Page 1 of Safe With Me

Prologue

“Saw.” Dr. Paxton Barry spoke the word crisply because there was no fooling around in heart surgery. Too bad he had a splitting headache.

Your fault.

It was. He shouldn’t have gone out last night.

Anesthetic gas and the teeth-grating bite of the saw on bone filled the air, making his stomach queasy. After the cut, he handed the saw to a nurse he thought he’d gone out with once. “Spreader.”

He took the device and placed it between the patient’s ribs to separate them. And there it was. His only love. The heart. He secured the opening with big aluminum clasps.

Peering through the telescopic lens, he made some adjustments, then said to the others, “Time to stop the heart.” He waited until the organ ceased quivering. “Scalpel.” He snipped one blood vessel then rerouted it to the artery. He started on the second, the third, but…

Blood spurted out of the woman’s chest.

“Clamps…”

Blood gushed out. He reached for the gauze. “Pads. Get me pads… Keep them coming…More.”

But soon, the artery won. The last thing he remembered was blood all over the patient and the table. What did he do wrong?

Chapter 1

“Thanks for volunteering, guys.” Jackson Kane grinned at the group of men who’d come downtown to help today.

“Like we had a choice.” Joe Romano rolled his eyes. He wore coveralls, the pockets filled with brushes. He was Jackson’s best friend.

Jackson’s brother-in-law, Caleb, a former minister, cracked a smile too. “Maisy made me come. Thank her.”

Lots of connections here.

Diego Rodriguez, the tallest and most muscular griped, “As if we don’t have enough to do at Pathways.” A former cop, Diego worked full-time now at the famous school.

“Well, I’m happy to be here,” Will Kirland put in. “Katie wanted to come too but she got called into work.” For having lost everything when he was guarding the president, Will was in good spirits.

And last, Jackson zeroed in on Pax. The reason they were all here. “Is this enough guys, Pax?”

“Yeah, it’s great.” He swallowed hard. “Thanks to everyone for coming down.”

The doc hadn’t expected this much help. The entire first floor of an existing building in the center of Westwood that Jackson bought had been renovated into a reception area with an alcove for children, office spaces, storage for medical equipment, a couple of desks, bathrooms and exam rooms. Its square footage would take a lot of paint.

“Point us in the right direction,” Diego suggested.

“Two guys can start on the exam rooms and the larger common area. There’s slate blue paint already in the hallway.” Pax’s voice was strong now. “If you’re so inclined, I left some white too, for the trim. Otherwise, paint everything blue.”

Will Kirkland said, “I’m inclined. Who wants to work with me?”

Caleb waved. “I will.” He held up his phone. “If I get to pick the music.”

Before they headed out, Will walked toward Pax. “I’m sending down a guard from my security company to help you out here.”

“Thanks, Will. Jackson already told me. I appreciate the help. But a security system will be installed next week. Do we need a guard?”

“Absolutely.”

Joe Romano volunteered himself and Diego for the waiting room and restrooms. Pax had picked a soothing sage green for those.

“Guess that leaves us,” Jackson said to Pax. “What’s left to do?”

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