Page 101 of Hell Hath No Fury

“We won’t know if surgery is required until after his examination, but I fear it’s likely,” Dr. Jefferson said.

Nell’s gaze shifted from Emma to the doctor. “Does it have to be done here? I’d rather be closer to home.”

“No problem. Tell me where you want to go, and we’ll arrange transport.”

* * *

Matthias pulled out his phone the moment Emma disappeared into the ER.

“Now what?” Cassie muttered. “I just got home from your last long-distance request.”

“Emma and Nell didn’t make it home. Someone ran them off the road.”

Cassie’s voice grew sharp. “Are they all right?”

“Emma is. Nell’s being checked out in the ER.”

“Where are you?”

“In the waiting room. Emma’s back there with her.”

“Good.” Cassie sounded relieved.

“I need another favor. It’s possible the collision was no accident.” He told her about Zeke’s brother. “But Emma can’t remember his name.”

“Not to worry. I’m on it. Anything else?”

“I think that’s all. For now.”

“I’ll get back to you in a bit.” Cassie disconnected without saying goodbye.

About half an hour passed before he spotted Emma exit the treatment area, her gaze sweeping the nearly empty waiting room. Locating him, she strode his way.

“How’s Nell?” he asked when Emma flopped into the seat next to his.

“Good. She refused opioids for pain.” Emma went on to tell him about the fractured leg and the plan to move her by ambulance to Washington Hospital for an orthopedic consult and possible surgery. “Both the doctor and Nell agree that it makes no sense for us to wait around. I called Eric, and after he got to hear her voice, he gave me his blessing to let her out of my sight, so we can go back to the hotel and get some rest. They’ll keep me updated about her surgery.” Emma looked at the clock on the wall and slumped. “I have a feeling I’ll be lucky if I can get two hours of sleep, though.”

“Did you happen to ask her about Zeke’s brother?”

“I did. She doesn’t think it could be him. Oh, his name’s Levi, by the way.”

Matthias tapped outLeviin a text to Cassie before pocketing his phone. He rose and held out a hand. “Let’s get going.”

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they were in the Jeep, and Emma navigated him out of East Liverpool toward West Virginia and Pennsylvania. “We’ll stay on this road for quite a while,” she said.

He thought she might close her eyes and nap, but instead she fidgeted, alternating between watching the road ahead, staring out the passenger window as the first gray light of dawn illuminated the landscape, and checking behind them. He wondered if she was still concerned about the car that ran her and Nell into a tree.

A bump in the rutted road jarred the Jeep, and an unfamiliar metallic clink made Matthias fear they were about to have more automotive problems.

Emma heard it, too, bent down, and reached beneath her seat. She came up, holding something in her hands. “I forgot about this stuff.”

“What is it?”

“The junk Fran found on my farm. When she snuck me in to see Eric, she asked about it.”

Matthias’s phone buzzed before he had a chance to comment. “It’s Fergusson,” he muttered when he saw the caller ID. He thumbed the green icon. “If you’re trying to pay me back for waking you up early yesterday, the joke’s on you. I’ve been up for hours.”