Page 57 of Caught in the Crossfire

She settled down to wait for the love of her life to wake.

CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Mason woke to a semi-dark room with Nicole sleeping beside him, her hand resting over his heart. He was blessed to have this woman stand by his side, one who loved him with her whole being. He didn’t think he’d have someone as special as Nicole in his life after his release from prison. She was a beautiful gift, one he wouldn’t take for granted.

Someone shifted in the shadows. “Need anything, Mason?” Ethan approached the bedside.

“Water,” he croaked out. He felt as though he’d been in the desert for a week. Why was Ethan here? Maybe to make sure he didn’t skip town and escape justice. Mason couldn’t stand up without assistance much less run from the law.

The police chief grabbed a pitcher and plastic cup from the nearby rolling table along with a straw. He held the cup steady for Mason to drink before setting it aside. “How do you feel?”

Like a cornered rat watching the trap slowly closing around him. Admitting that to the police chief wasn’t an option. “Wiped out.”

“You should.”

Mason blinked. Unexpected. “Why?”

“You were drugged.”

Stunned, he stared at Ethan. “How? I don’t remember taking so much as an aspirin yesterday.”

“Someone dumped ketamine into the soft drink you left in your truck. The drug acts fast and causes the symptoms you described. You were lucky.”

“How do you figure that?”

“You stayed conscious long enough to pull to the side of the road and call Nicole. If you passed out while driving a quarter of a mile further down the road, you could have died.”

Danbury Road followed the outer edge of a mountainside with a steep drop off and no guard rail. Ethan was right. He shuddered to think what might have happened if he’d lost consciousness on that stretch of road. “I’ll give you that one.”

His gaze dropped to Nicole, fury simmering in his gut. “He endangered Nicole with his vendetta.”

“Why do you say that?”

“She could have been with me when I finished that drink. If we’d been on a dangerous stretch of road and I couldn’t pull over in time, both of us might have died.” Someone would pay for this.

“Let us do our job, Mason,” Ethan warned. “You don’t want to take the law into your own hands.”

“Would you stand by if someone targeted you and endangered your wife and son?”

His expression hardened. “I’m a cop. I can and will arrest anyone who is a threat to me or mine. It’s my job to stand between you and Nicole and danger. You’ve built a good life in Otter Creek, including winning the heart of a beautiful woman of character and courage. Don’t make a misstep now and lose it all, especially the woman you love.”

“I didn’t start this fight, but if he comes at me or Nicole head on, I’ll finish it.”

A frown. “Self-defense only to keep yourself out of prison.”

He didn’t accept the stipulation. He’d do anything necessary to protect Nicole and himself. He had plans and goals. The first challenge was to stay alive and keep his woman safe.

“Mason?”

Nicole’s soft voice drew his gaze to her. “Right here.” He slid his arm around her shoulders and tucked her tighter against his side.

“You okay?”

“I’m better and alert enough to know this bed isn’t comfortable.”

She sent him a sleepy smile. “I agree. Two months and four days, and we’ll be sleeping in our own bed.” Nicole shifted her attention to Ethan and frowned. “Why are you here? Mason isn’t answering questions tonight. I already told Rod he’d have to wait until morning. Same stipulation applies to you.”

The police chief chuckled. “I heard. Not many people have been able to force Rod to back off.”

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