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  Kieran placed another document on the table. “This is a notice of suit for medical malpractice.”

  “Chase, you think you can get away with anything because of your money.”

  Kieran stood. “Dr. Maddox, there are two Metropolitan Police detectives outside waiting to have a discussion with you about the attempted murder of Cassie Modine. After they leave, human resources will give you formal notice of your termination as Chief of Surgery and your loss of privileges. After, you will be escorted from the premises by hospital security.”

  Maddox shook his head. “You will never prove anything. I will come out on top—as always.”

  As soon as Kieran and Hunter were clear of Maddox’s office, Andy Blake and Javier Ruiz walked in. Two hospital security officers sat, waiting to assist the head of HR.

  Kieran stood in the reception area and watched the HR head speak to Maddox’s secretary and assistant. “Cancel all his appointments. Refer all Dr. Maddox’s patients to the new acting chief, Dr. Montgomery. Dr. Maddox will not be seeing patients until further notice.” The administrator provided them with the official hospital position to quote to patients.

  In the parking lot, Hunter said nothing.

  “She’s alive, and we’re tracing the wire transfer. We’ll get him for attempted murder.”

  Hunter hung his head. “He was a brilliant surgeon. He would have killed her. Why?”

  “Go home. Take a break. We have a meeting tonight.” Kieran patted him on the back. “And you have a big day tomorrow, Chief.”

  Hunter gave a half-hearted smile. “See you tonight.”

  After he was removed from the building, Joe Maddox picked up his phone. “The police just left. Kieran Chase and Montgomery found the wire transfer, the sponge, and the bacteria. I’m telling you one thing—I won’t go down alone for attempted murder.”

  “Relax, I have everything under control.”

  “That’s what you said six years ago. I don’t like this.”

  Rain poured down from the skies, chilling Ian to the bone. When he checked in three hours after her surgery, Tucker advised him Cassie awakened confused and combative. Rachel crawled in bed beside her to settle her down. Ian dreaded having to question her. All he wanted to do was protect her, but other than Rachel, the family still refused all attempts to give up any pertinent information.

  Ian shook off his jacket as he entered the pool house. Pete was in the kitchen warming some broth. “Hi, Ian. She passed her swallow test. You’re just in time for her first meal—some chicken broth from Ellen.”

  “The cure for everything. How’s it going?”

  Pete set up a tray. “Surgery was rough on her. Her right shoulder is immobilized, and we’re plying her with pain meds.

  “She’s awake and sitting up. She can move and feel all four limbs. Not too keen about the feeding tube. The repetitive questions are continuing. She’s not holding on to information, and I suspect she has little memory of what happened. We don’t press, bland answers to her questions. Reorientation to who we are and lots of patience. She’s anxious, and the family is anxious. We keep reminding them she’s in a strange place—in pain with lots of tubes. Tuck and I are trying to get the family to stay mellow.”

  Ian laughed. “Bless you if you can do that.”

  “Sophie and Rachel did the best with her. Bruce and Zach took Sophie home an hour ago. Nice woman—she wanted to stay, but she needs to be at work early.” Pete ladled soup into a bowl. “Remember this, her condition is, for lack of a medical word, miraculous.

  “Rachel and Christian are with her now. Everyone wants to stay tonight. Tuck and I are waiting for Jamie and Eric. We figure it’s best to have strength in numbers when we tell them no more than two in the room at a time. And, unless it’s an emergency, no one past nine. She needs to sleep.” He placed the bowl on a tray and headed to the stairs. Ian followed.

  Cassie looked like a princess propped up on pillows, with a homemade afghan across her legs. Her hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail, and her long lashes contrasted with her alabaster skin. She wore nasal oxygen. Ian ignored the dark circles beneath her eyes and the fine lines around her lips.

  “Sweet pea, it looks like you have dinner company. Ian is here with Pete,” Rachel said.

  Cassie’s eyes brightened when Ian came into focus. She smiled when he shook his thick black hair, damp and tousled from the rain.

  “How about we try some broth?” Pete set the bowl down on the tray table in front of her.

  Ian sat on the bed beside her. “How are you feeling, sweetheart?”

  “I’m okay,” Cassie rasped.

  “Just okay? I was told you’re ready to run a marathon.” Ian’s voice was playful. “How about you try some dinner?”

  Cassie looked at her bandaged fingers and her immobile right arm.

  "Let me help?” Ian lifted the first tentative spoonful to her lips.

  The warm broth made her smile. “It’s delicious.” Cassie closed her eyes. As she swallowed a second mouthful, flashes of lightning bounced around the room, thunder crashed nearby, and the lights flickered on and off. The monitor flashed red with her rising heart rate. Her left arm sent the tray clattering to the floor.

  “Sebastian attacked me. I remember you were there. Why won’t anyone tell me what’s going on?” Before she could finish the frantic sentence, some broth went down the wrong way. Tears of pain poured from her eyes as she started to choke.

  Pete grabbed a pillow to brace against her chest. Unable to catch her breath, she panicked more, tearing off the oxygen and ripping out the feeding tube. The bandages on her fingers turned pink with blood.

  Ian dislodged the tubing from her balled fist and placed her palm against his chest, hoping the contact would calm her. “Shh, I’ve got you. I’ve got you.” He cradled her and stroked her back as she held on tight.

  Cassie burrowed her head under his chin. Warm tears dripped along his neck.

  “Easy. Slow breaths,” Ian soothed her with his words and body. Fragile fingers grabbed on to his shirt.

  At that moment, he knew he could never let her go. Ian lifted her chin to make direct eye contact. “Breathe with me, sweetheart.” With constant repetition, she matched his breaths. Her pulse lowered, and her oxygen levels increased as he rocked her in his arms. “Rest, my sweet Cassie.”

  Ian ran his hand up and down her back until an exhausted sleep took over. He felt honored she trusted him, but it also kindled raw emotions. Would she believe him when he tore apart her life? It was time to lay it all out there. No matter what happened, he would make sure she would always be taken care of.

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  After a few phone calls and a fast shower, Ian changed into a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. Always meticulous, he made a list of questions and a rough agenda for the planned meeting.

  Kieran popped open a can of soda. “Blake and Ruiz are still waiting on the damn arrest warrant. The judge wanted more information. Maddox is part of this; we just don’t know why yet. I wasn’t able to clone his cell. If you want, I can send two in tonight.”

  Ian opened and closed a fist in frustration. “Call Brett to pull all his accounts. His wife’s too. Send our people tonight. Cover the house and the landline; also, tag his car.”

  “I got the car. Are you ready for tonight’s meeting?”

  “Do I have a choice?” He tossed his brother and Hunter each a bottle of water and straddled a stool. “They call you?”

  “Did you think they wouldn’t? I’ll be honest—I’m out of my league with this,” Hunter admitted.

  “What the hell happened?” A bottle crinkled in Ian’s hand.

  “Ian, she’s coming back. It sounds like a flashback. The lightning or the power surge probably started it, and you seem to be the epicenter of her safe zone. It’s too soon to say anything definitive. Time and patience,” Hunter urged.

  “That will be easy for you, brother.”

  Ian flicked water at Kieran. “Befor
e we go down, I have a medical question. Is there a way to tell if a woman has carried a child?”

  “That’s a loaded question. What gives?” Hunter arched a brow.

  “This was found in a hidden space at Cassie’s.” Ian handed Hunter the cap.

  “We can tell by looking at the cervix. And before you ask, unless I have reason to check, I won’t do an exam. And, no, there is not any need,” Hunter said.

  “Okay, I hear you.” Ian sighed.

  The trio walked outside into the muggy June night. The rain stopped, and moonlight was breaking through the clouds.

  “Hey, we get a break,” Kieran said.

  “I hope so.” Ian wasn’t thinking about the weather.

  At the pool house breakfast bar, Jameson was eating a light meal, and Eric was sipping a cup of tea. “She’s awake and comfortable. She doesn’t have any recollection of earlier. Pete and I put the feeding tube back, but Tuck recorded a big loss of oxygen when she panicked,” Eric said. Hunter headed up to check on her.

  Eric placed his cup in the dishwasher. “Ian, helluva job. Rachel said she never saw Cassie respond the way she did with you—even when she was with her family.”

  Jamie grabbed a notebook and moved toward the big farm table in the dining room. “Tuck needed to get home to take Nikki to the doctor. Pete is staying for the meeting.”

  Ian looked concerned. “Is everything all right?”

  “Yes, they’re going for a 3D sonogram. The baby is due before Thanksgiving,” Jamie explained.

  Ian kicked himself. He was so obsessed with Cassie; he was failing to pay attention to the important things in the lives of his personnel. Martin’s words replayed in his head.

  Hunter performed a quick exam on Cassie and grabbed her chart for the meeting. Eric returned to Cassie’s side, so Rachel could attend the meeting.

  Rachel kissed Cassie’s cheek. “Sweet pea, I’m going to step out for a few minutes. Eric will keep you company.”

  “You’re talking about me, aren’t you?” Cassie chewed on her lip.

  “Ian asked to speak with us, sweet pea. I will tell you everything when you are stronger.”

  Cassie watched Eric adjust her nutrition, looking at him like she was meeting him for the first time. He pulled up a chair beside her. “Your family wants to sort some stuff out.”

  “I’m so confused. Everything is jumbled. Will you make them tell me what they talk about?”

  Eric picked up the remote control. “What do you want to watch, angel?” he deflected. After a quick channel change, Cassie didn’t repeat the question.

  The five Paulsen sons, Luke, and Rachel joined Kieran, Monique, Martin, Pete, Jamie, Hunter, and Ian around the table. All fourteen looked solemn as Ian made eye contact with each person. “I’ve called this meeting tonight because we have information to share.” He introduced Martin and Monique to the group. “I want to start by saying we’re blessed to see Cassie at this new place in her recovery. We’ll begin with the medical update.”

  Hunter opened her chart. “I’ll be honest, I didn’t think we’d see today. Cassie has a long way to go, but for lack of a better description, this is amazing.” Murmurs of agreement circled the table.

  Luke raised his cup of coffee. “I think the miracle is Dr. Montgomery, Pete, Tuck, Eric, and Jamie were brought into her life. I also need to thank Ian, Kieran, and Monique—and your staff—for everything.”

  Hunter smiled and turned a page in the chart. “I’ll break it down the best I can. With Cassie awake, we’re focusing on pain management and increasing her mentation and mobility. Her incisions are healing well, but they are still friable. The bones in her chest are mending in spite of the rebreaks from the CPR. As we get her moving, we’ll put a binder around her ribs for her comfort. She has good pulses and sensation on her right foot. The skin graft on her thigh needs more time to fade and blend in, but it does have substantial circulation, and the donor site is looking like it should. She’s wearing a compression glove on her left hand, similar to a burn patient, to help with the scarring and mobility. Today’s incident did no long-lasting damage to her fingers. Her gross motor skills on all four limbs are intact.

  “Tomorrow morning, I scheduled a bunch of tests, including looking at her sensation and fine motor skills. Her right shoulder will stay immobile two more days. Maybe three.

  “The biggest impediment to heal is our ability to maintain her nutritional status. She’s anemic and low in iron. This is all nutrition related. This morning she was ninety-two pounds; her minimum weight should be 108. We are giving her as many calories as she can tolerate. I would prefer her to be at her admission weight of 116 pounds.

  “Tomorrow, the plan is to move her out of bed to the chair. We started a physical rehabilitation regimen the day after surgery. Thanks to our four incredible physician assistants, all her joints can bend—and she doesn’t have a pressure sore anywhere. Eric and Pete both worked as athletic trainers in college, and all of you SEALs understand exercise—so no worries there.” Hunter acknowledged the brothers. “This will be very slow-going.

  “Her organs. I removed the middle lobe of her right lung. The remaining two lobes required a lot of intervention; add pneumonia, and she’s having difficulty maintaining her oxygen levels. Tuck has specialized training and will implement a pulmonary rehab program.

  "Cardiac-wise, she appears strong. That’s a surprise considering how many times her heart stopped. The issues she had in the OR this morning appear anesthetic-related. Her kidneys are working. Her numbers aren’t normal, but she is no longer in failure, and she’s off dialysis. Her intestines are functioning, and her liver function is almost normal. There are no more signs of infection, but she has a few more days to go on the antibiotics.

  "Now the pink elephant in the room. What’s going on in her brain? She lost pieces of her life. There were multiple periods of oxygen deprivation, and her injuries were sustained in a traumatic manner. Both affect memory. She has both anterograde and retrograde amnesia, which means she’s having difficulty holding on to new memories, and there are gaps in her memory from before the stabbing. She’s having nightmares—almost night terrors. She becomes confused and agitated. What is a memory and what is a dream? We need to listen with caution. We must depend on you to tell us if you hear something not right. How long or how much she will remain like this, I don’t know. Tomorrow, we will repeat the brain and chest CT scan. I also arranged for a neurologist and psychiatrist to come in.”

  Kieran frowned. “When were you going to tell me?”

  “I just did.”

  “Damn it, Hunt,” Kieran said. “I need their names.” He looked at Martin, who rolled his eyes.

  Hunter continued, “We need to proceed with caution and not overwhelm her. I need you to limit the number of people with her at a time. As much as she wants the company, it exhausts her. She will benefit from a regular sleep pattern.

  “She’s aware something isn’t quite right in her head and is also picking up on your feelings, which is spurring her level of anxiety. We need to answer her questions in a simple, straightforward form. Don’t embellish. The fewer words, the better. As time goes on, we will be able to predict her anxiety triggers, and, more importantly, Cassie will rebuild some emotional stamina. Jamie started a memory book.”

  “What’s that?” Noah asked.

  “It’s a book where Cassie or one of us can write down things she needs help remembering.” Jamie showed them a small journal.

  “What happens if she freaks out like she did before, and we can’t calm her down?” Sean asked.

  “Send for Ian,” Christian said. “You should have seen him.”

  Ian exhaled a shuddering sigh.

  “If she has an anxiety attack, we will assess each situation as it occurs. If we can’t settle her with words and actions, we have a battery of medication,” Hunter said.

  “We don’t want to drug her, but we won’t let her hurt herself,” Pete added.

  Ian took
over the conversation, “Now that we understand her physical condition, let’s start with what I know. I’m going to put everything on the table. Some of this will be difficult to hear. I need to be clear: I care for Cassie. The first time I met her was at a fundraiser six years ago at the National Gallery.”

  Ian noted Kieran paying close attention to the family’s facial reactions, while Martin was intent on him. “I was still acclimating to being home from Afghanistan. It was the first thing I did for me after getting the company up and running. There she was, gorgeous, brilliant and funny, holding the diverse crowd’s and my attention. An engagement ring rested on her fourth finger, so I stopped there.

  “The Monday before she was stabbed, in a chance encounter at Luke and Rachel’s home, I felt I was given a second chance. She was adorable after Knight stole her badge and gun.” Ian looked at Caleb and shook his head. “We shared a meal at the American Café, and she stole my heart.

  “After one dance, I was enamored. Speaking with all of you, her partner, her boss, and Sophie, I grew surer of my feelings. Tonight, I want to make it crystal clear: Cassie’s well-being is personal to me. Everything I do is to protect her.”

  Frank said, “What are you saying, Chase? What did you do?”

  “Hear Ian out, boys. We owe him that,” Luke warned.

  “First, I placed her under the protection of Chase Security. The FBI protection and their motives did not impress me. After Wilds’ intentions became clear and the level of danger increased, I brought in a qualified medical team. In addition to being physician assistants, Jamie, Eric, Tuck, and Pete are all former pararescuemen. The men providing your escorts or transportation are all former Special Operators. All work under Eagle’s Talon auspices.”

  Five pairs of eyes locked on Ian. Caleb said, “LC, what’s the deal?” Overseas, Eagle’s Talon’s personnel, working as independent contractors, embedded with the SEALs on more than one occasion to protect high-value targets.