Page 53 of Keeping What He Wants

“No.” He stood from the gurney and grabbed Ella’s arm. “You’re going to walk out of here with me and not attract any attention.”

He pulled a gun out from beneath his supposedly hurt arm and pressed it against Ella’s side. She took a deep breath and nodded. “Okay. Okay. We’ll walk out of here.”

She opened the door and led the way out. The police officers had gathered around the triage desk, and before Ella could call to them, Alex grabbed her, dragging her the opposite direction. She walked ahead of him, following his directions to get them out of the hospital. Her phone buzzed her pocket, and it was undoubtedly her father trying to call her.

“Go down that hall.”

Ella turned. The guy didn’t look all that big. She glanced over at him, trying to size him up. If she went for the gun, he could shoot her. If she left with him, he could shoot her. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the shiny handgun.

“Can I at least ask how you know me?” Ella kept walking, doing her best to keep her mind off the deadly weapon pointed at her side. “I’m fairly certain I don’t know you, but my nurse said that you requested me specifically. Have I treated you before?”

“No.”

She turned down another hallway at his bidding and saw an exit up ahead. There was no way she could leave the hospital with him. Her stomach lurched at the thought of being dragged into some kind of gun war.

She stood there feeling the effects of treating a stomach bug all day as she retched all over the floor. Apparently, she’d caught the damn thing too.

“You fucking bitch!” Alex’s hand swung at her, and Ella backed up just enough to get out of his way.

She made a run for it, trying her best to get to the exit before he caught up with her. Her phone was in her pocket and she grabbed it, pushing her father’s number while she ran. He answered almost immediately.

“He’s here. He’s chasing me.” Ella ran out the door and to the right, heading back to the ER.

“Where are you? I’m in the south parking lot by the ER exit.”

“I’m running toward the ER from the west parking structure. He forced me to take a walk with him when he saw the police.”

A gunshot sounded from behind her, and Ella shrieked.

“Are you okay?” her father asked, his voice full of panic. “Ella?”

“Yes.” Her stomach threatened to lurch again, and she groaned. “I think I caught the damn stomach bug filling up the ER. I feel horrible.”

“I’m coming your way. What are you close to?”

She glanced around at all the cars. “Nothing.”

A shot sounded again. Ella blew out a breath and kept running, trying her best to keep cars between her and his bullets.

“Are you hurt?” he asked.

“No.” Ella stopped, staring at the fence on the far side of the parking garage. “No, no, no.”

“What?”

“There’s a fence. I can’t get through. They closed the fucking gate.” She turned and crouched, her heart pounding in her chest. “Dad, he’s right behind me. I don’t have anything to defend myself.”

“I’m almost there. Hide, Ella.”

She ducked between two cars trying to control her harsh breathing. Her stomach cramped to the point she felt she needed to go to the bathroom. She moaned softly.

“Ella, you’re okay. I’m not going to let anything happen to you.” Her father’s voice was calming, and she closed her eyes as she tried to push away the fear.

“He’s right there. I can see him. He’s the got a gun that looks like the one that was in those photos on the news. The successful women that were brutally murdered. Did he do it?”

“I don’t know.”

“Dad, if he finds me, he’s going to kill me.” Her stomach ached, and she rested her forehead against the car next to her.

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