Read Online Cat's Paw (Veritas Book 1) by Chandler Steele - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Chandler Steele
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bastards set this whole thing up just to get me on your team.”
Neil slammed on the brakes, rocking Alex forward until his seatbelt caught. They skidded to a stop. The driver grabbed the front of Alex’s T-shirt, yanking him forward so they were nose to nose.
“I’ll say this once: Morgan Blake is the only reason your sister is alive and not some sick bastard’s play toy. I don’t give a goddamn if you work for us or not, but you better get your head out of your ass. This game just went into overtime.”
Alex opened his mouth to argue, then snapped it shut, registering the seething anger in the man’s eyes. Neil released him and went back to driving, jaw clenched.
As Alex straightened his shirt, he made a note not to piss off this guy again. There was a lot of barely repressed rage beneath that icy exterior, something far beyond tonight’s attack.
“Was it the Russians?” Alex asked.
“Morgan doesn’t think so. She thinks the guy was a sicko, a stalker maybe. Must have grabbed your sister when she came out of the restroom and hauled her into the alley before she could scream for help. By the time Morgan got there, the guy was trying to stuff your sister into his car trunk.”
Alex’s blood chilled. “Did he—”
“You want to know any more, ask Morgan. I only got enough info to get your stubborn ass in the car.”
Alex ground his teeth, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He’d find out the details soon enough. Then it’d be his turn to rain hell on whoever had hurt his baby sister.
*~*~*
His father had called him Hurricane Alex when he was little because there wasn’t much that could slow him down. It was the same now as he swept through the emergency room at top speed, nearly mowing down a nurse’s aide in his haste. The instant he was inside the door, he remembered the place from when his former partner had been knifed during a drug bust. It was crowded, as usual, with people bleeding, vomiting, and moaning.
Tonight, his only goal was to find his sister.
A young, light-skinned black man stepped in his way and gestured to him. “This way, Mr. Parkin.”
“What?”
“Your sister’s down this way. I’m Lars, one of Morgan’s people,” the man replied, hustling Alex past anyone who might have slowed them down.
Just how many people did Morgan have?
They reached the door to the exam room, and suddenly Alex’s feet locked up.
Lars seemed to understand. “She’s still unconscious, but she’s breathing okay. They stopped the bleeding. I’m sorry this happened. Honestly.”
Alex swallowed hard, touched by the man’s compassion. It sounded sincere. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be here if you need me,” Lars said, and stepped aside.
Alex made himself move forward, fearing more than he could put into words. All he wanted to do was hold Miri and know she was going to be okay.
He figured the ER staff would give him hell the instant he headed into the room, but instead a nurse looked up from a computer terminal. She was short and black and looked like she knew what she was doing. Had probably been doing it for longer than his sister had been alive.
“I’m Miri Parkin’s brother.”
“Oh, good. Just know that she looks kinda rough.”
The nurse waved him forward and pulled back the curtain.
Alex stepped closer and gasped. His sister lay on a bed, her neck and the upper portion of her chest covered in dried blood. A neck brace held her head immobile and oxygen flowed into her nose through a tube. Miri’s eyes were closed, her chest rising slowly with each inhalation. Her skin seemed sculpted from wax, not the light tan he’d seen this afternoon. A heart monitor beeped steadily and there seemed to be a million IV lines.
“Oh God,” he said.
The nurse patted his arm. “She’s doing better, honey. Much better. The good Lord looked after her, that’s for sure.”
“Mr. Parkin?”
Alex turned to find a gentleman in a turban—Doctor Singh, according to the man’s name
Neil slammed on the brakes, rocking Alex forward until his seatbelt caught. They skidded to a stop. The driver grabbed the front of Alex’s T-shirt, yanking him forward so they were nose to nose.
“I’ll say this once: Morgan Blake is the only reason your sister is alive and not some sick bastard’s play toy. I don’t give a goddamn if you work for us or not, but you better get your head out of your ass. This game just went into overtime.”
Alex opened his mouth to argue, then snapped it shut, registering the seething anger in the man’s eyes. Neil released him and went back to driving, jaw clenched.
As Alex straightened his shirt, he made a note not to piss off this guy again. There was a lot of barely repressed rage beneath that icy exterior, something far beyond tonight’s attack.
“Was it the Russians?” Alex asked.
“Morgan doesn’t think so. She thinks the guy was a sicko, a stalker maybe. Must have grabbed your sister when she came out of the restroom and hauled her into the alley before she could scream for help. By the time Morgan got there, the guy was trying to stuff your sister into his car trunk.”
Alex’s blood chilled. “Did he—”
“You want to know any more, ask Morgan. I only got enough info to get your stubborn ass in the car.”
Alex ground his teeth, but he didn’t ask any more questions. He’d find out the details soon enough. Then it’d be his turn to rain hell on whoever had hurt his baby sister.
*~*~*
His father had called him Hurricane Alex when he was little because there wasn’t much that could slow him down. It was the same now as he swept through the emergency room at top speed, nearly mowing down a nurse’s aide in his haste. The instant he was inside the door, he remembered the place from when his former partner had been knifed during a drug bust. It was crowded, as usual, with people bleeding, vomiting, and moaning.
Tonight, his only goal was to find his sister.
A young, light-skinned black man stepped in his way and gestured to him. “This way, Mr. Parkin.”
“What?”
“Your sister’s down this way. I’m Lars, one of Morgan’s people,” the man replied, hustling Alex past anyone who might have slowed them down.
Just how many people did Morgan have?
They reached the door to the exam room, and suddenly Alex’s feet locked up.
Lars seemed to understand. “She’s still unconscious, but she’s breathing okay. They stopped the bleeding. I’m sorry this happened. Honestly.”
Alex swallowed hard, touched by the man’s compassion. It sounded sincere. “Thank you.”
“I’ll be here if you need me,” Lars said, and stepped aside.
Alex made himself move forward, fearing more than he could put into words. All he wanted to do was hold Miri and know she was going to be okay.
He figured the ER staff would give him hell the instant he headed into the room, but instead a nurse looked up from a computer terminal. She was short and black and looked like she knew what she was doing. Had probably been doing it for longer than his sister had been alive.
“I’m Miri Parkin’s brother.”
“Oh, good. Just know that she looks kinda rough.”
The nurse waved him forward and pulled back the curtain.
Alex stepped closer and gasped. His sister lay on a bed, her neck and the upper portion of her chest covered in dried blood. A neck brace held her head immobile and oxygen flowed into her nose through a tube. Miri’s eyes were closed, her chest rising slowly with each inhalation. Her skin seemed sculpted from wax, not the light tan he’d seen this afternoon. A heart monitor beeped steadily and there seemed to be a million IV lines.
“Oh God,” he said.
The nurse patted his arm. “She’s doing better, honey. Much better. The good Lord looked after her, that’s for sure.”
“Mr. Parkin?”
Alex turned to find a gentleman in a turban—Doctor Singh, according to the man’s name
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