Page 5 of Velvet Deception

I spotted Rodriguez’s name on the board, noting the number of his room. Dropping the random chart on the counter again, I headed in the direction of where Rodriguez was clinging to his life. He wouldn’t for long. As soon as I ensured his room was empty, without any witnesses, his life would be over.

No one waited in the room. No nurses, doctors, therapists, or technicians were checking vitals or doing anything else in here.

It was just me and the crooked lawman.

“Found ya,” I whispered as I pushed my foot back to close the door behind me.

The lights were already dimmed, which worked in my favor. The last thing I needed was for someone to peer through the windowwhen passing down the hall. An empty gurney waited parallel to Rodriguez’s, though, so I couldn’t assume no one would be coming by.

Monitors beeped and flashed from a tall panel that stood next to his bed. Another bulky cart was positioned next to that, wires and tubes running between the humming machines and the pads and connections stuck to his body.

He was asleep, resting and unaware.

Without a second thought, I removed the syringe from my pocket and reached for the IV line. One last glance over my shoulder showed that no one was walking by.

This was my shot. The time was now.

I pushed the needle into the tube and pressed the lever down. Gold, yet almost clear, liquid leaked from the tube and rushed in to mix with the fluids already dripping into him.

Capping the needle, I shoved the empty container back into my pocket and waited. The poison would kick in quickly. The second his body began to shut down, those monitors would wail and shriek, and the ICU staff would rush in. I didn’t need to be present. I didn’t intend to be here, but I had to linger for at least one minute to ensure his vitals were crashing.

Beeps sounded faster. Lit-up lines showed more erratically on the panel.

There.

He was dying.

I took one step back to retreat, then escape. Blending in to the rest of the hospital staff, I’d ease out of here and go to thecompound. Stefan would appreciate the good news of a job well done.

Before I could make that happen, though, I was struck from behind. Agony lanced through my head at the jarring impact on the back of my head. Then again. Pain bloomed instantly as I was hit again.

Falling to the floor as the beeps of Rodriguez’s monitors shrieked and quickened as alarms, I succumbed to the complete and utter blackness that took over me.

3

SOFIA

For the first time in months, my replacement for the night shift at the clinic came just an hour late compared to the usual two or more hours late. Pamela and I took turns leaving around Xavier’s habitual lateness, but because he was the clinic manager’s uncle, nepotism spared him from ever getting in trouble.

It was an hour that I wanted to spend at home, with Ramon, watching the fireworks from the small city square near our building. Señora Vasquez would take him with Juan, but I wanted so badly to be off and be present.

Even though Xavier was here, I couldn’t leave without one more thing to take care of.

And I didnotwant any part of it.

“Selena,” I begged, shaking my head at our manager. “Not tonight.”

Nonight would be a good night for me to run to the big hospital and pick up the medications they were duty-bound to share withour small clinic. I would avoid going to that monstrosity of a hospital until I died.

“Why, because it’s Alborada?” Selena guessed with a huff. “Too bad.”

“Why can’t he get it?” I pointed at Xavier who was still going over the patient charts as he checked in. “Why can’t he go get the meds before we leave?”

“Whoa.” Pamela held her hand up. “No. I don’t want to hang around until he’s back.” She opened her eyes wide at me. “Since he’s clocking innow, instead of even later.”

Xavier sneered at me. “And I’m not going out there. On Alborada? No way. It’s nuts out there. It was a pain in the ass driving here around all the partiers and people setting off firecrackers.”

I cringed, not because of the traffic but that I would be expected to set foot in the hospital at all. “But?—”

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