The three men straightened, coming instantly awake when they saw McKay standing there. Michael gripped Katrina’s hand.
“How is he?”
McKay’s gaze swept them all. “Barring any further complications, he’s going to completely recover.” His tone was guarded but optimistic. “He’s critical but stable. I expect to be able to move him out of intensive care tomorrow.”
Collective relief sucked all the tension from the room like a giant vacuum. Now that the main fear was behind them, Katrina imagined they were all like balloons deflating. Terror had been their air, and now there wasn’t much to hold them up, tired as they were.
“Thank Christ,” Michael whispered, running a hand through his hair.
“Bastian was very lucky,” McKay continued. “He was beaten, but sustained no serious internal injuries. He does have a concussion from a blow to his temple, but no sign of swelling on his brain. The nicked femoral artery was the life-threatening injury, and it has been successfully repaired.”
“How long until he’s recovered?” Katrina asked.
“A couple of weeks. He’s going to be sore as hell for a few days and he’ll need to take it easy on that leg, but he’s in great physical condition, which will speed healing.” McKay paused. “My main concern at this point is who will see to his care once I release him. I believe Bastian lives alone.”
“He’ll be coming home with me,” Michael said firmly. “He’ll have all the care he needs.”
“All right. He’ll be on pain meds and antibiotics. I’ll make sure he has plenty of both when he leaves here, which should be in a couple of days.”
Michael stood. “Can we see him?”
“For a few minutes — just two people at a time. He won’t know you’re there, anyway. After that, go home and get some rest. I’m here all night and I’ll keep a close eye on him.”
“Doc, thanks for everything.” Michael stuck out his hand and McKay shook it.
“That’s why you pay me the big bucks.” He nodded at the others. “See you all later.”
After the doctor left, Ozzie spoke up. “Why don’t you two go first?”
Michael didn’t argue, just led Katrina out of the room and down the hallway toward a set of double doors marked INTENSIVE CARE UNIT. Katrina had never been back there before, and after Bastian was released, she hoped she never had cause to visit again. Especially when they walked into their friend’s cubicle and she got a good look at him.
She didn’t know how it was possible for anyone to be that pale and still have a pulse. The ugly purple knot on the side of his head stood in stark contrast to the surrounding white skin. The bruises hidden by his gown must be just as bad. His breathing was so shallow, his chest barely moved, but at least he was managing on his own.
“God,” Michael rasped, moving to his friend’s side. “He looks…”
“I know. But he’s not.” She went to stand on the other side of the bed and laid a hand on Bastian’s, careful to avoid the IV needle. “He’s going to be fine.”
“He almost died.” His jaw clenched, rage warring with love as he gazed down at Bastian. “I haven’t made good on my promise yet, but I will. I swear I’m going to find that foul piece of shit and I’m going to kill him. Whatever it takes.”
“He knows,” she said softly. “But what he needs most is TLC. I vote we make sure he gets plenty of that.”
Michael raised dark eyes to hers. “I couldn’t agree more.”
A knock interrupted and Ozzie strode inside, a clear plastic bag in hand. “Boss? I’ve got something to show you.” He thrust it at Michael, who took it.
“A motel card key,” he said, peering at the object inside. “From the Rest Right out on I-35.”
“The cleanup crew found that in Tio’s wallet.”
His entire body stiffened and his eyes hardened. “Are we ready to roll?”
“Damned straight. You coming?”
“Try to stop me.”
“Wouldn’t think of it.”
Michael started out, pausing long enough to give Katrina a quick kiss. “I’ll have Simon send the car for you. You’ll go to my place and stay there, and we’ll worry about your stuff later. I don’t want any more arguments about this.”
“You won’t get any,” she assured him. “I’m stubborn, not stupid.” She wasn’t about to make herself a target for Dietz because of foolish pride.
“I’ll see you at home.”
He walked out with Ozzie and she stared after him, the word “home” making her feel fuzzy and strange, but good. Great, actually. She was about to share her life with two exciting, dynamic men, if Bastian was willing to give it a shot.
She, for one, was going to do her part to convince him.
“Save your strength, handsome,” she told his sleeping form. “With any luck, you’ll need it.”
The cold rage twisting Michael’s insides needed an outlet. One in the shape of a tall, sandy-haired, average- looking man who was really Satan in disguise. For months, he’d done nothing but dream of creative ways to kill Dietz, prolonging the torture indefinitely. In reality, he’d probably have to settle for a method far quicker and less satisfying, but at least the vermin would be out of everyone’s misery.
At the motel, Michael and a handful of agents converged on the room registered to Tio under a false name. Surely they’d catch a break this time.
Michael nodded, motioning to Kelly with his gun. Inside, a light was on, but there was no movement. The two of them positioned themselves on the other side of the door, and Michael held up a hand, starting the count on three.
It took two solid kicks to break in the door, and then he was in, Blaze and four more agents trailing right after them. Nothing but an empty room greeted them, bed made, the place neat as a pin. The only evidence that anyone had been there was a white sheet of folded paper lying on top of the cheap desk. Michael stalked over, saw his name printed on the outside, whipped it open, and began to read.
Crushing the paper in his hand, he stood fighting the overwhelming urge to destroy everything in sight. But that wouldn’t help find the bastard, and it wouldn’t make Bastian recover faster.
“Michael?” Blaze ventured.
“It’s a taunt, of course. The one useful thing to glean from it is he doesn’t know for sure whether Tio was successful in killing Bastian, and we’re going to keep it that way. I want a tight lid kept on that information, at least for now.”
Blaze looked thoughtful. “That’s just good common sense.”
“Which means Bastian is going to be bound to the estate for a while, even after he recovers. No going out, period.”
Blaze rolled his eyes. “And he’s going to
“He doesn’t have a choice.”
After the other men had left the small room, Blaze clapped a hand on his friend’s shoulder. “We’ll get him, Michael,” Blaze said with absolute conviction.
“Yes. And when we do? He’s going to regret the day he fucked with me and my family.”
That’s how he viewed Katrina, Bastian, and all his agents, he realized. His family. To love and protect.
Awareness returned by slow degrees.
