Page 95 of Critical Doubt

The doctor gave them a brief smile and then left the room.

"He's alive," Abby said, the tears spilling out of her eyes. She crossed the room and gave Savannah another long hug. Then she turned to her mother, and they embraced as they cried.

Savannah's gaze moved to Ryker. He hadn't said a word, but she could see the relief in his eyes. There was still anger there, too, but Paul had saved their lives, and that meant something.

"Abby," she said, as her friend pulled out a tissue and blew her nose. "I hate to leave you, but I need to get to DC. I need to find out what's going on."

"Don't you want to stay and ask Paul?"

"He won't be awake until tomorrow. There are things I need to do before then. There's a hotel across the street where you can spend the night. We have a security guard who will stay with you here at the hospital and will accompany you to the hotel when you're ready to go."

"That's the guy outside?"

"Yes."

"Why do we need security?"

"I don't know. I just want you to have it. Paul will also have security. He'll never be alone."

"I hate that any of us needs this," Abby said. "But thank you. And you should go, Savannah. Find out what Paul has been up to and how we can fix it."

She nodded, really hoping they could fix it.

Chapter Twenty-Two

They arrivedin DC around midnight. Parisa had texted them on the way that there were two Bagel Mania cafés in the city, and they were still trying to open Paul's phone to see if they could narrow down a location. They decided to split up in the morning and each take one of the cafés. Parisa and Jared would visit the one in Georgetown, that was near their townhouse, and she and Ryker would hit up the other one, which was located in Logan Circle.

They found a hotel about a mile away from the bagel shop with a secure underground parking garage. They had been vigilant on the drive from Chesapeake Beach, especially once they'd gotten into DC, doing everything to ensure they were not being followed.

When they got to their room, Savannah put the overnight bag that Parisa had thoughtfully packed for her on the dresser and then moved to the window to close the curtains. She paused in front of the glass for a moment, looking at all the bright city lights.

Ryker came up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist, and pulling her back against his chest. With his strong, warm embrace, she felt the tension seep out of her.

"What are you thinking?" he murmured. "You haven't said much the last hour."

"Right now, I'm thinking about how many views we've seen today. We've been all over; Hank's gym, Spear Enterprises, the boat, the beautiful bay, and now we're back here. So much has happened. My head is spinning." She turned in his arms to face him. "But I have to say that out of all the views I've had today, this is the best one."

He gave her a smile. "I would have to agree. But it's after midnight now, so it's actually a new day."

"We need to be ready for it."

"We will be. Failure is not an option. I'm going to find out what my team is up to, and I'm going to stop them."

She liked the steel glint of determination in his brown eyes. "We're going to stop them," she corrected.

"That's right—we. And your team will help."

"They will. We can count on them."

And just like that, his smile dimmed. "I used to feel that way about my guys." He cleared his throat. "But I'm not going to think about the way we used to be. It's all about the present and the future. Did Parisa pack you something to wear to bed? Otherwise, you can have one of my shirts?" He waved his hand toward his duffel bag.

"That's a nice offer. I'm sure Parisa packed something for me."

"Good. I want you to be comfortable."

She gazed into his eyes. "What if I just wear you instead?"

Sparkling lights of desire filled his gaze. "Even better. But I know you're tired, Savannah. We can just…sleep."

---