Summer?”
The person on the other end wasn’t cooperative. “Who is this?”
“Nikolai Tarei. Summer’s neighbor.” Damn this man had better have answers.
“Detective Matthews.”
Fear sliced through him with the suddenness of guerilla fire. “Where’s Summer?” He listened to the detective, his grip tightening on the phone until white showed on his knuckles. “Yeah. Okay.” He hit the end button and handed the phone back to Martin. “Summer’s in the hospital. Someone rear-ended her vehicle and fled the scene.” He didn’t add that the detective had sounded worried even though the man had tried to hide it. Nikolai took a deep breath, but it did little to dispel his own rising fear.
“Hospital? What’s she doing there?” Martin appeared uneasy, glancing at his watch every few minutes.
Nikolai wondered why. “Concussion concerns. They’re keeping her in overnight. You coming to the hospital?” He hated to ask but Summer would want to see the man.
Dare checked his expensive wristwatch again. “I can’t. I have an important meeting in half an hour. That’s why I’ve been trying to ring Summer—to cancel our dinner date. Look, tell her I’m sorry. I’ll check in on her later tonight.”
“All right.” Nikolai watched the man rush to his car, but instead of driving off, the man made a call. Weird. The clotheshorse wasn’t acting as if he was in a hurry. He didn’t seem worried about Summer either. If anything, he looked pissed.
Something or someone had rattled his cage.
Nikolai hurried inside to collect his car keys. The cushy babysitting number Henry had handed him was turning into the assignment from hell. Summer was in danger right up to her pretty little neck, and if he wasn’t careful, he would go down with her.
Chapter Nine
Nikolai stood at the door of the hospital room, his gaze on the still form in the narrow bed. His heart jumped and stuck halfway up his throat, his pulse hammering as if he’d just finished training maneuvers. She looked pale, so defenseless in the hospital bed, her blue-streaked hair a bright contrast to the wan face and the white pillowcase.
A cold sweat beaded his brow. Hell, if anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. This wasn’t a mere job, a favor to Henry any longer. Somehow, somewhere along the line, she’d wormed into his affections with her smart mouth and sassiness.
He shook himself and stepped closer to the bed. He must’ve made a sound because her eyes popped open.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Are…” Nikolai paused to clear the lump from his throat. “Are you okay?”
She nodded but winced slightly, enough to let him know she needed to stay right where she was in the hospital.
He grabbed a chair from the adjacent cubicle and set it next to the bed. “Are you up to telling me what happened?”
“I was driving to my Tae Kwon Do class. The traffic was heavier than normal so I took one of the back roads. A vehicle raced up behind, rear-ended me on purpose and drove off.”
“Bastard.” Anger pumped through his veins. He didn’t like the developing picture. Murky and disjointed as it was, it spelled danger. It was obvious someone wanted to hurt her, but that wasn’t going to happen. His jaw tensed as he mentally prepared—even if he had to watch her 24/7.
The need to touch her, to reassure himself she was okay roared through him. After battling the urge for long tension-filled seconds, he gave in and ran his fingers across the smooth skin of her brow. It wasn’t enough. He had a craving to haul her into his arms and hold her, body aligned to body.
A sexual charge jolted him, tightening his balls and jerking his cock. Instantly, disgust flew through his mind. She was hurt, yet he couldn’t get past the sexual heat that licked through his veins whenever he was in the same room, breathing the same air as her. Hell, he wasn’t sure whether to kiss her senseless or ream her out for her recklessness.
“I think it
The person on the other end wasn’t cooperative. “Who is this?”
“Nikolai Tarei. Summer’s neighbor.” Damn this man had better have answers.
“Detective Matthews.”
Fear sliced through him with the suddenness of guerilla fire. “Where’s Summer?” He listened to the detective, his grip tightening on the phone until white showed on his knuckles. “Yeah. Okay.” He hit the end button and handed the phone back to Martin. “Summer’s in the hospital. Someone rear-ended her vehicle and fled the scene.” He didn’t add that the detective had sounded worried even though the man had tried to hide it. Nikolai took a deep breath, but it did little to dispel his own rising fear.
“Hospital? What’s she doing there?” Martin appeared uneasy, glancing at his watch every few minutes.
Nikolai wondered why. “Concussion concerns. They’re keeping her in overnight. You coming to the hospital?” He hated to ask but Summer would want to see the man.
Dare checked his expensive wristwatch again. “I can’t. I have an important meeting in half an hour. That’s why I’ve been trying to ring Summer—to cancel our dinner date. Look, tell her I’m sorry. I’ll check in on her later tonight.”
“All right.” Nikolai watched the man rush to his car, but instead of driving off, the man made a call. Weird. The clotheshorse wasn’t acting as if he was in a hurry. He didn’t seem worried about Summer either. If anything, he looked pissed.
Something or someone had rattled his cage.
Nikolai hurried inside to collect his car keys. The cushy babysitting number Henry had handed him was turning into the assignment from hell. Summer was in danger right up to her pretty little neck, and if he wasn’t careful, he would go down with her.
Chapter Nine
Nikolai stood at the door of the hospital room, his gaze on the still form in the narrow bed. His heart jumped and stuck halfway up his throat, his pulse hammering as if he’d just finished training maneuvers. She looked pale, so defenseless in the hospital bed, her blue-streaked hair a bright contrast to the wan face and the white pillowcase.
A cold sweat beaded his brow. Hell, if anything happened to her, he’d never forgive himself. This wasn’t a mere job, a favor to Henry any longer. Somehow, somewhere along the line, she’d wormed into his affections with her smart mouth and sassiness.
He shook himself and stepped closer to the bed. He must’ve made a sound because her eyes popped open.
“Hi,” she whispered.
“Are…” Nikolai paused to clear the lump from his throat. “Are you okay?”
She nodded but winced slightly, enough to let him know she needed to stay right where she was in the hospital.
He grabbed a chair from the adjacent cubicle and set it next to the bed. “Are you up to telling me what happened?”
“I was driving to my Tae Kwon Do class. The traffic was heavier than normal so I took one of the back roads. A vehicle raced up behind, rear-ended me on purpose and drove off.”
“Bastard.” Anger pumped through his veins. He didn’t like the developing picture. Murky and disjointed as it was, it spelled danger. It was obvious someone wanted to hurt her, but that wasn’t going to happen. His jaw tensed as he mentally prepared—even if he had to watch her 24/7.
The need to touch her, to reassure himself she was okay roared through him. After battling the urge for long tension-filled seconds, he gave in and ran his fingers across the smooth skin of her brow. It wasn’t enough. He had a craving to haul her into his arms and hold her, body aligned to body.
A sexual charge jolted him, tightening his balls and jerking his cock. Instantly, disgust flew through his mind. She was hurt, yet he couldn’t get past the sexual heat that licked through his veins whenever he was in the same room, breathing the same air as her. Hell, he wasn’t sure whether to kiss her senseless or ream her out for her recklessness.
“I think it
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