Page 2 of His Savage Bride
Trenton and I step out of the Expedition as Tony hustles down the sidewalk towards us. “Hey boss,” he calls out in greeting. “I checked with the lady at the desk. That chick Melissa is in room seven in the ER, but they wouldn’t let me back to see her. They said only family can get in right now.”
“You wait out here, then,” I order him. “Trenton and I will go in to see her.”
“How’s that gonna work? You’re not family, boss,” Tony protests.
“Sure, we are,” Trenton snorts. “We’re her brothers. Can’t you see the resemblance?”
“Just stay out here so you don’t give up the game, and we’ll let you know what to do next once we talk to her, all right?” I explain to Tony as a look of comprehension dawns on his face.
“Yeah, of course, Maximo. Good thinking.” Tony nods hard enough that his jowls jiggle.
Trenton gives me a side-eye look as we walk up the sidewalk and through the automatic doors to the emergency department. “I hope that boy is loyal, because he doesn’t seem real sharp,” he observes.
“It’s always a balancing act to find people that are able to follow orders without getting too ambitious. Smart people bring their own problems into our line of work, you know.”
“There is that. At least you don’t have to worry about that one getting any delusions of grandeur and trying to stab you in the back,” Trenton agrees.
“Exactly. Now give me your best concerned brother impersonation and let’s go talk to Melissa. She’s our only lead for finding Constance right now.”
We approach the check-in desk where a man with a bloody towel wrapped around his hand is talking to the receptionist. I can’t hear what they’re saying over the murmur of voices in the crowded waiting room, until the woman behind the glass stands up and says, “Come on back,” to the man in front of us.
I slap Trenton’s arm and fall into step right behind ‘bloody towel’ as the pneumatic doors to the emergency room swing open. The receptionist is already waiting by the door and says, “Mr. Benjamin, we’re going to have you over in room four…can I help you two?” she demands as she raises a hand to try to stop Trenton and I from walking right past.
“We’re here to see our sister, Melissa. She texted us that she’s in room seven,” I reply smoothly as Trenton gives a solemn nod behind me.
The receptionist looks the two of us up and down, taking in our tailored suits and overall demeanor, before waving us through. “She’s just down the hall that way,” she informs us as she turns her attention back to Mr. Benjamin. “Now, sir, if you’ll come this way with me…” I hear her continue as Trenton and I turn to follow her directions.
The door to room seven is partially ajar. Trenton moves past me with his hand under his coat like he’s reaching for a weapon. For a moment I think the lunatic is carrying a gun around openly in New York, but instead he pulls his vape out of his jacket pocket and puts it to his lips. He pushes the door open with the toe of his shoe and glances around inside before announcing, “It’s clear.” He leads the way in, then steps aside to let me pass.
The woman in the bed glances over at us and squints her swollen, discolored eyes. Her nose is off-center and flattened into a pulpy mass as tears leak down her cheeks. “Are you the detectives?” She winces as she takes a deep, shuddering breath through her mouth. “Wait…” she adds before I can reply. “I know you!” Her tone makes it clear she isn’t pleased with the knowledge.
“Then you know why I’m here,” I reply coolly, keeping my tone calm. “I need to know what happened to Constance, and who the men were who assaulted you. Did they say anything, or pass along any sort of message?”
“I told her you’re dangerous, and that she needs to stay away from you. I was right,” Melissa deflects my question with a weak laugh.
“Don’t play with me right now, Melissa,” I warn her. “The men who took Constance are the only danger you need to focus on. Tell me exactly what happened. Every detail.”
Instead of replying, she leans her head back against the pillows she’s propped against and looks past me at Trenton. “You’re not supposed to do that in here,” she advises him. He’s vaping again.
“And yet here I am,” Trenton drawls as he steps closer to the bed. “You keep ignoring the boss’s questions. Did they already give you something for the pain? Something to make you loopy?” he asks as he points to her IV.
“Maybe. Maybe I’m just not sure if I should be talking to you. The police will be here soon. I’d rather trust the authorities to help Constance than risk any more of your kind of ‘assistance.’”
“Every second we waste is more time for them to hurt her! The police are slow, and you have to know…are you even listening to me?” I demand in frustration as Melissa’s gaze slips past me.
“You think I can get a hit off that?” Melissa asks Trenton.
I turn to stare at my captain, who is standing behind me, holding his vape. “Yeah, sure,” he agrees. “For five bucks.”
“What?” Melissa scoffs. “Do I look like I have any money on me?” she adds as she picks at the neck of her hospital gown.
“Sorry, babe.” Trenton grins at her. “No one gets high off me for free. You don’t pay; you don’t play.”
I pull my money clip out of my jacket pocket and sift through the large bills until I find a five-dollar note folded inside. I peel it free and flick it back at Trenton, who deftly catches it in the air. “This one is on me,” I tell Melissa as I walk around her bed and pull a chair over to her to sit down. “Trenton, give her the vape so she’ll start talking.”
“Yes, sir,” Trenton grins as he passes it over to her. “As long as someone pays the toll, you get to ride along. I’ll let you two talk. If you need me, I’ll be just outside. Oh, and I want that back before I leave. You don’t get to keep it for a fiver,” he says as he walks over to the door, then pulls it closed behind him.
“Don’t let any of the staff see you with that,” I warn her as she takes a long draw from the vape and exhales slowly, closing her bruised and swollen eyes. “They have better drugs here they might withhold from you.”
