Scorched Secrets, page 20
part #1 of Finnegan First Responders Series
“What, you’re an invalid now?” Aiden snorted, then pulled the keys from his pocket. “Fine. I’ll be here shortly.”
When his brother jogged across to the grassy area toward the parking structure, he pulled Faye in close again. “I love you, Faye. I hope you don’t let my family scare you off. I know they can be overbearing at times. They’re pretty much professionals at sticking their noses in where they don’t belong.”
“I love your family, Colin.” She smiled up at him. “Almost as much as I love you.”
“Good.” He kissed her again, basking in her love. He wasn’t sure what he’d ever done to deserve her, but now that he had Faye as a part of his life?
He’d never let her go.
Epilogue
Four weeks later . . .
Faye stood beside Colin, gazing at the demolition in progress. Her house had been so badly damaged that her insurance company had suggested pulling down what was left and starting over. They had given her a very fair settlement, more than enough to rebuild.
Or put a nice down payment on another property. She could sell the lot once the debris of her old house had been removed. She was leaning toward buying something else. A fresh start sounded good.
“Are you sorry to see it go?” Colin asked.
“No.” She tried to find the words to explain. “I don’t miss the house. It feels as if that was part of my old life. I have a new life now with you.”
“Aw, Faye. You say the sweetest things.” He gave her a quick kiss, then turned her toward his SUV. “Let’s go. We have another stop to make before we head home.”
“Another stop?” She slid into the passenger seat, watching him warily. “It’s Saturday, not Sunday, so we can’t be going to the homestead.”
“Not today.” He grinned and started the engine. “You’ll see.”
She decided not to argue but sat back to enjoy the ride. Mitch had discovered Jayson Sanders had visited his buddy in Florida and was planning to take a firefighter position down there. All along they’d been focused on the wrong man, and she’d felt a bit guilty over thinking the worst about him.
But that was in the past. She needed to concentrate on the present. The fall weather was turning cooler, which she liked. This was their second weekend off in a row as they’d attended Quinn and Sami’s wedding the weekend before. It had been a small, sweet, and intimate affair. No big ceremony with loads of people attending, the way her first wedding had been. She’d liked how the Finnegans didn’t do things to be showy or draw undue attention. They seemed to know that marriage was more than pomp and circumstance.
It was a solemn commitment to spending the rest of your life together.
The last four weeks had been hectic. More so for her family. Annie had undergone several surgeries to the large third-degree burn to her back. And she was still in the hospital being cared for by a skilled burn team and psychiatry too. She’d visited Annie once, and her sister had gotten so upset she hadn’t stayed long.
At this point, the ADA assigned to her case, Maddy Sinclair, who happened to be Mitch Callahan’s sister, had held off pressing charges. Annie’s lawyer claimed Annie wasn’t competent to stand trial and in her sister’s current position, that was true. The plan was to wait until Annie had recovered at least physically from her burn care.
Emotionally and psychologically, Faye wasn’t sure if her sister would ever fully recover.
Her dad and Claire had attended several counseling sessions too. They were doing better, although Faye still felt animosity from Claire. As if it was Faye’s fault Annie had gone off the deep end. Somehow Annie had gotten fixated on all of Faye’s successes and used that as a reason to think less of herself.
In contrast, the Finnegan family had embraced her with open arms. Every last one of them had treated her like she belonged. Especially Elly, the youngest of the group. Elly greeted her with a big hug every time she and Colin attended family dinner.
“We’re heading downtown?” She guessed after they’d been on the road for several minutes.
“Yes. To the beach.” Colin searched her gaze for a moment. “I thought it was time to make some new memories. In new places.”
They’d gone to Brookland Park shortly after Colin’s burns had healed, but the place wasn’t the same since the fire. The women’s room door had been repaired, but the new door alongside the scorched brick served as a reminder of how she’d suffered smoke inhalation.
Yeah, she didn’t find the solace she used to in Brookland Park. But she always experienced a sense of peace when she was with Colin. The sun was still bright in the sky when they reached the lakefront. She took Colin’s hand as they strolled along the shoreline. When they reached an area away from the other beachgoers, Colin turned and went down on one knee.
“Faye, will you please marry me?” He pulled a velvet box from his pocket, opened it, and removed a diamond engagement ring. “I asked your father for permission to marry you, and he gave us his blessing.”
“You did? Really?” That was something Rory hadn’t done. Her eyes misted with tears. Happy, joyful tears as she held out her hand for him to slip the ring on her finger. “Yes, Colin. I’d be honored to marry you. I love you and your family very much.”
“And we love you too. Well, me more so than the rest of them.” He chuckled, surged to his feet, and enveloped her in a big hug. “I’d like to put my condo up for sale so that we can find a new place to live, together.”
“I’d love that,” she admitted.
“Good.” His grin widened. “Thanks for making me the happiest man in the world.”
“I want a small wedding just like Quinn and Sami’s,” she warned.
“Fine with me. I don’t need anything fancy.” He leaned back and shouted, “She loves me!”
“He loves me too!” she shouted back.
Colin’s exuberance was contagious, and soon they were laughing and swirling in dance moves along the sandy beach. Her heart had been heavy with sadness for Annie, her father, and Claire, but today?
Today she could feel the Lord’s blessing shining from above, enveloping them with hope and love.
Especially love.
* * *
I hope you enjoyed Colin and Faye’s story in Scorched Secrets. I’m having a blast with the Finnegans and their Callahan cousins. Are you ready for Alanna and Reed’s story in Critical Response? Click here!
Dear Reader
I’m a little sad that I’m over halfway finished with the series! I’ve enjoyed the Finnegan family, especially the way these noble men and women put their lives on the line to save the innocent. And it’s been wonderful to bring in the Callahans too. For those of you who enjoyed my Callahan Confidential series, you’ll love catching up with members of the family as they cross paths and support the Finnegans. And you know there will be a large family reunion at the end.
If you enjoyed Colin and Faye’s story in Scorched Secrets, take a moment to check out Critical Response, Alanna and Reed’s story. Anyone choosing to purchase any eBooks or audiobooks (including these new Finnegan stories) directly from my website will receive a 15% discount by using the code LauraScott15.
I adore hearing from my readers! I can be found through my website at https://www.laurascottbooks.com, via Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/LauraScottBooks, Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/laurascottbooks/, and Twitter https://twitter.com/laurascottbooks. Also, take a moment to sign up for my monthly newsletter to learn about my new book releases! All subscribers receive a free novella not available for purchase on any platform.
Until next time,
Laura Scott
Critical Response
Chapter One
“Alanna, you’re up for the ambo patient slotted for room three.”
Alanna Finnegan nodded to indicate she’d heard the charge nurse’s directive as she finished typing her discharge note. No surprise that she’d discharged one patient barely two minutes ago, and the next one was already on the way. Beds in the emergency department rarely grew cold between patients. October wasn’t as busy as summertime, but the nice weather had lingered, keeping the influx of patients steady.
Truthfully, she’d rather be busy during her twelve-hour shifts.
One thing for sure, this job was never boring. Her feet ached from the miles she put on every shift, but she didn’t mind. When she’d finished at the computer, she stood and glanced up at the census board. Now that the hospital’s ED was computerized, names of their incoming patients automatically populated the screen thanks to the dispatcher working in the paramedic base. Her new admission was a twenty-three-year-old man named Ivan Garcia. And no surprise, his presenting problem was a gunshot wound to the thigh.
Trinity Medical Center was the only level one trauma center in the city of Milwaukee. As such, the paramedic base was set up in a small room near the emergency department. There were two level one trauma centers in the entire state, the second one being in Madison. The nursing staff with their gallows humor described those patients with gunshot or knife wounds as playing in the knife and gun club. Not that the injuries were always their fault, innocent people could be victims of crimes. But she had enough experience to know the innocent victims were in the less than 15 percent category. The other 85 percent were generally not so innocent and therefore accompanied by Milwaukee police officers when they were injured during the commission of a crime.
Ivan’s injury must not have been serious enough to require a trip to the trauma bay. Her patient would be there any moment, so she peeked inside to make sure the room had been cleaned. Carin Graves, their housekeeper, was good about being on top of things. Thankfully, she’d been in and out in record time, and the room sparkled. Since she wasn’t sure if the patient’s bullet would need to be removed, she set up a surgical tray on a table in the corner just in case. She deftly unwrapped the tray, while leaving the clear plastic covering to keep the instruments sterile, so that they were readily accessible.
Thirty seconds later, the ambulance bay doors burst open. Two EMTs wheeled a gurney through the opening. No police officer was in attendance, indicating the patient was not in custody. Which was probably a good thing. It didn’t really matter to her one way or the other, she treated her patients equally regardless of their guilt or innocence.
“Twenty-three-year-old male suffering a gunshot wound to the right thigh. His vitals are stable,” the female paramedic said as they pushed the gurney into the room. “Bullet is still embedded in the thigh muscle, though, and we’ve packed the wound with gauze.”
“Thanks.” Together, they moved Ivan Garcia from the ambulance gurney to the bed using the sheet beneath him to slide him over. The EMTs wheeled the cart out of the room, drawing the privacy curtain closed behind them. Their job of transporting the patient was over.
This young man was her patient now. She smiled down at him as she pulled her stethoscope from around her neck. Despite the fact that there were no police officers in attendance, she couldn’t help noticing the three red teardrops tattooed down his face from the corner of his right eye. She knew gangs used that specific tattoo to boast about killing people, one teardrop for each person. Three in Ivan’s case. Averting her gaze, she reminded herself that this guy was twenty-three. He could have done the deed years ago; she’d seen similar tattoos on fifteen-year-old kids. “Ivan, my name is Alanna. I’ll be your nurse for the next two hours.” Her shift officially ended at seven thirty in the evening, but she often had to stay later to help keep the patients flowing in and out of the ED. “How are you feeling?”
“How do you think?” Ivan scowled. “I’ve been shot.”
She nodded, her gaze sympathetic. “I know, I’m sorry. How is your thigh pain?”
“Bad.” He pinned her with a narrow gaze. “Ten out of ten.” The way he’d used the pain score of ten out of ten made her think he was no stranger to being in the hospital. Had he been admitted with other injuries? Once she had a chance to look into his electronic medical record, she’d know more. But she couldn’t help but think those blood red teardrops had been inked on his skin more recently than she’d thought. A twinge of unease niggled at the back of her neck. She did her best to ignore it.
“Okay, I’ll check with the doctor to see if he’ll order you some pain medication. First, though, I need to listen to your heart and lungs and take a set of vital signs.” His heartbeat was strong, his lungs clear. She took his blood pressure, noting the higher reading likely due to his pain, then removed the cuff from his arm. “We need to have you connected to our heart monitor, okay?”
She turned to grab the EKG patches from the package behind her, intending to place them on his chest. Before she could do anything, her patient abruptly rolled off the gurney and grabbed her from behind. He brought his arm across her neck, pressing tightly against her throat in a vicelike grip.
She was so surprised by his actions she didn’t have time to scream. With his arm choking her, breathing was impossible too.
Help, she silently shouted.
“You’re going to get me outta here before the cops show up, understand?” The harsh voice in her ear was punctuated by a tightening of his arm around her neck. He reeked of sweat and alcohol. Anxious to appease him, she nodded.
Ivan dragged her several feet across the room before she could get her bearings. No! This couldn’t be happening! Remembering his thigh wound, she tried to wiggle into a better position to use his injury to escape.
She hadn’t grown up with six older brothers without learning some self-defense.
Ivan stopped near the curtain as if understanding there would be plenty of other staff members outside the room. She used his momentary pause to her advantage, lifting her right leg and kicking backward at his injured thigh and knee with all her strength. Her rubber-soled shoes wouldn’t normally do much damage, but somehow she managed to hit her target.
Ivan howled in pain, but his grip around her neck didn’t loosen. If anything, it tightened painfully. He reached out toward the surgical tray and poked his fingers through the plastic to grab the scalpel. “Do that again and I’ll slice your throat, understand?” His voice was low and harsh in her ear. Smelling his foul breath, she fought the urge to gag. “I’m not going back to jail!”
Alanna froze when she felt the sharp edge of the blade cutting into the skin beneath her chin. Warm blood trickled down her neck, running over his arm still locked around her throat.
Why had she set up the surgical tray? She inwardly railed at herself for being so foolish, even though it was too late for regrets now.
“We’re walking out of here.” He twisted his body to use his shoulder to shove the privacy curtain aside. He dragged her through the opening, and at first, no one paid them any attention.
People came in and out of rooms all the time. She tried to call out but could only make a croaking sound.
It was enough to have one of her nurse colleagues, Dana Callahan, glance over. Her eyes widened when she saw the arm across Alanna’s throat and the blood staining her neck. “Hey, what are you doing?”
“Stay back or I’ll kill her!” Ivan’s voice echoed through the area. The ED was set up in teams, and they were in the orange team, which was closest to the red team formerly known as the trauma bay.
Dana, Dr. Willis, and even the housekeeper Carin’s expressions all reflected surprise and horror. They simply stood there, gaping in shock as Ivan held the blade to her throat. She couldn’t really blame them. She doubted she’d have reacted much differently.
Alanna wanted to kick at Ivan’s injured leg again, but she feared the blade of the scalpel was too close to her jugular vein or worse her carotid artery. One deep swipe and she could easily bleed out before anyone could save her.
Please, Lord Jesus, keep us all safe!
A sense of calmness washed over her. Ivan wanted her for a reason. His plan was to escape being questioned by the police. All gunshot and knife wounds were an automatic report to the cops. By playing along, she could buy time.
There was a Milwaukee County sheriff’s deputy stationed in the waiting room of the emergency department to help deal with family members of patients who were in police custody. An unfortunately common occurrence. Someone would call him or her in to help.
Wouldn’t they?
Her patient continued dragging her step by step toward the ambulance bay doors. Her ID badge was dislodged from her scrubs, dropping to the floor, the hard plastic making a soft noise as it hit the linoleum and skated across the floor.
“Hey, you need to let Alanna go.” Doctor Willis, the attending physician assigned to the orange team, stepped forward, concern etched in his features. “You want to leave without receiving medical care and treatment? That’s fine with us. But kidnapping a staff member is going to bring all kinds of trouble raining down on you.”
“Stay back!” Ivan shouted, dragging her closer to the ambulance bay doors. “I won’t hesitate to kill her!”
Alanna wanted to believe it was an empty threat, but the sharp edge of the blade convinced her otherwise. The three red teardrops inked on his face flashed in her memory. He’d killed before, and she understood he wouldn’t hesitate to kill again. She tried to swallow past the forearm pressed against her throat. Her inability to breathe normally was making her dizzy.
How long before she passed out?
Not long.
Her foot tangled with the legs of a chair as Ivan continued dragging her past the row of rooms. The blade dug deeper into her neck. Tears pricked her eyes as she struggled to stay upright and focused. Surely, he’d let her go once they were outside.
And if he didn’t?
He might decide to kill her. Why? She had no idea.
Her gaze stumbled across a tall dark-haired man wearing a dark uniform moving between the staff members. She easily recognized him as police officer Reed Carmichael. He worked out of the Fifth Precinct and often accompanied patients to the emergency department. Had in fact done that very thing yesterday during their respective shifts.
