“Nurse Grey said you couldn’t be seen at first, and we thought you were really bad off. She told us we can’t visit for long.” Carol’s mother grasped her hand, her blonde hair as golden as her daughter’s, her eyes as blue. Her father towered over them, but didn’t say a word, his rail-thin body bent with weariness, his dark eyes worried.
“You’ll be all right, dear?” her mother asked.
Carol managed a small, tearful smile. “I’m fine. Mom. I’ll be out of here soon.” She motioned to Lelandi. “This is Lelandi. I’m sorry I don’t know your last name.”
“Silver,” Lelandi said.
Carol’s mouth gaped. “You married Darien?”
Her mother and father looked as shocked.
“When things aren’t so hectic, I’m sure he’ll make the announcement.” Lelandi hated that part of fitting in with human society. Their kind didn’t do the wedding bit. Their mating meant more than any kind of ceremony could mean. They stayed with their spouse until one died. Or at least that’s the way they normally lived their lives.
Finally finding her voice, Carol said, “Oh, sure, I knew it would happen sooner than later. I’m so very happy for you. This is my mother, Lan, and my father, Christopher Wood.”
“My pleasure,” Lelandi said,
“I don’t understand. Aren’t you the one who was shot a few days ago?” Mrs. Wood took a nagged breath. “Kidnappings, more shootings. And all of it revolves around you.” Running her hand over Carol’s hair, she said, “Nurse Grey told us a wild wolf bit Carol and it’s been destroyed. But why’s Deputy Sheriff Trevor Osgood guarding her room? And Sam? What in the world is going on?”
Carol paled even further.
Lelandi realized living with a pack that didn’t associate with humans had Its advantages. “They’re here because of me,” she lied.
Mrs. Wood’s eyes narrowed. “Then you shouldn’t be here. If danger follows you wherever you go, I want you out of here. Now.”
Mr. Wood cleared his throat. His wife looked sharply at him. “Honey, if Carol wants Mrs. Siiver’s company, then don’t you think she should have her friendship? Mr. Silver does run the town, and Carol hasn’t made any friends since she returned home.”
Mrs. Wood looked like she could strangle him with her glare.
“Dad’s right. Lelandi made friends with me as soon as I met her.” Carol gave her a warm smile.
Lelandi wondered how Carol had ever gotten that notion, but she was glad to be her friend now.
“She’s even convinced Darien I should work at the hospital. You know how much I’ve wanted to.”
Great. Put me on the spot, why don‘t you, Carol?
“I couldn’t have asked for a better friend,” Carol said. “We’re so much alike. I can’t even say how much so.”
Nurse Grey walked into the room. “I’m sorry, but I’ll have to ask everyone to leave so I can change Miss Wood’s bandages. She’ll be released tomorrow afternoon.”
“Then... then it’s not as bad as we expected?” Mrs. Wood asked.
Nurse Grey checked Carol’s vital signs. “She’ll be fine, but she needs to rest.”
“Come back and see me soon,” Carol said to Lelandi, her expression mournful.
Lelandi gave her a cheerful smile. “I’ll be back later. Behave yourself until then.”
“As long as you take Trevor with you.”
“I will.” Lelandi left the room and snagged Sam’s arm, then walked him down to Docs office. “Tell Darien he needs to remove Trevor from guard duty for Carol.”
Sam folded his arms. “He’ll want to know a reason.”
“Carol’s a target, too. Darien knows the specifics as to why. She doesn’t feel safe around Trevor. Give her some peace of mind, okay? See if maybe Tom or Jake will watch her in the meantime. I’d do it, if Darien would let me.”
Sam gave a snort. “You are supposed to be guarded, not guarding others.”
“Right. Or otherwise I’d kick Trevor’s butt out of here.”
Sam shook his head. “You’d try, too.”
“Are you going to make an honest woman of Silva?”
A smile lit Sam’s face, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he grabbed Doc’s phone and made a call. “Darien? Sam here.”
Lelandi slipped into the hallway. As soon as she saw Peter guarding a room, she headed in his direction. “Who’s in here?
The deputy quickly stood. “Angelina Mavery.”
Lelandi’s heart skipped a beat, the idea sinking in that whoever had tried to kill Angelina would try again and now she had to have a guard posted, too. “Do you mind if I see her? I won’t take long.”
Chapter 24
IF PETER DIDNT HURRY AND ALLOW LELANDI INTO Angelina’s hospital room, any number of people— Darien, top of the list—would stop her. Peter looked down at his Stetson in his hands, and then his gaze rose again.
“Peter, please.”
“Jake told me you stuck up for me when I fell asleep on guard duty, ma’am.”
She wanted to tap her foot in impatience. Time was of the essence, and if Sam discovered she was not with him, “Yes, because you were pulling too many hours.”
“Trevor was supposed to have relieved me halfway through the night, but he never showed up.”
Ohmigod. “Did you tell Jake?”
“Yes, ma’am. I didn’t want to get Trevor in trouble, but I couldn’t have Darien firing me for not protecting you.” Peter motioned with his head toward Angelina’s door. “The way I look at it, you deserve some answers. If Angelina had anything to do with my own sister’s death...” His eyes took on a menacing cast. “Go right in.”
Lelandi hesitated, then reached up and kissed Peter’s cheek. “Thanks. Darien will make you sheriff when his uncle wants to retire, if I have any say in it.”
Peter’s face turned crimson, but his lips turned up slightly. “Thank you, ma’am.”
She slipped into the room and closed the door.
Angelina’s face was bruised and bloodied, the skin around both eyes blackened—her gaze glowering at Lelandi. A bandage was secured across her forehead, a long, jagged line of blood tinting it red. Her neck was in a brace and her arm and leg were in a cast.
Lelandi started in on her. “You were blackmailing my sister, you bitch.”
Angelina cast her a simpering smile. “Your sister was a whore. Three men! Three men she was fooling around with that we know of, and Darien should never have mated with her.”
“Who else was in on this? You’re not clever enough to mastermind it. And since your two compatriots are dead and the fourth undoubtedly wants you the same way—”
“Think what you will.”
“Darien will discover you’re involved. Then what?”
“He’ll find his darling mate was depositing money in an account meant for her and her lover to make their getaway. Had nothing to do with me.” She jutted her chin out, her brown eyes black, a couple of stripped leaves sticking out of her muddy-colored hair.
“You’re saying Joe Kelly and Larissa pretended there was a blackmailing scheme?”
“They had the perfect motivation. Joe was stealing from the silver mine also.” Angelina shrugged and winced.
“No. You, Ritka, Hosstene, and the mastermind blackmailed my sister. Except Joe shot Ritka before you could pin the blackmailing crime on him. Seems ironic. Then the fourth person wanted both you and Hosstene dead.”
Angelina’s eyes misted.
“Why would he or she want to kill you if you had nothing to do with the blackmail scheme and murdering my sister? Can he get to the money that all of you hid?”
Angelina’s mouth turned down even more.
“Now who should get out of town before you end up dead like your friends?” Lelandi asked, playing on Ritka’s words telling Lelandi to leave town before she ended up like her sister. “I normally don’t want to see people dead. But in your case, I’d make an exception.”