“Hit-and-run.”
Khloe watched the paramedics leave and then returned to the desk to finish the paperwork on her current patient. The thought of the unfortunate woman and her twins weighed heavily in her mind. She just couldn’t imagine the poor family.
“Khloe, I think you need to come to bay twelve,” said the nurse with a strange expression on her face.
“Why? What’s wrong?” She dropped her pen and followed the nurse toward bay twelve, where the patient was waiting.
“Just come.” She continued to follow the nurse to the curtained room and drew back the drapes to stare at her fiancée.
“What’s wrong? What happened to him?” she asked.
“Laceration on his forehead. I’ve stitched that. I think his ribs are bruised as well. He’s drunk, Khloe. I haven’t done the blood alcohol on him yet. I was going to wait for you, but he’s toasted. I’m not sure how he got here, but if it was in a car, it was illegal.”
“Archie? Archie, what happened?” she asked, touching his hand. He slowly turned, staring at her.
“It was an accident.” His skin was yellow and pale, a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead.
“Yes, I can see that you were in an accident. What happened?” she asked again.
“I had a few beers with the guys.” She knew he was lying. He had more than a few, and it probably wasn’t with the guys. “I drove myself home. I didn’t see the car. I didn’t see her.”
“Her?”
“The woman. The woman who was pregnant. I didn’t see her.”
“Shit,” she whispered. “You were the hit-and-run. That woman died, Archie. She was pregnant with twins, and she died. We have to call the police, Archie.”
“No! No, you can’t. It will ruin me,” he declared.
“Ruin you? You killed a woman, Archie. A woman and her unborn twins. I can’t ignore this. I won’t ignore this. How could you possibly think that you can just walk away from this?” She turned to call for security and for the desk to contact the police. When she turned back, Archie was gone.
“What do you need, doc?” asked the security guard.
“I need the police. I need to report a murder.”
It would be more than four years before she finished all of her residencies and internships. She always knew that Belle Fleur would be her home. When Mama Irene called for her to come early for the holidays, she was thrilled.
It wasn’t just the excitement of finally being home. It was that Archie had been harassing her on the phone, leaving nasty notes on her apartment door, and even vandalizing her car. Certain that his parents were hiding him somewhere, she reported it to the police numerous times, but no one could ever seem to find him.
She’d thought about asking the team back home to help her a few times, but that seemed wrong to use them for free. They were always so busy, and it just wasn’t right of her to take them away from others who needed them more.
She was relieved to go to the only place she’d ever truly felt safe. No one would hurt her at Belle Fleur.
Well, almost no one.
CHAPTER THREE
It had been several weeks since Jonas met the members of the team. He was surprised at how easily he fit in with everyone. Then again, they made you feel welcome whether on their property or on his.
It started out just helping avenge the admiral and finding his brother-in-law. He was remembering everything so clearly as it unfolded. Everything that made him feel utterly and completely confused about his life and where it was going.
A young woman walked toward them, her silky black hair and almond-shaped eyes smiling at them. She set down bowls of gumbo and plates of cornbread.
“Mama Irene said y’all would be hungry,” she grinned. “Macie, your mama is waiting for you to do a final fitting of your dress at the big house.”
“Thank you, Khloe,” said Garr. “Oh, Khloe, this isJonas Samson. Jonas, this isKhloe Jones. She attended our school and returned to us recently.”
“Your school?” he frowned.
