The Intruder (2 page)

"Keri," she answered.

"Okay, Keri. Let's get your temp again, and your BP and pulse." The next few minutes were spent doing all the normal things doctors do, or rather, have nurses do for them...

Keri decided that if Jason wasn't really a doctor then he was a very good actor. When he took out a swab for a culture, she didn't mind so much, but when he took out the tools necessary for a blood test, she tried to scramble out of his reach.

"I'm not going to hurt you, sweetheart," Jason said soothingly. "I need to run a few tests to make sure I give you the right meds. I promise I'm very good at this, and I won't poke you a bunch of times."

He was so fast that Keri didn't even realize he was ready to stick her until he said, "You'll feel a little stick now." A few seconds later it was all done. "There, that wasn't so bad, was it?" he smiled reassuringly. "I'm going to give you an injection, sweetheart," he announced as he took out a syringe and a bottle of medication. It didn't take him long to prepare the shot. "This is an antibiotic, and while I would normally just start you on pills, I want this to get into your blood stream immediately. Flip over," he ordered matter-of-factly, and then added, "Bro, give the girl some privacy, will you!"

"No! You are not going to give me any drugs!" Keri argued. "I won't let you do that! Go away!"

"It's an antibiotic, Keri, sweetheart," Jason said calmly. "I'll be gentle."

"No, I won't! let you!" she shook her head and moaned when the movement made the room spin.

Jacob heard Keri's refusal, and hurried back into the room to deal with the recalcitrant patient. "Young lady, you are acting like a brat." Without another word, he picked her up and sat down on the bed and bent her over his knee. A second later he pulled up her nightgown to bare her bottom for his brother. When Keri continued to struggle he put an end to it the only way that seemed to make sense, giving her wiggling bottom two sound spanks. "Settle down unless you want me to spank you thoroughly, young lady!" he warned in a firm tone of voice. Keri stilled immediately and just that quickly, Jason gave her the injection. Jacob stood and then tucked a sobbing Kari into bed again. "You'll feel better soon, honey. No one is trying to harm you in any way."

"Bro, what is going on here?" Jason demanded of his older brother. "Why is this little girl so frightened, and don't you dare tell me it's her fever. She is terrified."

"I didn't know she was here, Jason, and I came out of the closet and scared her. I've told her she is safe," Jacob said defensively.

"What were you doing in her closet?" Jason demanded, and then his dark eyes filled with comprehension. "Damn it, you are on a job, aren't you?"

"Keep your voice down, Bro," Jacob warned quietly.

"You are supposed to be on vacation!"

"And?"

"You're on a case, and you don't have any backup, do you?"

"I don't need backup, and if I do, I can call in and get some help."

"I don't like this, Bro," Jason got to his feet to glare at his brother. "Did you at least tell this poor girl who you are and that you're not a rapist?" Jacob frowned. "Damn it, Jake! Sweetheart, this idiot won't hurt you. He's a cop, and his name is Jacob Tobias. Unless you committed a crime, you have nothing to fear from him, and if he gives you any trouble at all, you call this number and Ma will come and read him his rights before she smacks him down to her size," he grinned, scribbling a number on the back of his own card. "My number is on the front, and if you feel any worse, let me know, no matter what time it is. I want you to stay in bed, sweetheart, and rest. Drink lots of water and juice, and if you get up to go to the bathroom, you ask Bro for help. He's on vacation, and he is officially your duly appointed nurse for the next few days. I'd send for Ma, but you don't want her nursing you, does she, Jake?"

"No, you really don't," Jacob agreed, shaking his head vigorously.

"Jake, if our patient gets hungry, chicken broth or Jell-O. Nothing else until we talk. Take her temperature, and if it goes up, call me right away. Did you give her the Tylenol?"

"All she has is aspirin."

"No, too hard on her stomach," Jason said firmly. "I'll make a run to the store and get some stuff for you and be right back. You call if Keri needs me."

"I will. Thanks, Bro," Jacob said gratefully.

Jason started to say something else but changed his mind when he saw the stubborn set of Jacob's jaw. Instead, he looked at Keri and said, "Rest now, sweetheart. Bro will take good care of you, and you have Ma's number if he doesn't." He left the room, Jacob behind him. "She's sick, Jake. Keep her in bed. Take her temperature every hour, and push liquids. I'll be back in a few minutes with food and Tylenol. Do you need anything special?"

"No. Just something to eat. I don't know what Keri has in her kitchen."

Jason left and Jacob went back to the bedroom, only to find his patient half out of bed. "Sweetheart, do you
want
a spanking?" he asked, reaching her side in less than two seconds flat.

"No!" she denied. "I want to go to the bathroom, and I do not want help!" she pouted.

"You heard Jase. You are too weak to attempt this on your own."

"No I'm not!" she argued.

He shook his head and let her stand up on her own. She took one step and the room started spinning and she would have fallen if he hadn't been prepared and caught her. He carried her to the bathroom, sat her down, and said, "I'll give you your privacy, but, sweetheart, if you even try to stand up before calling me to help you, I am going to give you a spanking."

"I'm not a child!" she informed him.

"Good. I'll expect you to act like an adult and obey me then." He stepped out of the room and waited for her to call him, but he didn't have any confidence that she would.

Keri's head was spinning and ached abominably. Her legs felt like rubber, and she was so tired she wanted to cry. She didn't know whether or not to believe that Jacob was a policeman, or that Jason was a doctor. They could both be lying and just trying to get her well so they could kidnap her. She really did need to call for help, but she couldn't even get up off the toilet without help! The tears started again, and that make her mad. She said a few choice words, and then called out, "I can't get up by myself."

Jacob was back in a heartbeat, mindful of her modesty, and he lifted her and carried her back to bed. "I'll get you a washcloth to wash your hands, baby," he promised, and then did just that. "I'm going to get you some water to sip on, and then you'd better go to sleep. Your body needs some rest. I'll wake you later for some broth and orange juice."

Keri didn't argue. She was too tired for that. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep. Jacob checked on her a few minutes later and nodded. At least she wasn't afraid of him any longer. Jason returned, and Jacob had to admit he outdid himself. He had all the necessary items for Keri, but he also brought the things he thought his brother would need. Best of all was a book he'd been wanting to read, and a book of cryptograms to solve. He'd been addicted to those since they were kids. He liked to play against the clock these days. There was also a fried chicken dinner for him to eat later, vanilla ice cream, and a package of Fig Newtons, and his favorite drink... a gallon of milk. Jason brought him some personal items, too, so he could brush his teeth and shave and shower.

"You did great, Jason. Thanks."

"What is this case you're on? Is Keri involved or in danger?" he asked directly.

"She just made the mistake of moving in here... next to a killer," Jacob told his brother. "And we need to tell Jenna not to even think of moving into an apartment until we check it out first. This place is not safe, and I'm going to insist Keri move elsewhere the very minute she is well enough to do it."

"Jenna is too independent to ask her older brothers to look at an apartment first," Jason predicted. "What's wrong with these apartments? They're brand new and look great."

"The attic is open from one end of the building to the other. Anyone could get into any apartment in this building from up there. That's what I did when my suspect came home when I was searching his apartment. I went up through the opening in his closet, and made my way next door, and let myself down. I came out of the closet, never dreaming Keri was home. She works all day..." he explained. "I had to keep her from screaming, and when I touched her I realized she was burning up. I couldn't just say, 'Sorry, honey, wrong apartment,' and walk out the door."

"No, you did the right thing to call me, Bro. What can we do about this guy next door?" he asked.

"Nothing, Bro. I'll keep Keri safe, and move her out when she's well enough to leave."

They said goodbye and Jacob put away the groceries before going to check on his patient. When he reached the bedroom he shook his head and said, "Sweetheart, you need your bottom spanked."

"I do not!" Keri defended herself. "I am an adult and I can do as I please!" she argued.

"I am an adult, too, and I can do as I please, and what I please right now is to take a naughty little brat over my knee and spank her for not listening to what the Doctor told her to do and obeying him."

Keri's green eyes widened when he slowly crossed the room towards the bed she was half in and half out of. She moved as quickly as possible to get back in bed and pulled the blankets up to her chin for protection.

Chapter Two

Kari was ill and weak and frightened, and the big man approaching her looked fully capable of carrying out his threat to spank her! "Please don't!" she whispered as she pulled the blankets up even more, as if they would protect her from what he intended. Her green eyes filled with tears again as she looked at him.

Jacob Tobias wasn't used to having a pretty woman look at him with absolute terror in her eyes, but that is exactly the way Kari Morgan was looking at him, and it stopped him in his tracks. "Sweetheart, I know I frightened you earlier, and I am sorry as can be about that. For the last time now, I have no intention of harming you. I am not a thief. I am not a rapist. I am a police officer, like my brother told you, and he is a doctor. You are seriously ill, and this close," he held his thumb and forefinger a scant inch apart, "to a stay in the hospital with an IV hooked up to you so you get liquids and meds to take that temperature down. You are new in town and you don't have anyone here to help you. I won't leave you to fend for yourself; Ma didn't raise me that way, and if you were my little sister, I would want someone to help you. That is all I am trying to do, Kari." He saw her relax just a bit and then said, "However, I am not a nurse or a doctor like Jase... I'm a cop, and I don't have a lot of patience. It really pisses me off when I'm trying to help someone and they won't listen to me. Jase said you are to stay in that bed and rest and drink liquids, and that, sweetheart, is exactly what you are going to do. I ought to set your butt on fire right now, but I'm a nice guy and I owe you a reprieve for scaring you half to death when I came out of your closet earlier... so you're going to get lucky this one time. Try getting out of bed again, and I promise you a spanking you'll remember for the rest of your natural life. Got it?" he asked.

Kari swallowed hard, but nodded.
He meant it!
He really
would
spank her if she defied him again! She'd never been spanked in her entire life... except for that one time... and she refused to think about that!

Jacob took out his cell phone and asked in a firm tone, "What is your Dad's telephone number, Kari?"

"Oh, don't call him, please! He'll worry!" Her green eyes were wide. "You don't know him, Jacob! This would be enough to make him insist I move home, and I don't want to do that!"

"You're twenty-two years old; he can't make you move home," Jake said, surprised by her reaction.

"You don't know my Dad," she tried to smile, but it was too much effort. Her head was pounding and she felt awful.

"You need to rest," Jake said firmly, the tears in her eyes telling him she was close to her breaking point. "Close your eyes, Kari, and go to sleep. Remember, you keep your little butt in this bed unless you want a spanking." His voice was soft, but firm.

"I don't," she whispered, and then she found it impossible to keep her eyes open. Whatever the doctor gave her was taking effect and she had to sleep.

Jacob left the door to her bedroom open and went into the living room. He turned on her laptop, and within a short time he had her cell phone records and her Dad's telephone number. Without any qualms whatsoever he called the man. "Mr. Keith Morgan?" he asked, and once he had confirmation, he continued, his tone professional as possible. "This is Lieutenant Jacob Tobias with the Oak Tree Police Department... No sir, Kari hasn't been in an accident, but I thought it best to let you know that she is ill and I am caring for her. I found her running a high temperature, and when she told me she didn't have family here, or a doctor, I called my brother, Jason Tobias, who is a Doctor at Oak Tree Memorial Hospital. He came and treated her, and said she will be fine in a day or two. She's on bed rest, antibiotics, and Tylenol for the temperature... and lots of liquids, Jase said." Keith Morgan had a lot of questions and Jake answered openly and honestly, doing his best to calm the man and let him know he didn't need to drive all night to get here. "I'll have Kari call you as soon as she wakes up, sir, and I give you my promise that I won't leave her alone until she is well enough to take care of herself. My Ma would have my hide if I did something like that," he added with a grin, knowing it was the absolute truth. "Jase is going to come back and check on her later," he assured the man that his daughter was being cared for. Keith thanked him for calling, and reminded him to have Kari call when she woke up. Jake promised he would, and then hung up, feeling just a bit guilty. Calling Kari's Dad was the right thing to do, but Jake would bet everything he owned that the man was already packing a bag and planning to make the long eight hour drive to get here as quickly as possible. It was what he would do if he received a call like that from a man he didn't know claiming to care for his loved one! Kari was not going to be happy with him.