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Chapter 22
“Excuse me. When I can I visit Aspen Hale?” Declan asked the woman behind the nurses’ station.
Her eyes widened when she looked up and met his. He was on a short fuse. They’d kept Aspen from him long enough. Mac had been on the phone with the captain trying to get clearance for him to visit with her.
It was bullshit that he couldn’t go see her. He’d been on her detail before the plans had gone to Hell in a hand basket.
“I’m sorry, sir. We are not allowed to let visitors in to see her.” She smiled apologetically. “It’s not our rule, but the agents told us unless you are a federal agent then we can’t allow anyone in her room.”
“When did this change? I was told I would be able to see her during visiting hours?” he demanded to know. But he already knew the answers. Now the feds were here—they would run the show.
He lowered his gaze to her badge and read her name.
Susan.
“Susan, do you have loved ones?” His voice dropped low. He narrowed his gaze on her, his temper rising. He gripped the counter, trying to remain in control and not lose his shit. He didn’t care that she didn’t make the rules.
She visibly swallowed hard and nodded. Her eyes widened with tears forming.
He ignored them.
“What if the one person who mattered to you was lying in a hospital bed, alone, scared, and you were unable to be with them. How would that make you feel?”
Guilt.
He wasn’t above using it to get what he wanted.
“Umm…” She swallowed hard again, wiping a tear that escaped down her cheek. Her fair skin paled. She wiped another tear that slipped from her eye again. “Sir, there’s nothing I can do—”
His attention was caught by the sight of people rushing by down the unit behind her. He pushed off from the counter and walked to the edge of it, curious as to why they’d be running. The nursing staff was in a full-blown panic.
“Susan.” A nurse rushed up to the secretary. Her eyes were wide and frantic.
Declan recognized her as the nurse who had relieved Ronnie. It had been time for Sarena’s friend to get off, and she’d left to go home to get some sleep with the promise to return in the morning.
Declan’s stomach dropped.
Something was wrong.
“What is it, Megan?” Susan turned to the nurse.
Declan wasn’t hiding the fact he was openly listening to their conversation.
“We need to call security and a code yellow,” Megan announced.
“What the hell is a code yellow?” Declan snapped.
Susan snatched her desk phone up and began speaking softly into it.
“Internal emergency. Missing person. My patient, Aspen Hale, is missing—”
Declan didn’t wait to hear any more. He dashed around the desk, ignoring the nurse yelling after him. He instantly took off toward Aspen’s room. He only knew it was hers because of the thick crowd standing in the doorway.
Pushing through the people, he saw the agent assigned to watch Aspen on the floor with a pool of blood beneath his head. His skin was pale, and he appeared lifeless.
Doctors and nurses were hovering over him, working on him, but Declan’s attention was drawn to the empty spot where Aspen’s bed should have been.
She was gone.
