and tossed the half-eaten paper into the trash before collecting the rest of the sheets. “All done.”

“Don’t forget your sunglasses and hat.”

“I hate these things.” She put them on.

They hurried out of the morgue and back outside. He didn’t breathe again until they were half way up the stairs. But he let his guard down too soon. As they rounded the corner, they stood face-to-face with a woman he recognized from the directory.

Dr. Sandra Leary.

 

 

 

TWELVE

 

“What are you two doing down here?” Sandra’s gaze drifted over to Kaycee, who kept her face hidden under the bill of her hat. When she jerked her attention back to Reid and folded her arms in front of her, he thought of something fast.

“Sorry. Two lovebirds.” He laughed and elbowed Kaycee to do the same. She did, and he instantly regretted it. That distinctive giggle floating up between them all. Sandra’s eyes widened as she locked her attention on Kaycee.

“Addison?”

Kaycee slowly lifted her head so the ball cap no longer shadowed her face.

“Is that you?”

“I, uh…” She swept her hair behind her ear and Sandra’s eyes lit up.

“Oh my God. Oh my shitting God! It’s really you. Please tell me it’s really you.”

She pulled her sunglasses off and gave Sandra a nod. “It’s really me.”

Sandra’s eyes flooded and she covered her mouth with her hand as a sob erupted, shaking her small frame. She then grabbed Kaycee and for one heart-stopping second, Reid knew it was over. Sandra would turn them in and they’d be in jail by dinner. But then she threw her arms around Kaycee and blubbered. “I can’t believe it. You’re okay. You’re okay! I was so scared. Thank you, God. I knew you couldn’t really be gone. You’re way too stubborn to die.”

Reid chuckled. No argument there.

“I’m okay,” Kaycee stated slowly. Then, as if a match had been tossed into her eyes, they lit up. She buried her face against Sandra’s shoulder and broke down, sobbing as she held onto Sandra for dear life. He glanced around, making sure no one else paid any attention to the reunion.

“Sorry.” Sandra pulled back and wiped at her tears. She then hugged Kaycee again.

“San—Sandra? I—I can’t breathe.”

“Tough. I’m never letting you go.”

Kaycee laughed. The two separated and stared at each other. They both had glistening tears in their eyes, spiking their eyelashes. Sandra held Kaycee’s hand and Reid stared at the gesture, not liking the pang of jealousy twisting in his stomach.

Sandra nodded at Kaycee’s hair. “What did you do to your hair?”

“I had to dye it.”

“Now we can pass as sisters.” She grinned wide before resting her gaze on Reid. The smile slowly slid from her lips. She sized him up with a single, slow and steady glance, and his guard shot up. She eyed at him as a doctor would look at someone less worthy. Her dark eyes held no emotion as she assessed him. He stiffened and waited for her to pass judgment.

“This is Reid Cavanaugh.”

“Is he friend or foe?”

“Definitely friend, Sandra.”

When she smiled, warming her eyes, she dropped Kaycee’s hand and held hers out for him. “If Addison says so, then I believe her. Good thing. I hate it when the baddies are so yummy. Dr. Sandra Leary.”

Reid hesitated. If he took her hand, would she hold it and scream for security? He tossed that idea out. Judging by her reaction to seeing Kaycee, she wouldn’t do anything to hurt her friend. Reluctantly, he took the doctor’s hand and shook it.

She flicked a gaze dancing with hidden meaning at Kaycee. “Making new friends, I see.”

Kaycee shrugged as her answer.

“So tell me, Reid Cavanaugh. Is Kaycee holding you hostage, like all the papers say?”

He dropped his gaze before she saw the truth in his eyes. Kaycee had been holding him hostage since the minute they’d literally crashed together.

“My, my, my. I guess she is.” Sandra locked arms with Kaycee. “Come on. You shouldn’t be poking around here, you know. Put your glasses back on and tuck that hat low. I hardly recognized you, and if I couldn’t tell, then you’re safe. It’s like a circus around here. Matt said he saw you. Is that true? Please tell me you weren’t dumb enough to come back.” She paused long enough to giggle. “Oh, wait. You’re here now.”

This woman talked so fast Reid had a hard time keeping up with her.

“There are cops everywhere. Ooh, but there’s this one. He’s just yummy. Arms as big as my thigh. I don’t mind when he’s around. Almost makes me want to break the law, just so he can frisk me.”

Kaycee folded the autopsy report in half and held it behind her. When she gave it a shake, Reid casually took it and shoved it in his pants.

Sandra led them away from the building, across the parking lot. “Where are you parked?”

“We walked.”

“Seriously? When you’re wanted in like three languages?”

“I live up on Queen Anne Way. It’s not far.” He spoke up, defending their decision. Why he felt the need, he had no idea.

Sandra studied the bump on Kaycee’s head. “What happened?”

“I hit my head in the plane crash.”

“Hmm.” She stole a glance at Reid, and again he felt the need to justify his actions.

“Mountain winds. Rotor. Plane stalled.”

She nodded as if she understood everything he’d said. “I saw the wreckage on the news. What a mess. Can you recover any of it?” He shook his head, the fact still sending surges of shock through his system. “I’m sorry. But look at the bright side. You walked away, and with Kaycee. Which is more than you can say for the guy they found over that cliff. What’s his story?”

Kaycee and Reid exchanged glances. She may trust Sandra, but he didn’t know her. For all he knew, she’d had a hand in hiring Gus and fished for how much they knew.

“A passenger. I lost my logbook in the crash so I don’t have record of his name.”

Once they got to the corner of the building, Sandra stopped them and peeked around the side. She nodded and they walked out. “What about you, Addison? Did you get to talk to him before the crash?”

“Not that I remember. Actually,” she paused and pointed at the bruise on her head. “I don’t remember much. I hit my head and sort of lost my memory.”

Sandra arched a dark eyebrow and glanced at Reid. He nodded, confirming Kaycee’s story. She brought her attention back to Kaycee. “You sort of lost your memory? How do you sort of lose your memory?”

“Episodic Retrograde Amnesia. I lost the ability—”

“I know what Episodic RA is. The question is, how did you get it? It usually doesn’t just happen, even with severe trauma to the brain, without some sort of psychogenic factors. Of course, being one of America’s Most Wanted could do it.” Sandra led them over to an SUV.

He listened as the two women spoke in a foreign language. Not a single word under three syllables. Words like conditioning and hippocampus fell into the conversation as if they were every day words. Thanks to Sandra’s taste in large vehicles, they stayed safely out of view. Regardless, he kept his attention on their surroundings.

“So, are you hiding with the hunky pilot?”

He snapped his gaze to Sandra. Kaycee laughed, warming his insides. Damn her distinctive giggle. A person walked by, eyeing them cautiously. Reid pulled his attention away from her and focused it on the man. He met Reid’s eyes and quickly looked away.

“You’d better get out of here before you’re spotted. Even with the hair and that ridiculous disguise, someone is bound to recognize you, especially that cute little giggle you have. It’s practically a ringtone around here.” Sandra pulled keys out of the pocket of her coat. Reid snatched them. “Hey!”

Kaycee opened the passenger’s side and jumped in while he climbed behind the wheel. The papers he’d stuck in his pants damn near cut him in half and he pulled them out to set next to him. He put the SUV in drive and had to slam on the brakes when Sandra dove into the backseat.

He looked at her through the rearview mirror. “What are you doing?”

She spiked her eyebrow, something he noticed she did a lot. “I just found my best friend after she’s been missing for over a week. I’m not about to leave her side now.”

“Don’t you have to work or something?”

“I run a lab. The pathogens won’t miss me. Besides, I don’t know you. How can I trust her with you?”

“How do I know I can trust her with you?” he countered.

Kaycee brought her hands up. “All right, you two. We are all on the same side.”

Reid and Sandra exchanged agitated glares. This ought to be fun.

“So, Addison, my dear.” Sandra scooted forward in her seat and he glared at her, fighting the urge to demand she put on her seatbelt. This wasn’t his plane. Being out of her seat in a car didn’t throw the weight off balance the way it did in a plane. He ignored her and turned the SUV onto the road. “Why’d you disappear like that?”

He stole a glance at Kaycee. He’d like to know the answer to that question as well. It never occurred to him to ask her about the why’s of her disappearance. He muttered a curse that Sandra asked the question before he could.

Kaycee swallowed and lowered her gaze, a telltale sign. He recognized that look of desperation storming in her eyes. It scared the hell out of her that she couldn’t remember simple details. He couldn’t stand to see her in so much pain as she struggled to find something to say.

“Does Episodic RA hit long-term memories?” Reid asked.

Sandra rubbed Kaycee’s arm. “It’s okay, sweetie. It’ll come back. RA hits the personal memories. They can be long-term, but it usually erases the short-term and leaves the rest. What our Kaycee is experiencing is a combination of Episodic and Semantic RA, but more toward the latter.”

He growled in frustration. Doctors. “In English, please.”

“With Semantic RA, you can’t remember things like faces, names, etc. With Episodic, you can’t remember what happened. Kaycee has both.”

“So she has RA, and it wiped out her memories, both short-term and long-term?”

Sandra brought her chin over the seat to look at Kaycee. “What’s the earliest memory you have?”

Kaycee lifted her gaze to the ceiling of the SUV. “My mother correcting me because I wasn’t sitting up straight, and that I was sweeping my hair behind my ear.” As she spoke, she corrected her posture and swept her hair behind her ear.

“Uh…huh.” Sandra made a smirk. “I’d say that falls under long-term. At least there’s a silver lining.”

“And that is?”

“RA is almost always temporary. In due time, Addison will be back to her usual—memories and all.”

At least that was good news. He breathed a long sigh and it lifted another weight from his chest. He pulled the SUV into his driveway and cringed. Mrs. Cooper was out in the yard in the ninety-five degree heat, doing her feeble attempt at gardening and, no doubt, about to pass out from heat stroke. He had to get her back inside.

Reid stepped out of the vehicle. “Happy Sunday, Mrs. Cooper.”

She waved with her dirt-covered gloves that were three sizes too big. “Good morning, Reid.”

He didn’t have the heart to tell her it was well into the afternoon. “You know, it’s really warm out here. Maybe you should take a break.”

“I’m fine, dear. It will take more than a few sun rays to stop me from making sure my begonias are covered before it starts to freeze.”

“It’s August.”

“You can never start too early, dear.”

“Yes, ma’am. Can I at least get you something cold to drink?”

“You worry too much about me. Such a good boy, just like your brother was.”

His chest pinched at the mention of Josh in the past tense. He still hadn’t gotten used to it.

Mrs. Cooper stopped digging into the ground as she eyed the women now standing on either side of him. “Did you rent that bus you’re driving?”

“Bus?” Sandra said, offended.

“Borrowed it,” Reid cut in and glared at Sandra. She thinned her lips. “Had to pick them up at the airport this morning.”

“Oh, that’s nice. So they are friends of yours?”

He tensed. Mrs. Cooper was nosy, and she loved to talk. The less he told her, the better. “This is Sandy and her sister Kelly. Friends of the family. They—uh—”

Kaycee spoke up in a God-awful British accent. “We didn’t get a chance to attend Josh’s funeral. We were in Europe, you see. We’re paying our respects now.”

Mrs. Cooper smiled warmly and her eyes moistened. She wiped at them, leaving a dirt streak across her plump cheek. “That’s so wonderful of you. Please take care of Reid. He didn’t even cry at his brother’s funeral. I don’t think he’s accepted it.”

“Why do you say that?” Kaycee asked.

He shot Kaycee a lethal glare. “I’m sure Mrs. Cooper doesn’t want to be bothered with questions, ladies. She’s gardening.”

His neighbor ignored his sudden agitation. “I tried talking with the boy. When my Harry passed on, I was just beside myself.”

“Harry?” Kaycee asked him in a low voice.

“Husband,” he answered, equally low.

Mrs. Cooper went on. “Reid, he wouldn’t talk to anyone. He just bottled it all up. It’s not good for a person to hold in such pain. And I know he was in pain, the poor dear.” She motioned for Kaycee to come closer and used the good doctor to help her to her feet. “For weeks after Josh’s death, poor Reid would just walk around talking to him. Into the wee hours of the morning, he did.” She then gave Kaycee a knowing look and he muttered a curse. “The walls are paper thin, dear.”

Embarrassment burned into his cheeks. Kaycee hadn’t even tried to be quiet when he’d pulled orgasm after orgasm out of her. And judging by that look on Mrs. Cooper’s face, she knew how many times, too. He rubbed the back of his neck and cringed.

Kaycee rested her gaze on Reid, who would have preferred to be anywhere else than where he stood.

“Are you two sisters?” Mrs. Cooper pointed at Kaycee, then Sandra.

“Yes. We’re cousins of the Cavanaughs,” Kaycee answered, her accent forcing Reid to wince. Why did she start talking like that in the first place? It was as bad as her lying. “We used to summer up at the lake with Reid and Josh. We’d play…”

“Doctor.” Sandra finished with a grin. At least her accent sounded a bit more realistic.

He glared at Sandra as embarrassment burned into his soul. Mrs. Cooper would never let him live this down. “We’ve got to go, Mrs. Cooper.” He wrapped his arm around Kaycee’s waist and pushed her toward the door. Sandra followed them inside. “What the hell is the matter with you two?”

Sandra laughed and clapped, giving her and Kaycee’s terrible acting job a standing ovation. “Oh, come on. She knew we weren’t family. She would have started to assume. After all, the walls are paper thin, and from that look on her face, you two have been having a whole lot of audible fun.”

“All right, all right.” He threw his hands up in surrender and turned to Kaycee. She had a triumphant smile on her face. “What?”

“Don’t you see? That was the first time I’ve ever been able to lie on command and not babble like a fool.”

Sandra removed her white coat and laid it across the back of the futon. “It’s true. Our Kaycee sucks at lying. Whenever we were up to no good, I always had to do the talking. I am exceptional at lying.” She smiled and sat down, then patted the seat next to her for Kaycee to join her. She did. “Now tell me what in the world is going on, Addison.”

“I’ll make coffee.” He walked into the kitchen to give the women some privacy, but the duplex wasn’t that big. He still heard everything.

“What do you want to know?” Kaycee’s voice lifted into the air, bringing a smile to his face and a warmth to his heart.

“Everything. I know you. You aren’t the type to run from your problems and shack up with a perfect stranger. What’s going on?”

A long silence settled between the women. The coffee pot perked and spurted, filling the otherwise silent duplex. He peeked around the corner to see Kaycee with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking. He wanted to go to her, to pull her into his arms, to make all of this go away. But to Sandra, Kaycee was just shacking up with him—the perfect stranger. He leaned toward not liking her. And after her comment to Mrs. Cooper, he leaned toward really not liking her.

“Okay. How about you tell me what you do know, and I’ll see what I can do to fill in the blanks. Deal?” Sandra’s voice was soft, soothing, as she spoke. He turned back to the coffee pot as it slowed its noisy perking. Okay, so he’d drop the really. He went back to leaning toward not liking her.

“I’ve been having these flashes of memories. They are all disconnected.”

He washed out the two useable mugs he had and grabbed a travel thermos. He filled them and hurried out to the living room. Kaycee watched him until he sat in the chair at his desk and scooted over to listen before continuing. They exchanged looks and she smiled, drawing the same from him.

Sandra darted a teasing glance back and forth between them. She then raised her index finger and shook it at them. “Now, now. Reid, no distracting her.”

He grinned into his thermos. “I’ll do my best.”

“So tell me what you know about the guy they found up there.” Sandra leaned into Kaycee, as if watching a very intense movie. Maybe he should pop some popcorn.

“He had a gun. He said he was going to kill me. And Reid found money on him. Cash. Lots of it.”

Sandra’s eyes widened. “Are you serious? What else?”

“You.”

They stared at each other as an entire conversation silently passed between them, which confirmed Reid’s suspicions that women could read minds. It explained so much.

Sandra’s eyes filled with tears. She thinned her lips, trying not to give in to whatever emotion crept up on her. She sniffed and dropped her gaze to her lap. “You don’t really remember me, do you?”

Kaycee’s eyes swelled with tears and Reid debated grabbing a roll of TP for her since he didn’t have any tissue. “I’m trying. I really am. I have a few memories of you. I remember you introduced me to your brother.”

“Your hero,” she added. “It was nauseating listening to you go on and on about the great Dr. Brad Leary. You wanted to grow up and be just like him.”

“Were Brad and I ever…you know?”

Sandra laughed and shook her head. “Hardly, but not if you ask him. In his mind, you’ve wanted him since day one.” She stole another glance at Reid. “Only in his mind,” she repeated at him.

“Great.” Reid forced a smile.

“Brad has a serious God complex,” Sandra went on. “His little shadow, Matt, is the same way. I don’t trust those two when they’re together. They’re always off in a corner whispering and watching the room.”

Kaycee and Reid looked at each other.

“Okay, you two. What’s going on? What aren’t you telling me?”

“What can you tell us about the patient Kaycee has been accused of killing?” Reid asked, changing the subject. Sandra may have a loyalty to Kaycee, but he didn’t know if it ran deeper than her loyalty to her own flesh and blood.

“Ruth Bridges.” Sandra sighed. “Really nice lady. Everyone in the cancer ward loved her. When she died, it was quite a shock. Just weeks before her grandson’s graduation, too.” She didn’t mean to dart her eyes to Kaycee, Reid was sure, but she did, and Kaycee stiffened.

“I didn’t do it,” Kaycee pointed out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Sandra grasped her hand and squeezed it. “I know. But you’ve got to understand what went through my mind after you disappeared. Here’s my crazy renegade of a best friend, always getting her ass in trouble for something she knows she shouldn’t be doing. Brad couldn’t control you.”

Reid knew the feeling.

“Then Ruth starts to slip. She begged you for more morphine, the pain was so bad. You left her room more than once in tears.” Sandra looked at Kaycee. “The next thing any of us knows, she dies of a morphine overdose and you disappear. Brad comes forward and says he witnessed the whole thing and tried to stop you, but you’d already injected her by the time he got to you.”

“That lying son of a bitch,” Kaycee snapped and narrowed her eyes. There was that scary look again. She glanced at Reid, who shook his head. They couldn’t trust Sandra. With a huff, Kaycee dropped her gaze. “I was on his research team and didn’t agree with his methods.”

Sandra cocked her head to the side. “Really? He never said anything to me. Then again, we aren’t exactly BFFs.”

“But he’s your brother.”

“He’s weird. He keeps talking about some sort of magic bullet he and Matt are working on for cancer treatment. It’s supposed to revolutionize the way we treat cancer now by using DMSO to target the cancer cells.”

“The DMSO!” Kaycee jumped to her feet. “That’s it! That’s why he was testing it on humans.”

“Come again?”

“He needed the chemo meds to bind to the right cells and wasn’t getting the results he needed. That’s when he started performing tests on stage IV cancer patients. I caught him—”

“Kace,” Reid cut her off and gave her a slight shake of his head.

Sandra had gone pale and her eyes were rounded in shock. “Are you accusing my brother of illegally testing unapproved drugs on unknowing patients?”

“Sandra—”

She put a hand up to stop Reid and kept her glare fixed on Kaycee. “I didn’t ask you, Reid. Well, Addison? Are you saying Brad had something to do with the death of your patient?”

“I saw him inject the morphine into Ruth Bridges’s IV.”

“And he said he saw you do it. It’s your word against his. With you taking off, I’d say even if he wasn’t your attending and you didn’t have two strikes against you, you don’t have a chance in hell getting anyone to believe you over him.”

Kaycee’s shoulders sank. It looked like the fight deflated right out of her. “You don’t believe me.”

“Addison, look at me. Damn it, Kaycee. Look at me. Did it ever occur to you that maybe you’re wrong?”

“I’m not.” The conviction in her voice sent Reid’s admiration for her through the roof.

“But what if you are? You said these flashes are all disconnected. What if you’re remembering this wrong? What if you really did do it and your memory is tricking you?”

Kaycee shook her head vehemently. “No. I know what I saw.”

“What you remember,” Sandra corrected. “Before you go and ruin the man’s career, not to mention get him sent to prison for life or worse, be sure you have more than your scattered memories as proof.”

 

 

 

THIRTEEN

 

“Here’s my number and address.” Sandra handed the paper to Reid. “Please promise me that you’ll look after her. I’m really worried about her.”

“I will.”

“I mean it, Reid. Never leave her side. No matter what happens. Got it?”

Kaycee read something more in Sandra’s eyes than what she said. What wasn’t she saying?

“I have to get home. I’ll do whatever I can to help you, Addison. Just please. Don’t run again.” Sandra hugged her and hurried off. Kaycee stood there, peering through the blinds, until Sandra rounded the corner and disappeared. She then turned to see Reid grab a bag.

Reid scrambled around the room, shoving things into the duffel. “Time to go.”

“Go where?”

“Anywhere but here. I bet she’s on her cell phone right now with the police, turning us in.”

“Not Sandra.”

“Come on, Kace. You just fingered her brother for murder and guess what? She didn’t take it all that well. I know I’d be out for blood if someone so much as accused my brother of giving them a hangnail.”

She chewed on the inside of her lip and stood there as he scurried around the living room in a frenzy. He didn’t even look at the things he picked up and threw into the bag.

“That’s because you loved your brother. Sandra can barely stand hers.”

“They’re still blood.”

“But she’s my best friend.”

He threw the bag on the couch. “Would you wise up? If it’s the difference between turning you in or putting her brother in prison, which way do you think she’ll go?”

She refused to start fighting with him again. “Trust me on this, okay? I know Sandra. She and I are more like family than she is with her own brother.”

After an eternity of Reid studying her, no doubt contemplating her pleas, he finally gave her a curt nod. “Fine, but I’m digging out my brother’s scanner. If I hear anything I don’t like, we’re gone. Agreed?”

“Agreed. You hook up the scanner and I’ll read the autopsy report.”

His expression fell flat as his shoulders slumped. “Shit. I left it in the damn rig.”

“If Brad finds that report on Sandra, she could be in danger. We have to get it back before anyone else finds it.”

He read the address Sandra gave him. “Madison Park. Figures.”

“What does that mean?”

“It’s only the ritziest neighborhood in Seattle. There isn’t a house under two million dollars there.”

“Your point?”

“It figures a doctor would live there.”

She grabbed his hand and dragged him toward the door. “You are just going to have to get over this issue you have with doctors.”

“Like hell.”

She couldn’t stand another snide comment about her profession. Whipping around, she pushed him. Hard. “That is it!”

“Wha—”

She struck him again, sending him against the wall. “Now you listen to me, Reid Cavanaugh. You are done insulting doctors.”

“Now you just—”

“Shut it. I’m not through. I get it. You hate doctors. You remind me every single day. Well, you know what? I hate heights, but you don’t see me taking that out on you for choosing a profession that sends you above the clouds. So don’t you dare take it out on me or any of my friends because you’ve got issues. Got it?”

“Ka—”

“Got it?” She held him to the spot.

He stood there staring, his mouth partially open. Just staring. He then smiled. And then he laughed. Bringing up his hands, he took hers and lowered them. “I got it.”

She had no idea where that came from, only that it needed to be done. “Don’t make me have to do that again.”

“You know,” he said as he picked up a helmet and pushed it down onto her head. “You can be pretty damn scary when you want to be.”

“I’m beginning to realize that.”

“Can we go now? Since my pickup truck is no doubt impounded after leaving it at Boeing Field, we’ll have to take my bike.”

Her heart jumped to her throat. That motorcyclist broke his neck slamming into the bus. The helmet he shoved on her head didn’t do a thing to ease the nerves now rattling inside her.

“You know, I’ve never actually seen color drain from a person’s face before. Interesting.”

“You should have seen your face a minute ago.”

He chuckled and handed her a leather jacket at least five sizes too big. “Here. This will protect you if we spill.”

She didn’t say a word as he pulled her outside and over to a bike that looked like a rocket. The heat trapped by the leather stuck to her in a fine film and made her even more uncomfortable. No way would they live through this. He fired it off and nodded for her to hop on the back. She did and held on for dear life. If he crashed, the leather may protect her, but Reid didn’t have anything to stop the pavement from peeling the flesh from his body.

This was insane. Why would anyone want to travel like this? The warm wind whipped at her, slapping at her and making her eyes water. She felt every little bump they went over. Didn’t these things have shocks?

He didn’t weave in and out of traffic like she’d seen motorcyclists do, and Kaycee was extremely thankful for that. Still, she held on so tight she knew he couldn’t breathe, but she didn’t care. She refused to loosen her grip until they got to Sandra’s. They passed a whole row of fast food restaurants and the smells activated her saliva glands.

“Can we eat?” She had to yell for him to hear her.

“Love to. Let’s get those reports and we’ll find a place.”

She pulled herself tighter as he turned a corner. Was that the pavement her knee just scraped? Oh dear God. She really hoped he knew what he was doing.

They stopped and she finally pried her eyes open. He parked the bike in the driveway of a beautiful cream-colored, two-story house. Colorful flowers lined the windows flanking the front door. The perfectly groomed, plush green grass looked freshly mowed. Smelled like it, too, and she drew in a deep breath to take in the scent.

“Wow,” she breathed. “This place is gorgeous. Do you think I live in a place like this?”

He grunted. “Probably. It’s definitely not a duplex in a rundown neighborhood in lower Queen Anne. Let’s go. Don’t take your helmet off until we get inside.”

Nodding, she followed him up to the door. He knocked, and after only a few seconds, it opened. Sandra blinked twice at Kaycee, then jerked them both inside and checked behind them.

“Are you two crazy?” She slammed the door and pushed them down a long, hardwood hall, and off to the left. It was a huge room, with cream-based furniture and flowers everywhere. It smelled like a cross between a garden and lemony furniture polish.

Kaycee removed her helmet and traced the room with a slow and steady gaze. A rush of familiarity hit her. She’d been here before.

Sandra stared at the leather on her. “Are you kidding me? I never thought I’d see you in a cow.”

“A what?” She pulled the coat off and practically threw it into Reid’s arms.

“We made a pact.” Sandra let out a sigh when Kaycee didn’t register what she meant. “We both made a vow to stop cruelty to animals. We won’t wear fur or leather. We definitely won’t eat meat. It was the only way to keep us from running off to join Doctors Without Borders. We convinced ourselves that we would have to settle with saving the world starting here in Seattle.”

Her heart fluttered as Reid flicked a quick glance her way. “We really were going to join MSF?”

“Yep. We were going to be heroes. We had it all planned out back in college. We were going to save the world.”

“So why didn’t we do it?”

“We grew up.” Sandra blinked back emotions as a sadness settled into her expression. “Anyway, since I see you broke the whole not wearing an animal thing, please tell me you at least haven’t been eating them.”

Kaycee swallowed thickly. “Well, um, then I guess I broke that vow, too. I’ve been eating meat.”

“I’d say.” She flashed a quick look Reid’s way. He grew red but didn’t look away. She pulled her attention back to Kaycee. “So what are you doing here? You can’t be out like this. Every cop in Seattle is looking for you. Some even say they saw you at some traffic pile up yesterday.”

Kaycee dropped her gaze.

“Oh, hell no. You really did triage the scene? Kaycee Marie! You are not this dumb.”

She sucked in a breath as the harsh reality of her amnesia hit her again. “My middle name is Marie?”

Sandra’s eyes filled with sympathy. “And you like long walks on the beach, poetry at midnight, and holding hands.”

“I hate poetry.”

She grinned and gave Kaycee a wink. “I know. See? It’ll all come back. Now, tell me why you risked your ass coming here.”

“We left something in your vehicle.”

“You came all the way to my house to get something out of my Suburban? Why didn’t you just call?” Reid and Kaycee exchanged sheepish looks. Neither one thought of that. “Man, oh man. You’ve got it bad.”

Sandra went into another room, returning moments later with the papers in one hand and a laptop in the other. Kaycee straightened when she saw them. “I can explain.”

“Save it, Addison. I know why you took the one report. I would have done the same thing. That’s some interesting reading, by the way.” She handed them to Kaycee. “I didn’t understand why you took the other one, though. What does a guy who died after getting a bullet in his thigh have to do with this case? It was only a flesh wound, but some guys just have bad luck, I guess. Why are you interested in that one? It happened six months ago.”

Kaycee shot a look at Reid, who’d grown exceptionally still as he watched Sandra. The muscle at the base of his jaw throbbed. And that look of a dark storm brewing in his eyes was sure to turn into a hurricane if she didn’t do something to calm him down.

“What did you just say?”

“Please, Reid. Let me explain.”

His terrifying glare scraped across her face in obvious disbelief. But then that disbelief melted into a clear fury that scorched the air. “You didn’t.”

“Reid, I—”

“Why the hell did you do that?” He roared and threw his jacket on. “I told you to drop it. I told you I didn’t want you pulling Josh’s report.”

“I’m just trying to help.”

“Bullshit! You deliberately went behind my back.” As he turned away from her, it left her with inexplicable feelings of emptiness. She’d betrayed him. After everything they’d overcome together to gain each other’s trust, only to have it shatter like this, tore at her heart. “I trusted you. Jesus Christ. I’m such a fucking idiot.”

“Reid, please.” She went to him and placed her hands on his back. He stiffened and it squeezed at her, constricting her heart into a painful ache. He moved out of her reach. His breaths forced his shoulders to move in rhythm. “Reid?”

He spun around and riveted his gaze to hers. “And you wonder why I have such a problem with doctors? I should have known better than to trust you.” He shook his head and a heaviness centered in her chest. That look left no room for question—she’d let him down. Doubt grew in his eyes, replacing the trust she’d worked so hard to earn.

“You promised me,” Sandra cut in when he spun on his heel and stormed toward the front door.

That slowed him enough for him to say, “I’ll be outside.”

Kaycee jumped as the door slammed. She settled back on the couch, dismayed and numb.

“That didn’t go well. Who’s Josh?”

“Reid’s brother.”

“Oh, shit. So why pull his report? You haven’t been accused of killing him too, have you?”

Kaycee lowered her gaze to the reports in her hand, the memory of Reid’s pain as he told her about his brother still weighing on her senses. “He said his brother died from a gunshot to the thigh, but that’s not fatal. I just wanted to know.”

Sandra blew out a breath. “Addison, you are going to have to stop trying to save everyone. There’s a reason why you have two strikes against you. Not everyone wants to be saved. It sounds like Reid didn’t want you to dig up old memories. It also sounds like he hasn’t really accepted what happened. Mrs. Cooper’s ramblings proved that. The cause of death really sucks on this one.”

“What was it?”

“Do Not Resuscitate.”

“He had a DNR? But he was so young.”

“He had one on file without stipulation on when to invoke it. The report did mention a malignant tumor on his brain, so maybe he filed it in preparation of the inevitable.”

Kaycee flipped through the report. “Reid never said anything about cancer. Does it say what stage?”

“It didn’t go into the cancer, since that wasn’t the cause of death.” Sandra leaned back to view the door. “Yikes. His brother gets shot. They go in to remove the bullet. He has some sort of reaction to the anesthesia. The odds are like one in ten thousand that he’d have a reaction. No wonder Reid is pissed. They could have saved Josh if they’d defied the DNR. But, he signed it. Ethically, their hands were tied.”

It clicked. She now understood all his rage, all that pain. She understood why he hated doctors. He blamed them for his brother’s death. They could have saved him. The DNR had nothing to do with his reaction to the anesthesia. It was in preparation for when he got too sick to make the decision on his own. Josh didn’t want his little brother to have to make that decision.

Kaycee stood and started toward the door. She had to go to Reid, to be with him.

“Addison, start thinking with your head. You are in some deep shit here. Let Reid deal with this one on his own. You have your own issues to deal with right now.”

“But he needs me.”

“What he needs,” she countered, “is for you to get this sorted out, and to get your memory back. Then you can get on with your life and leave him the hell alone. That’s what he wants. Can’t you see that?”

She never thought about what would happen once they proved her innocence, once this all ended. Would he still want her? What if Sandra was right? What if he didn’t want her after she figured out what happened to her? What if he wanted her to go away? The thought brought stinging tears to her eyes.

“Oh boy. I know that look. You love him, don’t you?”

Kaycee nodded.

“Oh, shit. You are in even deeper trouble than we thought. This complicates things a bit.”

“Why?”

“He doesn’t fit. You have to know that. When this is all over, when the danger is gone, you’ll no longer be a wilting little flower in need of his protection. The attraction will be gone.” She rested her chin on her elbow and leaned on the back of the couch. “And you’ll be left with a broken heart.”

“It doesn’t have to be like that.”

“Think about it, Addison. He hates doctors and for good reason. Who are all your friends? Doctors. He’d be miserable with you. Every minute would be a constant reminder of his brother’s death. Do you really want to put him through that?”

The knot tightened around her heart. “There’s got to be a way.”

“Oh, sure. There’s always a way. Quit your job. Walk away from the profession you spent almost half your life training for. He’d be happier, but would you?”

Kaycee hated this. She didn’t want to admit it, but Sandra was right. Reid deserved to be happy. Spending the rest of his life with her would only bring him pain. As much as she hated it, she’d have to let him go. She loved him too much to stay with him.

The irony was brutal.

“So what do you suggest I do? Just leave him in the front yard and sneak out the back door?”

“Hmm. He would make a handsome lawn ornament.” Sandra sighed, no doubt actually contemplating the thought.

“Can we talk about the autopsy report?” That will keep her focused on the biggest obstacle—proving her innocence. Once she did that, she’d work on the next one. Letting him go. Would she ever get over him? No. But she’d have to learn to accept it. Fate had a wicked sense of humor.

“Sure.” Sandra pointed at Ruth Bridges’s autopsy report. “Have you had a chance to read it?”

“No. Have you?”

“Yes. And it’s interesting, indeed.” Sandra sat cross-legged on the couch and opened the laptop. “So we already know our dear Ruth Bridges died from a morphine overdose. And, let me tell you, based on the tox screen, she had enough in her to kill an elephant. So, I tapped into her records and look what I found.” She turned the laptop toward Kaycee.

“What am I looking at?”

“Cultures. We had to spend about a bazillion dollars by the end of December last year or we’d have to give it back to the grant agency, so I went out and bought these amazing color scanners and electron microscopes that allow us to save every single sample in electronic format. No more having to take pages and pages of notes on our findings. Now we can summarize and then direct our findings on the actual slides. It’s the coolest thing. I’m totally geeking out.”

“Can we get back to why this matters?” She had to stay focused before she went after Reid and convinced him to run away with her.

Sandra thinned her lips and pulled the laptop back to her. “Fun sucker. Fine. You see these dark spots here?”

“Cancer,” Kaycee answered. She knew that much.

“Now do you see these bright worm-looking things? That’s the chemo. But here’s the interesting thing. It’s diluted by DMSO by maybe a one to ten ratio, so you don’t have to use as much of the drug and it still does the same amount of work without the damage. Here’s the kicker. The DMSO binds to the cancer cells and targets them, and only them, leaving the healthy cells alone. It’s brilliant. How did you know to do that?”

Her heart sank. “I didn’t. The patient refused treatment. She shouldn’t have any chemo drugs in her system at all.”

“Well, as you can see, it’s clearly there.”

“I recognize this treatment. I’d been working on it for over a year. I showed it to Brad, positive I’d made a breakthrough, but he discounted it, saying he’d already tried that approach and it didn’t work the same in humans. So I dropped it and moved on to something else.”

“Then how did it get into Ruth Bridges?”

Kaycee slammed her gaze into Sandra’s. “Brad.”

Sandra set her jaw. “And you can prove that?”

She didn’t want to fight with her best friend. She needed her, now more than ever as they drew closer to the answer.

“Did Matt sign off on COD?” Kaycee flipped to the last page of the report and spotted his signature. “Do you think he lied?”

“Now Matt is in on it, too? Come on, Addison. Listen to yourself.”

“Sandra, I only gave her enough morphine to take the edge off her pain. I did not give her enough to kill her.”

“Even if you did, how would you remember?”

Kaycee fought down the urge to tell Sandra to go to hell. She didn’t do this, any of it. Yet everyone seemed to want to point the finger at her. After all, how could she deny it when she couldn’t even remember a damn thing about it?

“I’m sorry, sweetie. I’ve never had amnesia, so I guess I’m a bit jealous.”

“Jealous?” Is she serious?

“Sure. There are loads of things I’d like to forget. Especially the slime ball I gave my virginity to.”

Kaycee calmed down, knowing Sandra wasn’t trying to purposely piss her off. She hoped. “Sam Brighton. Yes, he was a slime ball. And, I can’t believe you were still a virgin until our first year in college.”

“Oh, like you were so much better. You only lost your virginity that summer before we started. What was his name?”

“Carl Longfellow. High school sweetheart. We thought it was a good idea at the time.” Kaycee shuddered. No, it hadn’t been a good idea. They were both virgins and neither one knew what to do. It was sloppy, painful, and they did everything wrong. What a nightmare.

“Hey, Addison? Do you realize you just had an entire conversation about the past? You didn’t even falter once.”

“I did, didn’t I?” She turned her head toward the door. Reid was still outside. He’d want to know.

“Focus, Juliet. Your Romeo will still be perched on my lawn after we get through the rest of the report.”

Kaycee dropped her attention to the list of drugs in the patient’s system. She read a single word over and over. “It only lists the morphine. Where’s the rest of the drugs?” She flipped through the pages. “There’s nothing else here.”

“That can’t be right.” Sandra took the report from Kaycee and searched the pages. “Why would he leave them off?”

“Because he didn’t want them on the official report.”

“You don’t think…?”

She threw the report onto the couch and cursed. “I knew it. He’s in on it, Sandra.”

 

 

 

FOURTEEN

 

Kaycee kept her eyes squeezed shut and held onto Reid with a death grip. She hated the bike and couldn’t wait to never ride it again. As soon as this was over, she’d be out of his life and he could go back to hating doctors—including her. Now that she had an ally inside the hospital, he could be rid of her.

She tightened her grip around him. Since the crash, she’d had one goal, one motivation driving her to that goal. She knew who killed her patient. Now she needed the proof. Once she had that, this would all be over.

But now, after knowing she’d have to let him go, she didn’t want it to end.

The reality of it all still boggled her mind. They’d plastered her picture everywhere. Stories filled the headlines, most of them false, and made everything so surreal. Reid could easily turn her in and walk away. He could drop her off on any street corner and be rid of her. But he hadn’t done any of that. Even when she betrayed him with his brother’s autopsy report, he still stayed by her side.

They turned onto Queen Anne Way as the sun drifted behind the Olympics. The thought of spending another night in Reid’s arms made her pulse react. She hoped it wouldn’t be the last time, but feared it would be. Who knew what tomorrow would bring.

Reid slowed the bike into the driveway and she finally relaxed her grip. Thank God they made it back in one piece. She could finally get this sauna helmet off her head before it induced heat stroke. As she stepped off the bike and worked the helmet off, she felt something around her ankles.

“Hi, Sadie.” She knelt down and petted the cat.

“Sadie?” Reid’s tone brought her attention up. He stiffened as he squared his shoulders. “Wait here.” He set his helmet on the bike before approaching the front door.

The open front door.

He motioned for her to stay then disappeared inside. Within seconds he stepped back out, pale as a sheet and in a hell of a hurry. “What is it?” He brought his hand up and went to Mrs. Cooper’s door. She was home, as usual. They spoke for less than a minute before he handed her some cash. He came back to the bike and grabbed his helmet. “What’s going on?”

“Get on. We aren’t staying.”

“Here Sammy, Sammy, Sammy.” Mrs. Cooper called. Sadie meowed and ran over to her. Mrs. Cooper picked Sadie up and went inside her house, closing the door behind her.

“What…”

“Let’s go.”

The urgency in his voice forced her attention from Mrs. Cooper’s door. She worked the uncomfortably hot helmet over her head and jumped on the back of the bike.

He sped off, then turned and yelled to her over the engine noise. It was muffled, but she still heard the concern in his tone. “Sadie doesn’t get out unless I let her out. I didn’t let her out.”

“Mrs. Cooper?”

“Nope. I haven’t given her the key back. She says she’s been home all day. Says we were making quite a ruckus this afternoon. Lots of banging around.”

“But, we weren’t even here.”

“Exactly. The place is in shambles. They overturned my desk. The laptop is gone. Papers everywhere.”

“What were they looking for?”

“What do you think?”

She fell silent and hugged his back. He patted her arm and moved his hand over hers. She didn’t like him driving with only one hand, but felt so much better with his hand covering hers that she didn’t protest. By the time they pulled up to the Space Needle, she couldn’t stop trembling.

“What are we doing here?”

“Seattle Center is packed in the summer, even on a Sunday night.” He climbed off the bike and removed his helmet. She did the same and glanced around. It seemed the entire city of Seattle decided the center was the place to be on this warm, cloudless Sunday night.

“Looks like we’re in luck. Check out the sign. There’s an outdoor concert at the fountain. Come on.”

“Are you crazy? We can’t go out in public.”

“That’s exactly what we’re going to do. This is Seattle Center. It’s a popular spot, especially on sunny days. Lots of people. If someone followed us, they aren’t about to try anything with all these people around. Besides, I would bet my next plane that you aren’t the only one here with a few warrants.”

He dragged her over to a magnificent copper fountain in the shape of a semicircle. It sprayed water twenty feet into the air and with the colored backlighting, it illuminated the sky. The air picked up some of the spray and dusted her with it. She sucked in a breath and relished in the way the little dew drops tickled her skin.

After he sat them down on a cement bench in front of the fountain, he turned to her. “What the hell is going on? How did they know you were with me? What could possibly be in that autopsy report and how did they know you pulled a copy?”

They said at the same time, “The printer!”

She went on. “It jammed. I pulled out the half-printed piece of paper and threw it in the trash.”

“That’s how they knew about the report, but it still doesn’t explain how they knew where you were. There’s only one other person that knew you were at my place.”

“Sandra is not involved, Reid.”

“How else do you explain it, then?”

She didn’t know, but she knew Sandra wouldn’t have said anything.

“They ransacked my house, Kace. They stole my computer and tore the shit out of everything. Jesus Christ. As if losing my plane wasn’t enough.”

“I’m sorry,” she offered.

He stiffened. “For?”

“For going behind your back and pulling Josh’s autopsy report. For your house being broken into. For your plane.” She let out a shaky breath and added quietly, “For me.”

The tension charged the air between them. The fine lines around his eyes had deepened over the course of the past few days. He had to be so tired. The guilt almost crushed her. His entire life had been thrust upside down—all because of her. Despite his protests, she had to get away from him. For him. For his safety.

Sandra was right and the epiphany made it hard for Kaycee to breathe. She had to let him go. He didn’t fit into her world. Not now. Not ever.

“Kace, I know that look. Don’t you dare.”

“But look at where helping me has gotten you. You’re harboring a fugitive. You don’t deserve to be on the run like this. It’s better for you if I—”

“No. Goddamn it, Kaycee. You know you can’t go at this alone.”

“I have Sandra.” She hoped.

“Bullshit. She may be your best friend, but she doesn’t know what we know. Yes, we. As in you and me. She hasn’t gone through what we’ve gone through. Don’t think for a minute that anyone else will sacrifice what I’ve already sacrificed for you.” His throat audibly tightened and the last of his statement came out shaky and thick with emotion.

He dragged in a breath and jerked his gaze away. As he muttered curses and shook his head, Kaycee reached for him. He moved out of her grasp, but she took his hand back and held it tight.

It shouldn’t be this hard. They were strangers to each other, caught up in the excitement of it all. Nothing else. Once that thrill went away, so would their attraction. They’d both move on with their lives and look back at this someday, wondering what had drawn them together in the first place.

“I think we should go.”

“Not until you tell me what you found on the report.”

Kaycee conceded. “The autopsy didn’t list all the drugs in my patient’s system. She had other drugs in her. Unauthorized drugs. Unapproved for use in the US drugs.”

Reid laced his fingers with hers and pulled them both to their feet. They walked. “Do you think Dr. Morgue is covering for Brad?”

“That’s exactly what I think. Now if I can remember where I hid his research, I’d have him. I’d have them both.”

“Anything else you remember?”

She squeezed his hand and practically skipped as she jumped in front of him and walked backward to hold his gaze. “I had an entire conversation with Sandra about something that happened in the past. She said I didn’t even skip a beat.”

“Progress.” He grinned and it did wicked things to his eyes. “Am I allowed to know what you two talked about?”

“Virginity.”

He laughed. “Kinda sorry I stepped out for that one.”

“I’ll tell you about it sometime when you’re older.”

Reid came to an abrupt stop and whipped around to the opposite direction, dragging her with him. He picked up the pace and practically ripped her arm from the socket.

“What—”

“Just move and don’t turn around.”

She tightened her grip on Reid’s hand. What did he see? Was it the guys who ransacked his place? Was it a cop? A man with a gun? Worse?

“Hey, Reid!”

Oh shit. The bad guys knew his name. When Reid stopped and whipped around, Kaycee hid behind him. Slowly she brought her eyes up. Reid smiled at the man, half forced, half something else. She swept her gaze to the man approaching them and swallowed hard.

Oh dear God. The bad guys hired a WWF wrestler to kill them with his bare hands. The t-shirt looked like it was about to rip at the seams. The jogging shorts didn’t appear any more stable than the shirt. And he had to clear seven feet at least.

“Detective Lee. How are you?” Reid outstretched his hand and they shook. Kaycee shrank behind Reid, hiding her face against his back.

“You know better than that, Reid. It’s Dave to you. You’re family. How’re you doing? I’ve been trying to track you down.”

“You have?”

“I stopped by your place a couple times but you weren’t in.”

“Yeah.” Reid scratched the back of his neck with the hand he didn’t have laced like a death grip with hers. “I’ve been busy since the crash.”

“Jesus. I heard about that and my heart stopped. I’ve been worried as hell about you. When Adams told me he talked to you, I damn near dropped to my knees to thank the Almighty.”

“Thanks, Dave. That means a lot coming from you.”

“Is everything okay with you?”

“I’m doing all right.”

The man peered above Reid’s shoulder, eyeing Kaycee. She dipped down further in the hopes he wouldn’t call her out.

But he did. “Who’s your friend?”

“Sandy.”

She didn’t have time to be offended that he would think of Sandra, even give Kaycee her name, while this giant of a man studied her. Arms as big as my thigh. Was he the cop Sandra seemed ready to break the law for?

“She got any manners?”

Kaycee popped up from behind Reid’s back, ready to tell this man what he could with his comment, but then Reid jerked her back behind him. “She’s shy.”

The man laughed, but something moved in his eyes. Was that recognition? Kaycee lowered her gaze and rested her forehead against Reid’s back.

“I see that. Hey, Reid. Do you have a minute? I’d like to talk to you. I hope you don’t mind back there.”

Kaycee only shook her head. What could she say?

Reid turned his back to the detective. “I’ll be right back, Sandy. Why don’t you wait over by that tree?” He met her gaze and waited until she nodded.

“Are you sure?”

“Don’t worry, baby. I got this.” He winked and she nodded again. Although she didn’t feel the certainty Reid apparently did, she did feel better knowing he felt like he had this. She moved to the tree and cursed that she was out of earshot.

Detective Lee—Dave—and Reid talked for several minutes. Reid nodded a few times, even laughed. Every once in a while, they would both look back at Kaycee. She kept her head down and only peeked when she thought Dave wouldn’t notice. After too many painful minutes, Reid waved at the man and walked over to her location.

“So my name is Sandy, now?”

“It’s better than telling him your real name isn’t it?”

“I could have been Kelly. I was Kelly to Mrs. Cooper.”

“Why does it matter? It’s not your name.”

“Neither is Sandy.”

Slowly, he smiled, causing his eyes to dance in silent mirth. “You’re jealous.”

Busted. “Am not.”

“Are too.”

“So what if I am?”

Reid chuckled deep in the back of his throat and she knew he had to be enjoying the hell out of this, which only irritated her more.

“So maybe I like it.” He lowered his lips and softly brushed them across hers. “Let’s grab some food while we’re here. There’s a ton of booths.”

“I’d rather have a dick—Dick’s.” She closed her eyes and debated whether to ever open them again. But then she did. “I’d rather have a burger from Dick’s.”

His eyes danced wildly and despite her mortification at the slipup, she laughed when he did. “How about we get some food first? Then we’ll work up to the original request.”

The more he eyed at her like that, a wicked glimmer in his gaze as he raked it over her body, the more she wanted to go back to her original request.

 

 

 

FIFTEEN

 

Kaycee looked so peaceful as she slept. How in the world had she made such an impact on him in such a short period of time? He slipped on his boots. She stirred, mumbled something about daisies, then rolled to her side and snuggled into a tight, little ball. He wanted to crawl back into the bed with her and pull her into his arms. He wanted to kiss her, taste her, make sweet love to her over and over. He thought they’d both be too tired, but as soon as they checked into the motel, as soon as their heads hit the pillows, they’d attacked each other and made good on her original request.

What an incredible woman. Without his permission she’d found a way into his world and made it a better place. He knew the exact moment. When she took the wanted poster out of his hands and looked at it as if to prove him wrong, only to see her own picture on there, it did him in. Reid fell in love with her stubborn confidence right then and there.

He checked the clock on the TV. If he planned to make it to the police station and then the insurance office before Kaycee grew too restless, he’d need to get a move on. He wanted to be the first in line to see Dave before the office erupted into the chaos that happened every Monday morning. He said he had some information on the woman who’d escaped from the plane. If Reid didn’t know any better, he’d say Dave glanced back at Kaycee as he told him.

“Stop by my office first thing Monday,” he’d told Reid. And Reid planned to do just that. He knew Dave’s willingness to help him was out of loyalty to Josh. That bullet Josh had lodged into his thigh had Dave’s name on it. He remembered Josh telling him how he kicked the gun out of the perp’s hand as he pointed it at Dave. It went off, lodging a bullet in Josh’s thigh. He would need surgery to remove the bullet.

“Don’t worry, little brother,” Josh had told him, his smile wide. “I’ll be fine. Don’t you eat all my Doritos.”

And then he was gone, in every sense of the word.

Reid blew out a breath and shook off the pain that always came with that memory. He really needed to stop dwelling in the past and concentrate on what he had right in front of him. With a glance back at Kaycee, he slipped out of the room. The air was already stale, sticky. Great. It would be another miserably hot day in humid Seattle. He brought his gaze up to the clear blue sky. Why in the hell wouldn’t it rain?

He jumped on the bike and pushed it away from the room before firing it off. The wind cooled him and helped keep his mind from clouding with everything that had happened in the past few days.

He knew the way to the police station blindfolded and pulled up to the curb. His heart jolted when he brought his gaze to the entrance. This was the first time he’d been here since his brother’s death. He hung the helmet on the handlebar and walked inside, hoping he’d be lucky enough to meet Dave right away.

As luck would have it, Dave stood at the front counter, flipping through some paperwork. Reid walked in and Dave grinned. “Reid. Glad you came down. Follow me.”

He glanced around as they walked to the back office. The walls were the same dismal gray. The same stained glass pot half-full of thick black coffee greeted them before the long hall of offices, filling the air with the stench of burnt java. As they walked into the office, he jumped his gaze to the ceiling. Even the same holes in the ceiling from his and Josh’s pencil missiles.

“Have a seat.”

He took a seat and regarded the detective. Dave did the same to Reid. An uncomfortable silence settled between them, almost like Dave knew what Reid had gotten himself into and silently condemned him for it.

Reid cleared his throat. “You said you had information?”

“What is your relationship to Dr. Addison?”

He clenched his jaw, cursing himself for not trusting his gut. Dave didn’t have any information for him. He just wanted to grill Reid on Kaycee’s whereabouts. His temper bubbled to the surface. He didn’t have time for this bullshit. “Look, I already told the guys who barged in to my house what I know.”

“I heard about that. Sorry. I didn’t know they were going to do that. Had I known of the situation, I would have taken care of it.”

Reid nodded, but refused to look at him. Dave was smart. He’d trained Josh, taught him everything he knew. One false look from Reid and Dave would know everything. “So why did you ask me to come down here?”

“That woman you were with yesterday. What was her name again?”

“Sandy.” Reid smiled inwardly. He still remembered that flash of jealously in Kaycee’s eyes.

“Does Sandy have a last name?”

“Dave, what’s this all about?”

“Sorry, I guess I still think of you as a little brother. I don’t like how far we’ve drifted since Josh passed away. I haven’t seen you since his funeral. We all used to be buddies, didn’t we? Like family?”

“Yeah. I guess so.”

“And if you were in some sort of trouble, you’d feel comfortable coming to me, wouldn’t you?”

He narrowed his eyes. “Sure. If I was in some sort of trouble.”

“And you’re not?”

“No.” He dug his nails into the arm of the chair. He knew. Damn it. Dave knew. Reid took a deep breath to calm down. He must have recognized her at the park, even with the dark hair. It must have been her eyes. They were one-of-a-kind.

“You know, some say they’ve spotted Dr. Addison back in Seattle. Some even say they’ve seen her at the hospital. It’s all over the place. The papers. The news. Just the other day we spoke with a Dr. Matt Baird. He said she was there on Friday with an unidentified man. Where were you on Friday?”

“Friday?” Reid willed the sweat on his upper lip to dry up. Damn. He tapped into everything Josh taught him. Always tell the truth, he’d say. Only take out the parts that leave no room for doubt. That way it’s easier to remember. “I hitched a ride back to town after spending the night out in the forest next to my crashed plane.”

“So you returned to Seattle on Friday?”

“Yeah.”

“Alone?”

“Dave, what are you suggesting?”

Dave set the pencil he’d been fidgeting with down. “We’ve had more than a few witnesses placing the two of you together. Your neighbor, in fact.”

Good old Mrs. Cooper. Reid felt a curse coming on. “Mrs. Cooper is blind as a bat. And senile. Are you going to take her word over mine?”

“She also said something about you having two friends of the family over yesterday. Young, attractive, female. Said they flew in from overseas to pay their respects, having missed Josh’s funeral and all. Mrs. Cooper said they both talked in an accent.”

Reid felt the walls closing in.

“Funny, I don’t remember Josh mentioning anything about them.”

“I had to tell her something. The woman thinks I’m a saint. If she knew I was entertaining, she’d have a fit.”

Dave lifted his brow. “Two women? Every man’s fantasy.”

“Yep.”

“So that must be why your place was such a wreck when I stopped by last night.”

Reid’s heart seized. “What?”

“I thought you’d want to go out for a beer or something, granted your lady friend wasn’t still there. What was her name again?”

“Sandy.”

“That’s it. Sandy. And what was the other?”

“Kelly.”

“Sandy and Kelly.” He nodded. “That’s what senile Mrs. Cooper said.” Reid knew what he was doing. Josh used to practice this line of questioning on Reid all the time. The Merry-go-round. They would go around and around, discussing the same thing over and over, until one of them finally cracked. “Have you been home, yet?”

“Not since I saw you at Seattle Center.”

Dave stood and went over to a plant. He first watered it and then picked off the dead leaves. This was classic as well. Josh called this move The Distraction. “Really? Where’d you go?”

“A motel.”

“A motel? But your place is only twenty minutes from the center. Was there a reason why you went to a motel?”

Dave fidgeted with the plant. Reid blinked and looked away. No wonder they called it a distraction. “We were in a playful mood.”

“You’ve got a lot of stamina for someone who entertained two women earlier that day.”

“You have no idea,” Reid muttered.

He set the cup of water down next to the plant. “Mrs. Cooper was under the impression you were home yesterday in the early evening, even paid her to take care of your cat.”

“Mrs. Cooper also thinks it’s the winter of 1979. Besides, you saw me at Seattle Center. Now how can I be at two places at once?”

Dave laughed and leaned back on a metal filing cabinet. The four drawer cabinets seemed dwarfed next to a man of his size. “Okay, Reid. I’m going to level with you.” He folded his arms with some difficulty, causing his muscles to bulge even more. “If you are harboring Dr. Addison, helping her in any way, you could be in serious trouble. Your kinship to Josh can only do so much to help you.”

“Don’t do that. Don’t bring him in to this.”

“What sort of honor are you bringing to his memory by breaking the law, right under his roof?”

“Stop it.” His rage mounted, starting as a pounding in the base of his neck.

“Josh would tell you the same thing.”

“Shut up, Dave.” He gritted his teeth and rested a cool glare on Josh’s mentor. This line was called The Blind Rage. Well, it worked. “You don’t know what he would say.”

“Do you think being the little brother to a dead detective gives you special rights above the law?” He walked over and sat on the edge of his desk. As he leaned over and balanced himself with his hands on his knees, he met Reid’s eyes.

Reid didn’t falter. He knew Dave tried to bait him and it wouldn’t work. “Go to hell, Dave. I’m not about to sit here and have you insult Josh’s memory.”

He tried to stand, but Dave placed one of his large hands on Reid’s shoulder and slowly lowered him back down. Dave leaned back, his gaze never leaving Reid’s. “It bothers you, doesn’t it?”

“Fuck yes, it bothers me.”

“Tough.” He leaned into Reid again, stopping only inches from him, his eyes locked and level. “Do you know what bothers me? People who think the law doesn’t apply to them. I’ll give you one chance to tell me where Dr. Addison is, Reid. Because I know you’ve been hiding her.”

He tightened his jaw as he contemplated his next move. “I’m afraid I can’t help you.”

Dave sat back, crossed his arms, and studied him. Reid knew better than to look away. Eye contact was crucial during an interrogation—another pointer from his brother. “Has she threatened you in any way? Is that why you’re helping her? Or is there more to the story? Do you and the doctor have a little more going on than what the media has sniffed out?”

Reid stood. “Listen, if you don’t have any information for me, I’ve still got to meet with the insurance company.”

“Sit.” Dave ordered. Reid knew better than to disobey this man. Josh told him stories of how Dave apprehended some of his perps. Broken bones were the least of their injuries. He sat and glared at his feet. “I’m just trying to help you.”

“Insulting my brother’s memory—insulting me—is helping?”

“Josh wasn’t only my partner. He was my best friend. You aren’t the only one who lost a brother that day.” Dave stood and moved to the other side of the desk. As he sank down into his chair, he sighed. “I know you blame the doctors for Josh’s death, but there’s something you don’t know.”

His gaze snapped to Dave. “What are you talking about?”

Dave paled, his expression sad. “God forgive me for what I’m about to tell you. Josh made me promise never to say anything. But since you are hell bent on trying to get yourself killed…” He sighed again. “Josh was dying, Reid. Before that goddamn bullet ever touched him. He had cancer—a brain tumor.”

The news hit him like a thousand death blows to his chest, a poisoned, dull knife cutting into his ribs and ripping out his heart. “You’re lying.”

“I wish I were.”

“Why?” Shock ripped through his body. The warmth drained from his face. “Why didn’t he tell me?”

“He didn’t want you to know.”

“Why?” He demanded. This made no sense. They told each other everything. Reid would know if Josh had cancer. Josh wouldn’t keep something like that from him. He just wouldn’t.

“He raised you since you were fifteen. At seventeen, those are some big shoes to fill. He always tried to protect you.”

“And this is how he protects me? By not telling me that he was dying?” Reid’s voice rose and sliced into the air. “How was that protecting me?” He jumped to his feet and paced. No. Josh would have said something. This was just another interrogation technique. It had to be. “I can’t believe you’d make something like this up, just to get at me.”

“I wish I were making it up. He wanted to tell you. Every day we’d talk about how he was going to tell you that night, but then the next day would come, and he’d tell me he couldn’t do it.” Dave’s voice was calm, soft. Reid hated the man for his ability to remain so cool. He hated the fact they were in a public place and he couldn’t bellow out his rage at the top of his lungs. And he hated Josh for keeping something like this from him.

“I can’t deal with this right now.”

“That’s right, Reid. Deny this. Run from it. But this right here is why Josh wouldn’t tell you.”

“What are you talking about?”

“You’ve been denying Josh’s death—running from it—since it happened. You walked away from MSF. You loved that job, but couldn’t stand to be around doctors after what happened to Josh. Don’t deny it. You blamed the doctors, hated them, and allowed that hatred to consume you. I bet you still have his stuff lying around the house, don’t you? You just can’t let it go.”

“You don’t know me.”

“I know you’re a Cavanaugh. If Josh told you about the cancer, you would have eventually distanced yourself from him. You would have bolted, like you Cavanaughs do, and Josh would have lost his final years with you. Don’t look at me like that. It’s the Cavanaugh’s MO. Any threat of emotional tie and you immediately find a way to blame someone else so you don’t have to get close.” Dave sat back and waited for Reid to say something. But he couldn’t find his voice, and when he did, no words could explain how he felt.

His bullshit reasoning had nothing to do with why Reid was so quick to jump to Kaycee’s guilt instead of believing her, at least at the beginning. But now? Was he still looking for a way to push her away so he could hate her and blame her for his misery? Just as he’d been doing with Josh’s death?

Shit. He hated it when someone smacked him in the back of the head with his own epiphany.

“I would have never left his side,” Reid choked out.

“That’s not what Josh thought. And he was only trying to protect you. He loved you, Reid.”

Loved him? More like didn’t trust him. It had nothing to do with love. Bile crept into the back of his throat. If he didn’t get out of this office, he’d ruin the top of that nice oak desk. He went to the door.

“Hold on, Reid. We aren’t done.”

He didn’t want to, but he turned to face Josh’s ex-partner.

“One word. Sunglasses.” He waved his fingers at his eyes. “It’s her eyes that gave her away. But the dark hair is good. Of course, I wouldn’t be parading her around a major park in Seattle on a sunny Sunday evening, but that’s just me.”

The amount of information Reid had just had thrown at him bordered on overload. His brain already shut down after the news of Josh. Now this? An enormous weight landed on his chest. So Dave did know. And now he knew Reid had her with him, yet didn’t already have him in cuffs.

Dave’s loyalty to Josh ran deeper than Reid could have ever fathomed. Goddamn if that didn’t make him even more grateful for the surly detective.

“So, what would you have done?”

“Turned her in.”

“She didn’t do what she’s been accused of.”

“That’s not for you to decide.”

“Dave, they’re after her. You saw what they did to my place.”

Dave nodded. “I saw. I think that actually scared me more than news of the crash. I didn’t know what I’d find. When I saw you at Seattle Center, I didn’t know whether to hug you or beat the shit out of you.”

“I’m kinda glad you didn’t do either one of those things.”

He chuckled. “God love you, Reid. A bit more about the case and then I’ll let you go. Were you aware that your male passenger was a bargain basement hit man? He’d been in and out of prison since he was a kid. Gus Whitley.” He paused and watched Reid, no doubt waiting for a reaction from the name. Reid kept his expression slack and Dave went on. “Got a rap sheet about a mile long. He was far from a pro.”

He couldn’t have said it better.

“We found a shitload of money on the cliff above where they found the body. You wouldn’t know anything about that, would you?”

“Money? How much?”

Dave ignored his question. “I’m thinking it was payment to take out the doctor. Real discount for a hit.”

“Any idea who hired him?”

“We have a few leads we’re following. The family is clean, so that rules out revenge killing.”

“Have you checked into any of the other doctors at the hospital?”

“Any specific doctors in mind?”

Reid weighed his response. If he told Dave too much, the detective would pick up on it. If he didn’t tell him enough, he’d want to know why Reid brought their names up in the first place. He definitely couldn’t tell him about the autopsy report. He decided to leave names out and give Dave roles. “What about her attending? Or the ME?”

Dave brought his finger up to his chin and studied Reid as he contemplated his statement. Although Reid wanted to look away, he knew better. Dave was in full-on detective mode. Breaking eye contact would be a guarantee that he’d dig deeper. “Tell me why you want me looking at them.”

“I can’t.” He wished he could, but it would admit too much about what he already knew.

“Then I can’t help you.”

“Dave, please.”

He shook his head. “You have no idea the chances I’m already giving you, Reid. Give me something in return, would you?”

“Her attending was performing illegal tests on stage IV cancer patients. The ME knew about it and falsified the autopsy reports.”

Dave’s eyes rounded his shock as he sprang forward. “Are you shitting me right now? How do you know that?”

Reid remained silent, wishing he would have never opened his goddamn mouth.

“I’ll let you in on something. We already know about Dr. Brad Leary and his so-called tests, and have been investigating him for months. Between you and me, I believe that’s why he framed Dr. Addison, to get the heat off him. This is the first I’ve heard of the ME’s involvement.”

“You believe she’s innocent?”

Dave brought up his hand. “I never said that. I said we’re investigating her boss. We’re still trying to put the pieces together on that case. What I do know about my case is that someone paid this Gus character to kill someone on that plane. Since it was only you and Dr. Addison, and I highly doubt he was hired to kill you, that only leaves one other person. That someone knows he failed.”

“Which means that someone will try again.”

“Exactly. Judging by your place last night, I’d guess they know she’s with you.”

“I never said she was with me.” Reid refused to drop his guard. Dave may have been his brother’s partner and best friend, but he was also a cop.

“Right. Real mystery there. Listen, until I can talk to Dr. Addison, I can’t help her.”

“I wish I could help you.” He really did. If Kaycee could talk to Dave without the threat of him slapping cuffs on her, Reid would do it in a heartbeat. But he couldn’t risk it. At the end of the day, despite his loyalty to Josh, Dave was a cop.

With a long sigh, Dave conceded. “Just promise me something. If this shit goes south, and in my gut I know it will, you’ll call me. I’ll be there, no questions asked. Whether on the job or not. I’ve lost one Cavanaugh. I don’t want to lose the other.”

“Thanks, Dave. I appreciate that.”

“Don’t go thanking me until this is all over and you aren’t dead. Oh, and Reid? You’ve got twenty-four hours to do whatever it is you think you’re doing. After that, I step in and do it my way. Got it?”

Reid nodded and left the room. On top of the news about Josh, the news that Dave knew Reid had Kaycee with him sent a whole new set of mixed emotions coursing through him. Did that mean the rest of the Seattle Police Department knew? Reid doubted that. Not everyone felt the loyalties to Josh the way Dave did. They’d toss Reid into jail without blinking if they knew what he’d been doing.

It shocked him Dave was willing to put his badge on the line to help. If anyone found out Dave knew Reid had Kaycee and didn’t bring him in, he could be brought up on charges. Jesus, the guilt of Josh’s death must be eating Dave alive. It wasn’t the cancer that killed him. It was that fucking bullet. The bullet meant for Dave. For the first time, Reid debated whether Josh’s death affected more than just him.

Josh. Goddamn his brother for never telling him about the cancer. The son of a bitch was dying and never told his only family. Reid pulled in a ragged breath, his heart beating so fierce it sent his blood racing through his veins. His head pounded. A painful lump lodged in his throat. The raw emotions threatening to consume him were unrelenting. One thought kept him grounded, kept him from giving in and allowing the grief to consume him.

Kaycee.

For an instant, his eyes stung savagely and he cursed them for giving in when the rest of him wouldn’t allow it. How could his own brother keep something like this from him? He sped off toward the insurance company’s office. If he had any hope, any chance to recover the loss of his plane, he’d have to try. If not, he’d have to sell the duplex to survive.

The light turned red and he set his feet down. Glancing around, he spotted the TVs in the window at the electronics store next to him. His blood ran cold when he saw a flash of two familiar faces on the screens.

One of Dr. Kaycee Addison.

And the other of him.

Shit.

How did they find out? He didn’t bother to wait to find out. He sped through the intersection, barely missing a car, and whipped around a corner, back to the motel. Pulling up to the curb, he jumped off the bike and froze.

Double shit.

The door was partially open. His pulse pounded in his ears as he threw off his helmet. As he ran toward the door, that pounding grew to a deafening roar. He slammed the door open and choked on a curse.

Kaycee was gone.

 

 

 

SIXTEEN

 

“Kaycee!” Reid knew better than to leave her alone. The people who hired Gus probably waited until he left and then attacked her.

He searched the entire room, calling her name and searched every inch. He checked under the bed just in case she needed a place to hide again. Nothing seemed out of place. The bed was even made. Guilt and despair overtook any other sense. He’d never forgive himself if something happened to her.

Movement out of the corner of his eye caught his attention. Oh dear God. A foot poked out from the other side of the vending machines. Reid sucked in a breath, tortured by the fear that he was too late. The foot twitched. And then it disappeared. For the first time in his life, he felt fear, real fear as it clawed at his body.

“God, no.” He broke into a dead run. “Kaycee!”

Suddenly her beautiful dyed head popped out from behind the machine. When she spotted Reid running at her, she staggered back. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

He didn’t stop until he crashed against her and pulled her into his arms. “My God. I thought…” He held her tighter as he tried not to shake from the fear tearing him apart.

“I’m fine.” The heat from her breath against his shoulder helped him to relax. “Good morning to you, too.”

“Let’s go.”

“But I dropped my dime.”

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a fist full of change, knowing that if he didn’t get her a damn candy bar he’d never hear the end of it. “Here. Make it fast.”

“Thank you very much.” She smiled like a little girl after receiving a brand new toy at Christmas. Reid had never been so happy to see that smile. She turned and pushed a few buttons, then grinned wide, chocolate in hand.

“Happy now?”

“It satisfies.”

He laced his hand in hers and pulled her into the motel room. “Listen, baby. I just saw another shot of the news. It’s all over—”

“The part about me taking you hostage? Or the part about me forcing a driver to take us back to Seattle at gunpoint?” Kaycee bit off a piece of the candy bar and angrily chewed. She motioned at the TV. “Saw it this morning.”

“Gunpoint?”

“Oh? You didn’t hear that one? It’s really great. Apparently, some man in an Aries K car told police I held a gun to his head and made him drive us to Seattle, and that you were there as my hostage.”

“We didn’t come back in an Aries K car.”

“I don’t even know what an Aries K car is.”

“It sure as hell isn’t a semi.” He kicked the door shut and paced next to the bed as she sat. “And the only way to set the story straight is to come out of hiding. Damn. It’s got to be a cop.”

“What?” She choked on the last bite of her candy bar. “A cop? Why?”

“Because if they don’t make it seem like you’re the next Ted Bundy, then the media won’t run with it. And if the media doesn’t turn it into a front-page story, they lose their edge. The minute you get buried by the next headline, you end up on the last page as a cliff note. That happens and no one remembers you.”

“That sounds nice right about now.”

“Time to go home.” Reid pulled her to her feet.

“After someone tore your place apart?”

“Lightning never strikes the same place twice.” He handed her helmet to her. Thankfully, she didn’t protest as she climbed on behind him and held on with her death grip until he had them safely at his duplex. He didn’t stop until he pulled the bike behind the house.

“Why are we parking back here?”

“I don’t want any unexpected guests to know we’re here. Come on.”

She hopped off the bike and followed him into the house. Reid closed the door behind them and locked it. He then glanced around the room and his entire body seized. They really did a number on his place, the bastards.

He kicked things out of his path and righted furniture as he made his way through the living room, each step like walking through hell. They invaded his home, his place of solace. Turning, he eyed his computer desk and his heart sank. Did they have to break the goddamn legs?

“Reid?”

“That was Josh’s.” He swallowed thickly and brought his attention back to cleaning up. Kaycee gathered the papers behind him and put them in stacks. He replaced the receiver on the phone’s base and then grabbed a shirt off the floor. The sound of broken glass caught his attention. He lifted the clothing and bit back a howl of rage.

The last picture he had of him and Josh together. They’d just gotten back from a fishing trip in Ilwaco and both held up prize sturgeons. With huge, stupid-ass grins on their faces, they looked like a couple of teenagers. He loved that picture and could only stand there in a numbed state as he stared at what remained. The frame was shattered, Reid’s face torn out. Not only did the fuckers destroy it, whoever did this now knew what he looked like.

That explained the news story. It wasn’t a cop after all. Whoever was after Kaycee used the media to weed her out, using the public as his or her own person search crew. He shook from the rage coursing through him. How could someone do this? Didn’t they understand how much all of this meant to him?

Kaycee came to him and rested a hand on his arm. “I’m sorry,” was all she said.

And Reid came undone.

All the suppressed rage consuming him came out as a harsh, agonized sob. For six months he’d buried his pain, disguised it as hatred, determined to find someone to blame for his brother’s death, as Dave had said. All the while trying not to think about how much he missed him.

Reid collapsed against her as another soul-shredding sob ripped through him. “He was my best friend.”

“I know.” She pulled him into her arms. He tried to push back, to have some sort of dignity, but Kaycee held him tight. “No you don’t. You need to get this out. Ask me questions. Talk to me. Just don’t shut down.”

“Dave said he had a brain tumor. If that bullet wouldn’t have killed him, he would have died anyway. He was dying. My brother was dying.”

“I know. I read it in his report. I’m so sorry, baby.” She kissed his temple, whispering words of reassurance. And they floated into his heart.

After several peaceful minutes, he gently pushed her back, feeling a hell of a lot better and thankful she wouldn’t let him go as he broke down. He wiped his cheek with the back of a hand. “Wow. That’s embarrassing.”

“No, it isn’t. It’s something you should have done months ago. You never faced his death. It was premature, unfair, for everyone involved. If he wasn’t DNR, they could have saved him. A reaction to anesthesia is so rare.”

“DNR. The doctor said something about a DNR, but after he told me that Josh was gone, I tuned everything else out. He never even bothered to tell me what the hell a DNR is.”

“Josh had a Do Not Resuscitate order on file. Didn’t he tell you?”

“He didn’t even tell me about the cancer.”

Kaycee’s eyes widened as her mouth fell open, like she’d just made the biggest mistake by revealing something confidential.

Reid narrowed his eyes as the comprehension slowly sank in. And then he got pissed. “Are you telling me that Josh told the doctors to not revive him? Why? Why in the hell would he do something like that?”

“Reid—”

“No, damn it! You tell me why! Why would a doctor just let him die? Why!” He grabbed her arms and shook her as another sob tore through him. It wasn’t fair. His brother. His best friend. Gone at the hands of doctors who could have saved him.

She didn’t raise her voice. She didn’t pull out of his firm grip. “They were only doing what he asked.”

He released her with a jerk and turned away, disgusted. Disgusted with the doctors for not saving Josh. Disgusted with Kaycee for allowing him to take it out on her. Disgusted with himself for doing just that.

“Tell me, doctor, what would you have done? He was young, in great shape, and had years of life left.” He thought about the cancer and shook his head. Maybe.

“I’m not about to second-guess their decision. Reid, they honored Josh’s wishes. If they had performed CPR, it would have been an ethical violation. A violation of Josh’s trust and request. More than likely his cancer was advancing fast and he put a DNR on file so you wouldn’t have to make that decision when the time came.”

He released a shaky breath and waited until he got his emotions back under control before turning to her. Those eyes, those amazing hazel eyes, pleaded with him to understand. But he wouldn’t. He couldn’t. His brother died before his time. Period. No explanation could change that.

They stood there and stared at each other, neither willing to concede. The phone rang and broke them both of their stubborn impasse. With a growl, he grabbed the receiver. “What.”

“Hello to you, too.” The smooth female voice sounded on the other line. “It’s Sandra.”

He didn’t want to deal with another doctor right now. He had his hands full with the one watching him with eyes that stroked over his senses, softening them while hardening other parts of his anatomy. “What can I do for you, Sandra?”

Her voice changed, growing agitated. “Is Kaycee with you?”

“What’s wrong?”

“Is she there?”

He knew better than to answer that. She could have the cops listening in. “Why?”

“Reid, I need to talk to her.”

“You can talk to me.”

“Cut the macho protection bullshit, big boy. Let me talk to her.”

Reid had more important things to do than argue with another doctor. He handed the phone to Kaycee and went back to work on reorganizing the mess he used to call his house. He made sure to stay close enough to listen in.

“Sandra? Hi. What? No. Really? Okay. Bye.”

She returned the phone to the base. His nerves were already raw, and he didn’t know if he wanted to know what Sandra needed to talk to Kaycee about. When she didn’t break into song, revealing everything Sandra said, he nearly bit his tongue. “Well?”

“She wants us to come over. Something about what she found.”

Why couldn’t Sandra tell him that? “What did she say?”

“She asked if we were busy and I said no.”

“Oh, of course not. Nothing else to do.” Reid muttered a curse and shook his head. Something didn’t fit. Every warning alarm screamed inside his head. He could feel it, almost taste it.

“So can we?”

“Can we what?”

“We need to go to Sandra’s.”

He shook his head. “No way. In case you’ve forgotten, there’s some nut out there looking for you, for us. We leave now, we could be walking into a trap.”

Her cheeks glowed to crimson. She had that look again. Oh, yeah. She was pissed. “She isn’t involved.”

“Then she wouldn’t mind if we stayed put.”

“What is the matter with you? This is Sandra we’re talking about.”

“I know. And you don’t know if she’s involved.”

“I know,” Kaycee stated firmly and thrust out her chin.

“Christ, Kace. You don’t even know your middle name.” What did this woman have against him protecting her?

She drew in a sharp breath and he felt like shit. “You’re an asshole.”

He couldn’t agree more.

“For your information, my middle name is Marie. I’m twenty-nine. I was born in Colville, Washington. I was named after my mother. My father’s name was Michael. I don’t have any brothers or sisters.”

His lips twitched. “And?”

The words fell from her lips in rapid fire. “I jumped off a swing when I was eight and broke my arm.” Kaycee pointed out the scar to Reid. “I remember my first kiss from a boy—Tommy Snyder. He stole it from me on the playground when we were in the fifth grade.”

He cocked his eyebrow, a slow smile growing. They may all be long-term memories, but they were more than she’d remembered yesterday. “What about the day you came to Boeing Field? What do you remember about that day?”

“I remember waking up and freaking out that we were thousands of feet in the air.”

“You were pretty out of it up until that point. I didn’t think anything of it. Your husband said you’d taken a sedative for the flight.”

“I was drugged. I remember that much. Come on. Let’s get to Sandra’s.”

He reeled at the abrupt change in subject. “Maybe I didn’t make myself clear. We’re not going.”

Kaycee flashed her eyes at him. “You can’t keep me here against my will. I’ll go if I want.”

He accepted her challenge. “You think I’m keeping you here against your will? If you want to leave, be my guest.”

“You want me to leave? Good. Great. I’m going.” She stormed to the front door, threw it open, and then glared at him.

He stood back with his arms folded, calling her bluff. She hated the bike and Madison Park was too far to walk. She didn’t have any money for a cab, either.

“You’re still here,” he pointed out.

“I stand by my original statement.”

“And that is?” He shouldn’t be having this much fun baiting her.

“That you’re an asshole, Reid Cavanaugh.” She slammed the door behind her. She made it all the way out to the street before he opened the front door to go after her. She glared at him and took a breath when something else caught both their attention.

A revving engine. A black car. Racing right toward Kaycee.

He brought his gaze to a dark sedan as it pulled away from the curb. It came fast. Too fast. He shouted, but it didn’t seem to register. She only stared as the car came at her, adjusting to hit her head on.

Reid jumped into action. He raced across his yard and jerked her into his arms. They both tumbled. Pain exploded as his shoulder hit the pavement. The wound tore and he grimaced. She screamed and he rolled, holding her tighter against him. A hard breeze, a black streak, and the car sped off.

The car’s tires screeched as it rounded a corner and disappeared. Everything suspended then, the air stilled, the day abruptly quiet. Even the birds seemed to be in shock over what had just happened. So much for lightning never striking twice.

He pulled her to her feet. “Are you hurt?” She shook her head, her lower lip trembling. She looked back toward the direction where the car sped off. “We have to get out of here.”

Kaycee nodded, but didn’t speak. She glanced at his shoulder and it seemed to break her out of her shocked state. “Your shoulder! You’re bleeding.”

He had one arm around her, leading her away from the scene and over to his bike. “I’m fine.” He spoke in a choked whisper. “But unless you want to continue this conversation during visiting hours and through a glass barrier, I’d suggest we move. Now. With all that noise, there’s no doubt Mrs. Cooper will call the police.”

As they ran over to his bike, Reid let out a curse. That was close. Too close. They needed to get the hell away from any connection to either one of them.

“That—that car—”

Reid pulled her into his arms and kissed her beautiful, stubborn head. “You get your wish. We’re going to Sandra’s.”

“Good.” She tried to touch his shoulder, but he jerked and winced at the pain from the movement. “You may need stitches this time.” She reached for him again and actually got hold of his arm.

He moved out of her reach. “You are not sewing me up.”

“But if your laceration tore—”

“No needles.” He moved again when she reached for him. “Stop it. No.”

“How about I just look at it?”

“I’m fine.”

Kaycee rolled her eyes and sighed. “Big baby.”

“Thank you.” When he let his guard down, she grabbed his shoulder and moved the shirt back. He couldn’t pull away, not without causing more of a tear. “Just as I suspected…”

“You are not sewing me up.” He pushed her away. “Now get your helmet on.”

“But your shoulder.”

“No.” Reid refused to give into her.

This time.

 

 

 

SEVENTEEN

 

“There.” Kaycee kissed his shoulder after dressing the wound. It only required ten stitches. Luckily, Sandra had all the material on hand. Kaycee cleaned the wound, squaring her successive ties, careful to keep them perfectly parallel to prevent the wound from tearing open yet again. “You were very brave. Do you want a lollipop?”

Reid brought his vacant gaze up to hers and blinked slowly. He’d lost his color. Sandra didn’t have anything to numb the area and he refused to take the whiskey she offered.

“I can’t believe I let you sew me up. I hate needles.” He stood and swayed. She easily sat him back down on the couch. He groaned and adjusted his shoulder. “I think I’ll take that drink after all.”

She nodded and went to Sandra’s cabinet above the fridge. She didn’t have to think as she moved about. It was like second nature. Things were still a haze, but becoming clearer and stronger every passing second.

“When did Sandra say she was coming back?”

“She said she had to run a few errands,” Kaycee answered and grabbed the whiskey. She went back to Reid and poured him a drink. “Here you are, my dear.”

Reid watched her as she approached. “Hmm.” He grinned and accepted it. “I could get used to this. Us living in a place like this. You bringing me a drink at the end of a long-ass day.”

“You rubbing my feet after a double shift at the hospital.” She smiled at the idea and went on. “Still holding hands when we’re eighty.”

“Still having sex when we’re eighty,” he countered with a wink that sent a rush of chills across her flesh.

She sucked in her bottom lip and bit down. She could definitely get used to it. The idea of spending the rest of her life with him had her almost giddy. But she quickly dropped her smile as the reality of the situation sank in. They both knew better. She was a hazard to his health. Being with her made him do stupid things, like run in front of a speeding car to save her life.

“So why do you suppose Sandra called us here?”

He stiffened, his color suddenly returning with a vengeance. He riveted his piercing gaze to her. “She didn’t tell you?”

“She just said that she’d be right back.”

“Shit.” He jumped up and grabbed her hand. “Come on. I knew better than to trust her. Is there a backdoor?”

“Yes, through the kitchen.”

“Son of a bitch. It’s a trap, Kace. We have to get out of—”

“My, my, my.”

Kaycee whipped around and sucked in a breath as Reid dropped the ‘F’ bomb.

Sandra stood in the opening to the living room, a smirking Dr. Brad Leary standing behind her. In a flash, every memory Kaycee ever had collided in her brain. She fisted her hands and pushed them against her temples, vaguely aware of her name being called. Everything spun angrily. She wanted to scream, to make it all stop. It was too much. It was all too much.

Then as fast as the memories came, they silenced but didn’t fade. The chaos attacking her ceased. Everything made sense. Her mind cleared.

And she remembered. Everything.

“Dr. Addison. Thank God you’re safe.” Brad pulled her into his arms and held her tight. It was foreign, wrong. His smell didn’t tickle her senses. His nearness did nothing but revolt her. She looked over at Reid. He’d lost his color again.

“Kace? What the hell is going on? Who is this guy?”

“This guy,” Brad countered in a holier-than-thou tone that made Kaycee want to slap that smirk right off his arrogant face, “is here to save her. And you must be that bush pilot who took her hostage. Did you make her do that to her hair? It’s practically black. And short. My God, it’s hideous. You unsophisticated monster.”

Reid grew rigid. He stood an inch shorter than Brad and didn’t have the size on him, either. But he was still twice the man Brad would ever be.

Kaycee wiggled out from underneath his arm and glared up at him. “How dare you talk to him like that. He saved our lives. That plane could have nose-dived right into the ground.”

“From the pictures, it appeared to have done just that.” His dark gaze softened as he rested it on her. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” He turned back to Reid, a hand extended. “Please forgive me. I’m Dr. Brad Leary.”

“You’re Brad?” Reid stiffened as he squeezed his hands into fists. That muscle in his jaw went wild.

“You know me?”

“No,” Kaycee corrected quickly. If she had any chance for her plan to work, she had to convince Brad that she didn’t know what he’d done. Turning, she gave Reid a look. He narrowed his eyes in return as he watched her.

“Shake his hand,” she mouthed.

Those eyes narrowed even further.

She widened hers in return.

“Oh, for God’s sake,” Sandra blurted out. “Shake the man’s hand, Reid. He’s not going to bite you.”

Reid glared at Sandra. “I knew better than to trust you.”

She rolled her eyes. “Trust me with what? I’m protecting my best friend. Now shake his hand. He’s here to help.”

Though Kaycee knew he didn’t want to, Reid took Brad’s hand. They shook and the hostility mounted between them, charging the air. Neither let the other’s go and both sets of knuckles turned white from the pressure. Finally, they released, but it did nothing to ease the growing friction.

“Come, Dr. Addison. I’ve got my lawyer on speed dial. We’ll get you settled and then call him. He’ll make the arrangements for you to turn yourself in.” Brad reached for her.

She took a step back. “Why would I turn myself in?”

He swung his attention to his sister, who nodded. “You really don’t remember what you did?”

Kaycee plastered a shocked look on her face and prayed it was convincing. “I hit my head when we crashed. I don’t remember anything.”

Something moved in his dark eyes, something that made her skin crawl as her guard shot up. And then it disappeared, replace by a mocking arch of his brow. “You poor thing.”

“Yes,” she agreed and glanced back at Reid. He threw her a puzzled look, but she widened her eyes and nodded slightly. He seemed to understand and even replaced his puzzled look with one of concern.

“It’s the weirdest thing,” Reid added. “She can’t remember much before the crash. Even pulls these crazy stunts.”

“Such as?”

“Yeah.” Kaycee glared at Reid. “Such as?”

Reid’s eyes danced that wonderful indigo waltz as he rested them on her. This ought to be good. “She likes to play hide-and-seek, but with a twist.”

“I’m not following.” Brad snapped his brow into a frown and glanced at Sandra. She shrugged in response.

“Oh, you know,” Reid went on, drawing Brad’s attention back to him. “She runs a lot and then is shocked when you find her.”

She dropped her jaw. “That was one time.”

Brad cleared his throat. “From what Sandra tells me, there are quite a few changes in Kaycee’s life since the crash.”

Reid stepped toward him. “All for the better.”

“Hardly,” was Brad’s curt reply.

Kaycee held her tongue. If she wanted to get the evidence she’d hidden to prove his guilt, she had to play along.

“Let’s get you home.” He outstretched his arms and simply expected her to run into them.

She and Sandra had bought houses in the same neighborhood, four doors down from each other, and even decorated them the same way. Kaycee’s temper heated as she turned to the person she thought was her best friend, understanding now why Reid never trusted her. How could she do this? Sandra’s eyes were wide, pleading with her.

“Come, pigeon.” Brad talked to her like a child, the ass. “You’re safe now. I’m here for you, like you’ve always wanted.” He rested his gaze on Reid and smirked. “She’s been in love with me for some time. It wasn’t until I thought I lost her that I realized how much I loved her, too.”

Reid rested his gaze on Kaycee. This time they weren’t dancing. Instead, they were cold, hard, and full of anguish. “Kace? Is he telling the truth? Do you love him?”

She bit her lip until it throbbed with her pulse. How desperately she needed him, wanted him, and couldn’t have him. Her throat ached in defeat. If she didn’t make Reid believe she’d chosen Brad over him, he’d come after her. Brad wouldn’t hesitate to kill him.

She had no choice. She had to push him away to save him. In order to push him away, she had to hurt him. “I think so.” She swallowed down the despair crying to be released. The look of shock and betrayal that moved through Reid’s eyes shattered her heart, just as it shattered his trust in her. “I’m sorry. I—I didn’t know.”

“Kaycee,” he whispered and she had to close her eyes to stop herself from giving away how much this destroyed her to let him go. She loved him. God how she loved him more than life.

Mustering up enough false bravado, she rested an impartial gaze on him. “I’m sorry, Reid.”

His pain faded to rage as his expression hardened. “Are you fucking kidding me? You are seriously going to leave with this guy?”

“As opposed to what? Stay with you?” Brad laughed. “You can’t be serious. Why would she want to stay with you when she has me?”

Reid sliced his gaze to Brad. “Gee, I wonder.”

Brad lost his smile as his face colored.

“All right, you two.” Sandra stepped in and turned to Reid. “Listen, it’s nothing personal, Reid. I just don’t think you and Kaycee are good for each other.”

“And you think this guy is any better?” Reid practically roared and then sucked in a breath as he shook his head, muttering something about doctors.

Sandra swept her gaze to Brad. “No, he’s definitely not better.”

“Then why? Can you answer me that, Sandra? She’s your best friend. Shouldn’t you want what’s best for her?”

“I do,” she said as she brought her attention back to Reid. “Being with Brad is what’s best for her.”

But then she did something that had Kaycee watching her carefully. She turned her back to Brad and then widened her eyes at Reid. He frowned in return. She widened them again and made a motion with them toward Brad. Reid still didn’t get it.

Frankly, neither did Kaycee.

Sandra thinned her lips and tossed a glance at Kaycee before motioning to Brad yet again. She puckered up her lips and nodded at Brad for a third time.

Kaycee got it and gave Sandra a nod. Moving to Brad, she pulled him away from Sandra and Reid. “Brad, sweetheart, will you give me a minute to say goodbye to him?”

“My love, he can’t be trusted.”

Neither can you. “Please?”

Brad narrowed his glare on Reid. “Do anything to harm her and you’ll answer to me.”

Reid rolled his eyes. Clearly, the threat scared him as much as a kitten scared a Rottweiler. “Yeah, okay. Don’t you think if I wanted to hurt her, I would have? It seems to me, doctor, that you should be the one worried about what I’ll do to you.”

Brad smirked, but when Reid took a quick jump at him, he stumbled back. Kaycee almost smiled in satisfaction, but refrained. She had to be convincing if she expected this to work.

“I’ll be right outside. Sandra? Stay with them.”

“I’m not a dog, nor do I take orders from you.”

“Just do it.”

“Just go outside,” she countered. “Give them this before you take her away from him.”

That seemed to please him. Brad smiled triumphantly and walked out of the house.

Sandra turned to Reid. “Okay, so—”

“Just what in the hell kind of game are you playing?” A sudden, thick chill hung on the edge of his words. His eyes were like blue razors, cutting deep into the air. “Are you in on this? Did you frame your best friend for murder?”

“Button it, bucko. I called you over here to help Kaycee.”

“By bringing Brad into it? Why not just call the cops while you’re at it?”

“I did!”

That shut him up. “I, uh…”

Sandra turned to Kaycee, her eyes glistening as they pleaded with her. “I know you understand, right? Brad can get you an army of lawyers to fight this. You can’t keep running, Addison. Eventually, this is all going to catch up to you and then what? You spend your golden years behind bars? If you stay with Reid, he’s just as guilty. Leave now with Brad and I’ll even testify at your trial that Reid was never with you. Please, Kaycee. Please don’t keep running.”

Kaycee looked at Reid, who hadn’t moved his gaze from her. He waited for her response and she knew what she had to say. Tears burned her eyes, reproachful tears—not for Reid, not for Brad, but for her. For what she was about to do. “Brad can give me what I need.”

Reid drew in a sharp breath. “And I can’t?”

“No. Don’t you get it? I used you, Reid. I needed to find a way for Brad to miss me, to want me.”

“Are you telling me you had this all planned?”

“Like you said, no one forgets something as simple as a name.”

“Jesus fucking Christ.” Reid sucked in a harsh breath and shook his head. He flinched as betrayal flashed in his eyes. Raw anguish mounted. His shoulders dropped as if the weight of reality crushed him. He deflated before her very eyes. “You—You did this? On purpose?”

Kaycee bit the inside of her lip hard and lowered her gaze before she gave in and ran away with him. Reid loved her. He’d never do to her what she was doing to him. She brought her gaze up and swallowed her emotions. “No one is that bad of an actor. Face it, Reid. You fell for the oldest fairytale in the book—the damsel in distress waiting for her hero while locked in the highest tower. I happen to like how high up I am.”

“Kaycee?” he choked out her name and looked at her with so much pain and desperation in his gaze it tore at her.

“Time for you to go. I have what I want now.”

His expression solidified and the hatred darkening in his eyes scared her. “Once a doctor, always a doctor.”

He spun on his heel and walked out the front door.

And Kaycee collapsed into Sandra’s arms.

 

 

 

EIGHTEEN

 

Every muscle in Reid’s body ached. How could she do something like this? How could anyone? And the shit part of it all was that he’d only been away from her for no less than ten seconds, yet it felt like ten years, with an eternity to follow.

The punch came from the side. It threw him off balance and he fell off the porch. The thorns from the rosebushes snagged at his skin, the explosion in his jaw throbbed, and damn if he didn’t land on his shoulder. He jumped to his feet and widened his stance, ready to kill Brad Leary with his bare hands.

Brad shook out his hand. “That’s for taking advantage of her. If I broke a single bone, I’ll sue.”

The venom of his fury coursed through Reid. Leave it to a doctor to hit him while down. “Is that how you coward doctors do all your fighting? Sucker-punching?”

Brad swung again. Reid anticipated it and easily moved out of the way. Poor Brad wasn’t expecting Reid’s and it threw him back. He landed on the ground with a whoosh as the air flew from his lungs.

“Get up,” Reid seethed as he stood over him.

“I’m not going to give you the satisfaction of beating me up, pilot.” He wiped at the blood from his split lip as he stood with a grunt. “I believe there are other ways to settle things. Where you people use your fists, I use my wallet. How much is this going to cost?”

You people? He couldn’t believe the arrogance of this prick. “You think you can buy me off?” The look on Brad’s face told him as much. “Go to hell.”

“Oh, come on. What do you honestly think you can offer her? She’s accustomed to our way of life. You could never give her that. She deserves better. Fine wine, country clubs, and living in a community like this instead of a duplex in a rundown neighborhood in Queen Anne.”

That proved Brad knew where Reid lived. He had to be the one who trashed everything. Reid labored his breathing as he said, “You have no idea what she deserves. You think she cares about any of that shit?”

He knew her better than anyone. She liked stealing his beer instead of getting her own. She preferred greasy egg rolls over caviar. He’d concede on the community. Hell, he’d rather live here than a duplex in a rundown neighborhood in Queen Anne.

Brad went on. “Kaycee is wanted for murder. I have the money to get her the best lawyers.”

“That doesn’t mean you will.”

“Don’t be stupid. What happens now is not your concern. I’m her future. I’ll do what needs to be done.”

That didn’t make him feel any better. This man ransacked his house, tried to kill Kaycee more than once, and now stood here bragging about it. What a fucknut. “I’m sure you will.”

“Oh, please. Don’t tell me you fell for those batting baby hazel eyes. Her act of innocence is legendary. I saw through that the second I saw her. She’s a gifted actress, pilot, and she’s been playing you from the beginning. You honestly didn’t believe her amnesia act, did you?” He paused as Reid lowered his head. Doubt mounted once again. “I see. Well, I hope this is a bit of conciliation. I’ll offer you a reward for bringing her back to me.”

He raked his gaze over to Brad. Reward? His plane? None of that mattered anymore. “I don’t want your money.”

“Didn’t you lose your plane in all this? How much would it cost to replace?”

“I don’t want your money,” he repeated with a deep seeded hatred for this asshole. He was a doctor. He was a liar. And he had every angle to take Kaycee away from him.

“This should cover it and then some.” And before he knew it, Brad handed him a check. Out of instinct, Reid took it and almost swallowed his tongue.

Two hundred thousand dollars. “Holy shit.”

“Take it. Get yourself a new plane, a new life, away from Kaycee. Think of what’s best for her. You love her. I can see that in your eyes. If you truly love her, you’ll do what’s best.”

Numbly, Reid slumped his shoulders. What could he say? He loved Kaycee, even after her betrayal. And that sucked. He only wanted her to be happy. Right now, as much as he hated it, Brad’s ramblings made the most sense.

And that totally sucked.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and lifted his head. Sandra was there, tears in her eyes. “Let me take you home.” He could only stare at her, her words not registering. Home. His home. Away from Kaycee.

“I’ve got my bike.” He’d go east. Montana sounded nice. Maybe even Maine. Hell, he might even end up in Europe. At least then there’d have an entire ocean separating him and Kaycee. Maybe that would help dull this ache in his chest.

“I don’t want you driving. Not in the state you’re in.”

He clenched his teeth and glared at the woman. The state he was in? What in the hell did she know about the state he was in? He’d just lost his best friend—again. And he thought nothing could hurt worse than losing his brother.

“Sandra, stay the hell out of this.” Brad practically spit at his sister.

“Shut up, Brad. You have your prize. Congratulations. Take her. At least let me get Reid home.”

“Fine. I still have a few loose ends to tie up.”

Every nerve in Reid’s body flexed and grew rigid enough to bounce a quarter off. Was that all this was to Brad? Loose ends? He dragged his gaze up to the house. Kaycee stood there at the window, staring at him, tears streaming down her face.

“I love you,” she mouthed and flattened a hand against the pane. Reid looked away, confused as hell. If she loved him, why did she send him away? What the hell was going on? He’d been trained to handle any situation. They were in the middle of a plane crash and he still kept his head. Why couldn’t he so much as think right now?

“Come on.” Sandra pulled him away from Brad, away from Kaycee. “Keep moving, sweet cheeks. Look defeated.”

He felt defeated and yet, he knew Sandra had something up her sleeve and that gave him an inkling of hope. “What’s going on?”

Sandra watched over her shoulder. Brad walked into the house and closed the door behind him. She turned to Reid. “I have a crazy idea.”

“Are any of your ideas sane?”

“Is that a doctor jab?”

“Maybe.”

“You aren’t the only one who loves her. As soon as we figure out what our damsel in distress has in the works—”

Damsel in distress. Reid snapped his fingers and whipped around, grabbing Sandra’s shoulders. “I know where she wants him to take her.”

“Where?”

“Where she hid the evidence. Come on.” He grabbed the keys out of her hands and glanced back at the house to see Brad hugging Kaycee. His gut pinched. It was all an act and he had to remember that.

But that didn’t make it any easier to watch. He couldn’t wait to beat the living shit out of Dr. Brad Leary the next time they met.

* * * *

Kaycee snapped on her seatbelt and drew in breath after breath to calm her nerves jumping around like water on a hot griddle. What if Reid hadn’t picked up on her less than obvious hint?

“Are you sure you want to go back to my office, cherub?”

She hated his nicknames. Always had. Pigeon? Cherub? Just this short time with him and she’d already remembered why she’d chose to forget about him. He was an arrogant ass, and nothing like Reid. “I’m just sure what I’m looking for is there.”

His upper lip twitched. Her response clearly pleased him. As he pulled his convertible Porsche away from the curb, Kaycee glanced at her house when they passed it.

“Are you remembering anything?”

She recovered quickly. “That house. It looks a lot like the house we were just in.”

“All the houses in this neighborhood look alike, which is why I chose a condo.”

Kaycee let that one go. Condos were cookie cutter floor plans. Once he pulled out onto the main road, the wind from the top being down made it too loud for them to talk. She used the silence to think about her next move.

Once she had the proof, she only had to blink the lights three times. Casually.

Sure. No problem. It wouldn’t be the first time her life had been in danger this week.

“I’m sure you’ve had quite an ordeal.” He yelled above the wind.

She scooted closer to the door. “Yes. It’s terrifying not to know who you are. Or who to trust.”

“I can imagine. You don’t remember anything?”

“I remember when I was a little girl. I remember medical school. I can even tell you the four stages of RA.” She stopped, cursing herself.

“RA?”

“Retrograde Amnesia.”

“Amnesia, that’s right. And you can’t recall a thing.”

The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She stared into the eyes of the man framing her for murder and knew she had to get that envelope before he called her bluff.

“This amnesia,” he said as he pulled up to a red light. The heat of the day settled on her and made it impossible to take a breath. “Has it only wiped out your short-term memory?”

“I think so. I can remember my mother, my father, and that I’m an only child.”

“Do you remember Sandra?”

“A bit, yes.”

“And me?” His low and even tone screamed that he clearly didn’t believe her.

“Not so much.” She answered without hesitation. “That’s why it was such a shock to hear that we’re in love. I recalled that we didn’t really like each other much.” He narrowed his eyes and Kaycee had to look away. Well, that was a bit of a slip.

“Is that so? You recalled that, did you? So, why did you leave with me if you recalled us not liking each other much?”

Shit. She had to think fast. “Because Sandra said I was meant to be with you.”

“And you believed her?”

“Why wouldn’t I? She’s my best friend.”

“But you don’t remember me, the man you’ve been in love with for several years?”

Kaycee dropped her gaze. “I’m sorry, Brad. I’m sure it will all come back to me in time.”

“I’m sure it will. Let’s get you out of this heat.” He pushed a button on the dash and a shadow grew above her. The top came down on them. Once he had it secured into place, he put the car into gear and took a right toward the hospital. She didn’t think anything of it.

Until he locked the doors and her stomach bottomed out.

 

 

 

NINETEEN

 

Sandra dropped Reid’s favorite ‘F’ bomb. “He’s not this stupid, is he? Please tell me he’s not this stupid.”

Reid looked at Sandra, shocked that she’d talk about her brother like that. She pulled her binoculars up to her eyes and watched the top floor at Seattle General Hospital. “Do I want to know why you have a pair of those in your rig?”

“No, you do not.”

“You’re really weird, you know that?”

“Yes, I do.” She brought the binoculars down and rested her large brown eyes on him. “I don’t like many people, but you, I like.”

“Uh, thanks?”

She held the binoculars back up. “I can see why Dave wants to protect you. You’re the smartest idiot I know.”

Reid stiffened. He didn’t like the direction this conversation had just turned. “Excuse me?”

“Your brother died six months ago.”

Now he definitely didn’t like it. “That’s none of your goddamn business.”

“The hell it isn’t. You do realize the role your brother played in all of this, right?”

Josh didn’t play any part in this, whatever the fuck this was. He died before his time. Period. It wasn’t up for discussion with a doctor, especially one as unstable as this one.

“That’s the same time my brother started his little experiments.” She used air quotes. “He kept saying that he wished he could find a healthy test case. I had no idea he meant human.” She looked at him and waited.

It took several seconds to sink in, but when it clicked, Reid’s comprehension turned to fury in an instant. “Are you saying that asshole experimented on my brother?”

“I found multiple cultures in the database for him, which means he was coming in on regular intervals.”

“Treatment?”

“Or so he thought.”

“Goddamn it!” Reid punched the dash, then glove box, then the dash again. Shit, that hurt, but he didn’t care. He welcomed the pain. It helped him center his anger. He fully expected Sandra to yell at him. Instead, she simply let him take out his rage on her vehicle. “That son of a bitch! I’ll kill him!”

He reached for the door, but Sandra hit the automatic locks. “Cool it, hothead. It’s your brother’s cultures that are going to save Kaycee.”

Although he saw red and was ready to climb through the sunroof to get out of the rig and find Brad, he paused to listen to Sandra. “What do you mean?”

“Josh wasn’t terminal, at least not yet. His brain cancer definitely was. But the drugs I found in his tox screen sealed the deal. I didn’t make the connection until after Kaycee pulled his report.”

“And what did you find?”

“Various chemotherapy drugs diluted by dimethylsulfoxide.”

Reid hated when they talked doctor. “English, please?”

“Basically, Brad created his own cocktail of a drug that attacks cancer cells. He’s been running unauthorized tests and Kaycee caught him. But, with your brother, they weren’t unauthorized. Illegal, yes, but totally authorized.”

“Are you saying my brother asked Brad to test these illegal drugs on him?”

“He had to have known. Why else would he have come in as often as he had? I remember Brad talking about the perfect candidate. Young. Healthy. Everything Brad needed. I had no idea he was talking about a real person. But there was only one problem.”

Reid found it hard to breathe through his mounting rage. “And that is?”

“He had a brother he loved so much he was willing to undergo illegal treatment of experimental drugs just to protect him from the inevitable.”

He squeezed his eyes shut. No. No! He knew his brother. He’d never agree to anything illegal. Just like he wouldn’t keep anything from Reid, like the fact he was dying.

Oh, God. Oh, sweet Jesus. My brother started it all. He was patient zero.

Burying his face in his hands, he fought against the truth as it closed in on him.

“Don’t worry, Reid. We’ll get the son of a bitch for what he did to your brother. And what he did to Kaycee. Her patient, too. God only knows how many other people he’s experimented on. The asshole.”

Reid looked at her. “You know, you don’t seem all that upset that you have evidence your brother is a murderer.”

Sandra sighed as she stared off into the distance. “I wish I could say I’m in shock. Or denial. Something to explain why I’m not having a problem getting his ass thrown in jail for it all. But I’m not. At all. He can rot in prison for all I care.”

Talk about opposites. He couldn’t stop thinking about his brother and willing to give anything to have one more day with him, and Sandra couldn’t wait to get her brother arrested and possibly face a death sentence. “You aren’t upset at all?”

“I’m pissed off is what I am. My brother killed an innocent woman, framed my best friend, and if that wasn’t enough, then paid some asshole to kill her. I’m just glad Kaycee saw through him before she made the mistake of hooking up with that asshole.”

He stiffened, his heart stopping. “Brad lied?”

“Of course he lied. You didn’t honestly believe Kaycee could be with someone like that, did you?”

He didn’t answer, refusing to believe that Dave could have been right. The first chance Reid had to doubt her, he took it and bolted. Deep down, he knew he would have done the same if his brother would have told him about the cancer. Dave was right. Goddamn it. And Josh was right to keep it from him.

“I’m really sorry I didn’t trust you, Reid. You are the best thing to happen to her. Please, don’t give up on her. She’s got her issues, we all do, but she’s worth the wait.”

That she is.

Sandra’s cell buzzed and she lit up when she saw the number. “Dave? Hi. Oh, yeah. He’s right here with me. Me? No, I’m going to stay right here, I promise. Sure.” She handed the phone to Reid.

“Dave?” He squelched the tremor of shock that Sandra and Dave knew each other, and were working together on this.

“Listen, Reid. I’m going to tell you something, but I need you to promise me you won’t go off half-cocked when I do.”

“I’m not making you any promise, especially after my day. Tell me what you know.”

“Reid…”

His nerves were raw already and he pinched the skin between his eyes to ward of the pounding in his ears. “Dave, start talking.”

“The light inside Dr. Leary’s office never came on.”

“Meaning?”

“She never made it to where she hid the evidence.”

Fear tore through him and had him thrust open the SUV door. There was only one other place he’d take her. To the man who covered up everything else for him.

Reid dropped the phone and jumped out of the rig, bolting directly for the morgue before he lost her forever.

* * * *

Kaycee shivered and opened her eyes to slits. She squinted against the bright lights and blinked several times to bring her vision into focus. As soon as she could, she looked around and her heart seized as her blood froze.

He’d taken her to the morgue.

“Ah, I see our patient is awake. It’s amazing what a little chloroform can do to calm the nerves.” Brad came toward her and she tried to get away, only to discover he had her strapped to the autopsy table. “How are you feeling, dear?”

She struggled to loosen the straps. “I knew it was you.”

“Yes, I know. I can’t believe you had your little pilot convinced for so long. And here I thought you were a terrible liar.”

“You won’t get away with this.”

“Of course I will. Who are they going to believe? A wanted fugitive? A woman who ran, took a pilot hostage after crashing his plane and killing his passenger, and then killed the pilot, all to get away?”

Reid. No. “That’s not what happened.”

“Like I said,” he said with a shrug. “Who are they going to believe?”

“Please, Brad. Don’t do this.”

He ignored her. “I will give you kudos, Kaycee. You stayed alive much longer than I expected. Now it’s time for you to take your rightful place with your patient.”

Oh, shit. She had to get away and fought against the leather restraints until they tore at the flesh on her wrists and ankles. They were like sandpaper against her skin, rough, unforgiving. With the blood soaking into the material, the straps started to soften. “Brad, don’t do this. Please. Don’t do this!”

“Sorry, Kaycee, but you know too much. I really thought you understood what you agreed to when you joined my research team. Matt? Do you have the morphine ready?”

The ME appeared next to Brad and handed him a full syringe. Brad smirked. “I’m really sorry about this, Kaycee. I never wanted this for you. You’re brilliant. We could have made a great team, but then you had to go and challenge me. Now, in bed, I’d absolutely love that. As a resident challenging her attending, not so much.”

Kaycee jerked her attention to the ME. The sweat beading up on her forehead ran into her eyes, stinging them and drawing tears. Her lower lip quivered. “Matt, please. Don’t let him do this. Please!”

“Matt’s got a lot on his mind,” Brad stated and patted him on the back. “He’s got to fill out the autopsy report on you, ruling your death as a suicide. You just couldn’t live with yourself. All that guilt. You told me all about it before you took your life. I’m your walking, talking, suicide note.” Brad pushed him back toward his office. “Go to it, Dr. Baird.”

“You can’t!” Kaycee struggled harder as she sobbed. She didn’t want to die. She was tied to the tracks and a train now came right for her. But this time there was no escape, no hero to come to her rescue. No, like a fool, she’d sent the hero away, his trust as broken as his heart. “Matt, please. Please don’t do this.”

Matt shook his head as his shoulders drooped. “I’m so sorry.”

“You coward! How could you do this? Don’t let him get away with this. You can still fix this. Matt. Matt! It’s not too late. Matt!” If she had a hand free, she’d slap him across the face. No, a slap would be too easy. She’d cold-cock the son of a bitch.

Matt disappeared into his office, so Kaycee resumed her attack on Brad. “You won’t get away with this, Brad. I’m not the only one who knows about the autopsy report.”

Brad seemed thwarted by this discovery, but only temporarily. “No matter. I’ll do what needs to be done to cover my tracks. No doubt you and Sandra have discussed this in great length.”

The train had reached her, head-on. “No,” she breathed. “But she’s your sister.”

“She’s a loose end.”

Kaycee wanted to believe he wouldn’t kill his own flesh and blood, but knew Brad would stop at nothing. He’d kill her, Sandra, and even Reid. All because she wouldn’t go along with his experiments. And then he’d just start up again. No one would know. No one would stop him.

Which meant she had to.

“You are the attending at SGH. You’re in line for head of oncology. When is it going to be enough for you?”

“When I get what I want and this all goes away. If it helps, I never meant for the deaths to happen.”

Deaths? As in plural? Her stomach hit the floor. “How many have you killed?”

“Not your concern. You do have to break a few eggs to make an omelet.” He held up the syringe and tapped at it.

“You performed unauthorized tests on unknowing patients. They were innocent, Brad. How can you talk about life like it means nothing? You took an oath.”

“I also take obscene, even offensive, amounts of money from private contributors to fund my research. We would have never gotten to this point had we stuck with lab rats. Imagine the benefits when the magic bullet treatments are finally approved in the US. Cancer patients won’t have to go overseas for the treatments any longer.”

“You aren’t in it for the people. You’re in it for the money.” Kaycee jerked and twisted, but the straps wouldn’t budge.

“Well of course I am. You don’t become a doctor if you aren’t in it for the money. Someone facing their own mortality will pay anything to prolong his or her life.” He set down the syringe on a nearby tray and studied her for several seconds, that darkness swirling in his eyes. “You lack vision, Dr. Addison. You could have had everything. Money. Fame. Me. Instead, you threw it all away, and for what? Morals? That fucking pilot without a penny to his name? And now, because of your foolish decision, I’m literally going to get away with murder.”

Click.

Brad whipped around and grew rigid as he stepped aside to reveal Matt standing there, a gun in his shaking hand. “I never wanted this, any of it. I won’t let you do this to Kaycee. She had nothing to do with any of this.”

Brad didn’t even look worried that he had a loaded gun pointed at him. “Matt, don’t be ridiculous. You’re in this too deep to flip sides now.”

“I don’t care. You and I should be the ones punished for what we’ve done, not Kaycee.”

Kaycee’s heart quickened. Thank God at least one of them had come to their senses. But her good feeling was short-lived. Brad lunged for the gun and jerked it from Matt’s hands.

“Are you insane? A gun? We are in a hospital. People will hear.” He tilted his head, a smile slowly spreading across his face. He rested his gaze on Kaycee. “People will hear.”

“Brad,” Matt urged, but fell silent when Brad used the barrel of the gun to wave him closer to Kaycee.

“It’s brilliant. Dr. Kaycee Addison, wanted for the murder of her patient and distraught that her hero is the one who caught her, corners me in the hospital. We fight. The gun is knocked loose. We both reach for it.” His lips twitched. “I get there first.”

“And what?” Kaycee cried out. “Shoot me and the ME?” When Brad didn’t so much as look at her, she turned to Matt. “Do something. Don’t let him get away with this.”

“Kaycee.” Matt took a step toward her.

Brad cleared his throat. “What was the name of that woman again, Matt?”

He shifted his gaze to Brad as his eyes hardened. They stood there, staring at each other. Brad smiled. She bounced her attention between them, trying to understand how one man could beat down another with nothing more than a single look.

Matt dropped his gaze to the floor. “You’re right, Brad. We have to do what needs to be done.”

Dread swept across her nerves, leaving her shaking, cold and making it hard to breathe. They were going to kill her. She had to find a way to escape. Reid wouldn’t be running in to save her this time. She had to do this on her own.

Matt settled behind her and the straps on her right hand loosened.

“What are you doing?” Brad demanded.

“You can’t shoot her while she’s strapped to the table. How are you going to explain that to the police?” He loosened her other wrist and then her ankles.

She sat up and swung her legs around, holding her wrists where the straps had dug in and left her flesh torn and raw.

“Good point.”

Matt moved next to Brad and gave her a look. She flicked her gaze to Brad, who seemed more interested in the dirt on his collar than the fact that he was about to be overtaken. She gave Matt a quick nod.

The ME jumped on Brad’s back and grabbed for the gun. “Now! Go, Kaycee! Run!”

They struggled. The gun went off before flying up into the air and landing on the cold cement with a metallic thud. The men slammed into the table and the impact sent them both flat on their back.

“Run!” Matt yelled, breaking her of her paralysis.

Kaycee didn’t know where her strength came from, only that it pushed her legs into a race for her life. She scrambled down the hall, out the double doors, her heart drumming in her ears, drowning out all other noise. The stairs were just ahead. She was going to make it.

She rounded the corner. A familiar figure raced toward her from the other side of the parking lot and she practically collapsed from relief.

“Reid!” She ran as fast as she could.

“Stop!” Someone yelled behind her. She didn’t. Reid was so close now. She could almost feel his touch. He reached out to her.

A shot rang out and she fell into his arms. The bullet ripped through her leg, shredding the muscle in her right thigh.

“No!” Reid roared and pulled her to him. “Please, God. Please no! Kaycee? Kaycee?”

“I’m okay,” she whispered and tried to move. Pain exploded from her wound and held her still. After everything she’d gone through to escape, she just wasn’t fast enough.

“No. God, please. Not again.” Reid hugged her so tight she saw stars.

But she didn’t care. He had her. Nothing else mattered. “I love you.”

“Don’t.” He shook his head. Fresh tears glistened in his eyes and streamed down his cheeks. “Don’t you dare start that. Baby, please. You’re,” his voice cracked. “You’re going to be okay.”

“Reid, it’s just a GSW to the thigh. It’s not—” she swallowed tightly as she made the connection. Josh. Reid had to be terrified over the parallel.

“Kaycee, please don’t leave me.”

“Never.”

“I love you so much, baby. I love you.” He kissed her and then pulled her against him. “I love you.”

Brad walked up to them, the gun in his hand. “If you’re done saying your goodbyes, I have a little unfinished business. I have other loose ends to tie up after this, so if we could move it along.”

Reid held her closer and covered her body with his. “No, you son of a bitch. I won’t let you take her from me, not again. If you’re going to kill her, you’re going to kill us both.”

“Well, you’re right about that.” Brad lifted the gun and centered it on Reid.

“Freeze! Drop the gun!”

A dozen police jumped out of nowhere and surrounded them.

“She’s Kaycee Addison!” Brad shouted and dropped the gun. “She’s the one you want.”

“The hell she is.” Matt Baird staggered out of the hospital, clutching his stomach. Blood saturated his midsection. As soon as he reached them, he crumpled.

Reid let Kaycee go with one arm and caught him, and lowered him to the ground.

Kaycee pulled herself to Matt and pushed his shirt up. She sucked in a breath at the sight. He’d already lost so much blood, and gut shots were always touch and go. If the acids from his stomach leaked into his system, his own body could slowly poison him. They had to get him into surgery. “We have to get him inside.”

“No.” Matt brought his bloody hand up and grabbed her arm. “Let me do this.”

“But Matt, we have to stop the bleeding.”

“And you will. But let me say my peace first. Please.”

Brad went dangerously still. “Matt, what are you doing?”

“It was our first year in our residency. I didn’t know what to do. I went to Brad for help.”

“No! Matt! Shut up!” Bad took a step toward Matt.

The giant who had talked with Reid at Seattle Center approached Brad and casually placed his enormous hand on his shoulder. “How about we let the man speak?”

Brad paled and thinned his lips.

Matt gasped and winced. “He told me not to go to the police. He said we’d take care of it together.”

“Goddamn you,” Brad muttered, defeated.

“Her name was Maria Gomez. I hit her with my car. Brad helped me clean off the hair and blood, even fixed the dent. The next morning, we read about the hit and run in the paper.” Matt closed his eyes. “That the woman had died.”

“You stupid son of a bitch.”

Matt opened his eyes and rested them on Brad. “I’m not letting you hold that over me any longer, Brad.” He shifted his attention to the cop next to Brad. “The son of a bitch has been blackmailing me. I falsified the autopsy report on Ruth Bridges. I’ve been falsifying autopsy reports on all the patients Brad ran tests on and I’ll testify to that. Kaycee didn’t kill anyone. It was Brad. Dr. Brad Leary is the killer.”

“I’ll kill you next!” Brad lunged for Matt, but the cop had Brad on the ground and in handcuffs before he could take a single step.

“Holy hell in a hand basket.” The giant motioned to the other cops surrounding them. “Read him his rights. Her, too. Hell, read all of them their rights. They’re all under arrest until we can straighten out this mess.”

 

 

 

TWENTY

 

Twelve weeks later

 

Reid grinned at the shiny, vintage Piper PA-20 Pacer. He couldn’t believe it was his, as in all his. One-hundred percent ownership. No financing. No balloon payment due at the worst possible time. All. His. And he didn’t think anything would top his Clipper.

Of course the insurance company refused to cover the loss of his plane. He didn’t expect they would. They were a business, in it for the money, and paying out a claim went against their business plan. It was a good thing he didn’t need it. Brad’s check cleared and since the money had nothing to do with the case, the cops let Reid keep it. It was more than enough to pay for the Piper, as well as give him a nice cushion in his savings.

“It’s a plane, Reid.” Kaycee reminded him for the umpteenth time as he caressed the nose. “And if you kiss it one more time…”

“Jealous?” He wiggled his brow and laughed when she slapped him playfully. He ran a hand along one of the wings and sighed. “I can’t believe she’s mine.”

“It’s ironic that Brad not only paid the reward for his own capture, but to replace the plane he had a hand in bringing down.”

“Irony can be a good thing when it’s in your favor.” He touched the nose again.

“Reid, I swear to God if I have to play second chair to a plane…”

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “I love you, Dr. Addison. Have I told you that yet today?”

“Only about a dozen times, but I don’t mind hearing it again.”

“I love you.” He gave her a quick kiss.

“So tell me, pilot. Will you be okay leaving your baby in the hanger while we’re gone?”

He swung his gaze to the shiny plane and rubbed the wing. “It’s not forever. I got a text this morning that the last of the vaccines came in, so I guess we’re all set. How’s your leg?”

“Really good. I have the exercises I’m supposed to do since I won’t be anywhere near a physical therapy office.” She smiled and studied his eyes. “You’re okay with doing this? You’re going to be surrounded by doctors twenty-four hours a day.”

He should have come to terms with it months before now. The doctors didn’t kill Josh. Dave called it. Reid had been blaming everyone else, including himself. All his friends from MSF wanted to be there for him, but he pushed them away, blaming them for Josh’s death. It made it easier to blame everyone else instead of facing the cold, hard truth.

He didn’t hate the doctors. He didn’t blame them. He blamed Josh and hated his brother for leaving him. It took a doctor for him to realize that. An incredibly sexy, fun, exciting doctor he couldn’t wait to spend the rest of his life with.

He pulled her into his arms before resting his forehead against hers. “I already surround myself with one beautiful doctor. What’s a few more? Although I doubt any of them will be able to turn my head like you.”

“They’d better not.”

He kissed her, swiping his tongue across her lips, opening them and feeding of her. She shuddered in his arms and he pulled her closer, nipping at her bottom lip as he ended the contact. “Does that ease your mind a bit?”

“I may need a bit more reminding.”

He grinned and kissed her again, letting his lips linger. “We’ll be celebrating our first Thanksgiving together in Africa.”

“We have a lot to be thankful for.”

That they did. Dave gave them both the ass-chewing of their lives, but didn’t charge them with anything. Reid had a new vintage plane. He had his life back. He had Kaycee.

He ran his thumb along her jaw. “The first village we’re visiting is great. They’re going to love you. I haven’t seen them in a couple years. It’ll be good to see how big the kids are. Be ready to get your ass kicked in soccer. They’re crazy good.”

Kaycee’s smile danced in her pretty eyes. “I can’t believe we’re really doing this. MSF has always been my dream.”

“And you’re mine.”

She rolled her eyes and pushed at his chest. “Oh, my God. You’re so cheesy. Any news on the case?”

“Dave told me the ME is striking a deal with the DA in return for his testimony against Brad.” Reid spotted a fingerprint on the wing, took the rag out of his back pocket, and cleaned it off.

“That doesn’t surprise me. I talked to Matt after he got out of surgery and he told me everything. Apparently, Brad threatened to go to the police a dozen times over about that hit and run. Every time he needed a favor, he’d hold that over Matt until he broke.”

“Real nice guy. I’m just glad that’s behind us.”

“You and me both.” She ran her hands through her blonde hair. It had started to grow out, but it would be years before it was back to where it was before this nightmare began. She caught him watching her. “You don’t miss the dark hair?”

He found another fingerprint and attacked it with the rag. “Baby, you could be bald and I’d be fine with it.”

“Come on, Reid. You can polish the plane when you get back. We have a barbeque to get to.”

“We can’t even be a few minutes late?”

“Not when we’re the hosts.”

He groaned and tucked the rag away. “Fine. But we’re swinging by here in the morning so I can say goodbye to her before we take off.”

“Yes, dear.”

Laughing, Reid gave her one last kiss. “You made good on your promise.”

She traced the words of his tattoo. “Live. Laugh. Love.”

“I thank God every day that I have you in my life. You make me laugh all the time. And I don’t think it’s possible for me to love you any more than I already do, but then I wake up the next day, and I do.”

“I want that tattoo, too. I want to be reminded every single day how lucky I am. For me. For you. For Josh.”

“Do doctors even get tats?”

“This doctor does.”

“Matching ink? That doesn’t make us weird, does it?”

“Yesterday when we went to breakfast, do you remember that cute old couple that came in and sat at the table next to ours?”

“The ones in the matching outfits?” He rubbed the back of his neck. “Yeah. Now that’s weird.”

“You obviously didn’t hear what the man said to the waitress. She asked them about the outfits and he told her that they’d been married fifty-seven years, and that they always wore matching outfits when they went out. He went on to tell her that his wife was in the advanced stages of Alzheimer’s and the matching outfits helped her remember him. I want that to be us, fifty-seven years from now, wearing matching outfits so no matter what, we always remember each other.”

Goddamn how he loved this woman. “You’re incredible, Kaycee Marie Addison. I think matching tattoos are a great idea. We’ll work on the matching outfits later.”

She laced her fingers in his. “Come on. Dave and Sandra are probably already there. She said she’s totally jealous I’m living my dream to be a part of Doctors Without Borders.”

“So why doesn’t she just come with us?”

“And leave Dave? No way. She’s head over heels for him. I’ve never seen her like this with anyone.”

“I still can’t believe those two. I was mowing your lawn the other day and those two were going at it right there in plain sight. They should really be more discreet.”

“You should get in the habit of calling it yours, too. You do live there, you know.”

Reid still couldn’t believe it. He lived in the type of ritzy neighborhood he thought he hated. Turned out, he loved it. The neighbors were great. Not one of them had to boil their winter doilies. “I know. But after calling the duplex my home and…” he stopped and swallowed. It was the last thing he had of Josh’s, aside from a few coffee mugs and pictures.

Kaycee squeezed his hand. “We don’t have to sell it, Reid.”

“I can’t keep holding onto the past, Kace. Josh would want me to move on. I want to move on. He’s gone.”

“I’m still baffled that he had anything to do with this.”

“Brad experimented on my brother.” That still pissed him off. “He’s lucky he’s behind bars. I’d kill him with my bare hands if I could.”

“I didn’t even make the connection about Brad’s research and Josh until Sandra said something. She says it’s those papers and Josh’s blood work that will have Brad locked up for life.”

“Who knew my brother would still be catching the bad guys, even in death?”

“He really was an incredible man. And he helped raise an incredible brother. Oh, since we’re selling the duplex, what about Mrs. Cooper?”

“She’s still living.” Kaycee poked him in his ribcage. “There,” he finished. “She’s still living there. When I told her I was moving, she cried.”

“Oh, Reid.”

He shook his head. “She didn’t cry over me. She cried over the cat.”

Kaycee’s mouth fell open. “Is that why you left Sadie with her?” Reid nodded. “You’re a very good man, Reid Cavanaugh. Now take us home, cowboy.”

“Okay. But after the barbeque, we kick everyone out. Since I met you, I’ve yet to have a quiet night.”

“We can kick everyone out,” she countered with a come-and-get-me grin that had Reid ready to take her inside his plane, stretch her out on one of the bench seats, and drive her crazy with his mouth. “But I can’t guarantee I’ll be quiet.”

“Even better.”

 

THE END

www.alliekadams.com

 

 

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

 

Allie K. Adams is the bestselling author of several award-winning stories. An active member of the search and rescue, as well as previously served as a reserve deputy, Allie has firsthand experience in most of the dangers she writes about. Known for her highly erotic, deeply intense suspense romances, she can be found most days in front of her computer, saving the world one sizzling story at a time. She grew up in Seattle and now currently lives in southwest Montana with her husband, two kids, and two fluff ball dogs.

She loves to hear from readers and encourages them to reach out to her through her website at www.alliekadams.com

 

Also by Allie K. Adams

THE TREX ADVENTURES — Romantic Suspense

Rescue Me

First Response (TREX Brief)

At All Cost (coming soon)

No Way Out (TREX Brief) (coming soon)

Seek and Destroy (coming soon)

 

THE CAMPUS PLAYERS — Sassy New Adult

Grooming the Player

Playing the Player (coming soon)

Gaming the Player (coming soon)

 

MURPH & GRACE — Thriller

I Will Find You (coming soon)

 

Writing as Eve Adams

Riding Series 1: Riding Double

Riding Series 2: Riding Lessons [Tasty Treats, Volume 1]

Riding Series 3: Riding Cowboys

Covert Lovers 1: Under the Covers

Covert Lovers 2: Between the Covers

Gideon’s Ring 1: Trio

Gideon’s Ring 2: Temptation

Songs Remember When 1: Suspicious Minds

Brides of Bachelor Bay 3: Patience is Their Virtue

Brides of Bachelor Bay 5: The Banished Bride

 

Available online at all major retailers