Page 102 of Deadly Designs

The word was said without conviction. Aja Bluesqueezed her hand in reassurance. Polly looked at her and nodded.Then, more robustly, she said, “No.”

Dirk’s face reddened with anger. “Oh, you want tohelp her now, do you?” he sneered. “You want to know what she’sbecome? She sleeps with men for drugs. Polly will spread her legsfor anything as long as they pay her in pills. She’s nothing but adoped-up, washed-up, two-bit whore.”

Polly gasped, his words obviously crushing her. Thensomething happened. Aja Blue watched the transformation take overPolly’s body. Her spine stiffened, and she braced her shoulders. Aflush of red filled her cheeks, giving her much-needed color. “It’sall your fault, Dirk Haines. Every bad thing in our lives isbecause of you. You did this to me.”

Aja Blue stepped back at the thunderous look thatcontorted his face. “Yeah? You think so,baby? You think Ishoved enough blow up your nose to fill a National Football Leaguestadium? If I made you, I can unmake you too.”

Everything happened in slow motion. Dirk swung hisgun from Aja Blue to Polly. Aja Blue screamed and dove for herfriend as gunshots rang out. They hit the floor with a painfulthud.

“Polly, are you okay?” No answer. Aja Blue lifted herhead to see Polly’s sightless eyes staring at the ceiling. Herchest was covered in blood.

“No, no, no,” she chanted while placing her handsover the wound to staunch the flow. It was fruitless since Polly’sheart had stopped beating. There was barely a trickle.

Dirk’s unholy roar echoed through the room. “Look atwhat you made me do.” Then he wrenched her wrist, causing a jolt ofpain to radiate up her arm, and yanked her to her feet.

“Let me go, you filthy bastard.” She tried to jerkfrom his grip. “I have to help her.”

“She’s dead because of you. This is all on yourshoulders. You couldn’t quit butting in and trying to control herlife. Well, she doesn’t have one now, so let’s go before someonecalls the police. We’re going to get my money.”

Shock dulled her reactions. Her heartbeat pounded inher ears as he dragged her to the door and whipped it open.

“Get moving.”

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Christian woke to pressure on hisarm. It took a minute to realize it was a cuff automaticallyinflating to record his blood pressure. Then he remembered he wasin the hospital because Heathcliff Sinclair’s wife tried had tobrain him with a statue.

He’d wanted to refuse the medication, but he was gladnow that the doctors had given it to him. His head would’ve beenpounding, and sleep would’ve been next to impossible.

Christian would take the hit a hundred times over ifit meant Aja Blue was safe. Thinking of the love of his life, heturned his head to see her, knowing his smile bordered on dopey. Itquickly died when she wasn’t in the chair she’d been sitting inwhen he fell asleep. Had she gone back to the house? He rememberedtelling Presley, Kayne, and Nicole to get some shut eye. He’dwanted her to go with them, but she’d refused. Hadn’t she? Maybeshe couldn’t rest comfortably in the hospital.

A flare of panic had the machine next to his bedbeeping faster. What if she’d decided now that the case was over,so was their relationship? They hadn’t talked about a future, buthe definitely wanted one with her, however it looked.

“Ah, you’re awake.” A nurse came in and scribbled onhis chart before dropping it in a slot at the end of the bed. “Ihave a message for you. You’re supposed to call Tyler as soon aspossible.”

If Tyler was calling, something must have happened.He reached for his phone before realizing it wasn’t there. Did AjaBlue take it with her?

“I don’t have a phone. Can I borrow yours?”

“Sure.”

She took it from her pocket, unlocked the screen, andhanded it to him.

Without his contact list, he didn’t have Tyler’snumber, but every agent memorized one that rang to a menu where youcould access anyone in the company. When it picked up, he saidTyler’s name into the system and listened as it rang him.

“Redmond.”

“It’s Christian.”

“Hey, Z, where are you?”

“In the hospital. Why?”

“I was checking someone else’s GPS and noticed yourphone was on the move, but I know you’re currently incapacitated. Ishould’ve realized Aja Blue could’ve taken it.”

He fought down the urge to worry about her. Sinclairwas dead. No one was after her now.

“Thanks for checking.”

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