Skin

Chapter 23

LILITH SAT on an examination table, ice pack to the side of her face, as a doctor stitched up her leg where Gabe had cut her. She’d barely felt the injury until she was in Pucinski’s car and her adrenaline had drained away.

She’d insisted on checking on Hannah and Carmen, and so he’d left the uniformed officers with Gabe and had driven her and Michael to the more distant hospital.

Hannah was alive but still hadn’t come around. Lilith was sick over it, but all she could do was wait.

Thankfully, Carmen would be fine. The girl had already been released to her parents, who’d taken her home. As to Carmen’s future, Lilith only knew she would continue to fight for the girl. Assuming Carmen would still let her.

The doctor stitched, Lilith winced, and Michael found her hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. She tried on a smile for him but figured it wasn’t very convincing.

“All done,” the doctor said. He pulled out a pad and wrote a prescription. Handing it to her, he said, “For the pain.”

She shoved it in her pocket, put the ice pack back to her face and waited for a nurse to come in with printed instructions on home care.

As if she was going anywhere.

By the time she was released, and she limped into the waiting room with Michael’s support, Elena was there for her. Lilith had called her on the way to the hospital.

Elena’s eyes widened when she saw Lilith’s bruised face. “Oh, honey, I’m so glad you’re all right.”

“I’m not all right. I won’t be until I know Hannah’s going to make it.”

Elena held her hand throughout what felt like an interminable wait for word on Hannah’s condition. Michael waited, too, but he gave her space, sitting to one side several chairs away. He was watching her, though, his gaze now familiar and comforting.

A half hour went by. An hour.

“What’s taking so long?” Stress over Hannah was making Lilith edgy. “Maybe I should find a doctor.”

“One will find you,” Michael said.

Elena added, “You have to believe Hannah’s going to be okay.”

“I hope so.”

“Because of you.”

A lot of things she didn’t want to think about had happened because of her, Lilith thought, just as Detective Pucinski strolled into the room. “Miss Mitchell, I just checked on Carrie… Caresse. She survived the surgery.”

“Thank God.”

“No, she wanted me to thank you.”

“Did she say what happened?” Michael asked.

“She sniffed out O’Malley through the club’s manager. Ruscio told her that O’Malley recommended Hannah. Apparently, O’Malley saw her potential.”

“So she was already tagged as one of his victims.” Lilith realized her sister never had a chance.

Pucinski went on. “Carrie put two and two together and had a conversation with O’Malley that he didn’t like. That’s how he figured out she was the plant.”

“They didn’t know each other?” Elena asked.

“No reason they should. O’Malley was a homicide detective. Carrie a uniform assigned to undercover. She was recently transferred in from another district.” He checked his watch. “I need to get going. I’ll be doing paperwork until dawn. I just wanted to let you know the good news and to check on your sister. O’Malley’s gonna stand trial, and he’s gonna be locked away forever. Tomorrow, I need to take your statement in detail.”

Lilith nodded.

“Count on me, too,” Michael said. “Whatever it takes to keep the bastard where he belongs.”

“You ask me, he belongs in a grave, but we don’t do that in Illinois anymore.” Pucinski made for the door. “We can only hope that he’ll suffer his own private hell.”

After the detective left the building, Michael said, “Great news about Caresse.”

But Lilith’s mind was back on her sister. “If only Hannah makes it, too.”

Elena wrapped an arm around her shoulders and gave her a hug. “She’ll make it. She’s too much like you to give up.”

Her sister was like her, not just in looks, but in survival skills. Hannah just had developed a different set than she had. Lilith closed her eyes and prayed that Hannah came out of this alive. She didn’t care how her sister made a living. She just wanted Hannah in her life.

And so, a quarter of an hour later, when Lilith learned that Hannah was awake and wanted to see her, she finally let out the mental breath she’d been holding.

“I’ll wait for you here,” Elena said.

Michael didn’t say anything.

As she limped along the corridor behind the nurse, Lilith thought Michael was the first man with whom she’d ever really connected on more than a physical level. He was a man worthy of her trust.

The nurse stopped before a doorway to a patient room. “Keep it to two minutes.”

Lilith nodded and went inside.

Her sister looked small and fragile in the hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and medical equipment, more like the kid Lilith remembered.

Though her head was bandaged, her face bruised and cut and swollen, Hannah said, “You’re a mess. Need… serious makeover.”

Not knowing whether to laugh or cry, Lilith sat at the edge of her bed. “I was so afraid for you.”

“You saved me and Carmen… found us… heard you.”

Hannah was making such an effort to speak that Lilith’s eyes filled with tears. “I’m so sorry.”

“You warned me. Wouldn’t listen. Think I’ll listen now.”

“No lectures. But when you get out of here–”

“—we’ll talk.”

And this time, she would watch what she said, Lilith thought, hopeful for their future. “I want to hug you, but I’m afraid to touch you.”

Hannah slid her hand to Lilith’s and clasped it tight.

Lilith took a deep, remorseful breath and hoped that Hannah would be able to start over with her help. While she’d always felt compassion for women who lived on the edge, she hadn’t been able to understand why they couldn’t change their lives. After all, she’d gotten away from an abusive household. What she’d gone through this last week had taught her a painful lesson she hadn’t expected — that extraordinary circumstances could make even her feel weak and unable to help herself. It took determination and belief in one’s self to survive. Not everyone had that. She’d done it. And so had Hannah.

Hannah’s eyes closed, and her hand relaxed. Lilith realized she was asleep. The nurse had said two minutes. Reluctantly, she rose. The moment she left Hannah’s room, Lilith spotted Michael waiting for her in the corridor.

“You’re still here.”

“Where else would I be?”

“Michael… I—I didn’t expect you to wait with me all this time.”

“I figured if I didn’t, I might never see you again.”

 Lilith’s stomach fluttered. He wanted to see her after she’d believed the worst of him. She had believed in his innocence until she’d seen the recording. Gabe had done a good job of planting doubt in her head. She so regretted that.

Realizing Michael was waiting for her response, she said, “Well, I certainly won’t be at the club.”

“So you do want to see me? Where, then?”

“Neutral ground? No cameras.”