It was mid-morning when Karina awoke, alone.
Still drowsy, she automatically reached for Brian. He wasn't there. She had no idea what time it was. It was too much work to roll over and look at the clock. She wasn't worried, though. He was around, somewhere. She drifted back to sleep, taking with her a dreamy sense of satisfaction about her world.
When she woke the second time, it was late. She sat up, grimacing with the new aches and pains pounding her body. Her shoulder throbbed. In truth, it wasn't just a throb. Needle-sharp pains radiated outward from the wound site. It definitely needed more healing time. She groaned loudly on her way to the bathroom.
Maybe she'd pushed it last night. She instantly rejected that thought. Last night had bridged the coolness between them. That alone was worth any small aches and pains this morning. Besides, finally knowing the identity of her fantasy man made them all fade away in significance. There was such a sense of peace and wellbeing to her world today.
With hot water sluicing over her sore body, she wondered again where Brian was. She hated waking up alone.
For the first time in days, she took her pain medication. Without it, she wouldn't make it through the morning. She hoped there was no major damage. Carefully, she dressed her wounds, doing the best she could by herself. It would have to do until she could get Brian's help.
She dressed warmly. The day looked stormy and cold and her tired body shivered just from the strain of getting dressed.
The kitchen was empty. She put on fresh coffee and went in search of Brian.
Just then, the office door opened and Brian walked toward her.
"Brian?" she asked, confused by the withdrawn look on his face. "What's the matter? Are you okay?"
He raked his fingers through his air, and then appeared to make a decision. "I'm fine. Good, you made coffee. I could use a cup before we go." He walked back into the kitchen, leaving her to stare at his back in astonishment. Apparently, the warm lover from last night had disappeared. Confused, she waited for him to return.
"Go where?"
He stopped and looked at her carefully.
She stared back at him in total mystification. His next question surprised her.
"How are you feeling this morning? You look tired and sore."
Karina stared at him in astonishment. "I'm fine. Yes, I'm a little sore, but not too bad. What's this all about?"
He walked around behind her. "Don't try to make me feel any better. It's obvious you aren't okay. There's blood on your shirt. Last night was too much. As a result, you've probably torn your stitches."
Now that he mentioned there was blood, she started feeling lousy. Great. Talk about stupid. Her poor attempt at bandaging herself must not have worked very well.
"Let me see," he said shortly.
She leaned forward to maneuver her arm out of the T-shirt. Gently, he pulled her shirt up partway only to drop it after a quick look under the bandage.
"Grab your purse. We need to get this looked at."
On the way into the hospital where the doctor was currently doing his rounds, she finally asked, "Brian. How did you know that I was hurt?"
"There was blood on the bed and pillows," was his brusque response.
Karina tried to hide the hurt. He seemed so cold and angry. With her or with himself? She didn't understand and she wasn't feeling up to sorting it out. The pain kicked up a notch.
Silence filled the car for the remainder of the trip. The wait at the hospital was equally uncomfortable. When the doctor finally arrived, he seemed to have formed his own idea about the injury. He gave her a shot and checked her over, then told Brian he wanted to speak privately with him. Karina was still reeling too much from the agonizing pain to pay close attention.
However, Brian squared off his shoulders and followed the doctor into another room. The walls certainly weren't very thick. Karina could hear the doctor sharply giving Brian hell. Brian never said a word in his defense. Finally, the doctor ran out of steam and loudly warned him to take better care of her.
They were a very subdued pair on the drive home.
Tired, sore and aggravated by the morning's odd events, Karina's temper built higher and higher. On her way back to her room, she turned around on the landing. With the last of her energy, she yelled down at him, "I'm not sorry."
With that, she stormed into her room and slammed the door.
Her outburst finished her and she headed gratefully for bed. The physical pain was easing under the gentling blanket of medication, but the emotional turmoil was attempting to gather speed.
She fell into a troubled sleep.
***
Ian peered through the closet doors as Karina slept. He hadn't expected her to come in here. Not if they were lovers. Surely they'd share the same bed? That all wasn't perfect in their world made him smile.
He'd barely made it inside the house when they'd returned home. He'd slipped into the first door he reached and hid in the closet, just in case.
Karina had entered the room shortly thereafter.
It been all he could do to hold back. He stared at her even now. In university she'd been gorgeous. Now she was freaking hot. Somehow she'd started to bloom in these last months. That it could be her relationship to Brian left a dry taste in his mouth.
She should have been his. If she'd gone out with him back in University, he'd have married her. He knew that. Instead he'd left school bitter and alone.
Kind of like he was now.
His bitterness turned to anger. Then determination.
He held his breath, and opened the closet door.
***
Brian bowed his head. Damn. He'd done it again.
The phone rang. Picking it up he withheld the urge to throw it against the wall.
"Ian has escaped. I tried to call earlier, and your cell went straight to voicemail." Markham began without preamble. "I've dispatched several officers to your house. They should be there in about ten minutes. I have as many officers out looking as possible."
Brian's stomach constricted. He could hardly breathe. He was alone in his office but couldn't help himself from spinning around and searching the small space anyway. His worst nightmare was repeating itself.
"When and how, damn it?" he asked in a clipped voice, striding out to the main foyer. The door had been locked when they'd returned from the doctor's. He made his way into the kitchen, waiting impatiently for Markham to explain.
"During the transfer to the new facility. He knocked out one guard and shot another."
So Ian's violence had escalated even more. Not good at all. "And you think he's coming here?"
"I think we have to consider that possibility." Markham sighed. "Ian might have gotten smart and decided to disappear instead, but I don't want to take any chances."
Neither did he. Brian stood at the foot of the curving staircase and stared up at Karina's closed door. The last thing he wanted to do was wake her. She needed to rest after this morning.
"I'll come by in an hour or so. In the meantime, let the officers in to do what they need to do and keep an eye out. Above all, stay safe."
Brian stared down at the receiver in his hand, shaken to the core. Damn, just when he thought they were safe and beyond all this.
The hair on the back of his neck rose.
He spun around.