Foundation for Three (2 page)

“Then you shouldn’t have fired at an officer. What were you thinking?”

“Didn’t want him catching me.” The wounded man’s lips pursed as he glared at Jeremy.

About five or so years ago, Thad had come across an innocent bystander shot to death. The gang member claimed he’d murdered the woman because he’d wanted to know what it was like to kill someone. Thad shook his head, pissed right now at society for having failed these kids. He’d give anything to find a solution to solve their need to steal.

Sirens sounded as an ambulance raced up Morrison. “Time to go.” Thad reached into his pocket and tossed his cruiser’s keys to Nick. “Catch.”

Since Nick’s partner had taken his vehicle to transport the second kid back to the station, Nick could use Thad’s cruiser. They’d be able to leave as soon as the CSU arrived.

Thad stepped over to his partner and patted him on the back. “Good job.” He smiled, hoping to blot out Jeremy’s guilt over having shot a kid.

Two medical personnel rushed to the scene pushing a gurney.

“Hey,” Thad said to Stone Benson, one of the paramedics. He and Cade Carter, a fellow detective at the Rock Hard PD, were now engaged to Amber Delacroix, a nurse at the hospital who Thad had met during an undercover assignment. “Heard congratulations are in order.”

“They are indeed. Thanks.” Stone nodded to the boy. “What do we have here?

As Thad uncuffed the kid’s hands and secured his uninjured wrist to the gurney, he told Stone what had gone down. The thief grumbled and spewed a long list of rather unimaginative words as Stone checked out the victim, and the EMT hooked the kid up to an IV.

Because the boy was in custody, Thad rode in the back with him. While Stone administered aid, Thad asked a few more questions, but other than finally confessing his name, the boy wasn’t talking.

It didn’t take long before the ambulance rolled up to the Emergency Room entrance. Thad escorted the thief inside and after calling his parents, he stayed with the injured boy until he was brought into surgery. Just as Thad was about to call someone from the precinct to come pick him up, his cell rang.

It was one of his friends in the Sheriff’s Department, and the tension in his shoulders relaxed. “Tom. What’s up?”

He doubted the call was about the shooting. The grapevine between the police and sheriff’s department wasn’t that good. This must be for social reasons. Thad often spent time with Tom and a group of other deputies playing darts and pool at Banner’s. He smiled as he pushed open the hospital doors to step outside.

“I called to warn you out about a domestic violence call I had this morning.” His tone came out serious, and Thad stopped. He shifted his weight, trying to ease the bit of soreness in his calf.

“Warn me about what?”

“Garrett McDonald beat up your ex-wife and then ran off. We can’t find him.”

“Shit.” Thad didn’t need this.

Garrett was now married to Peggy. Thad and she had divorced almost three years ago, and she’d married the loser a month later. Thad had tried to tell her the guy was a piece of crap, that he’d been accused of abuse twice by both of his previous wives, but had Peggy listened? Hell no. She might have cheated on Thad, but that didn’t mean he wanted anything bad to happen to her. “She okay?”

“No. She’s at the hospital. It’s pretty bad, Thad. She asked for you.”

He straightened. “Why?” Except for a brief encounter at the Fourth of July parade, he hadn’t spoken with her since the divorce.

“I’m guessing she’s turning to you because you’re safe.”

She didn’t seem to care about safety when she fucked another man less than five years after they said their vows. Thad turned around and went back inside. As much as he wasn’t in the mood to deal with her, he couldn’t say no to a woman in need. “I’m here now.”

“Peggy’s in room 201.”

He didn’t want to stop by, but he would. “You said it was bad. Do you know the extent of her injuries?”

“I’m not a doctor, but when we tried to question her, it was too painful for her to talk.”

A twinge twisted his gut. It was wrong for a man to hit a woman no matter the circumstance. “Thanks for letting me know.”

Thad disconnected the call then took the elevator to see what his ex wanted to tell him. He wasn’t sure what he’d say to her. That wasn’t true. He wanted to tell her to get her act together. Find a job. Build some self-esteem, and leave Garrett McDonald.

Trying to brace himself for the next encounter, he went to her room. As soon as he stepped inside, his gut soured. He’d just seen a young kid gunned down today, but he hadn’t been as sick as he was looking at her face. One eye was swollen shut, her lip cut, and her cheek was bruised.

“Peggy?” His voice caught.

She opened her good eye. He thought she tried to smile, but she immediately touched her lips. She leaned over, picked up a white board and a dry erase marker and scribbled on it. She held it up. “
Jaw broken
.”

He feared that might be the case. He pulled up a chair, telling himself he would not get sucked into her siren’s call again. Been there done that. “You needed to tell me something?” She had asked for him. He hoped her injuries weren’t life threatening. He couldn’t handle that.

“
Garrett hit me
,” she wrote in letters that looked like someone three times her age had penned them.

“I’m sorry. Was he drunk?” Damn. He shouldn’t have asked, as it was none of his business. “Never mind. Look, I’m sorry. I really am. When the doctors release you, you need to go the women’s shelter.”

She flinched. “Uh-uh.”

Damn. Once the sheriff’s department found her husband, Thad suspected she’d be crawling back to the bastard the moment he was released from jail. Her brows pinched, and he bet her lips would have puckered if she’d been able to move them better.

She scribbled more words and held it up. “
Garrett thinks I want to leave him for you. Watch out
.”

Was that what started their fight? Peggy probably just threw that in Garrett’s face to piss him off.

“I appreciate the heads up, but I can take care of myself.” He stood. “I’ll stop by in a few days to see how you’re doing.” Thad turned back toward the door before she asked for something he couldn’t deliver.

Once in the hallway, he’d taken only a few steps then halted. Fuck. Garrett McDonald was coming straight at him. Twenty feet. Now fifteen.

Chapter Two

“S
top.” Thad’s hand hovered over his holster, his fingers itching to draw his weapon. “Garrett, you can’t be here.” A tight band wrapped around Thad’s chest.

The man halted. His gaze darted right and left, and his lips curled in apparent disgust. “Fuck you, Dalton.” He flexed his right hand, acting as if he was debating whether to go for a weapon that was probably hidden under his coat. He shifted his weight from one side to the other, agitation rolling off him in waves.

Peggy’s husband’s dark hair was matted to his head, and he hadn’t shaved in what looked like days. Thad was too far away to check his eyes, but he wouldn’t be surprised if they were bloodshot. With fidgety fingers, Garret lifted his hand closer to his body.

“Don’t even think about it.” Thad couldn’t be positive Garrett was packing, but he had to assume he was. “Peggy’s hurt bad. She needs her rest.” Thad doubted anything he said would make a difference to this prick.

The door behind Garrett opened, but fortunately he didn’t seem to notice or perhaps he didn’t care. When Thad saw who it was, his heart stopped. Shit. It was Dr. Zoey Donovan, the woman who’d pretended to be his shrink during the sting operation to bring down the mercy killer. Her red hair flowed wildly about her shoulders, and her gaze was cast downward as she read something from the folder in her hands. He wanted to shout at her to turn around, but he didn’t want to draw Garrett’s attention her way.

Look up, Zoey. See the danger. Come on, come on.

Garrett jerked his head toward her. Faster than a lizard could capture a fly, he snagged her by the throat and dragged her close. Thad’s heart lurched. The folder in her hands fluttered and papers fell from it, scattering onto the ground. She squeaked out a gasp and latched onto Garrett’s wrists fighting to get loose. He tightened his hold, and her breaths came out faster. Wide eyed, Zoey whimpered, but she didn’t scream.

Good girl. Keep calm.

She caught sight of him, and recognition dawned. When she mouthed, “Help me,” her terror stabbed him in the gut.

Thad’s training kicked into high gear, and he sifted through his options. Not wanting Garrett to think he had the upper hand, Thad jerked his right shoulder forward and widened his stance.

“Garrett, let her go,” Thad stated in a slow, easy manner, not wanting to set him off even more. Thad held up his palms, hoping to make McDonald believe he wouldn’t shoot, even though his weapon was clearly visible in his holster.

Halfway between him and Garrett, two doors across the hall from each other opened at the same time. A nurse and a doctor emerged. From the way they were looking straight ahead, they were oblivious to the hostage situation taking place fifteen feet from them. Before Thad could motion them back inside the rooms, Garrett pulled a gun from inside his coat, and propped his arm on Zoey’s shoulder for support. Fuck.

Garrett aimed at Thad, and then swung the weapon around, pointing it at the doctor first, and then at the nurse. Thad’s pulse skyrocketed as he tried to figure out the best course of action.

“No one moves, or I’ll shoot.” Garrett slurred the last few words, sounding drunk or possibly high. Either scenario was bad.

Thad wanted to tell Zoey not to move so as not to set Garrett off, but he didn’t want to make the situation worse by shouting out commands. What he needed was a clean shot.

Just wait.
Garrett would make a mistake. His kind always did.

Two soft clicks reverberated at the end of the hall behind Thad, indicating a door had opened and closed quickly. With any luck, whoever it was would contact security or RHPD—at least he hoped that person would.

Zoey’s lips pressed together as she gritted her teeth. “Let go of me.” She tried to wrestle out of the man’s hold, but he pressed his shooting arm closer against her head, trapping her. Her mouth opened to gulp in air. She must be scared shitless.

Easy, Zoey
.

Thad glanced at the two medical personnel who’d innocently entered the fray. Thankfully, both of the staff members had plastered their backs against the wall and remained still, their gazes darting between Garrett and Thad. He prayed neither decided to be a hero.

“What do you want, McDonald?” Thad figured he was here to take back Peggy. If he could keep Garrett talking, it might give security time to arrive.

“I came for my wife, and you can’t stop me. I want you to stay away from her. She’s mine.”

Thad saw no reason to argue with him. “Her jaw’s broken. You need to let the doctors fix her first.” Garrett stepped forward with Zoey in tow.

In a slow, even motion, Thad raised his left arm away from his body. It might look like he was backing down, but his weapon was more accessible this way. “Let the woman go, and I’ll do what you ask.”
Or not
.

Peggy’s husband’s head shifted right then left, his jerky movements implying he was trying to figure out what to do. His jaw hardened a second before he swung the gun toward the nurse on one side and then at the doctor on the other. With Garrett temporarily distracted, Zoey struggled against the constraint. Garrett looked back at her and yanked his arm tighter across her throat. A gurgling sound escaped from her lips.

Thad wished like hell he could charge the asshole and beat the shit out of him, but attacking him with others close by would be stupid.

Zoey opened her mouth, probably to plead with him to do something, and all Thad could do was laser her with a stare to remain still. She narrowed her eyes and firmed her lips, acting as if he’d abandoned her. Her pain sliced him to the core.

The door behind Thad opened and a high-pitched grunt sounded. God damn it. He didn’t have to look behind him to know it was Peggy. How she had the strength to get out of bed, he didn’t know. From the way she’d held her pen, she was weak from all the drugs.