Page 16 of Heart in Waiting
CHAPTER SEVEN
The afternoon sun streameddown, nearly blinding Carter as he pulled into the hospital parking lot. Dane texted him before he’d left Reese’s condo to drive her to work. Everything seemed fine, but he wanted to check on his baby sister himself. There was still no word on Nolan’s whereabouts, and every second he was missing was one more that Carter stressed about. He wanted both of his sisters to be safe, and well, any potential victim Nolan might find. He’d showed in the past that he didn’t discriminate and would hurt anyone he wanted to.
Carter slid his car into park and killed the engine, then opened his door, pocketing his keys as he headed to the front entrance. If he was lucky, Reese would be easy to find. He had no clue what her schedule consisted of; however, he did have an idea where she might be. Most of her work was in the new pediatric wing of the hospital since she worked with kids. If she wasn’t there, he would track down one of the nurses to ask. Maybe they could page her or something...
As he entered the hospital, he had to blink a few times to see clearly. Going inside after the bright light of the sun was an adjustment. He stopped until his eyes adjusted to his surroundings. Once he was acclimated, he headed to the elevators. The pediatric ward was on the third floor of the hospital. He clicked the button to go up and the doors swung open immediately. Dane was inside, lounging against the side. His black hair was disheveled, and he had dark spots under his eyes. Carter stepped inside, and the doors closed behind him. Dane lifted a brow and nodded at the buttons. Carter reached over and clicked on the third floor. “You look like hell.”
“Thanks,” Dane said acerbically. “You’re all kindness.” He rubbed his hands over his face. “I feel like shit.”
“Did you sleep at all last night?” Carter lifted a brow. “She does have a security system, doesn’t she?” He hadn’t thought to ask his sister what security measures she had in place. It should have been one of the first questions he asked her.Damn...If Dane looked this bad, he must have stayed up all night to ensure Reese was safe. Now he felt like a complete ass.
“I don’t know if she does or not,” Dane said. “She was a handful last night, and she was asleep before I thought to bring the subject up. I don’t think she does though. I searched her condo and didn’t find a control panel for one, so I decided it would be best if I stayed awake.”
“I’ll call someone to install something.” He shook his head. “How could she be so careless? Especially after Nolan was arrested. I should have insisted she put something in then.”
“Don’t beat yourself so hard about it. Reese is a big girl and capable of taking care of herself. She doesn’t need you to hold her hand for her.”
That may be true, but Carter felt responsible nonetheless. Their father wasn’t exactly around, and their mother was a supreme bitch. If he didn’t look after his sister, who would? She clearly had horrible taste in men and showed no signs of figuring her life out. Her career was the one thing she seemed to have on track. At least she had that to rely on, and it would probably keep her busy for the time being. The work would help her forget, at least for a little while, that a serial killer was on the loose.
“Did she seem a little—I don’t know...?” Carter took a deep breath. “Off last night? She’s not usually that quiet, and I don’t think my mother’s constant criticism helped the situation.”
“I don’t know what’s going on with her. You know your sister better than I do. We’re barely acquaintances.” He sounded almost—irritated. What had Reese done to him?
“I get that, but you’ve met her and have seen how she is usually. That wasn’t her last night.”
Dane shoved his hands in his pockets and didn’t meet Carter’s gaze. His blue eyes almost darkened at Carter’s words. What did his partner see that he didn’t? What exactly had happened last night? Dane had mentioned her being a handful. “Reese doesn’t seem to be handling Nolan’s escape well. She stole a bottle of scotch from your mother and proceeded to drink it straight.”
“Mother would have been appalled.” Carter sighed and considered the situation. “Drinking’s going to make things worse.”
“Something I already mentioned to her. I am not so sure it sank into her thick skull though.”
Carter nodded as the elevator dinged and the doors swung open. He stepped out, but Dane stayed inside. He put his hands on the door to stop it from closing. “Aren’t you coming?”
“I’m not so sure I want to see your sister right now. I’m not her favorite person.”
“Come on,” Carter insisted. “I might need you as back up.” If Reese was drinking and not acting like herself, he would need all the help he could get. Dane might not know her well, but he was a good guy. She might listen to someone not related to her. Truth be told, she was more likely to dig in her heels if he insisted, but Dane she might listen to. Though from the sounds of it that hadn’t worked well and all of it might be wishful thinking.
Dane stepped off the elevator reluctantly as Carter headed to the office Reese shared with another resident. His partner kept a slow leisurely pace trailing behind him. “I hope I don’t regret this.”
“It’ll be fine,” Carter replied. “Reese is a reasonable person.”
Dane snorted. “I’m starting to wonder if we’re talking about the same woman here. Your sister is the least reasonable person I’ve met. She’s likely lost her damn mind.” Carter begged to differ—he could name one other female who rivaled his sister in the illogical department. Olivia certainly did her best to drive him crazy whenever they crossed paths.
They stopped at the office door, and Carter rapped on it before he pushed it open. “Am I interrupting?”
Reese sat at the desk, staring down at an open file. Her blonde hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail and she had her hands resting on either side of her face. “Hmm?” She didn’t look up. “No, come in.”
“We need to talk about your security.”
She still didn’t glance up at him. That paper must have some pertinent information on it to have her attention so thoroughly. Carter placed both his hands on the desk and leaned over. “Earth to Reese.”
“What?” She glanced up. “Oh, it’s you.”
“Good to see you too, little sister.” She didn’t look any better than Dane did. She had dark spots under her eyes and seemed really tired. “Did you not sleep well last night either?” He was starting to wonder how much Dane hadn’t told him. Carter glanced at Reese and then over his shoulder at his partner. Neither one of them looked at each other, but then again, Reese appeared to be in her own little world. He didn’t really like that she didn’t seem to want to be a part of the discussion. She wanted to forget her time with Nolan, and he couldn’t blame her for that much. However, she had to get on board with the planning. He couldn’t take the time to let her adjust to her new reality. She’d listen to him and Dane, and like it, regardless of what she wanted. He focused his attention on his sister and made sure she was fully alert. “About your security.”
“Don’t worry. Your watch dog kept a good eye on me and made sure I was safe the entire night.” She waved her hand. “Now go away so I can work.”
Carter silently prayed for patience. He loved his sister, he truly did, but at the moment he wanted to strangle her. How could she be so blasé about her safety? “That’s great—I’m glad Dane was able to take care of you, but that’s not what this is about.”
