Page 143 of Long Gone

I didn’t even flinch when the gunshot echoed behind me.

Chapter 33

The whole not sleeping with a concussion thing is an old wives’ tale. But the waking the patient up every few hours to make sure they know who’s the current president is not.

Malcolm took me to his office and helped me remove my clothes, leaving me in my bra and panties so he could look me over for injuries. When he deemed that I didn’t need urgent medical attention, he gave me one of the T-shirts he kept there and settled me on the sofa to sleep.

Then woke me up every three hours.

When I woke up on my own, the sun was streaming through the blinds in the windows. Malcolm lay asleep in one of the armchairs, his legs extended onto the coffee table.

I studied him, grateful there weren’t two of him.

He seemed to sense I was awake, because his eyes cracked open. “You need more sleep.”

“I could sleep for weeks,” I said, sitting up and then crying out in pain. Every muscle in my body hurt.

“Maybe you should sleep for weeks,” he said, sitting up. “You’re lucky you’re still alive.”

“Thank God you showed up or I wouldn’t be,” I said.

“I was talking about the car accident. There was no doubt you’d survive Martin.”

“How’d you find me?” I asked.

He gave me a half smile. “I put a tracker in your pocket when you were napping last night.”

“That’s not creepy as fuck,” I muttered. “Not to mention stalkerish.”

“I had a feeling you’d take off again. I also had a feeling the people who’d tried to kidnap you two nights ago might try again last night. So you’re welcome.”

“You could have told me.”

“Would you have removed it?”

That was a good question. Would I have? Probably.

“There you go,” he said in satisfaction.

“I didn’t even answer,” I said emphatically.

“Your non-answer was answer enough.”

I supposed there was no arguing with that.

“Did the sheriff show up to the crime scene?” I asked after a couple of moments of silence.

“Yep.”

“Do you think they’re going to buy that it was a murder-suicide?”

“Yep. Especially after Mike tells them Pinky was planning to murder their boss.”

“You found Mike?”

“Yep.”

“And you’re letting him live?”

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