Page 87 of Special Agent Murphy

Chapter Fifty-one

Kayti sat beside Misti, keeping her calm for the nurses while they bathed her. They’d taken Mark to surgery to remove the bullet and intended to bring him back to the same room. Due to a staff shortage and knowing their time in the hospital would be short, the administration had agreed to keep them together.

A movement at the door heralded Misti’s parents. Senator Bond flew to the bed and gathered his girl close while she clung, hysterical at seeing him again. “Daddy! You’re here. I never thought I’d ever see you again.”

“Oh, baby. We came as soon as they told us where you were.” Misti’s mom seemed to hesitate, looking toward Kayti for reassurance to approach the bed. Kayti sensed there hadn’t been a close relationship between mother and daughter, but the girl needed her mother now more than ever.

She stepped toward the closed-in woman and whispered a lie she hoped would be overlooked because of her good intentions, “She called for you, ma’am. She needs you more than ever right now to forgive her.”

That did it. Mrs. Bond’s face disintegrated into a mass of pain. Tears gushed. Her lower lip wriggled, unsuccessful in holding back her emotions as tiny whimpers escaped. She rushed to the bed and Misti turned to see her coming. “Mama!” Her voice held only delight.

Wanting to give the family some privacy, Kayti moved to the chair in the hallway. Delight filled her when she saw Murphy striding toward her, his wonderful face alight with happiness when he saw her there.

Just before he reached her side, the elevator doors opened, and her Aunt Edna rushed forward. Seeing Kayti, she swept the girl up in a hug that felt wonderful.

“Kayti, this is the last time you can be mixed up in such a violent case where there’re deaths involved. I forbid it. I think I’ve aged ten years since I got word you’d entered the cabin. Then screams followed and shots were fired and… dammit, girl! My old heart can’t take it. Either you need to change departments, or I need to take early retirement and join a knitting class.”

Kayti laughed as she hugged her aunt back. “You knitting, Aunt Edna? Seriously? I’d love to see that.”

She gazed back towards Murphy who’d come to a full stop. The look of shock on his face made her smile. She’d never divulged her relationship with her aunt. Not that she’d purposely concealed the fact from him after they’d gotten close, it just had never seemed a good time to divulge her surprise.

Shaken, he stood back with his arms crossed and his reactions hidden. Wearing a look she’d come to love most, the one where he hid his emotions from everyone. But not from her. For her… he winked, and she knew all was well.

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