Page 36 of High-Priority Asset

There’d been so many bees in her car when he went to find her EpiPen. Not enough to constitute a hive, but more than two couldn’t be discounted as a fluke or some bad stroke of luck.

“Hi,” Isabel said, her voice faint and brittle, eyes finally open.

“Hey, beautiful. I was so worried about you.”

“Liar.”

Dutch was taken aback. “Honey, the only other time I’ve been more worried about someone was when a battle brother was bleeding out in my arms.”

“Not that. I know I don’t look beautiful right now.”

He kissed the back of her hand. “The most beautiful part about you is on the inside. It’s your heart. Your spirit. To me, you’ll always be gorgeous.” A tear slipped from her eye, and he brushed it away. “How are you feeling?”

“Like I went to war and lost.”

He gave a rueful laugh. “I used your fingerprint to unlock your phone and called Brenda. She’s on the way. I hope you don’t mind.”

“She’ll make a fuss.”

“You need to be fussed over. Believe me. Do you want me to call your uncle, too?”

That would be one way to meet him. An unfortunate incident where Dutch had helped would ingratiate him, but it wasn’t one he preferred. Dutch wouldn’t be able to look at himself in the mirror if he played a card that low.

Whether or not her uncle was called had to be Isabel’s decision.

“No.” She shook her head. “He’ll take over, hire a nurse. Maybe have me brought to San Diego by helicopter. I’d rather be at home.”

“Whatever you want.”

The door opened and Brenda rushed into the room. “I came as soon as I could.” Her friend went to the opposite side of the bed and gasped. “Oh, sweetie. You look awful. How did this happen? You’re usually so careful.”

“I think...” Isabel touched her throat like it hurt to swallow. “I think Chad did this to me,” she said, and Brenda recoiled. “I have no idea how he would’ve done it. Known where I was. Gotten into my car.” Isabel’s eyes found his. “It sounds crazy, far-fetched, I know, but please believe me. This was him.”

Dutch ran through the possibility in his head and it didn’t seem far-fetched at all. “Maybe he’s having you followed. I mean, he had to know you were at the grill somehow when he showed up like that. Did he ever have access to your car keys?”

“Plenty of times.”

“It’s possible to clone a key fob. But I can’t make sense of the bees. He would’ve had to have direct access to a hive and equipment to contain the bees without getting stung himself, which would mean this was planned. Well thought out. Not some impulsive act of jealousy.”

“Do you think he was trying to kill you?” Brenda asked.

Isabel shook her head. “He knows I carry an EpiPen with me everywhere. I never leave the house without one.”

Brenda took her other hand. “Then why would he do this?”

Chad went through all this trouble for what? To hurt her? To put so much fear in her that she never looked at another man?

“If he did this,” Dutch said, “then that means he’s dyed-in-the-wool nuts, Isabel. A bona fide psychopath.”

“That’s Chad Ellis,” Brenda said. “You can’t begin to imagine the depths of depravity in his dark soul.”

But Dutch didn’t have to imagine. He knew. He’d read the file.

“We need to have your car checked,” Dutch said. “Dusted for prints.”

“You won’t find anything,” Isabel said. “He’s too careful.”

That wasn’t going to stop Dutch from trying. Everyone made mistakes. Sooner or later Chad would slip up and Dutch would be ready to dole out retribution.