Page 71 of Fatal Thrill
Jaya strode with purpose, hair flying and hands balled into fists. What she intended to say to her father was still up in theair.
“The bullet did not go through and damaged a small section of intestine,” the nurse said. “The surgeon was able to stop the internal hemorrhaging and remove the bullet with no problems. Your father does, however, appear to have a thirty percent blockage in his left ventricle and the injury put stress on his heart. Once he has sufficiently recovered from this surgery, it’s advisable for him to see a cardiac specialist. I’m afraid your visit needs to be limited to tenminutes.”
A guard stood outside the door but seemed to know who they were and didn’t put up a fight as they crossed into the room. Sean looked like death warmed over. His skin was the color of ashes, his lips pale and thinned into nearly straightlines.
His cloudy eyes, however, lit up when he saw Jaya. “There’s mygirl.”
He held out a hand and Jaya rushed to him, grabbing it. The nurse looked Jon over from head to toe. “You be family,then?”
Not yet, but he wasn’t leaving Jaya’sside.
Opening his mouth to reply, he was cut off by Jaya’s resounding, “yes.” Jon glanced over as she whirled to face the nurse. “He’s myfiancé.”
Sean seemed slightly amused and a bit surprised. The moment the door shut behind the nurse, he squinted at Jon. “You look liketrouble.”
Jaya gently swatted at her father’s arm. “Takes one to know one, and the only person in trouble here is you. What on earth have you gotten yourself into this time,Dad?”
“Did you find it?” His chest heaved with his breathing. The nearby monitors beeped a rapid rhythm. “Thecross?”
“Really? I just announced Jon’s my fiancé and that’s the first thing you’re going to ask me about?” She shook her head, looking at Jon likeI told you so. “Unbelievable.”
Sean patted her hand lightly with his free one. “I don’t see a ring on yourfinger.”
Jon was going to buy her the biggest ring she’d ever seen if she truly did want to marry him. “We’re working on it,sir.”
A heated look came from the sick man. “She deserves the best, youknow.”
Jon met his glare straight on. “And I intend to provide that forher.”
“She needs someone she can relyon.”
Like you?he wanted to say, but held back the impolite reply. “Yes, sir. I’m well aware ofthat.”
Jaya cleared her throat. “Sheis standing right here, for your information, and I’m perfectly capable of taking care of myself, but maybe I’d like a couple of the men in my life to not make things moredifficult.”
She said the last half of the sentence with gritted teeth, directing it at her dad. He tried to chuckle, but ended up with a coughingfit.
Jaya offered him water and Jon adjusted the bed and helped the man sit up well enough to drinkit.
A grimace crossed Sean’s face and he patted his side where heavy gauze covered his surgical incision. “Guess I luckedout.”
“Is that what you call it?” Jaya chastised. “Luck?”
“Don’t let Percy get his hands on the…cross,” he said, breath still ragged. “You have to findFinn.”
“We think he’s in North Carolina,” Jon told him. “Did you send him back to the States after you found thecross?”
A head bob. “I was trying to sell it, but I didn’t want him…caught up inthis.”
Jaya sighed. “A little late for that. Why’d you bring him if you knew this couldhappen?
Sean looked confused. “I didn’t. He showed up at the bed and breakfast the night I checkedin.”
“He followed youhere?”
Seannodded.
“Who shot you?” Jon asked. “Who kidnapped yourson?”
