Mint was two steps behind her as she rushed to Patch, now lying on the floor. The man looked to have been beaten nearly to the end of his life, and he’d put up a good defense. What state was the other guy in?
“Patch.” She whimpered as she touched his shoulder, then his hand. “Patch, wake up.”
An orderly rushed over, and someone called out for a bed. A doctor and two nurses lifted him to the gurney, and the doctor began giving orders. Emma matched them step-for-step as they ran down the hall.
She glanced back at him. Mint was behind her. When her worried gaze found his, he nodded.
They pushed Patch into an unoccupied bay, and the nurse grabbed the curtain. “Wait here please.” She whipped the curtain closed.
Emma pulled up short. He stopped behind her and gave in to the temptation to put his arm around her shoulder. It felt almost…familiar. Like he’d done it hundreds of times before. As natural as her winding both arms around his waist and turning her face into his neck. Natural. Like she was meant to be there, in the shelter of his strength.
Where she should be.
Mint rubbed a hand between her shoulders. “He’ll be okay.”
“You don’t know that.” Her voice was muffled against his shirt collar. “But I appreciate you saying it.”
His chest shook, but he didn’t let loose the sound of laughter. Now wasn’t the time and neither was this the place.
“Emma.” The voice came from beyond the curtain. “No… No, quit it.” Patch. “Get her in here.”
She pulled from his arms. “Patch?”
The nurse pulled the curtain open, her face twisted with annoyance and confusion. “You’re Emma?”
Mint let her step out of his arms. She said, “Yes.”
“He won’t let us treat him. Not until he speaks to you.”
Emma shifted past the nurse and went to the bedside. The nurse gave Mint a scathing look. He stopped by the curtain and ignored her. There was no way he’d let Patch talk to Emma about what had happened to him without Mint hearing it firsthand. So far they were barely catching up to Aaron Jones. This could get them ahead of him, to a place where they might actually have a shot at capturing him. Plus, the sheriff would be here soon. Mint didn’t need to wait on hearing what Patch said until after he’d talked with the local law.
Emma leaned close. “You should let the doctors give you something.”
Patch frowned. His gray eyebrows crinkled together. “Said…” He swallowed like his mouth was dry. “This was about you.”
“A man?”
Patch nodded.
She said, “Brown hair, slicked back. Mid-thirties. Thin and lanky.”
Another nod.
“His name is Aaron.”
“Tried to kill me.” Patch puffed out his lips. “Tried.”
“Did you hurt him?”
“Hope so.”
Emma touched his shoulder. “Let the doctors take care of you.”
Patch’s gaze moved to Mint who understood what the older man was trying to say even without words. The intensity in his gaze communicated exactly how he felt about Emma. And the fact that Patch was now—if he wasn’t before—seriously concerned about her.
“I got her.” Mint nodded.
Patch closed his eyes. “Good.”
“Emma. Let’s step out so the doctor can work.”
She didn’t want to, but moved his way anyway. He walked with her into the hall. She was going to have to finish telling him about the blackmailer. Again, he hadn’t gotten all of the information from her. So much was going on, it wasn’t like they could take three hours out and get it all in the open.
But that was what they needed to do.
Right now, though, she was worried about her boss. And rightly so. Aaron Jones had come after Patch.
Mint had to start somewhere, so he said, “I can ask the sheriff to send someone to Patch’s house.” Though he assumed the hospital staff had already called the local law office. If he had already left for the hospital to get a statement, it was probably too late to ask him to search Patch’s house. Could he send a deputy?
Emma’s eyes widened. “Do you think Aaron’s still there?”
“It’s possible. Depends how badly Patch hurt him.”
That got a reaction. A tiny curl of her lips. Not that she wanted someone hurt. She wasn’t a vindictive person. But Aaron Jones had terrorized her, and he’d killed the senator. Who knew what else he’d done that they didn’t even know about? It did feel good to know that Patch might have dished up some payback.
“Does that make me a horrible person?”
She had to have read it all on his face. Her thoughts had gone to the same place as his. He said, “No. He hurt you.” He’d certainly dreamed enough of dishing out some of that to his father. But when he’d actually gone home, halfway intending to do that—though he hadn’t wanted to admit that to himself—he’d found a wrinkled old drunk who hadn’t even had the strength to get out of his armchair. What was the point? It wouldn’t have made him feel better.
“Patch did that in self-defense. He was in the military.”
When she frowned, he said, “We ran background on him. So when Aaron mentioned you, he’d have figured out Aaron was the reason you’re here. The reason you look scared and lost. He fought back for you.”
She didn’t like that. Mint took her hand so she didn’t get so far away she was out of reach. “I have to talk to the sheriff in a minute. Perkins is out looking for Aaron with the guys, so I’ll need you to stay here and not leave. But I also don’t want the sheriff seeing you.” He let that sink in, wondering if she would acquiesce. “Your face hit national news, so it’s only a matter of time before someone recognizes you and calls the FBI hotline. But the longer we can keep that from happening—and hopefully enlist the sheriff’s help in the meantime—the better.”
Emma stared up at him. Finally, she said, “Okay.”
He wanted to know what the blackmailer had on her. She’d said it wasn’t anything she’d done. So who’s secret was she protecting? It had to be someone she cared about. Like when Alexis took the fall for Rachel, pretending to be the star in that raunchy video. Who was Emma prepared to go to prison for, taking the fall for a murder she didn’t commit?
“I’m going to help you,” he said, unable to hold the words back. “Whoever you’re protecting, I’ll do my best to keep their secret from getting out.”
“You don’t even know what it is,” she said, frowning. “Or who it is.”
“Doesn’t matter. What matters is that you think their secret is worth keeping.” Whether out of risk of embarrassment, or the threat of greater loss than just a reputation. Whatever the reason didn’t make all that much difference. He needed Emma to trust him, and he would do whatever it took to protect her.
“Oh.” She glanced aside, looking down the hallway.
He looked over as well and saw the sheriff making his way over. Mint said, “Stay close.”
She squeezed his hand. “I will.”
And then she slipped away.
Emma peered through the gap between the door and the frame. Mint stood completely casual, but looking for all the world like he was in complete control. Like he had all the authority when he was faced with the sheriff of this county. She would probably be far more nervous. He didn’t look like anything at all bothered him. Just like any other day.
Mint lifted his hand and shook the sheriff’s. Like two colleagues. What was Mint telling him?
“You gonna stare out that door all day?”
Emma whirled around to Patch. “You’re awake.”
His lips curled up. Face pale, except for the dark bruises already forming. A bandage had been placed on his temple. “Can’t keep me down.”
“And also can’t abduct you. Or murder you. Apparently.” She wanted it to sound light. Glib. But it didn’t. The words came out far heavier than she intended.
“Darlin’.” He waved her over.
She didn’t look at his face. Didn’t want to see that softening in his gaze she just knew would be there. If she saw it, then she would cave. Just give in to all his attempts to make things better for her. It was exactly the type of man he was.
“Sit.”
When she didn’t, he tugged her down to perch on the side of his bed. He kept his weathered hand on her arm.
“Tell me.”
She shook her head.
“Kiddo.” The word was almost sad. Like she’d disappointed him. But it wasn’t the same disappointment she got from her mother every day. He wanted to help. That was all. The help Emma’s mother wanted was more like advancing her career by being part of her social media marketing. Championing her mother’s worldviews.
Most of the problem wasn’t the fact she disagreed with her mother. Because on most things, she didn’t. Emma was just far quieter in the way she lived her life. She didn’t want all her personal thoughts and feelings to be posted all over the place for everyone to “like” or “comment” on.
He patted her arm. “At least tell me he’s helping you.”
Emma managed to nod. Then she said, “He has friends. A whole team.”
“Good, because your mom’s trending on Facebook.”
She nearly choked. “What?”
Patch grinned, flashing her a row of crooked teeth that gave him character. “I’ve been following the story since my granddaughter shared it.”
“You’re on Facebook?” She couldn’t believe it.
“How do you think I keep up with the kids? It’s not like they call me to share what’s going on.” He chuckled. “Gotta go where the people are, darlin’.”
“No thanks.”
“No?”
She shook her head. “It’s not like it’s real. And the stuff that is, is so boring I really try to care…”
“I see.”
“Now you’re even more disappointed in me.”
“Did I say that?”
“I can tell,” she said.
“Huh.”
“What?”
He said, “You sure you didn’t miss your calling as a psychologist? Maybe you could’a helped me figure out why I can’t stop drinking straight from the milk carton. I think it’s because my mom didn’t love me enough.”
Emma shoved at his shoulder with zero strength. She didn’t want to hurt him. “Fine. So you’re not disappointed in me?”
“I didn’t say that.”
She frowned. “This conversation is making no sense.”
“That’s the beauty of relationships. It’s supposed to be crazy, insane, beautiful and also make no sense whatsoever.”
“So you’re a biker and diner owner and dispenser of wisdom?”
“When you’ve lived the life I have, you learn a lot of things. One of which is that you keep those you care about close. Even if they drive you crazy.” He gave her a pointed look. “Especially if your life is in danger, and they have the resources to keep you safe.”
Was he seriously talking to her about Mint?
She started to back away, get up off the edge of the bed. Patch snagged her arm again. “No, no. Sit.” He frowned. “You also don’t run when things get hard.”
Emma settled back on the covers beside his bed. “Way to go easy on me.”
“Do you want easy?”
“Maybe?” Probably not. “At least I might want the choice.”
The bed shifted with the force of his chuckle. “You don’t want easy.”
“I don’t want a psycho chasing me.”
“Your big guy will fix that.”
“Seriously?” She’d had a plan. She’d been fully intending on just doing what Aaron Jones told her to do. That would end all this, right? At least this. Who knew what the blackmailer would do next—what he would find for her to do. Yes, she understood that what he had over her he’d have over her for the rest of her life.
Unless Mint and his team really could bring him down, expose his operation, but then he could still use it again and again to get her to do whatever he wanted. Even if that meant doing it from prison.
“Darlin’. Your mom—”
She shook her head. “My mom doesn’t get anything. She never did, and maybe she never will.” Emma paused to take a breath. “She has no clue what goes on in the real world, because she lives in this dream land where everything is the way she says it is.”
“Some people need that.”
“It’s not real.”
“And it isn’t tempting,” he said, “considering all that’s swirling around you right now?”
Emma’s skin crawled with the thought of being face to face with Aaron Jones again. She wanted to curl up and cry. To go see Kerri. To hug Mint again—which was crazy. She was exhausted, and her feelings were out of whack. That was all. She cared about Mint because he’d stood between her and bullets. He was a good man who had run into a burning motel office and saved Bill and Mary.
That was all.
Keep telling yourself that.
Emma sighed.
“Lot going on in that head of yours,” Patch said. “Always was. Guess I know why now, considering he ambushed me in my kitchen and tried to stab me.”
A tear rolled down the side of her face.
“It’s nice you care, darlin’. Otherwise I’d have gotten stuck for no reason. Or a stupid one.”
It was the way he said it. One second she was almost out-and-out crying, the next she burst into laughter. Still, tears rolled down her face.
He lifted his hand and squeezed the side of her neck.
“I’m really glad he didn’t hurt you too badly,” she said. “The world would be a poorer place without you in it.”
“Darlin’.”
She figured that was about the most she was going to get in terms of a thank you. She smiled at him, thanking God in her heart that Patch hadn’t been killed—or kidnapped—by Aaron Jones. She genuinely didn’t know what she would do if he was dead. The diner would never be the same. Nor this town. Or her.
Patch had become a mentor in the short time she’d known him.
And a friend.
“Knock, knock.” A perky looking nurse stuck her head in. “Are you Ellie?”
It took Emma a second to realize that was the name she’d used when she showed up here. The name Patch knew was a fake.
She said, “Yes.”
“Kerri is awake. She’s asking for you.”
Emma turned back to Patch. “I’ll be back shortly.” Hopefully she could avoid the sheriff in the hallway. It wasn’t far to Kerri’s room, and Patch could tell Mint where she’d gone.
She followed the nurse to the end of the hall, and they turned the corner.
“Right here.”
This wasn’t the right room. Had they moved Kerri? “Oh, but—”
The nurse said, “You should hurry.”
Emma stepped into…the stairwell?
The door slammed behind her and echoed against the concrete stairs and walls.
“Took her long enough.”
Emma spun around. Aaron Jones stood in front of her, a smug look on his face.
Holding a gun.