his jacket and shirt, in part to get at the gunshot wound in his bicep, but also to treat the chemical burns.
"Collin called, said he wasn't sure what was going on but he saw Evan taking an odd selection of things into the stable, including stuff to cook." He looked up, the motion alerting me to the faint sound of a helicopter.
The sound was probably louder for Gillie, but phantom noise caused by the chemicals, gunfire and explosion still played inside my head. I looked at the man who had kept me from going back into the stable. A phone up to his ear, he paced beyond his team mate. His eyes met mine for a second, but there was no knowledge to pull from his expression or the way he held his body.
"Evan baited me," I told Gillie after a few more seconds. My lightly burnt cheeks must have flushed a couple shades darker because I felt a fresh heat on them as I remembered what Evan had said about putting sex toys and DNA in the guesthouse. "He might have planted evidence at your place, about you framing the Cahill brothers."
His brow shot up, the look urging me to go on. I took a hard swallow, the spit more painful than soothing as it traveled down my raw throat.
"He thought he could make it look like we were in cahoots to get him off the horse farm." I paused. I wasn't about to tell Gillie everything. He didn't need to know about the outfits Stark had bought me, both before and in Dubai, or speculate as to why I had held onto them. But he deserved to know at least a little. "He wanted my prints on the funnels and some of the containers in there, to make it look like I blew myself up trying to frame him. He might have planted chemicals at your place or some clothes that look like they'd fit me."
My cheeks flaming even hotter, I looked to where the helicopter had finally come into view. Stopping Gillie's attempts at first aid, I stood and moved closer to where the ambulance team was moving Collin onto a hand-held gurney. They did the same thing for the second man. Unlike Collin, he was conscious.
I put my mouth close to Gillie's ear so I wouldn't have to shout so loud over the helicopter. "Is Evan...you know."
He didn't answer, just pointed toward the stable. I followed the line of his arm and outstretched figure. I had been so intent on watching Collin worked on, I hadn't seen them carry Evan's body from the stable and drape a red cloth over it.
"Sometimes they leave them inside until the investigator gets here," he said. "But not if the chemicals will eat at the corpse."
I nodded, misplaced guilt and relief churning in my stomach. I guessed I felt guilty because I felt relieved that he was dead. Not happy -- just relieved.
"Can I go with Collin on the helicopter?" Another spike of guilt slammed into me as I saw a guarded expression flash across Gillie's face.
"Medical staff only." He walked me toward the ambulance crew who had abandoned their two charges to the flight doctor. "You'll ride in the ambulance as they finish first aid on you."
Shaking my head, I tried to brush his hand off me. "I'm fine, I--"
"You're going to the hospital." He switched the hand holding my elbow then wrapped the other around my shoulder so I couldn't brush him off. "Your throat and lungs need checked. It could have been worse, but that was serious shit you inhaled in there, Mia."
My head dropped as the tears I had been holding back started to flow. Whatever I had inhaled, whatever my skin had come into contact with, Collin had been exposed far worse -- all to protect a woman who had turned him away.
********************
They took me to the same hospital to which the air evac team had transported Collin. Just past the county line, it had more experience with meth lab explosions. Thankfully, our exposure was less harmful than it could have been because Evan either didn't know how to cook or he had decided framing me would be easier if it looked like I was ineptly trying to frame him. Whichever reason, he had a number of the ingredients
"Collin called, said he wasn't sure what was going on but he saw Evan taking an odd selection of things into the stable, including stuff to cook." He looked up, the motion alerting me to the faint sound of a helicopter.
The sound was probably louder for Gillie, but phantom noise caused by the chemicals, gunfire and explosion still played inside my head. I looked at the man who had kept me from going back into the stable. A phone up to his ear, he paced beyond his team mate. His eyes met mine for a second, but there was no knowledge to pull from his expression or the way he held his body.
"Evan baited me," I told Gillie after a few more seconds. My lightly burnt cheeks must have flushed a couple shades darker because I felt a fresh heat on them as I remembered what Evan had said about putting sex toys and DNA in the guesthouse. "He might have planted evidence at your place, about you framing the Cahill brothers."
His brow shot up, the look urging me to go on. I took a hard swallow, the spit more painful than soothing as it traveled down my raw throat.
"He thought he could make it look like we were in cahoots to get him off the horse farm." I paused. I wasn't about to tell Gillie everything. He didn't need to know about the outfits Stark had bought me, both before and in Dubai, or speculate as to why I had held onto them. But he deserved to know at least a little. "He wanted my prints on the funnels and some of the containers in there, to make it look like I blew myself up trying to frame him. He might have planted chemicals at your place or some clothes that look like they'd fit me."
My cheeks flaming even hotter, I looked to where the helicopter had finally come into view. Stopping Gillie's attempts at first aid, I stood and moved closer to where the ambulance team was moving Collin onto a hand-held gurney. They did the same thing for the second man. Unlike Collin, he was conscious.
I put my mouth close to Gillie's ear so I wouldn't have to shout so loud over the helicopter. "Is Evan...you know."
He didn't answer, just pointed toward the stable. I followed the line of his arm and outstretched figure. I had been so intent on watching Collin worked on, I hadn't seen them carry Evan's body from the stable and drape a red cloth over it.
"Sometimes they leave them inside until the investigator gets here," he said. "But not if the chemicals will eat at the corpse."
I nodded, misplaced guilt and relief churning in my stomach. I guessed I felt guilty because I felt relieved that he was dead. Not happy -- just relieved.
"Can I go with Collin on the helicopter?" Another spike of guilt slammed into me as I saw a guarded expression flash across Gillie's face.
"Medical staff only." He walked me toward the ambulance crew who had abandoned their two charges to the flight doctor. "You'll ride in the ambulance as they finish first aid on you."
Shaking my head, I tried to brush his hand off me. "I'm fine, I--"
"You're going to the hospital." He switched the hand holding my elbow then wrapped the other around my shoulder so I couldn't brush him off. "Your throat and lungs need checked. It could have been worse, but that was serious shit you inhaled in there, Mia."
My head dropped as the tears I had been holding back started to flow. Whatever I had inhaled, whatever my skin had come into contact with, Collin had been exposed far worse -- all to protect a woman who had turned him away.
********************
They took me to the same hospital to which the air evac team had transported Collin. Just past the county line, it had more experience with meth lab explosions. Thankfully, our exposure was less harmful than it could have been because Evan either didn't know how to cook or he had decided framing me would be easier if it looked like I was ineptly trying to frame him. Whichever reason, he had a number of the ingredients
Similar Books
