Deadly Dealings (Hardy Brothers Security Book 13) Read online

  Two

  “Did you find her?” Grady asked, appearing at James’ side as he searched the large room at the back of the haunted warehouse.

  James ran a hand through his brown hair, frustrated. “I don’t understand where she is. I swear … she was right behind me.”

  “You weren’t holding her hand?”

  “She needed to touch everything she saw,” James replied, his eyes darting around the room for a hint of the blonde he loved more than life itself. “I … crap. I know where she is.”

  “Where?”

  “She’s in the room with that big aquarium,” James said. “I saw her staring at it. She probably thinks there’s a demented shark in there.”

  “There’s nothing in there,” Grady said. “It’s a mechanical flipper and red light bulbs to make it look like there are creatures in there.”

  “I know that and you know that … heck, she knows that … she’ll still want to get a closer look,” James said, moving back toward the bowels of the warehouse. “I’m going to spank her bottom blue for this.”

  “You guys play some kinky games,” Grady said, following his brother.

  “I love that woman beyond reason, but she drives me crazy,” James grumbled, stepping around a group of squealing teenage girls. “I … .” He broke off, a terrified whisper causing a shudder to run down his spine. Someone was screaming, and it sounded like Mandy.

  “What?” Grady asked, glancing around. “Did you hear her?”

  James didn’t have any idea how he knew his wife was in trouble, but he instinctively did. The scream had been brief, but he knew it was her. He broke into a run, pushing anyone who got in his way to the side as he raced back in the direction of the aquarium room.

  Instead of questioning his brother further, Grady embraced the man’s instincts and followed. If James believed Mandy was in trouble, odds were the feisty blonde needed help. Trouble found her no matter what innocent situation she put herself in.

  James rounded the corner and plunged into the aquarium room, his eyes landing on a man in a mask who was reaching for an unsteady Mandy. She swayed back and forth, reaching for the doorjamb to anchor herself, and James was convinced she was going to pass out.

  As if sensing him, Mandy turned. Her blue eyes were clouded and she looked confused. James took a step toward her. “Baby?”

  Mandy managed one step in James’ direction, relief washing over her troubled features. “James.”

  She collapsed in his arms, her eyes rolling back into her head, and James’ heart started pounding as the thing he loved most in this world threatened to die right in front of him.

  “Help!”

  “HELP us,” Grady yelled at the hospital staff as he cleared a path for James to move through the lobby unhindered ten minutes later.

  Instead of waiting for emergency responders to make it to them, James loaded Mandy into his truck, cradling her to his chest as he fought tears the entire time, and Grady drove the five minutes to the hospital. Everyone else was following, but all Grady could focus on now was Mandy.

  “What happened?” Dr. Jennifer Livingston removed her stethoscope from around her neck and moved in James’ direction, her face unreadable as she studied the still blonde in his arms.

  “Help her,” James ordered.

  “You have to tell me what happened,” Livingston said, her voice calm. She could tell the man was beside himself, but she still needed information if she was going to help the woman.

  “We were at Hell House,” Grady answered. “She got separated from us. When we found her she was … off. She was stumbling. She fell in his arms and passed out.”

  “Did she hit her head?” Livingston flashed a light in Mandy’s eyes.

  “I don’t know,” Grady said. “I … we don’t know what happened. She was fine when we got separated.”

  “Okay,” Livingston said, motioning to a nurse to bring a gurney over. “We’ll take it from here.”

  James refused to let Mandy go even though Livingston watched him expectantly.

  “Sir, you need to put her down so we can help her,” Livingston ordered.

  “She’s my wife.” James’ voice was flat.

  Livingston softened her approach. “Sir, we’re going to try and help your wife,” she said. “You have to put her down for us to do it.”

  James reluctantly lowered Mandy to the gurney, his hands shaking. “Baby, please wake up.” He was on the verge of tears.

  The nurse started to push the gurney away from James, causing him to balk. “I’m coming with you.”

  “Sir, we need all hands on deck for this,” Livingston said. “We can’t work around you. We need you to stay here. The second I have any information on your wife’s condition … .”

  “She needs me,” James interrupted.

  “She needs all of us to save her,” Livingston countered.

  “What if she … dies … and I’m not with her?” James’ eyes were swimming with tears, the possibility too horrible to comprehend. “I can’t leave her.”

  “Let us save her,” Livingston said. “We need a clear room to do it.”

  Grady grabbed James’ arm and pulled him away as Livingston and her team wheeled Mandy from the lobby. The second Mandy was out of sight James broke down, listing to the side and causing Grady to have to catch him so he wouldn’t hit the cold linoleum floor.

  “She’ll be okay,” Grady murmured, struggling to support his brother’s weight.

  “I can’t go through this,” James sobbed. “Not again.”

  “IS there any word?” Ally asked, her brown eyes red-rimmed from crying during the drive over from the haunted warehouse.

  “Not yet,” Grady said, rubbing the back of his neck as he offered his sister a hug. “She’ll be okay. You need to have faith.”

  “I don’t understand what happened,” Jake said, his face a mask of concern and anger as he rubbed Ally’s back. “She was fine when we saw her.”

  “I don’t know what happened,” Grady said. “She was in the room with the big aquarium and she was struggling to stand up. One of the actors was in there. He had a mask on and he was trying to grab her arm.”

  “We should find him,” Finn said. “Maybe he knows what happened.”

  “Maybe she wasn’t paying attention and hit her head on something,” Sophie suggested.

  “That’s a possibility,” Grady conceded. “The doctor is in with her now. Her breathing got kind of … shallow … on the drive over.”

  “Oh, no.” Emma’s fingers flew to her mouth as she struggled to stave off tears.

  “It’s okay, sweetie,” Finn said, rubbing her back. “She’s going to be fine. She’s too tough to … .”

  “Where is James?” Ally asked, cutting off Finn’s well-meaning comment.

  Grady inclined his head in the direction of the bay windows over his shoulder. James was standing in front of them, his face streaked with tears, and he was clasping his hands so tightly in front of him Grady was worried he was going to rip his own fingers off.

  Ally moved toward her brother, but Grady grabbed her arm to stop her. “Don’t go over there.”

  “He’s upset,” Ally argued.

  “He’s beyond upset,” Grady said, keeping his voice low. “He’s is barely holding on. He’s ready to explode. If you go over there, he’s going to explode all over you.”

  “I can take it.”

  “Leave him be,” Grady said. “If he explodes all over you then Jake is going to feel the need to stand up for you and … leave him be.”

  “But Mandy might be … he needs me to support him,” Ally said, her lower lip trembling.

  “If something happens to Mandy … he’s going to be beyond our support,” Grady said.

  “What does that mean?” Ally was angry.

  “It means if Mandy dies, we’ll lose him, too,” Grady said, his tone grim.

  “I won’t let that happen.” Ally crossed her arms over her chest as Jake and Grady exch
anged knowing looks.

  “Angel, I think you’re all-powerful and wonderful,” Jake said, rubbing his hands over her shoulders. “I think Grady is right, though. Stay away from James.”

  “But … .”

  “No.” Jake’s tone was no-nonsense, and the look Ally shot him was murderous. Jake kept one eye on her as she dramatically threw herself in the chair next to Finn and used the other to watch James in front of the window. He looked lost.

  “Here comes the doctor,” Sophie said, jumping to her feet.

  James must have heard Sophie’s words because he swiveled quickly and moved in Livingston’s direction. “How is my wife?”

  “Your wife is holding her own,” Livingston said.

  James released a relieved sigh. “Can I see her?”

  “In a minute,” Livingston said, holding her hand up. “Mr. Hardy, your wife has an injection point on her neck.”

  “What does that mean?” Emma asked.

  “It means someone shot her up with something,” Finn said, running his hands up and down Emma’s arms to keep her warm.

  “But … .”

  James cut her off. “What was she injected with?”

  “We took a blood sample,” Livingston said. “We’re running tests on it now. Rather than let it get a foothold, though, we’ve started flushing her system. She’s already … more aware of her surroundings.”

  “She’s awake?” Hope flared on James’ face.

  “She’s not awake,” Livingston cautioned. “She’s thrashing around and we’re probably going to have to strap her down.”

  “No!”

  “Mr. Hardy, we need your wife to be calm so we can treat her,” Livingston said. “If she keeps this up she’s going to hurt herself or one of the nurses. She’ll rip the IV out and she needs it in place if we’re going to be able to flush her system.”

  “Take me to her,” James ordered.

  “Sir … .”

  “Take me to her,” James repeated forcefully.

  “Take him to her,” Grady said, moving up next to James. “I’ll come, too. Everyone else will remain here.”

  Livingston didn’t look convinced. “That’s not standard protocol in a situation like this.”

  “If anything is going to calm her down, it’s James,” Grady said.

  “Then why are you coming?” Livingston asked.

  “Moral support,” Grady replied. In truth, he was going to make sure someone didn’t need to calm James down.

  “I’m going to allow this, but only because I don’t think strapping Mrs. Hardy down is an optimal course of action right now,” Livingston said. “If things get out of hand … .”

  “They won’t,” Grady promised. “I won’t let them.”

  JAMES’ heart lodged in his throat as Livingston led him into Mandy’s room. His wife’s blond hair was a mess, and she was tossing back and forth on the gurney, her eyes pressed shut as she cried.

  James thought he was going to lose it. Instead, he squared his shoulders and moved around a nurse, kicking his shoes off and climbing onto the narrow bed next to Mandy, being careful not to jostle her.

  “What’s going on?” The nurse was surprised by James’ actions.

  “Let him see if he can calm her,” Livingston said. “We need to get that IV in her and we need to make sure she doesn’t move around so much that she yanks it out. I’m doubtful he can keep her calm enough for this to work … but I’m willing to let him try.”

  “Hey, baby,” James murmured, turning on his side. He slipped an arm underneath Mandy’s waist and rolled her so she was facing him. He gathered her close, pulling her body flush against his even as she fought the effort, and then he pressed the side of her head against his chest.

  For almost a year now, James and Mandy had been sleeping this way, although usually James was on his back and Mandy was completely on top of him. That wasn’t an option now. James rubbed his hands up and down Mandy’s back, making sure her ear was against his heart, and then he started talking to her.

  “I’m right here, wife,” he said, pressing a kiss to her forehead. “I won’t leave. I will never leave you. You’re my whole heart. I need you to be still, my baby. I need you to let me hold you so these doctors can flush out your system.”

  “Can she even hear him?” one of the nurses asked.

  “She can hear him,” Livingston said, her eyes wide as she watched James soothe his tortured soul mate.

  “I’m going to be right here when you wake up,” James said, brushing a series of kisses across Mandy’s forehead as he held her. “I won’t go anywhere. I’ll be right here. It’s you and me forever, my baby. Don’t you even think about leaving me.”

  “Her blood pressure is dropping,” one of the nurses marveled.

  “She’s not moving,” Livingston said. “We need to get the IV in her.” She glanced at Grady, giving him an appraising look. “How did you know?”

  “She’s all he’s ever wanted,” Grady replied, his eyes fixed on his brother. “He’s all she’s ever wanted, too. They need each other.”

  “Let’s hope he can keep this up all night,” Livingston said. “We’re not out of the woods yet.”

  “He’ll keep it up,” Grady replied. “He doesn’t have a choice.”

  Three

  Mandy woke up to the sound of James’ steady heartbeat, her face pressed against his chest. Her whole body ached, and it didn’t take her more than a moment to realize they weren’t in their bed. Mandy forced her head up so she could study James’ face.

  He was asleep, although the shadows under his eyes told her it wasn’t a restful one. His arms were wrapped tightly around her, and when she shifted she realized she was in a hospital bed, an IV attached to her left arm.

  A doctor stood beside the bed, her thoughtful brown eyes fixed on Mandy as she got her bearings. “Welcome back.”

  “What happened?” Mandy’s voice was hoarse, and it wasn’t until she tried to speak that she realized she was dehydrated.

  “What do you remember?” the doctor asked.

  “I … .” Mandy broke off when she felt James move next to her and she snapped her eyes back to his face.

  When he forced his eyes open, the first thing he saw was his favorite color in the world: the sea-blue of her eyes. “Baby.”

  “Hi.”

  “Oh, my baby.” A tear slid down James’ cheek as he kissed her forehead and pulled her in for a tight hug.

  “Can you sit up?”

  Mandy turned back to the doctor, furrowing her brow. She was so confused. “I think so.”

  James helped her struggle into a sitting position, kissing her cheek and neck as he situated her so her back was settled against his chest. He ran his hands up and down her arms, as if marveling she was there so he could touch her. “What do you need, baby?”

  “I’m really thirsty,” Mandy admitted.

  “I’ve got it.” The doctor moved to the pitcher of water beside the bed and poured Mandy a glass.

  Mandy’s hands shook as she accepted it and James lifted his hands to help her, making sure it didn’t spill down the front of her hospital smock. He watched her down the cup of water and then hand it back to Livingston wordlessly.

  “This is Dr. Livingston,” James said. “She saved your life.”

  “I wasn’t the only one,” Livingston said, smiling. “Your husband was the one who made it so we didn’t have to tie you down. He also managed to lower your blood pressure so we didn’t have to pump you full of medication after we flushed your system.”

  “I don’t understand what happened,” Mandy admitted.

  “What is the last thing you remember?”

  “I … we were at Hell House,” Mandy said, racking her brain. “I wanted to see the aquarium up close.”

  “I knew that’s what you were doing,” James grumbled.

  Mandy ignored him. “I thought I was alone and then … there was a guy in there. He was wearing one of those plastic masks.”
<
br />   “I saw him.”

  “He wouldn’t get out of my way and I told him you were going to kick his ass,” Mandy said. “When I started to move past him I felt … something … in my neck.”

  “He injected you with a drug,” James said. “When we found you … you were barely on your feet.”

  “That’s the last thing I remember,” Mandy said. “I saw you and knew everything was going to be okay.”

  James tightened his arms around her. “They almost weren’t, wife,” he murmured. “You almost left me.”

  Mandy’s eyes widened as she tilted her head toward James. “I … .”

  “Don’t say anything, baby,” James said. “You’re tired and you need to get your strength back.”

  “The police are also here,” Livingston said. “They want to talk to you.”

  Now James was the confused one. “How did they find out?”

  “We identified the drug in your wife’s system last night,” Livingston replied. “I was going to wake you, but you two were so … still … I didn’t want to risk it. I had to call them because we got a warning notice from state law enforcement earlier this week in case we stumbled across this particular drug. That’s the only reason I knew how to treat it so quickly.”

  “What drug?” James asked.

  “Twilight.”

  “Like the movie with sparkly vampires?” Mandy asked, making a face. “Are you saying I got taken out in a haunted house by a drug named after a movie with wimpy vampires? That’s such a disgrace.”

  James didn’t want to laugh, but he couldn’t help it. “I have never been so happy to hear anyone complain in my entire life.”

  “WHERE is everyone else?” James asked, his eyes serious as they met Grady’s matching set twenty minutes later. “I just realized I had no idea what happened to you guys after I left the lobby.”

  “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Grady said, sitting on the edge of Mandy’s bed and lifting her hand so he could study her pale skin. “You look horrible, kid.”

  “Thanks.” Mandy was blasé.

  “Nice,” James muttered.

  “You look like crap, too,” Grady said, giving his brother the once over. “To answer your question, though, we made Finn take Emma home. She put up a fight, but we knew it wasn’t good for her and the baby to sit on those lobby couches all night. Once the doctor told me Mandy was out of the woods, I called them.”