Read Online Sins (Vance Davis Dossier #2) by Heather Huffman - Free Book Online
Authors: Heather Huffman
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place.”
“It’s humble, but it’s better than here.” Otis misunderstood.
“I have a tracker in my shoe,” Vance explained.
“We could leave your shoe.”
“I like my shoe. I’ll be fine.” Vance batted away the help.
Otis stood back and regarded him a moment before giving in and sitting down next to Vance. “I’m not leaving you alone like this.”
“Help is coming.”
“How do you know?”
Vance didn’t, not really. “Because Jeff won’t let me down.”
“Who’s Jeff?” Otis asked.
“A fed I work with. He knew where I was going tonight. He’ll send help.”
“He knew you were going to end up like this?”
“Not so much, no.”
It was silent a moment before Otis tried again. “And you’re sure you won’t let me take you someplace safe?”
“What are you doing out here so late?” Vance answered with a question of his own.
“Trying to round Emmett up. Susie was worried when he didn’t show up at the camp tonight.”
“He’s in with a bad crowd, isn’t he?”
Otis merely scratched his chin and nodded.
“He’s not going to let me help him, is he?” Vance knew the answer before he posed the question.
“Nah. Susie might have, but she won’t leave Emmett, and he’ll never leave these streets.”
Vance sighed heavily, allowing his eyes to sink closed again. The blackness tugged him closer. “I’m so tired of fighting a losing battle.”
“No one asked you to win the war all by yourself, son.” Otis reached out and patted Vance’s knee. “You rest now if you need to. I’ll keep watch ‘til that help of yours arrives.”
***
Vance could feel the light before he saw it. It seemed so harsh, breaking through his cracked eyelids. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut. He knew, before he even registered what the voices around him were saying, that he was in a hospital yet again. He was getting really sick of hospitals.
“Where’s Otis?” he whispered.
“What’s that, Mr. Davis?” A nurse leaned closer to him.
“The homeless man who helped me. Where is he?”
“I don’t know, sir. You were brought in by ambulance. They received a 9-1-1 call directing them to your location. There was nobody with you when they arrived.”
Vance struggled to sit up, determined to find Otis.
“Lie still, Mr. Davis. I’ll see if I can find your friend.”
“Thanks,” Vance sighed, settling back before realization struck him and he tried to sit up again. “My watch. Where’s my watch?”
“You’re still wearing your watch,” she told him.
“Okay. Good. Don’t let them take my watch.”
“I promise. I’ll keep your watch safe.” Her voice was lyrical, soothing.
With that, he let the darkness stake its claim once more.
***
There were two full seconds of peace before reality settled in and Vance remembered he was in the hospital and that every single part of him hurt. He licked his lips, wishing for a drink of water.
“Hey, look who returned to the land of the living.” It was Jeff’s voice that greeted him, surprising Vance.
“Are you lost?” Vance’s voice cracked. He really needed that drink.
“Yeah, I don’t usually stop in the flyover states,” Jeff admitted. “Although your nurse is cute. I might have been missing something.”
“All the girls in DC have your number, don’t they? You’re just looking for new hunting grounds.” Vance shifted positions to see if there was a drink on his table.
“You know I’m not like that anymore.” Jeff must have surmised what Vance was looking for because he materialized at his bedside with a cup of ice chips. “They said you should try ice before drinking. Want some?”
“If you’re so reformed, how did you notice my nurse was cute?”
“I’m reformed, not dead. Now do you want this or do you want to keep harassing me?” Jeff held out a spoonful of ice, which Vance gratefully accepted. He closed his eyes, relishing the melting liquid on his tongue. The instant he swallowed, the
“It’s humble, but it’s better than here.” Otis misunderstood.
“I have a tracker in my shoe,” Vance explained.
“We could leave your shoe.”
“I like my shoe. I’ll be fine.” Vance batted away the help.
Otis stood back and regarded him a moment before giving in and sitting down next to Vance. “I’m not leaving you alone like this.”
“Help is coming.”
“How do you know?”
Vance didn’t, not really. “Because Jeff won’t let me down.”
“Who’s Jeff?” Otis asked.
“A fed I work with. He knew where I was going tonight. He’ll send help.”
“He knew you were going to end up like this?”
“Not so much, no.”
It was silent a moment before Otis tried again. “And you’re sure you won’t let me take you someplace safe?”
“What are you doing out here so late?” Vance answered with a question of his own.
“Trying to round Emmett up. Susie was worried when he didn’t show up at the camp tonight.”
“He’s in with a bad crowd, isn’t he?”
Otis merely scratched his chin and nodded.
“He’s not going to let me help him, is he?” Vance knew the answer before he posed the question.
“Nah. Susie might have, but she won’t leave Emmett, and he’ll never leave these streets.”
Vance sighed heavily, allowing his eyes to sink closed again. The blackness tugged him closer. “I’m so tired of fighting a losing battle.”
“No one asked you to win the war all by yourself, son.” Otis reached out and patted Vance’s knee. “You rest now if you need to. I’ll keep watch ‘til that help of yours arrives.”
***
Vance could feel the light before he saw it. It seemed so harsh, breaking through his cracked eyelids. He squeezed his eyes tighter shut. He knew, before he even registered what the voices around him were saying, that he was in a hospital yet again. He was getting really sick of hospitals.
“Where’s Otis?” he whispered.
“What’s that, Mr. Davis?” A nurse leaned closer to him.
“The homeless man who helped me. Where is he?”
“I don’t know, sir. You were brought in by ambulance. They received a 9-1-1 call directing them to your location. There was nobody with you when they arrived.”
Vance struggled to sit up, determined to find Otis.
“Lie still, Mr. Davis. I’ll see if I can find your friend.”
“Thanks,” Vance sighed, settling back before realization struck him and he tried to sit up again. “My watch. Where’s my watch?”
“You’re still wearing your watch,” she told him.
“Okay. Good. Don’t let them take my watch.”
“I promise. I’ll keep your watch safe.” Her voice was lyrical, soothing.
With that, he let the darkness stake its claim once more.
***
There were two full seconds of peace before reality settled in and Vance remembered he was in the hospital and that every single part of him hurt. He licked his lips, wishing for a drink of water.
“Hey, look who returned to the land of the living.” It was Jeff’s voice that greeted him, surprising Vance.
“Are you lost?” Vance’s voice cracked. He really needed that drink.
“Yeah, I don’t usually stop in the flyover states,” Jeff admitted. “Although your nurse is cute. I might have been missing something.”
“All the girls in DC have your number, don’t they? You’re just looking for new hunting grounds.” Vance shifted positions to see if there was a drink on his table.
“You know I’m not like that anymore.” Jeff must have surmised what Vance was looking for because he materialized at his bedside with a cup of ice chips. “They said you should try ice before drinking. Want some?”
“If you’re so reformed, how did you notice my nurse was cute?”
“I’m reformed, not dead. Now do you want this or do you want to keep harassing me?” Jeff held out a spoonful of ice, which Vance gratefully accepted. He closed his eyes, relishing the melting liquid on his tongue. The instant he swallowed, the
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