Walker (Bowen Boys) (4 page)

“It will.” He left her twenty minutes
later to find Dylan in the nurse’s lounge talking to three of his staff. They
weren’t draped completely over him, but enough to know that had he not come in
when he had, they’d all be having sex on the tiny couch in the room.

Dylan and he ended up at his house with
a two cases of cold beer and six large pizzas. It was near the big house on the
compound, within walking distance. So Marc and Reed were going to meet them
there soon. Walker worked hard at keeping his thoughts off the beautiful blue-eyed
woman at his parents’ house. He’d had her moved there shortly after she’d awakened
the second time. He thought it best for everyone.

Chapter Three

Lynne woke to the scent of food. Her
belly rumbled even as she opened her eyes to see the elderly woman coming
toward her. Lynne nearly fell getting up to help her with the tray, forgetting
all about the wounds on her legs. The woman, who she surmised as being Mrs.
Bowen, fussed about good manners getting her hurt.

“Here, you eat this and it’ll make you
feel better.” She set the bed tray over her lap after helping Lynne sit up more
in the bed. Her wrist, while not broken according to the elder Mr. Bowen, was
still tender from the bad sprain. “If you don’t mind leaning on me a bit, I can
see about getting you a spit bath.”

Lynne knew what a spit bath was, but
thought it a funny term, especially in this day in age. She pulled the first
bit of thick broth to her mouth and nearly moaned from the taste. She was half
finished when Mrs. Bowen brought out some towels and a pail of steaming water.

“I’ve been trying to figure out how to
wash your hair, but can’t think of it. Other than carrying you in there to lean
you over the tub, can’t seem to come up with nary an idea to make it work. I
could get George to help, but that might cause you more problems than it’s
going to be worth for you. Scent and all.”

Lynne nodded, not having a clue what she
was talking about.

“But we can get you cleaned up a little
more. I did manage to get you washed up when we brought you in, but it’s been
awhile and I’m sure you could use a good sponging.”

“I was wondering when I can leave? That
other man, he said he was my doctor. He said I couldn’t leave until he said so.
I’m pretty sure that’s considered kidnapping.” Lynne thought that maybe the man
was a little odd, but didn’t say so to his mom. “I would like to call a cab to
come and get me. I need to go to the police about those men.”

Mrs. Bowen was shaking her head. “I’m
afraid that you’ll need to stay until he releases you. He went to a lot of
trouble getting you stitched back up. But if you tell me the name of those men,
we’ll take care of them for you.”

Lynne didn’t like the way that had
sounded. The woman had smiled, but it hadn’t reached her eyes when she’d spoken
of the taking care of the Ingram’s. Lynne shivered a little and finished the
broth. The men who had hurt her were not mentioned again as she was helped to
wash her body and change into another large t-shirt.

“There you go. I bet you’re worn out
now, aren’t you? Walker said I could give you another shot for pain if you
want.”

Lynne declined.

“Well, you let me know if you change
your mind.”

Lynne laid there trying to breathe
through the pain. She was hurting less than she had been days ago, but was still
in a great deal of it. She pulled the blanket off her and looked at her leg.

She figured she could probably stand on
it for all of ten seconds, but not enough to leave. She wiggled her toes and
while hurting, it wasn’t sickening. She knew that if she was going to get better,
she had to regain her strength. And the first thing she had to do was get her
leg working again. Then there was the catheter.

She hadn’t even known about it until a
few minutes into her bath. She had no idea why she’d not thought of it, but now
could see the reason for it. She couldn’t walk. But first things first, her
leg.

By the time she’d lifted it up and down
off the bed ten times, she was hurting enough to call Mrs. Bowen back to give
her something. By the time she forced herself through ten more, she was
sweating and swearing. Putting her leg back on the bed gently, she laid back
and closed her eyes. When the door opened again, she didn’t have the energy to
see who it was.

“You doing all right, my dear?” Mr.
Bowen. She nodded. “You’re pale as a sheet. What have you been doing?”

“I’m going home.” Sounded stupid, she
knew, but he didn’t say anything. She heard the chair creak and looked over at
him. “Why are you here?”

“I like your company. No, that’s a lie.
I don’t know you well enough to say that yet. I wanted some peace and quiet and
you don’t seem the talkative type. My mother is visiting. She can talk the fur
off a cat.”

She looked at him oddly, but didn’t
comment.

Lynne closed her eyes when he picked up
the paper and started reading it. She didn’t care if he sat there. She was
going to rest for a little bit then go back at her leg. She was thinking maybe
she needed to call someone when he spoke up.

“I heard that Walker was in here today. You
two get anything settled?”

Other than him pissing her off and
telling her she couldn’t leave, they hadn’t really talked all that much.

“He can be a bit stubborn, but I would
imagine you can be as well.”

“I would like to call someone. Do you
think that would be possible?” He nodded to the phone across the room then
stood up to get it. He sat back down when she held the phone in her hand. Who
she had to call was private, but could also wait. She leaned back against the
headboard, wondering why she wasn’t in a hospital, and why would they be safer
if she wasn’t?

“I wanted to ask you something. Those
men that chased you, did you know them?”

She’d not told them anything, so didn’t
know where he’d gotten his information.

“You were talking when you were first
brought here. Something about someone chasing you.”

She knew he was lying and he seemed to
know she knew. She didn’t answer him and he didn’t seem to mind too much, but
continued to read the newspaper. She felt herself drifting off when the door
opened and then closed again. Opening her eyes, she picked up the phone and
called her boss, Conrad Garrett.

“Where the hell have you been? Do you
know that I’ve put out a missing person’s report on you?” He blustered for
several more minutes before he slowed to let her answer him. She didn’t really
like or trust her boss, but he did seem concerned,
seemed
being the
operative word. But Lynne trusted very few people and he wasn’t one of them,
probably never would be.

“You told me to take some time. I’m
taking it. I’m not due back for another…I don’t know that right now. I’ve been
relaxing and resting, as you bellowed at me on the seventeenth.” She had no
idea of the date and hoped he’d shed some light on it. “Why the hell would you
call in a MP when you told me not to contact anyone until I came back?”

“Your neighbor said your window had been
busted open and there was blood on your carpet. What the hell else was I
supposed to think other than some ass you put away was out to get you?” That
was close enough that she told him he was wrong.

“The two brothers that stole from my
elderly neighbor across the street? They decided to get me for some payback. I
eluded them pretty well, but not enough to get a little banged up. Can you have
my window fixed? I’ll pay you back.”

“It’s already taken care of. You want me
to take care of the police report too?” She told him no, she’d do it. “All
right. Let me see. You were supposed to be gone a month…no, that was six weeks.
You’ve been on leave for nearly three so I guess I’ll talk to you in another
few weeks. If you need anything, give me a call. And next time you have a beef
with the neighbors, call me and let me take care of it. You can’t be fucking
with these people, not now at any rate.”

She knew that. And she hadn’t had the
chance to fuck with anyone. If her calculations were right, she’d gone on
R&R on the seventeenth and had been kidnapped on the first day. If she had
already been gone three weeks, the date was right around the fifth of June. Shit.
So much for having a long vacation to rest up on a beach as she recouped.

“I’m not at home and probably won’t be
for another week or so. When I get back there, I’ll let you know. Any word on
the Small case?” The case that had gotten her nearly killed and a vice president
arrested. “And do I need to be watching over my shoulder until the trial?”

“He’s still in jail. It’s better than
most hotels. But we have a platoon of guards surrounding him. He tries to step
out, he’s going to have fifty guns pointed at him.” He cleared his throat
before continuing. “You okay, kid? I know what it’s like to lose a partner like
you did.”

Melvin Carpenter had been her partner
for nearly six years and had taken a bullet meant for her. Had he not stood up
those seconds before she had then she would have taken one in the head and not
him. She looked out the window as she thought about what his brains and—

“Do me a favor, will you, and don’t
bring it up again right now. I’m dealing, but…I don’t want to think about it
until I’m facing that bastard in the courtroom.”

“Okay, kid.”

They talked a few more seconds before
she hung up. For whatever reason, she knew he was tracking the call and didn’t
want him to know about the Bowens. He told her to let him know if she needed
anything and she promised she would. Both of them knowing that she wouldn’t
call him if her life depended on it. She knew that he was involved somehow, and
for that reason she didn’t trust him. Just as she was putting the phone on the
bedside table, the door opened. The man standing there was huge, bigger than
Dr. Bowen, and he seemed to be pissed about something. She reached for the gun
that wasn’t there and waited.

~~~

Khan didn’t know what to expect, but the
beauty before him wasn’t it. He shut the door behind him to give himself a few
seconds to compose his thoughts. This wasn’t going to go well and he was
preparing himself for the tears and begging. Like all women like her did.

“I’ve come to tell you that as soon as
you’re able, I’d like for you to make other arrangements on where to stay.” He
watched her for the sudden tears. She only nodded. “Do you hear what I’m
telling you? I want you out of here as soon as possible.”

“I can hear just fine and since you seem
to think I’m deaf and need to yell I can only imagine that people down the
street heard you. And I’d like nothing better than to oblige you. If you think
you can take this piss bag off me then I might be able to move around enough to
get some exercise.”

He flushed, forgetting that she had been
bedridden since she’d been brought in.

“I don’t have a clue how to remove it.
Perhaps you can ask my brother. He’s the doctor.” She snorted and he wasn’t
sure what to say to her now. “Do you need anything? I’m not going to give you
money, but I can accommodate you in other ways.”

“I didn’t ask to be brought here or for
your money, jerk ass. I have plenty of my own and, as for accommodating me,
fuck off. I want out of here as badly as you want me to be.” He was lost. He
had expected her to want to stay and now he didn’t know what to say back to
her. “You find that ass of a brother of yours, have him remove this thing and
I’ll be more than happy to go to my house. Today, if it can be arranged.”

 Khan turned his back to her and opened
the door. He could see his mother coming up the stairs toward them when he
turned back to the girl. He glared at her. “You’d better be nice to my mother
or, so help me, you won’t be able to hide deep enough where I won’t—”

She cut him off, her voice low and
threatening. “You mother-fucking asshole. You think you can come in here and
treat me like some piece of shit then threaten me with being nice to your
mother? Fuck you and the horse you rode in on.” She sat up in the bed and he
noticed that she was pale and her shoulder was bleeding. “Get the fuck out of
here. And don’t bother coming back. If I have to, I will rip this fucker out to
get up and tear you a new ass. Get out.”

He moved out of the way, let his mom
move past him. She had to have heard them arguing, but she only smiled at the
girl as she put the tray over her lap. She turned back to him and crossed her
arms over her chest. “You heard her. She would very much like it if you left.
I’m thinking it might be best if you did.” He nodded, but before he could make
good his escape, she spoke again. “Khan Bowen, don’t think you’re off the hook.
You and I will be having a conversation about threats to a guest in my house.
Do you understand me?”

“Yes, ma’am. I understand.” He looked
back at her and dropped his head. “I’m sorry for being rude to someone in your
home.”

“And?”

He looked up and knew what she wanted,
but she wasn’t going to get it. Nor was the girl. He would not apologize to a
human, especially a female one.

He left the room without another word.
His mom would be pissed, more than a little too, but he wasn’t going to bow
down to anyone like the human again. And he was not impressed with her. He was
appalled at her behavior, not impressed at all.