her. Dead. Jill. “You’re lying. No one could kill Jill.” Her words rushed out feverishly. “You saw her. You met her. No one would hurt Jill.”
“She’s dead.” He said roughly, “I wish to hell I were lying.”
She would not believe him. Richard would tell her the truth. “I want to see my husband. I want to see Richard.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
She stared at him in shock. “What are you saying?” she whispered. “Richard wasn’t even in the room.”
“There was an attack in the ballroom. Your husband and three others were killed. Kavinski was wounded.”
She didn’t care about Kavinski.
Jill. Richard. Jill.
Oh, God, Jill …
The room was whirling, darkening.
Up, up, up, we go, into the sky so blue …
Was that Jill singing? But he had said Jill was dead. Richard was dead. She was the only one alive.
Down, down, down we go …
Yes, go down into the darkness. Maybe there she could find Jill.
“J oel, get the hell in here,” Nicholas called out. “She’s fainted, dammit.”
Frowning, Joel strode into the room. “What did you do to her?”
“Not a thing but tell her she doesn’t have a life anymore. No reason why she should be upset.”
“In your usual tender, diplomatic manner, I assume.” Joel checked her pulse. “Well, it’s done now. I don’t think you’ve done too much damage.”
“She fainted, dammit. Do something.”
“It’s better if I let her come out of it on her own. You can go. She won’t want to see you when she comes out of this.”
“So you told me.” Nicholas didn’t move, his gaze on Nell’s bandaged face. Her eyes … “Don’t worry. I don’t want to see her either. She’s all yours, Joel.”
“Then let go of her hand and get out of here.”
He hadn’t known he was still holding it. He released her hand and stood up. “I’ll be in touch. Keep me informed.”
“And get Kabler off my back. He called again this morning.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I didn’t talk to him. Why do you think I have a secretary?” Joel sat down in the chair Nicholas had vacated. “But I can’t have him questioning her. It would be too traumatic.”
Nicholas had been thinking about Kabler. He didn’t want him questioning Nell either, and Phil’s presence wasn’t a cast-iron guarantee she was safe from Gardeaux. “Can you move her to your clinic in Woodsdale?”
“You mean for her recovery?”
“No, now. You have operating facilities there.”
“I don’t use them often.”
Only when a famous movie star or head of state wanted complete privacy and anonymity. Woodsdale had all the amenities of a luxury hotel and the privacy of a confessional. “It would be difficult for Kabler to reach her there. Your security people are top notch.”
“You should know, you hired them all for me.” His brow wrinkled in thought. “It would be inconvenient. Woodsdale is over a hundred miles from here.”
“It would be more inconvenient having to deal with Joe Kabler.”
He sighed. “I may still have to deal with him.”
“And you may not. It depends on how much else he has on his plate and how badly he wants her. How soon can you move her?”
“I didn’t say I was going to.” He shrugged. “But it would probably be best. This afternoon, I suppose.”
“She’ll take the nurse I hired with her.” He thought about it. No, there was something else he needed Phil to do. “He’ll follow her to Woodsdale tomorrow.”
“He’s one of yours? He looks too young.”
Nicholas didn’t answer directly. “His qualifications are impeccable and he has excellent references.”
“If they’re authentic.”
Nicholas grinned. “The majority of them are. And your nurses seem to like him. You’ll find you do too.”
“Well, he’s better than that Junot you hired for Woodsdale. The man looks like a Renaissance assassin. I can’t let him near the patients when they first come out of anesthesia. They’d go into shock.”
“She’s dead.” He said roughly, “I wish to hell I were lying.”
She would not believe him. Richard would tell her the truth. “I want to see my husband. I want to see Richard.”
He shook his head. “I’m sorry.”
She stared at him in shock. “What are you saying?” she whispered. “Richard wasn’t even in the room.”
“There was an attack in the ballroom. Your husband and three others were killed. Kavinski was wounded.”
She didn’t care about Kavinski.
Jill. Richard. Jill.
Oh, God, Jill …
The room was whirling, darkening.
Up, up, up, we go, into the sky so blue …
Was that Jill singing? But he had said Jill was dead. Richard was dead. She was the only one alive.
Down, down, down we go …
Yes, go down into the darkness. Maybe there she could find Jill.
“J oel, get the hell in here,” Nicholas called out. “She’s fainted, dammit.”
Frowning, Joel strode into the room. “What did you do to her?”
“Not a thing but tell her she doesn’t have a life anymore. No reason why she should be upset.”
“In your usual tender, diplomatic manner, I assume.” Joel checked her pulse. “Well, it’s done now. I don’t think you’ve done too much damage.”
“She fainted, dammit. Do something.”
“It’s better if I let her come out of it on her own. You can go. She won’t want to see you when she comes out of this.”
“So you told me.” Nicholas didn’t move, his gaze on Nell’s bandaged face. Her eyes … “Don’t worry. I don’t want to see her either. She’s all yours, Joel.”
“Then let go of her hand and get out of here.”
He hadn’t known he was still holding it. He released her hand and stood up. “I’ll be in touch. Keep me informed.”
“And get Kabler off my back. He called again this morning.”
“What did you tell him?”
“Nothing. I didn’t talk to him. Why do you think I have a secretary?” Joel sat down in the chair Nicholas had vacated. “But I can’t have him questioning her. It would be too traumatic.”
Nicholas had been thinking about Kabler. He didn’t want him questioning Nell either, and Phil’s presence wasn’t a cast-iron guarantee she was safe from Gardeaux. “Can you move her to your clinic in Woodsdale?”
“You mean for her recovery?”
“No, now. You have operating facilities there.”
“I don’t use them often.”
Only when a famous movie star or head of state wanted complete privacy and anonymity. Woodsdale had all the amenities of a luxury hotel and the privacy of a confessional. “It would be difficult for Kabler to reach her there. Your security people are top notch.”
“You should know, you hired them all for me.” His brow wrinkled in thought. “It would be inconvenient. Woodsdale is over a hundred miles from here.”
“It would be more inconvenient having to deal with Joe Kabler.”
He sighed. “I may still have to deal with him.”
“And you may not. It depends on how much else he has on his plate and how badly he wants her. How soon can you move her?”
“I didn’t say I was going to.” He shrugged. “But it would probably be best. This afternoon, I suppose.”
“She’ll take the nurse I hired with her.” He thought about it. No, there was something else he needed Phil to do. “He’ll follow her to Woodsdale tomorrow.”
“He’s one of yours? He looks too young.”
Nicholas didn’t answer directly. “His qualifications are impeccable and he has excellent references.”
“If they’re authentic.”
Nicholas grinned. “The majority of them are. And your nurses seem to like him. You’ll find you do too.”
“Well, he’s better than that Junot you hired for Woodsdale. The man looks like a Renaissance assassin. I can’t let him near the patients when they first come out of anesthesia. They’d go into shock.”
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