Risky Obsession (Wolf Security #3)

5. Lacey

CHAPTER 5

Lacey

P ain came in waves, crashing over me like a merciless storm. My body screamed with every breath I took, and my bruised ribs made it impossible to ignore the agony. As blinding stings traced up my legs, consciousness slowly returned, and I peeled my eyes open.

I’m in a hospital room .

I searched my brain, trying to remember how I got here, but the last thing I remembered was a massive explosion and falling from the sky.

Gritting my teeth, I shuffled up the bed and searched for a way to call for a nurse. I found a control device attached to the side rails keeping me in bed and pressed the nurse button. The room was dim, and although the blinds were shut, I had a feeling it was dark outside.

How long have I been here?

My right hand was in a splint and pain ripped up my arm as the memory of breaking those two fingers catapulted into my mind.

Where is everyone?

I tried to peer around the curtain blocking my view beyond the bed, but the pain piercing my side halted my ability to sit up. It was so quiet. Maybe it was the middle of the night.

I jabbed the nurse button again, but it didn’t seem to do anything.

“Hello.” My voice sounded like I’d gargled with chalk. I swallowed, trying to produce moisture. “Is anyone there?”

The curtain swept back and a nurse in a dark blue uniform approached me with a smile. “There you are.”

A dozen questions surged for attention in my mind, and yet it was a struggle to release the first one. “Where am I?”

Nurse Nalinha, according to her name badge, leaned toward me and pushed a thermometer into my ear canal. “You’re in Rosebud Hospital.”

“How long have I been here?”

She removed the thermometer, studied the reading and wrote something onto a clipboard. “You came in a few hours ago.”

“How did I get here?”

“I don’t know.” She held a cup of water with a straw toward me.

I took a large sip and when it hurt to swallow, I recalled that bastard trying to strangle me. “I need to call my captain. Captain Watts from Rosebud Police Station.”

She pressed her hand to my shoulder in a firm but forceful touch. “What you need to do is rest.”

“No. It can’t wait.”

A frown drilled across her face. “Let me see what I can do.”

“Thank you. Please, this is important.”

“The most important thing is repairing your body.” Scowling at me, she wrote something on a clipboard beside my bed.

“Yes, I know, and I will as soon as I’ve told Captain Watts about the very important police matter. I’m Detective Lacey Brooks. Did you know that?”

“It doesn’t matter who you are. You are my patient, and that means you need to do what I say.”

She left my room, and the incredible silence returned. Nine years ago, I’d spent two months in hospital after I’d nearly died. I couldn’t remember it ever being this quiet. Then again, I’d been so high on medication and completely terrified that someone was going to murder me, that I’d probably invented half the noises I’d heard.

“Knock knock.” A male voice sounded beyond the curtain. “You awake, Lacey?”

“Yes.” As I tried to pull myself up the bed, Captain Watts tugged the curtain aside and relief washed over me.

“Jesus Christ, Brooks, what the hell were you thinking, going to that place by yourself?” Watts said, shaking his head .

“It just happened so quickly, sir. I was working on a hunch and?—”

“A hunch! Fucking hell, Brooks, you nearly got yourself killed and the entire top of an island was blown sky high and that’s just?—”

“I found Chui’s accountant!” I blurted.

“What?”

“Yes. It just happened so quickly. I need to tell Aria.”

“Christ almighty. I should have known this was connected to that fucker Chui. Give me a minute.” He pulled his phone from his pocket, then paused. “Are you okay?”

“Just a few bruises and two injured fingers.” I raised my right hand. “I’ll be fine.”

He marched away, jabbing buttons on his phone. “Aria, it’s Watts. You got a minute. Yeah, I’ve got a situation?—”

His voice petered away.

Using the control panel, I lowered the bed and sat up. A dizzy spell made the room swim, and I sucked in deep breaths, trying to make my mind keep up with my eyeballs. Once that settled, I figured out how to lower the rail trapping me in the bed. Placing my feet on the ground, I gripped the IV drip and forced my body to take me to the restroom.

Every step was an exercise in agony, but my determination overcame the pain as I hobbled forward. In the bathroom, the stark fluorescent light in the small space revealed my battered reflection. The skin around my left eye was swollen, a bruise darkened my jawline, and I had a scratch along my left cheek that I couldn’t remember getting.

I was catapulted back ten years to another time when I’d fought for my life and nearly died.

How many lives did I have?

Back then, I didn’t have anything to live for. I hated myself, and what I’d done and who I’d become.

This time was different. I knew exactly who I was, and what I wanted.

I wanted to catch the bastard who had just slipped through my fingers.

My hospital gown was open at the back, and the cool air brushed across the opening, teasing my skin. I lowered myself onto the toilet and winced at the agony gripping my chest.

Closing my eyes, I clenched my jaw and begged for the pain to go away.

At the basin, with trembling fingers, I splashed water on my face with my left hand and tried to push away the dizzy haze engulfing me.

When I stepped out of the restroom, Captain Watts stood by the door, his expression a mix of concern and frustration.

“You should be resting.”

“Yes, sir. Sorry. I had to pee.” I grinned.

He scowled.

I shuffled back to the bed, trying not to wince with every movement. I sat on the edge of the cot, but the pain in my leg made my eyes water, so I swung my legs up and laid back.

“Did you get Aria?” I asked.

“She’s on her way. I have Kingsley heading up to get a statement from you, and Whisper is coming too.”

“Whisper!” I’d forgotten she had been on that island, too. “Is she okay?”

“She is now that you’re awake. She was the one who dragged you from the water and gave you CPR. She saved your life.”

“CPR? Oh.”

“Yes, you bloody idiot.”

“Sir, I had absolutely no indication that situation was going to play out like it did. Did anyone else get hurt?”

“No. Thank Christ.” He shook his head at me like I was a naughty teenager caught stealing. “Nearly every building on the island was damaged though.”

A knock sounded at the door, and Detective Kingsley appeared at Watts’ side.

“Lacey, glad to see you awake.” He strode to the bed and rested his hand on my shoulder in a show of affection that was unprecedented from him.

“Thanks. I need to get out of here.”

Kingsley’s eyes mirrored concern. “I don’t think you’re going anywhere for a while.”

“I have to.” I jerked forward. “I have?—”

“Hey, captain.” Aria’s voice came from the doorway that I still couldn’t see.

She swept into the room, her presence commanding attention. Her black eyes locked onto mine, assessing the state I was in.

“Lacey,” she began, her voice tinged with a mixture of relief and fury, “you nearly gave me a heart attack. ”

“That’s an understatement.” Captain Watts stood by the foot of the bed with his arms crossed and a stern expression etched on his face.

“I’m sorry, Aria . . . everyone. It all happened so quickly. One minute, I was working on a hunch, and the next minute I realized I was face to face with Chui’s accountant, Grant Hughes. That’s when he attacked me.”

“I hear there’s a crazy woman in here.” Whisper bounded into the room. “There you are. You look better than the last time I saw you.”

She strode to my bedside and gripped my left hand in hers.

“Whisper, thank you for saving me.”

“I had to resuscitate your ass. Lucky, I remembered my CPR training, or you’d be toast.”

Tears prickled my eyes as I attempted a chuckle. “I can’t thank you enough. How did you find me?”

“When I heard that chopper, I used the binoculars to check it out. My timing was perfect to see you shooting at that bastard.”

“Oh. You did?”

“Yep. When the explosion took off the top of that island, I hightailed around to where I last saw you. Thankfully, you were face-up in the water. You’re a good floater.”

I chuckled, and pain gripped my ribs. “Ouch.”

“You were unconscious when I pulled you onto the patrol boat.”

“Thank you.” I gripped her palm to mine.

“You’re a lucky bitch. If I hadn’t seen you shooting at the chopper, I would never have known where to start looking for you.” She released my hand and nodded at Kingsley and Aria. “I hope you’re going to tell me what happened, ’cause the suspense is killing me.”

“Your timing is perfect,” Aria said. “Lacey was about to tell us what happened.”

“Oh, goodie.” Whisper rubbed her hands together and grinned like I was about to reveal a juicy secret.

Kingsley pulled a notepad from his top pocket. “How about you start at the beginning?”

As I tested my recall, trying to give them every piece of detail, from my reason for going to the island, to Hughes escaping in the helicopter as the island exploded, nurses took turns checking my vital signs, temperature, and IV drip. I was also fed a hot meal, and cold dessert and offered coffee, which I accepted .

I reached the end of my summary. “So, I need to get out of here ASAP, and get after that?—”

“Not going to happen, Brooks.” Watts raised his hands. “I’m sidelining you. You’re officially off duty.”

“What? No! Don’t do this, captain.” My voice cracked with desperation. “I can still work. I have to do this. Hughes can’t get away.”

Aria’s eyes filled with understanding. “Lacey, you’re in no condition to go after anyone right now.”

I sighed. The thought of Hughes getting away after I’d been so close was unbearable. “I can’t believe he escaped.”

“He can’t hide forever,” Aria said. “Thanks to you, we finally know who Chui’s accountant is.”

Kingsley nodded. “We’ll get a BOLO out for him and his chopper. We’ll find him.”

“He had that escape well planned. That timer, the escape hatch, the chopper. He was ready to vanish. He’s not going to make a mistake now.” My shoulders slumped.

“He made the mistake of hanging around here when he could have taken off ages ago,” Aria said.

She had a point. I pinched the end of my finger protruding from the top of the splint on my right hand. It didn’t hurt. I didn’t feel anything at all.

“Why didn’t he leave?” I asked nobody in particular.

They all shook their heads.

“Must’ve been something keeping him here,” I said.

“Or someone,” Watts said.

“Like that B woman who we are yet to figure out,” I said.

“Yeah. Like her,” Watts said. “Anyway, I gotta get some shut-eye. I’m going to be up to my elbows on the reports for this mess.”

“Sorry,” I said, hoping my eyes conveyed my genuine remorse.

Watts heaved a heavy sigh. “It’s not your fault. I’m serious about you being grounded. You better not take a step into the station until your bones are healed.”

“What?” I blurted. “But, sir, that could be weeks.”

“Exactly.” He nodded at Kingsley. “You have the lead on this mess. Keep me in the loop.”

Kingsley nodded. “I’ll have a report on your desk in the morning. ”

Frowning, Watts shook his head. “When is it going to end?”

“It’s going to end when every one of those bastards is in jail or dead. I promise you that.” The conviction in Aria’s eyes was terrifying.

“Good.” As Watts strode away, he waved over his shoulder. “Catch you on the flip side.”

I expected Aria to follow him out. Instead, she stepped closer to the bed.

“Do you know where my phone is?” I asked Whisper. “It was in my bag.”

Whisper frowned. “The bag you had over your shoulder?”

I nodded.

“That must be still on the boat. I took it off you before I gave you CPR.”

“That’s good. I took photos and videos of the contents of that secret room. Hopefully, you can still salvage the images off my phone.”

“I’ll get Cobra onto it,” Aria said.

My shoulders sagged. “There was so much evidence down there. One of the boxes had Marc Kinkaid’s name on it.”

Kingsley clicked his fingers. “AKA Mason Kingsman, deputy prime minister. Right?”

“That’s right,” Aria said. “No surprise that Chui’s accountant was involved with him. There was probably evidence on my father down there, too.”

“I also found a gold bar with the lion emblem,” I said. “Damn it, that would have fallen into the ocean when I fell.”

“Ha!” Whisper’s eyes lit up. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find that then. The remains of that glass helipad are like a giant X marks the spot.”

“Do you think you can get it?” I asked her.

“Of course. I’ve been dying to see one of those gold bars in real life.”

“Thanks,” I said. “That may be the only proof we have left connecting Hughes to Chui.”

“That bar could have come from Chui or Frank,” Aria said, “or even those bastard mercenaries who stole the gold from that submarine that was found in the ice in Antarctica. So no, unfortunately, it’s not definitive evidence.”

I scowled. The web of crime around Grant Hughes was massive and it pissed me off even more that he got away. I turned to Kingsley. “Tyler, you have to let me in on this case.”

He flipped his notebook closed. “You heard the captain. You need to rest.”

“I can rest and still work. Come on, I need this.”

“It’s going to take us weeks just to sift through the rubble that’s left at the top of Amber Island. You’ll probably be back at work by then.”

“This was my hunch. I found it.” I moaned.

Aria rested her hand on my arm. “Yes, you did. And it was very good police work. I will make sure you are recognized for that.”

“It’s not about that. It’s about finding that asshole.” I clenched my jaw. “Aria, I can’t sit around and do nothing.”

Kingsley stood. “I’ll keep you in the loop. I promise. But don’t come into the station, Brooks. It will only make the captain come down on you harder.”

I shot him dagger eyes. “You’re mean.”

He wrapped his hand over my wrist. “Get some rest. You’ve been through hell. Getting better is what’s most important.” He nodded at Aria. “I’ll keep you posted.”

“Hey, Tyler, can you give me a ride home?” Whisper asked.

He nodded and strode away.

Whisper squeezed my good hand. “Call me if you need anything. Chocolate, wine, smoking hot guy.” She chuckled. “Actually, scrap that. If I find one of them, I’m keeping him for myself.”

I chuckled and then winced. “Ouch. Don’t make me laugh.”

Whisper scrunched her nose. “Get some rest. You nearly died today.”

Even after she exited the room, her comment sat on my chest like a brick.

I could have died. Again.

I was surprised Aria hadn’t left with them, and even more surprised when she pulled the chair closer and sat.

I frowned at her, and she leaned back, a pillar of calm that only someone in her position could master. She would have a dozen intense cases going through her mind, yet she had the poise of a woman who knew exactly where all the balls were in the air.

“Lacey, I want to thank you for what you did today.”

I huffed. “It didn’t go to plan.”

“You didn’t know it would escalate the way it did.”

“No, I didn’t. I don’t understand why he let me into his house. From what Carol said, he never opened the door for anyone.”

“I’d say he underestimated you.”

I grinned. “That’s happened before.”

Aria chuckled.

It was probably a common theme for many women in the force.

“I have to get him, Aria.”

“And you will.” She shuffled forward. “But Captain Watts is adamant about you taking time off to heal.”

“I’m fine. It’s just a couple of injured fingers.”

“On your weapon hand.” She leveled her gaze at me. “I may have something for you, though. Do you know Kane Devlin?”

I frowned. “The guy who rescued Indiana and Tyler off that island?”

“Yes. Have you ever met him?”

“No.”

“Do you think he would know you?”

Frowning, I pulled myself up on the bed. “I don’t think so. Why?”

“Did you watch the documentary about the Nazi gold that my team and I found?”

“Yes. It was terrible what you and your team went through.”

She heaved a sigh. “Do you remember in the documentary how they described the gold being divided into three portions at the end of the war?”

“Yes. Three hundred bars went onto a submarine. One hundred went onto a train, and one hundred bars went onto a truck, which is the one you found in the frozen lake.” I frowned, searching my recall, and trying to work out where she was going with this questioning. “Some of those gold bars were stolen from you by someone on your team. Is that right?”

“Correct. Cooper Apollo. His callsign was Jet. He stole fifty-two bars of gold, our truck, and left us stranded in those frozen mountains.”

“That’s right. What does this have to do with me?”

A nurse entered the room, and as she checked my blood pressure, Aria halted our conversation by stepping back from the bed and studying her phone.

The nurse left and Aria moved forward again.

“Kane Devlin came to see me yesterday. He thinks he has clues about the missing gold bars. How would you feel about working with Kane to investigate his findings?”

“Oh. Um, I guess so.” Anything to keep me busy was a good thing.

“But there’s a catch.”

I frowned.

“I don’t want Kane knowing you’re working for me, or that you’re a cop.”

“I’ve done undercover work before.”

“I know. That’s one reason why I’m making this offer. I doubt he would share anything with a cop.”

“Okay, and what’s the other reason?”

“I think he’d be less suspicious of a woman.”

I waited, sensing there was more.

“He says he doesn’t need the money and that he wants to find the gold for some quest for his grandfather. Yet I couldn’t find any records showing where his income comes from. And there was a court case a few years ago that showed a greedy side to him. As you know, we have no idea who’s been working with Chui, and we’ve been caught out a few times. I’m not ready to trust Kane. Anyway . . .” She swept her hand like she was casting aside the comment. “What do you think?”

Her offer was like a balm to the chaos crashing through my mind. Ever since I’d joined the force, my mantra had been to keep moving forward. Taking time out was not part of that equation and Aria had just thrown me a lifeline that I couldn’t resist. “I’m interested, but why would Kane let me join him to search for the gold?”

Aria grinned. “You’re going to pretend you’re a treasure hunter.”

I laughed and then cried out at the pain in my ribs. Then I studied her. “You’re serious.”

“Yes. You can start with a couple of days recuperating at Cobra and Yasmin’s place. Yasmin’s father was an expert on this gold, and he has dozens of journals with information about it. I want you to study those journals and pick Yasmin’s brain about it. That should give you enough information to pull this off. Then I’m going to put you and Kane together.”

“Won’t he be suspicious?”

She shook her head. “Since that documentary went live, dozens of so-called treasure hunters have tried to get in on these missing gold bars. I’ll tell him that you had some specific information that proved you were legitimate.”

Compared to the last undercover job I’d had, this one was going to be a breeze. “Sounds like fun. I’m in, provided I’m still kept up to date with the investigations back here.”

Aria’s eyes darkened. “This gold has attracted some of the worst scum of the earth. Dozens of deaths can be directly attributed to this Nazi treasure, including my teammate, Kai. So, you’ll need to watch your back.”

“Always.” Ever since I turned on the motorcycle gang I’d been involved in, I had always felt the need to watch my back.

“Good. After your couple of days at Yasmin’s place you’ll be heading to Europe.”

“Europe?”

“Yes. Berlin for starters. Is that okay?”

“Yes.”

No! I hate flying.

“You’re going to need a fake name so I can get a passport?—”

“Tory.” I blurted. “Tory Parmenter.”

Shit, why did I say that?

Aria frowned. “Okay. Tory Parmenter it is.”

I was relieved she didn’t press me for a reason why I wanted that name. I did not want to tell her that Tory was my best friend who had died because of me.

“I’ll make the arrangements. You’ll fly via our private jet, and I’ll get you a credit card, cash, and a phone,” she said. “And I’ll tell Watts and confirm you’ll be doing this for four weeks. Hopefully that’s long enough to follow these clues, and with even more luck, you’ll find a stash of gold that nobody else has been able to find.”

“I do love a challenge.”

“Good. Just watch yourself with Kane.” She winked at me. “He’s a smooth one.”

“Ha. He’ll be putty in my hands.”

Provided I don’t blow my cover like last time.