Hurry Up And Wait (Owens Protective Services #24)

11. Isla

11

ISLA

I couldn’t stop watching the man outside my room. Right now, he was talking with someone who I assumed was from OPS. They had the same look about them, the same serious expression and set to their shoulders. Since I was brought to the hospital, this man hadn’t left my side, yet I still hadn’t remembered to ask his name. I should probably know that, but I was too frazzled to think of small things like a person’s name.

The incident at my house kept replaying over and over in my head. Sometimes, I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to purge the memories from my mind, but all I ended up doing was making it easier for the replay to run on repeat. My hands were still shaking and I hid them under the blanket, willing them to stop. The ache in my head was growing more uncomfortable by the minute, and my back felt like I’d been hit multiple times with a sledgehammer.

Focusing on that man was the only thing keeping me sane. It was the only thing preventing me from jumping out of this bed and making a break for an exit to find my sister. Fox already informed me she was fine, that she was out on a run at the time of the explosion. That settled the fear in my mind slightly, but I had yet to lay eyes on her, and until I did, nothing would truly satisfy me .

So, to stop thinking about things I couldn’t control, I watched and waited. I flashed back to that night in the alley—the way he so swiftly disposed of my husband and then turned to me with an intensity I’d never felt before. I could still feel his burning gaze deep in my soul.

I shifted in the bed, trying to get comfortable. My back ached from hitting the table and then flying over it. It seemed every time I moved, I found a new ache that my body hadn’t yet discovered. My left arm was already in a sling from my shoulder being separated, and I knew I had some massive bruising on the backs of my legs and my chest where the door slammed into me.

The door opened and the man walked in, eyeing me as he stalked over to a chair and took a seat. He didn’t say a word as he crossed one leg over the other and leaned back in his chair. I waited for him to speak or chastise me. Hell, anything but sit there. But instead, he just watched me.

He wasn’t like the other men at OPS. Where I’d always seen them in what they called tactical gear, this man wore a suit that looked very expensive and a black overcoat that draped over his back and hung down to the middle of his legs. Right now, that overcoat hung over the side of the chair. It was odd, really. He didn’t seem to fit in with anyone else, yet they all were perfectly fine with him watching out for me.

“Why are you wearing a suit?” I asked.

If he was surprised by my question, he didn’t show any outward signs. “Because I like it.”

“Are you in security?”

“No.”

“But you know everyone at OPS.”

He was silent, only giving a slight nod.

My lips twitched as I itched to ask more questions. There was so much I wanted to know, but it was mostly because I didn’t want to think about my house, who bombed me, or what my current medical status was. I just wanted to forget the whole day.

His name. I could ask him his name. Simple enough question.

“IKE,” he said before I could ask .

Was this man a mind reader? I hadn’t even opened my mouth. “As in Eisenhower?”

“No.”

“How do you know everyone at OPS?”

He sighed, shifting in his seat. “You ask a lot of questions.”

What else was I supposed to do? I was stuck in the hospital, freaking out about my house, my ex…I needed the distraction.

“Have you heard from my sister?”

“Not since the last time you asked twenty minutes ago,” he said, his tone somewhat harsh.

“I need to talk to her.”

“She’ll be here soon.”

That’s what he said the last time I asked, so where the hell was she? “Are you always this elusive?”

“Do you always ask so many fucking questions?”

“When the occasion calls for it.”

“Your sister is talking with Cash about your ex, answering any questions that might help us get a leg up.”

Oh, that made sense. “When can I get out of here?”

“The doctor is waiting on your scans.”

I pressed my fingers to my temple, wishing I could poke a hole through my skull and stab the jackhammer that was going off inside. “Any chance you could get me some pain meds?”

“They already gave you some,” he said, his eyes narrowing in concern. “Are you still in pain?”

“Well, I didn’t ask for them for the fun of it,” I snapped. Hell, I was going to lose it if I didn’t get some relief.

“Where does it hurt?”

“My head,” I grumbled.

He walked out the door immediately and didn’t return until a few minutes later with a very angry nurse, glaring over her shoulder at him.

“Is everything alright?”

“My head is killing me. Can you give me something for it?”

“We just gave you something, but I’ll check with the doctor and see if there’s anything else he can prescribe. ”

“Thank you,” I said, forcing a smile.

The nurse turned and shot one last evil look at IKE before walking out of the room. I chuckled despite the situation I was in. “It seems you’ve made a friend.”

“I’m not here to make friends.”

His attitude definitely left something to be desired, but since he was on my side, I decided not to push it too much. I rested back against the pillow and closed my eyes, but that only made things worse. Flashbacks of the explosion plagued my mind, and though I couldn’t remember the exact details of what happened, the pain and fear were at the forefront of my mind, ensuring I wouldn’t get sleep any time soon.

The shrill ringing of his phone had me gritting my teeth. I wanted to speak to my sister, but I didn’t want the phone ringing and destroying the last of my senses. I was already having trouble hearing out of my left ear.

IKE strode to the corner of the room, rolling his eyes as he took the call. “Yeah?”

His eyes flicked to mine and raised slightly as he watched me. I wanted to look away, but something about the way he was staring at me made it impossible to tear my gaze away.

“Yeah, whatever. She’s right here.”

He held out the phone to me. For a second, I just stared at it. Why was I getting a call on his phone? Unless it was Riley…I snatched it from his hand and let out the smallest breath as relief filled me. “Hello?”

“Isla.” The deep voice was definitely not that of my sister.

“Kavanaugh,” I answered, relief flooding me. I knew he was going out of town on a job, so I didn’t think talking to him was even an option. Now that I heard his voice, some of the tension fled my body.

“Are you okay?”

“Totally,” I sighed, trying to downplay just how awful I felt.

“Why do I not believe you?”

“Well, I would imagine it’s because I was blown up,” I teased. “But you can relax. I still have all ten fingers and toes. ”

I heard his heavy sigh through the phone, and for some reason, that comforted me. “Fuck, Isla. I’m so sorry. I wish I was there.”

I swallowed down the need that was about to slip out. I wanted him here so badly, but I wasn’t one of those women who cried and asked for her boyfriend to come home. And technically, he wasn’t my boyfriend. I wasn’t sure what we were other than old friends. Still, I wasn’t about to beg him to come home when he just left on a job.

“If you were here, all you’d hear is me grumbling about how much I want to leave the hospital.”

“And I’d gladly listen to every word.”

I smiled, but then realized that IKE was still standing over me, listening to my conversation like it was a matter of national security. Do you mind? I mouthed.

Shoving his hand in his pocket, he turned and strode out the door, not bothering to look back.

“Sorry,” I said, though he didn’t know what I was sorry for. “IKE was here and hovering.”

“Good,” he grunted. “I want you to stick close to him.”

“I don’t know him.”

“You don’t know any of us,” he retorted, reminding me that a lot of time had passed since I knew Kavanaugh as a kid. “Trust me on this. He’s exactly the type of guy you want around right now. He’ll keep you safe.”

“And what type of guy is that?”

He was silent for a beat. “The type you wouldn’t want to cross in a dark alley.”

Oh, I’d already met him in a dark alley, and he’d saved my life. Not that Kavanaugh knew that, and for some reason, I didn’t volunteer the information either. IKE hadn’t told him, and until I knew why, I wasn’t going to say a word. Maybe it was wrong to keep secrets, but it also felt wrong to say anything about IKE just yet. He clearly hadn’t told Kavanaugh that he knew me.

Either that or he didn’t remember me.

“Isla,” he said, trying to get my attention.

“Yeah?”

“I’ll be home this weekend. I’ll see you then, okay? ”

“Of course,” I said, mustering up as much strength as possible. I wasn’t about to start whining because he wasn’t home and I wouldn’t see him for days. I’d spent the last fifteen-plus years without him. I could handle a few days.

“Are you going to survive without me?” he teased.

My eyes involuntarily flicked to the man outside the door. “Why wouldn’t I?”

“Ouch,” Kavanaugh chuckled. “Good to know I’m expendable.”

“Would you want me in tears right now, crying because you’re not here?”

“A few tears would be nice. You know, feed my ego just a little.”

“I highly doubt your ego needs any bolstering.”

“You don’t know that for sure. I could be one of those men who’s really insecure.”

I rolled my eyes, feeling much better now that he lightened the mood. “When you get home, I promise to show you just how much I need you.”

Silence met me until a low rumble echoed through the phone. “Fuck, I really wish I was there right now.”

“Until the weekend.”

“Fuck, until the weekend,” he muttered.

“Where are we going?” I asked, running a tired hand over my eyes.

The countryside flew past us as we left town, leaving me reeling the farther we got from the safety of people. It was only five minutes ago that we left the hospital, and for some reason, I assumed we’d be going back to my house. But instead, IKE was taking us in the opposite direction.

When he didn’t answer, I looked over at him, watching as he checked the mirrors. His posture was relaxed and he looked as if we were taking a Sunday drive. “IKE?”

“My place.”

My eyes widened at his words. “Your place? But I need to go home. ”

“Your place is currently a crime scene. You can’t go there.”

I swallowed hard, thinking about what was going to happen over the next few days. “What about my clothes? I need things for work and?—”

“You work from home.”

“Yes, and I need things to accomplish that.”

“A few days off won’t kill you.”

My jaw dropped in disbelief. “I can’t just stop my life because my ex is a psychopath.”

His gaze slowly turned to meet mine. Sharp, blue eyes narrowed, pinning me with a mixture of fury and curiosity. I wasn’t sure if he wanted to slap me or ask me what my favorite cup of coffee was. The car slowed as he pulled to the side of the road. When he shifted into park, I started to get a little creeped out.

“What are we doing?” I asked, swallowing hard.

“Waiting for someone to kill you.”

“What?”

He shrugged. “You want to go home where a bomb just went off. I figured if you want someone to take you out, we might as well stop here and let them come to us. Maybe I should just get out and leave you here.”

“That’s not what I said,” I argued.

His voice came out low and harsh as he leaned in close to me. “Then what the fuck do you want? I know you love your sister. She’s probably the only fucking person you’re actually scared for. So, what the fuck are you thinking, wanting to go back to your house where someone just tried to kill you?”

Well, when he put it like that… “You may have a point.”

A slight smile touched the corner of his lips, but it was gone before I could nail him for it. He shifted back into drive and pulled out again, taking us further away from town. Sighing, I sat back in my seat and tried to ignore the man beside me.

“So, if you work for OPS, why don’t you live there?”

“I already told you, I don’t work for them.”

“But you know them,” I pushed. I felt like a broken record.

He sighed, glancing over at me. “Why do you want to know? ”

“If you were nearly blown up, and then a man who you didn’t know took you home from the hospital, wouldn’t you want to know a little about him?”

“You chose to get in the car with me.”

“Only because everyone said to trust you,” I shot back.

“Then why don’t you just fucking trust me?”

“Because I don’t fucking know you,” I retorted.

“Fine. What do you want to know?”

“I think you already know.”

He glanced over at me again, irritation marring his face. “I met them through Jane.”

Wow, a wealth of information, this one was. “And who is Jane?”

“She’s IRIS’s wife. He works for OPS.”

I waited for more, but it never came. “Okay, so tell me about Jane.”

He cut me a harsh look. “Why do you want to know about her?”

I tossed my hands up in the air, only to wince when my shoulder pulled. “Christ, this is like pulling teeth. I’m not asking for your life story. I just want to know a little about who you are.”

“And what will that get you?”

“A sense of security. The knowledge that I’m not going home with a serial killer. Hell, at this point I would like to be able to say , yes, I know IKE. He’s friends with Jane. ”

“You already know that.”

I growled in frustration, which only seemed to humor my new non-friend.

“I know Jane because she’s a mystery writer. We…crossed paths while she was researching a book.”

“Which one?”

“I won’t tell you that.”

“Because you’re in it?”

He hesitated. “There are elements of me in them.”

“Okay.” I shifted to face him more. I was intrigued about how he fit into a mystery writer’s life. “So, she met you on a job. What happened then?”

“Isn’t that enough?”

“Not nearly,” I said, a little too excitedly .

His eyes shot to mine. “If you want to know more, you have to answer some of my questions.”

“How is that fair?”

“What if you’re really a black widow killer, and by housing you, I’m putting my life in danger?”

I snorted at that. “If I was a black widow killer, I wouldn’t be going through divorce proceedings.”

“That’s my price.”

He turned down a driveway to a large house that was altogether unassuming. I couldn’t picture him living here. He was so…stylish and slick. He didn’t look like the type to live in the country. Then again, I really didn’t know him. Other than Kavanaugh telling me I wouldn’t want to cross him in a dark alley, I really knew nothing about this man.

“I did not see this coming,” I said, looking out the windshield.

“Why?”

“Because you’re so…fancy.”

“Looks can be deceiving,” he muttered, parking outside the house.

I opened my door and got out, looking around the well-manicured yard with a white fence surrounding the entire property. It was way too domestic-looking for a man like this.

“Let’s go,” he bristled.

My gaze snapped to his, confused by his tone of voice. Had I done something to piss him off? I followed him to the house, walking much slower than he was. My whole body was sore, and the ride in the car hadn’t helped, though talking to him had distracted me from the worst of my aches and pains. I knew I looked like hell, and hadn’t bothered to look in a mirror to check out the damage in the hospital.

All I had to do was prod my face to feel the bruises and cuts that were currently causing a massive amount of swelling. An ice pack would do a world of good right now, but first, I needed a shower. If I could manage that on my own…

By the time I reached the steps to the house, I was worn out. Just looking up at them was daunting. Maybe I could just sleep in the car. “Why didn’t you just take me to a hotel?”

He looked back at me, waiting for me to climb the steps. “Not enough security. ”

“And this place has security?” I muttered under my breath.

“Are you coming?”

“Yeah,” I grumbled, taking it one step at a time. I was panting by the time I got to the third step. His shiny shoes came into my line of vision, but I refused to look up and show him how much of a struggle this was for me. Not that I needed to. His arms wrapped around me, swooping me up against his chest moments later. I let out a yelp, struggling to hold on with my one good arm as he stomped up the steps with a heavy sigh and carried me inside.

“You didn’t have to do that.”

“If I ever wanted you to make it inside, I did.”

“Pardon me for moving slowly after nearly being blown up.”

I only caught bits and pieces of the decor as he marched through the house, but from what I could tell, this was not a house that belonged in the country. With sleek lines and modern furniture, this looked like it belonged in a magazine of the houses of the rich and famous.

He set me down on the couch with much more care than I thought he would. As he turned, he grabbed the remote and tossed it to me. “Anything else you need?”

I caught it with a squeal, surprised by the movement. “Um…how long am I staying here?”

“Until your house is fixed.”

Surprise made my eyebrows hike up. “And what about my sister?”

“Your sister is safer away from you.”

My hackles rose as he dared to tell me what was best for my family. “I’m not some disease that’s going to get her killed.”

“No, but if your husband tries again, do you really want her around?”

My nostrils flared. “I thought that’s why I was with you.”

IKE’s jaw clenched hard as he stared at me. I knew I was pissing him off, but I had been through a lot of shit in the last twelve hours and I just wanted some normalcy, and for me, that meant having my sister by my side.

“Fine,” he snarled. “You want your sister with you?”

“I thought that’s what I just said. ”

A nasty smirk filled his face as he bent low, trying to intimidate me with the amount of space he filled up. “Take a fucking shower and look at yourself. Then, ask yourself if you want your sister to end up just like you. Or dead.”

And with that, he stormed out of the room. I listened as his heavy footsteps faded and then the door slammed in the distance. I didn’t know where he went, but when his car started up and peeled down the long drive, I sighed and closed my eyes. I really hoped he hadn’t just abandoned me here.