Cuff Master (7 page)

“Ethan, Ryan’s here,” Alex interrupted. “Sit back.”

“I’m staying right here,” Ethan answered. “Where’d Mrs.
Bailey go?”

“Fire chief took her outside,” Remy told him. “Detective
Maddox, I’m sorry about all this. I swear Morgan was fine when she came down
here. A little agitated by the activity in this place, but that’s par for the
course. She’s used to it.”

“What are you saying, Sinclair?”

“Morgan was down here a long time. EVP sessions can take
hours. Ghosts don’t run on our schedule or timeline. To manifest, they draw on
energy. I suspect Morgan offered hers and the battery on her cell is probably
dead.”

“Lights were blown in the ladies room,” Alex said.

“I’d try to find that digital voice recorder. I know she had
it with her when she left the table. I saw it. Now it’s gone. Who has it? Why
set a trashcan on fire?” Remy’s challenge was the push Ethan needed to see
things through Morgan’s eyes. “Someone went through a great deal of trouble to
keep her quiet, don’t you think?”

“Morgan certainly wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the
safety of others,” Ethan agreed, easing back enough for Ryan Hathaway to move
in.

The EMT backed away, standing close enough to lend a hand if
the doctor needed him. Ryan had a medical bag with him and set to work with the
efficiency of a man very comfortable dealing with patients.

The fire chief had already given the all clear for the
building, allowing the crowd to come and get their belongings. Some of the
staff returned to their posts, taking care of those who’d been in the bar and
the backroom.

Ryan spoke in quiet, confident tones, finding answers with
the barest of nods from Morgan or simple yesses and nos. In a few minutes, he’d
redressed the bandage on her forehead, found a soft icepack from his kit and
pressed it to the nasty black and blue swelling that’d risen on her forehead
and removed the oxygen mask.

“Morgan, sweetheart, are you allergic to penicillin or any
painkillers?” Ryan asked softly.

“No, nothing,” she told him. “Hurts, head to toe.”

“I’m sure it does. I’m going to give you a couple shots. The
painkiller might make you sleep. Due to the head injury, I’ll have to rouse you
from time to time.”

“Do I have to go to the ER?”

“I’d like to get some x-rays to be sure you’ve no skull fractures.
I’m on staff at North Shore Medical Center already and a colleague of mine is
working the ER tonight. How about I call my nurse and radiologist to meet us
there?”

“Okay,” she agreed.

“I’m coming with her, Doc,” Ethan stated, relieved to know
that Dr. Ryan Hathaway, an orthopedic surgeon with his own practice in Danvers,
was also on staff at the local hospital and had friends in high places.

“She needs to be changed into something warm and dry,” Ryan
stated. “Once she’s ready, the EMT can get his stretcher.”

“On it,” Alex said. “I’ll run up to our apartment and grab
some sweats and a tee shirt.”

Alex rushed off. “Remy, come with me. On the chance the
inspector doesn’t find that recorder, I want to know what it is, how it works
and what it all means.”

“Coming,” Remy agreed. “Morgan, love, I’ll follow y’all to
the ER.”

“Thanks, Remy,” she said.

Alex and Remy disappeared. Ethan really didn’t want Remy to
join them at Doc’s office. But what could he do? Morgan considered the guy her
friend. If he went caveman on her, he’d only make matters worse.

A chilled hand touched his. Ethan looked down and took her
hand between his palms to will warmth into Morgan’s fingertips. “I really am
sorry. He’s not the man I want, Ethan. You are.”

“I believe you. Might not get over my jealousy easily, but I
trust you. Hear what I’m saying?”

“Thank you,” she replied, grinning slightly, but her
discomfort was too strong right then.

Ryan Hathaway continued to administer his treatment. By the
time he gave Morgan a couple of injections, Remy and Alex returned with warm,
dry clothes.

“Ease up on the growling. I need to change her, buddy,” Ryan
told Ethan, pausing when he’d tried to lift the blanket.

“Sorry?” Ethan questioned.

“You’re growling the way Phalen does when someone looks at
Cassie too long,” Doc answered. “She’s yours. I get that. I really don’t need a
busted nose tonight.”

“Yeah, you can’t hurt him, Ethan. I’ve got plans for Doc
later,” Alex supplied calmly, the humor in his voice something that took some
getting used to.

“Alex, make sure no one comes near us,” Ethan told his
friend.

“God, you’re as bossy as Phalen. Talk about your déjà vu.
Kind of hot,” Alex teased.

“If you’re not careful, I’ll unleash Taran on your scrawny
ass.”

“He has a great ass,” Morgan whispered, barely opening her
eyes, but making them all laugh.

“Who does? Alex or Taran?” Remy interrupted. “My money’s on
Alex’s.”

Doc stilled again, lifting his eyes to zero in on the man
who’d spoken. “You will not look at my man’s ass, thank you. Who the hell are
you anyway?”

“Friend of Morgan’s. Name’s Remy. I was at the wedding.”

“That’s where I’ve seen you before. Just keep your eyes and
your thoughts to yourself,” Ryan warned.

“No problem, my man, trying to lighten the mood.” Remy
lifted his hands in a gesture of peace.

“Ethan?” Morgan called out sleepily.

“Everything’s okay. You’re going to be just fine.”

“I meant Taran. Sam thinks he has a great ass too. Don’t
tell him though, shush…not supposed to know. Girls talk, you know…”

Before Ethan could respond, Morgan was asleep. Now those
were some kickass painkillers Doc had given her.

Thank God, the pain on her face over the last few minutes
scared the fuck out of him. For every throb she’d felt, he’d experienced. She’d
been nauseous and trying not to throw up in front of all of them.

Alex made good on his promise to clear the area. Once Doc
and Ethan were alone with Morgan, they methodically removed the damp blanket
and her soaked clothing.

The hell of it was, even drenched, she looked phenomenal.
Fortunately, he and Doc didn’t linger over changing her and Ethan didn’t show
his shock when he spied her black and red lace panties and Victoria’s Secret
bra.

Just the sight of her pretty underwear had caused a rush of
blood to fill his cock. If he wasn’t careful, he would be at full mast and say
to hell with who was around to see it.

For now, he’d keep his dick in check and take care of
Morgan.

As soon as she was dressed in big, ugly sweats, some socks
and one of Alex’s shirts, Ethan scooped her up and stood. “Okay, Doc, where do
we go?”

“EMT has a stretcher all set for her,” Doc said, gesturing
to the patient medic. Ethan gently set her on the stretcher and covered Morgan
with a soft blanket.

Winslow came up to them. “The inspector couldn’t find
anything except her cellphone. The thing’s ruined by the water. If you dry it
out with salt, it might still be of use.” He handed it to Ryan, who pocketed it
for the time being.

“It’s fortunate the fire was minor,” Winslow continued. “It
is possible someone went into the ladies room for a smoke and failed to douse
it correctly. Mrs. Bailey mentioned there was a slight scent of smoke in there,
but didn’t think it was from a cigarette.”

“Still think Morgan set the fire, Chief Winslow?” Ethan
asked.

“No. Mrs. Bailey claimed Ms. Everhart came in complaining of
a bad headache and talked nonsense about ghosts or some such thing. My wife
gets those migraines, causes all sorts of weird hallucinations. The last thing
she’d do is smoke when she feels that bad.”

“You might want to talk to Spencer Bailey,” Alex advised.
“He booked the party for Bailey and Stratham Investments. He might know more
than you think.”

“Mr. Bailey was giving a presentation at the time the
sprinkler went off. There are twenty witnesses to attest to it. No one recalls
seeing who might have left for a smoke. Smokers in the bar admitted they went
outside to light up.”

“Someone attacked Morgan Everhart, Chief Winslow. I aim to
find out who it was and why. I’ll be in contact with Danvers police to conduct
a full investigation. As for now, we’re taking her to the ER to be treated.”

“Is there anything else I can do?” Winslow asked. “I’m real
sorry about your lady, Detective.”

“If you could meet with Alex when we leave and get a list of
names of everyone from the party and bar, that would help. The bathroom’s a
crime scene. Be sure it remains off limits until a CSU team can collect
evidence.”

“They might need that cellphone,” Winslow reported.

Ryan didn’t think twice about turning it back over to the
chief. “My prints will be on it. I’d used latex gloves while treating Morgan,
but they were off when you gave me the phone.”

“I’ll let the lab folks know,” the chief stated. “Go on and
take care of the lady. If we have any questions, we’ll be in touch and an
officer will come by the emergency room to take a full statement.”

Ethan knew he couldn’t reopen the files on Jennifer Bailey’s
case tonight. He and Sam had closed it and Terrence Mills was in prison. There
was no doubt that Mills had killed those girls. How and why Jennifer was found among
them was a mystery.

There was nothing to stop him from looking into what
happened to Erica White. She’d disappeared after Samantha exposed the psychic
as a fraud.

He’d check his department’s records to see if anyone in
Massachusetts had reported her missing or if she’d set up shop in another
state. If anyone could find Ms. White, he and Sam could.

Gathering his thoughts together, Ethan looked down at
Morgan. “Time to get you to the hospital, honey, just to make sure nothing’s
broken.” Even though she was sleeping, he spoke softly and bent low at the
waist to kiss her cheek. Only then did he let the medic wheel her outside, but
he remained right at her side.

“I’ll take my Audi and meet you two at the ER,” Doc told
Ethan when they were outside. “My team will be there when you arrive.”

“Thank you, Doc.” Ethan didn’t much care where anyone else
was or who spoke on their way outside. It wasn’t until he was in the back of
the ambulance with Morgan safely that he relaxed.

Sonofabitch! Anger nailed him in the gut so hard, he saw
stars.

Some motherfucker had hurt his woman. If it was the last
thing he did, he’d make Bailey or whoever did it pay. He’d find the dirt on the
bastard and put him in the same prison as Terrence Mills.

Prison justice showed no mercy on assholes who hurt
children. Bailey would be lucky to make it one night before he became someone’s
bitch or…dead.

* * * * *

The warm, comfortable weight of a feline body was curled
contentedly on Morgan’s tummy. Loving the calming, continuous purr, she grinned
and gently hugged the kitty visiting her.

Opening her eyes, she found herself eye to eye with a very
big, long-haired gray tabby.

“Hello there, handsome boy,” she greeted, moving to scratch
behind Samson’s ears. “You’re getting to be as big and strong as your namesake,
I see. Even your hair’s long and soft.”

He’d grown so much since she’d last seen him. He and his
sister, Delilah, were nine-month-old Maine Coon mixes and belonged to Cassie
and Phalen. They were the sweetest of cats.

Sometime soon, Morgan wanted to get one, or maybe a dog. A
big dog, she loved big dogs.

Still stroking the cat’s ears, she paused. Kitten
notwithstanding, she wasn’t alone on the bed. The cozy mattress dipped slightly
to the left, causing her arm and hip to be pressed right up against a very
hard, very muscular body.

Where she was soft, he was firm. Warm cotton blankets were
pulled up to her waist and the unmistakable scent of a red-hot man who smelled
of a recent shower made her inhale deeply.

Ethan’s scent, she’d recognize it anywhere. He didn’t need
fancy cologne or aftershave to smell nice. Lever 2000 did the trick just fine.

“Don’t move too suddenly,” Ethan warned from nearby, his
voice deep with sleep. “Delilah’s camping out on my lap.”

Over the last two days of sleeping off the migraine to beat
all migraines, while occasionally being awakened by her caretaker to check on
her injured head or make her nibble on some crackers or toast, Ethan had been a
constant healing presence.

Still scratching Samson, she turned her head gingerly at
first, fearing the return of pain. Thankfully, she moved without discomfort.
Her migraine was gone, the nausea that kept her in bed and unable to eat much
had subsided.

There was some mild pain on her bruised forehead, but it was
bearable. She was alive and breathing and hungry.

And then there was Ethan, lying there half-asleep, his
sleepy Maddox gray eyes on her. Delilah was curled up right on Ethan’s lap, her
big paws dangerously close to his sensitive anatomy.

“What’s the matter, big guy, afraid of a sweet little
kitty?” Morgan asked quietly.

Ethan shifted ever so slightly. “These are the biggest
kittens I’ve ever seen. Do you know what this vixen’s capable of? One false
move or loud noise, my balls are getting shredded. Look at her paws!”

“She must like your warmth. Kitties appreciate a comfy lap.
I’d imagine yours was better than mine.”

“Samson has found a nice spot to sleep on while his mommy’s
in Maui. He’s a mama’s boy.”

“He’s a love.” The tabby’s purrs continued. Delilah opened
her eyes. “Want me to take her off your lap?”

“Let’s wait and see if she decides to leave on her own.”

“I think you’ll be fine. As I hear it, it’s when you’re
cooking that you need to watch out for her.”

“Alex probably still has the scars to prove it.”

“Only one who knows for sure is Ryan.” The few times she’d
touched something belonging to Alex, she knew he bore scars that had nothing to
do with kitten claws. She respected Alex Grant’s right to privacy and kept it
to herself.