Page 32 of Seen Knot Heard

My protective instincts surge. I want to scoop her up and cradle her close, croon comfort into her ear.

But the clock is ticking, and that’s not a comfort I’m allowed.

I rush to the monitors beside her bed, hitting buttons until the beeping stops and the screens go dark. Holden works on removing her IV, his brow furrowed in concentration.

Chloe watches us with tear-bright eyes, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “You came.”

“Of course we did, sugar.” Holden reaches out to help her off the bed. “We’re getting you out of here.”

Jealousy rises at the easy way she falls into his arms, but I shove it down. This is the bed I made, so now I’ll sleep in it.

Holden assists her into the wheelchair, being careful not to bump her cast, and tucks a blanket around her lap, taking an extra second to squeeze her hand.

Then I grip the wheelchair handles and aim us toward the door Holden opens.

Holden steps ahead of me, and I push Chloe out into the hallway.

The guard, who drifted down the hall to be closer to the chaos, stands with his back to us, forcing us to skirt around him.

As we pass, a hand clamps down on my arm, and ice shoots through my veins.

The guard frowns at us. “How long is this lab thing going to take?”

My heart pounds as I plaster on a professional smile. “Shouldn’t be more than thirty minutes. We’ll have her back in a jiffy.”

His frown deepens, and he leans closer, voice lowering. “Listen, you think you could tell me where I can sneak out for a quick smoke while you’re gone? This stint is killing me.”

Mind racing at this unexpected turn of luck, I match his hushed tone. “Back hallway, take a left. Door at the end leads to the service stairs. No alarm on it.”

His face brightens, and he claps my shoulder, all suspicion forgotten. “Thanks, man. I owe you one.”

Fishing in his pocket for a lighter, he strides away.

My knees turn to water, and I sag a little. For a second, I thought we were done for.

Chloe twists to look up at me, her fingers white-knuckled on the blanket. “Get me out of here. Please.”

Nodding, we start moving again, skirting around the old man’s room.

We round the corner, the elevator within sight, when a voice stops us cold. “Excuse me!”

Adrenaline spiking, I freeze. If needed, I’ll act as a distraction while Holden escapes with Chloe. Shoulders squaring, I turn to face the nurse striding toward us, her expression unreadable.

Her focus flickers between Holden and me, then down to Chloe. “Is this the help you called for?”

My mind blanks. Help? What help? We’ve been caught. We’re done for. I?—

“Yes,” Chloe says. “Thank you so much for letting me use your phone.”

“Don’t mention it.” The nurse’s face softens, and she leans down, patting Chloe’s hand. “I’m glad it worked out.”

Then she straightens, addressing us. “Take the service elevator down to the garage level. Fewer people that way, and it bypasses the waiting room.”

Relief crashes through me, so intense it leaves me dizzy. “Thank you. We will.”

“Good luck.” Without waiting for a response, she hurries off to her next task.

Holden presses a hand over his heart. “That was too close.”

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