Page 29 of Her Elusive Cowboy Billionaire

He took the box and then headed out of the apartment to the elevator and the basement of the building alongside the parking garage.He had a soundproof shooting range built there, where his employees could hone their skills.

After he dropped off the pastries, he headed to the flower shop.Sheila had made a beautiful arrangement of roses and carnations.With flowers in hand, he headed to his facility to see Meri.He opted for the Yukon.It was the vehicle that would least likely stand out in the parking structure next to the warehouse where his medical facility was housed.

A nurse was there taking her vitals, but Meri was wide awake this time.

She turned toward him.“Hey.”

“Hey, you.How are you feeling?”He set the vase of flowers on the small chest of drawers and walked back to the bed.Chase felt sick to his stomach seeing her like this.Her vibrant hair was in a messy halo around her head, and she was almost as pale as the sheet covering her.Her arm was in a sling and she generally looked miserable, even though she smiled when he entered.

“Never been better…after being hit by a Mack truck.”

He chuckled, then immediately sobered.“I’m so sorry this happened to you.”

She waved her right hand in dismissal.“Don’t be.It just goes to show me we’re not safe anywhere.”

The nurse tsked.“Your blood pressure is rising.Maybe you should talk about something less exciting.”

“Okay, we will.”Chase assured, though he knew they wouldn’t.Meri had too many questions for which he didn’t have answers.Once the nurse left, he returned his gaze to Meri.“What I don’t understand is how he knew we’d be there and where in that enormous facility.He’s got someone working for him, probably in the ticket agency, but that still doesn’t explain how he got in with that gun.I think you should move in with me for a while.You need someone to look after you and you need to be somewhere safe while you recover.I’m sure your mother would like to come and take care of you, but I’m also sure he’ll be back.Your place is too easy to breach and those floor to ceiling windows are perfect for someone using a rifle.”

Meri sighed.“Actually, I was thinking the same thing myself.I planned on checking into a hotel.”

He sat on the end of her bed and placed a hand on her leg.“No, my place would be safer.Since I live in the penthouse at the top of my building, it will be difficult for anyone to get to you.There are taller buildings on the east side of this building, so I built walls on that side.There are no taller buildings on the west side.I’ll have my employees at the elevator on each floor and in the stairwells, plus outside my door.”

She shrugged and put her right hand on top of Chase’s hand on her leg.“Okay, I agree.I couldn’t very well ask my mother to check into a hotel for two weeks with no other security.She’d be too vulnerable.”

Chase heaved a sigh of relief.“Exactly.I’m glad you agree.I can take care of you, and I promise not to be too much of an ogre while I do it.”

That made her laugh.Then she grimaced and grabbed for her left side.“Stop.Please.Don’t make me laugh.It hurts.”She chuckled.

He clenched his teeth at her obvious pain.“I didn’t mean to make you laugh.I was just stating a fact.”

“Okay, but it was still funny.I can’t picture you being any sort of ogre.”

“Oh, I can be, and I can be a stern taskmaster.Just ask my employees.I won’t let you do anything that might hurt you.What’s the sling for?”

“It’s just to keep me from hurting my side and moving the stitches.It’s only for a few days.”

“Where did he shoot you?I didn’t get any information from the doctor.He took you away to surgery right away.”

“Oh, by the way, where am I?It’s not a hospital.I don’t see or hear any other patients.”

He gently squeezed her leg.“You’re in my medical facility.I have it for my employees who get seriously injured.Our facility is equipped for any kind of surgery.You’re not the first person to be treated here for a gunshot wound.Dr.Schneider is the best at what he does, which is general surgery.”

“How was Alexandra?”

“She asked about you.She was concerned when I told her you weren’t feeling well.But she rallied when I told her we took you to the hospital and they would make you feel better.”

Meri closed her eyes and shook her head.“I’m just sorry this happened around her.He could have hit her instead of me.”She shivered.

He let out a breath and shook his head.“I know.I have nightmares as it is.”He whispered, “I can’t imagine how I would feel if she had been hit.I already feel responsible.”

Meri’s eyes narrowed.”Stop that right now.We were both at the scene of that crime.He saw both of us just as we saw him.I have the feeling this isn’t the last we’ve seen of him.”

“I’m afraid you’re right.Something that bothers me is he sort of matches the description of the man that I think killed Paige.I can’t believe he would still be free, but they haven’t ever caught that man and almost three years have passed.”

“That’s a definite cold case.”

“I’m sorry the man he shot lost his life, but I can’t help but feeling they knew each other.It was not some random mugging gone wrong.”