FORGETTING THE PAST CAN BE DEADLY…

When Gabriella Fielding is kidnapped, she’s terrified…until she’s rescued by SWAT cop Shane Hawkins. Running for cover, Shane vows to protect the beautiful doctor who once saved his life. But can he really believe her claims that she has no knowledge about why her captors set their sights on her? Or is she hiding a dangerous secret? Somehow Shane has to help Gabby unlock her buried memories—before their mutual attraction breaks down the barriers around his heart. And before a desperate enemy determined to keep the past hidden strikes again and makes sure Gabby never remembers.

SWAT: Top Cops—Love in the Line of Duty

“Gabriella, are you all right?” Shane asked.

She rubbed her hand over her eyes and nodded.

“Let me help you,” he said, gingerly urging her upright. She leaned heavily against him as they continued moving through the woods.

“Maybe we can hide over there,” Gabriella murmured.

He turned to the left and saw what she meant. A huge tree had fallen, but instead of hugging the ground, it was propped up at thigh level by the massive branches at the far end.

Not the ideal place to hide, but it might work long enough that he could radio for help. He took Gabriella’s hand and silently led the way to the fallen tree.

“Right here,” he said, indicating the thickest area of the tree. Gabriella didn’t argue, collapsing to the ground and leaning against the rough bark.

Shane stayed right next to her, using his body as a shield as he took a few minutes to sweep his gaze across the area.

There was a part of him that wanted to keep moving, just in case, but at the same time, their backup was so close they only needed to hang on for a little while longer.

He crouched protectively over her and waited, hoping his teammates would arrive soon.

LAURA SCOTT is a nurse by day and an author by night. She has always loved romance, reading faith-based books by Grace Livingston Hill in her teenage years. She’s thrilled to have published over twelve books for Love Inspired Suspense. She has two adult children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, with her husband of thirty years. Please visit Laura at laurascottbooks.com, as she loves to hear from her readers.

Forgotten Memories

Laura Scott

www.millsandboon.co.uk

For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

—Ephesians 2:10

This book is dedicated to my wonderful niece, Michaela Wanke,

who has grown into an awesome young lady. Michaela,

always remember you can do anything you want in life

as long as you follow your faith and your heart. I love you!

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

Introduction

About the Author

Title Page

Bible Verse

Dedication

ONE

TWO

THREE

FOUR

FIVE

SIX

SEVEN

EIGHT

NINE

TEN

ELEVEN

TWELVE

THIRTEEN

FOURTEEN

FIFTEEN

SIXTEEN

SEVENTEEN

EPILOGUE

DEAR READER

Extract

Copyright

ONE

Dr. Gabriella Fielding walked outside into the starry night, grateful to be leaving the busy ER behind. It took a minute for the chilly September air to penetrate the haze that clouded her mind.

Exhaustion didn’t come close to describing how she felt. Every muscle in her body ached, especially the soles of her feet. And the pounding in her temples matched the beat of her heart.

Even her eyelashes hurt.

She’d been up over twenty-four hours straight, running trauma resuscitations and performing surgery for what felt like forever. Summer had given way to fall, but Milwaukee’s trauma season wasn’t over yet. The injured patients had continued to roll in. This was what she’d trained for, what she was meant to do, healing people who were victims of violence. Yet right now, responsibility weighed heavily on her shoulders, and it was all she could do to make it through one day at a time.

She hadn’t eaten since breakfast, but she was too tired to be hungry. Her shift was finally over, should have been over several hours ago, except that the last surgical case had been a two-physician job, requiring her to stay. Her patients always came first, so she hadn’t complained. But now she wanted nothing more than to go home and crawl into bed. With any luck she’d be able to sleep for a good twelve hours.

Thankfully, the cold air was helping to wake her up a bit. She only lived a mile away, but decided it might be better to drive home with her windows open, using the cold air to help stay alert.

A brisk north breeze hit her in the face as she left the shelter of the hospital building. She shivered and wrapped the edges of her lab coat together, quickening her pace as she headed across the street toward the concrete parking structure. All she could think about was that every aching step took her closer to home.

Without warning, two men dressed in black appeared out of nowhere. One grabbed her right arm, his fingers biting deep into her flesh, while the other guy roughly clasped her left arm. Terror roiled through her, but her reaction time was sluggish, and by the time she opened her mouth to scream, one of them clamped his hand over her mouth while the other guy rammed what felt like a gun painfully into her side.

“Don’t make us kill you,” the man with the weapon said in a low, gravelly voice.

She wanted to struggle, to fight, but she was outnumbered and didn’t have the strength to fight two big, muscular armed men. Besides, she knew, with far too much detail, how much damage a bullet could do to internal organs.

What did these thugs want with her? Gabby racked her brain, desperately trying to figure out what was going on. She didn’t have her purse, but she did have a little cash in her pocket. However, so far they hadn’t demanded money...

A huge four-door black truck suddenly came rolling out of the parking structure, stopping right at the curb. The guy with the gun yanked open the door to the backseat.

“Get in,” he said.

She began to balk, to search frantically for help, but the man with his hand over her mouth lifted her up as if she weighed nothing, and shoved her inside the vehicle.

Petrified, she attempted to cry out, but only managed to make grunting sounds over the hand he kept plastered over her mouth.

“Shut up,” he barked, following her inside. Despite the small space, he crawled over her so the guy with the gun could get in, too. Seconds later, the driver pulled away from the curb, taking her away from the hospital.

Gabby’s heart beat frantically in her chest. Somehow this didn’t seem like a random attack. But she still couldn’t imagine why she was a target. Unless...they knew she was a surgeon and were taking her somewhere because they needed her help.

Yes! That actually made a crazy sort of sense.

She’d done a house call once before, for the brother of one of the ER nurses. Shane Hawkins had been seriously injured while working undercover and couldn’t afford to go to the hospital, knowing that all gunshot wounds were immediately reported to the police. Since he didn’t know who within the force he could trust, she’d followed Leah’s directions, coming to the remote cabin where Shane was on the verge of succumbing to a serious infection.

Was this a similar case then? Someone driven to extremes because they needed a surgeon’s help? Kidnapping at gunpoint seemed a bit drastic, but she’d rather believe that than the alternative.

“Don’t hurt her too badly—Creighton wants to talk to her,” the driver said in a low voice.

Creighton? Who was Creighton? And why did he want her?

“I know the plan,” the man on her right responded in an irritated tone. The guy on her left unexpectedly took his hand away from her mouth and for a second she gasped, filling her lungs with badly needed oxygen.

If she screamed would anyone hear her?

Then her brief moment of relief vanished as he took what appeared like an old rag and jammed it hard against her mouth, forcing her jaws open. She thrashed her head from side to side, trying to evade the gag, but it was no use. He pulled the ends hard enough to cause pain before tying them together behind her head.

The rag tasted and smelled awful, a mixture of oil and gas, and her stomach lurched as she gagged. Feeling desperate, she fought back the urge to throw up, knowing she’d only choke to death on her own vomit. Thankfully her belly was empty.

There had to be some mistake. She didn’t know anyone named Creighton! Would they kill her outright if they found out they’d grabbed the wrong person?

“Here, use this,” the guy on her left said, holding out a length of rope. Before she could blink, the guy on the right had wrapped the rope tightly around her wrists.

Tears pricked her eyes as the truck took her farther and farther away from the medical center campus. So far, neither man had seemed interested in sexual assault, but maybe that was yet to come? Her gut knotted painfully at the thought. Her past experience with a guy she dated during her residency wasn’t reassuring. She’d managed to get away back then, but there were three guys this time around. No way would she beat those odds.

Panic welled in her chest and she had to concentrate on slowing down her breathing through her nose so she didn’t pass out. How long before anyone knew she was gone? She wasn’t due back at the hospital for the next two days, although she was on secondary call, which meant if trauma cases continued to come in, it was possible she’d be required to assist.

But she was afraid that by the time anyone realized she was missing, it would be too late.

* * *

Milwaukee county sheriff’s deputy Shane “Hawk” Hawkins was headed toward the ER entrance of Trinity Medical Center when he caught a glimpse of Dr. Gabriella Fielding hurrying along the sidewalk that paralleled the side of the hospital building. She was easily recognizable by her profile, her dainty features etched in his memory, not to mention her long curly red hair and slender frame. Despite the cool September night, she wasn’t wearing a jacket but held her white lab coat wrapped tightly around her as if to shield herself against the chill.

Shane scowled. Why on earth was Gabriella walking alone at midnight? Was this normally the time her trauma surgery shift ended? The medical center was located in a relatively safe neighborhood, but she should at least have a security escort taking her to her car.

Gabby had helped Shane six months ago when he’d been injured during an undercover operation. His sister, Leah, had called in a favor, asking Gabby to come to the isolated cabin where he’d been hiding to help out. The pretty trauma surgeon had been younger than he’d expected and had not only skillfully done surgery to remove the bullet from his shoulder, but provided fluids and antibiotics, too.

Gabriella had saved his life.

For which he owed her a huge debt of gratitude.

Shane was supposed to go inside Trinity Medical to obtain the bullet from their most recent shooting victim, but on impulse he quickly changed direction, bypassing the ER entrance to follow Gabby. He’d only seen her once since she’d saved his life, but she’d been busy during a trauma resuscitation and probably hadn’t noticed him standing off to the side. This time, he had the chance to actually talk to her.

He was driven by the need to thank her again for what she’d done for him. And, if he were honest, he’d admit that he’d thought of Gabby often over the past few months, even though he wasn’t interested in a relationship. Being burned by his former fiancée had taught him that he was better off alone. Linda had mistaken gratitude for love, and had found someone else even while they’d been engaged. A fact he’d discovered six months before the wedding.

He realized afterward that he should have known better. He’d helped Linda get rid of her abusive ex-boyfriend and she’d been the one who’d turned their friendship into something more. He’d fallen for her, but once the danger was over, she eventually discovered she hadn’t felt the same way.

Maybe he’d rushed into things because he’d wanted a family. He and Leah had bonded in the years since their mother died. They’d taken care of each other and he’d thought—well it didn’t matter. No way was he willing to go down that path of caring about someone again.

Shane would be content being the uncle to Leah’s son and any other children she and his buddy Isaac were blessed with.

Besides, would Gabriella even remember him after all this time? She took care of dozens of patients. Was he a fool to try and talk to her?

Probably, but even knowing that wasn’t enough to deter him. He’d thank her for saving his life, she’d accept his gratitude, and then they’d smile and go their separate ways.

As Gabriella approached the entryway of the parking structure, two men dressed in black suddenly surrounded her. Shane quickened his pace, watching in horror when a large black pickup truck pulled out of the parking structure in time for the two men to roughly shove Gabby inside.

No! Shane reacted without thinking, sprinting after the truck, keeping in the shadows as much as possible. Thankfully, his black SWAT uniform helped him blend into the night. The driver of the truck wasn’t speeding, obviously smart enough to know he shouldn’t attract undue attention. As the vehicle slowed at the stop sign, Shane chose that moment to dart out of the shadows and grab on to the edge of the tailgate. He hung there, his muscles tense with the effort, and silently prayed the driver wouldn’t notice.

The truck picked up speed and his fingers began to cramp as he clung precariously to the rear end of the truck, bracing his feet awkwardly on the bumper. When the vehicle hit a pothole, the back end bounced wildly, nearly throwing him off. He tightened his grip on the tailgate, determined to stick like glue.

He needed to swing himself up and inside the open bed of the truck, but also couldn’t afford to tip off the men who’d kidnapped Gabriella. He was seriously outnumbered. There were at least three of them inside—the two men who’d grabbed her and the driver. But with the tinted windows hiding them from view, he couldn’t discount the possibility of a fourth man, who could be sitting in the front passenger seat.

Three to four men for one hostage? Seemed extreme. They’d obviously come prepared. And why on earth did they want Gabriella?

A red traffic light loomed up ahead and Shane waited for the truck to slow down before making his move. The momentum of the vehicle’s deceleration pushed him closer against thee metal frame. Using that to his advantage, he carefully eased one leg over the edge of the tailgate, hoping the driver wasn’t looking in his rearview mirror.

The light turned green and the truck picked up speed. He hung there with one leg over the tailgate for a moment, before he was able to push upward with his other foot to get over the edge. He rolled over and landed inside the truck bed with a thud that sounded unbearably loud to his ears.

He froze, his pulse skyrocketing as he hid his face beneath the black sleeve of his arm to avoid being detected. He prayed that the men who’d taken Gabriella wouldn’t look back there to find him. Several moments passed before he realized he was safe.

For now.

Shane carefully lifted his head to look around the bed of the truck. There wasn’t anything back there from what he could see, so he belly crawled to the front, hugging the top edge directly beneath the rear window. He had to brace himself to avoid being tossed from side to side across the open space like a sack of potatoes. When the truck turned a corner and then accelerated even further, he hung on and peered over the edge, squinting against the harsh wind rushing past while trying to focus on landmarks.

A large sign loomed above him, confirming his suspicions. They were on Highway 45, heading north.

His radio was clipped to his lapel and he knew he needed to call for backup. He should have called immediately, but he’d been determined not to let the truck get away with Gabriella inside. It was a split-second decision he didn’t regret.

He pressed himself into the corner of the truck, hoping that no one would see him if they happened to look through the back window. He flipped the switch on his radio, covering the speaker with his hand.

“This is unit twelve,” he whispered urgently. “Crime in process, officer in need of assistance.”

“You’re breaking up, please repeat,” the dispatcher said in what seemed to be an excruciatingly loud voice.

Shane winced and continued to hold his hand over the speaker to muffle the noise as much as possible. “Ten thirty-one,” he hissed, giving the code again for crime in progress. “Hostage situation. Black four-door truck heading north on Highway 45.”

“Ten-four,” came the reply.

“No lights or sirens,” he added. The last thing he wanted was for Gabriella to be caught up in some sort of high-speed chase. “Going radio silent.”

He shut off the radio, knowing that was against the rules but not willing to jeopardize his precarious position.

Or Gabriella’s life.

Shane didn’t want to think about what she might be suffering at the hands of her kidnappers. A wave of helplessness washed over him. He had no idea what was going on, or why anyone would take a trauma surgeon hostage from the hospital in the first place. Dragging in a ragged breath, he closed his eyes for a moment, praying the men wouldn’t hurt her.

He’d learned to lean on his faith at times like this, and turning to God helped him remain calm.

The truck slowed down, so he peeked over the side in time to catch a glimpse of the exit sign for Highway 60. He frowned, trying to figure out where they were going. There were plenty of wide-open spaces out in this area of Wisconsin. Pike Lake State Park wasn’t far from here. Was that where the truck was headed?

Shane had no idea, but he needed some sort of plan for once they arrived at their final destination. And he would have to act fast, using the element of surprise to his advantage.

When the truck picked up speed, he flipped his radio on again. “This is unit twelve, we’re heading west on Highway 60.”

“Ten-four,” the dispatcher replied. “I have two units responding, no lights or sirens.”

“Ten-four.” Shane breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that help was on the way. Surely he and Gabriella could hang on long enough for reinforcements to arrive.

But after just a few miles the truck slowed down and turned right again on some sort of dirt road lined with trees. Branches swept across the roof, slapping him around his head and face. The vehicle bounced over the ruts before it slowly came to a stop in a small clearing.

Shane grimly realized that he didn’t have time to wait for his backup to arrive. They’d obviously reached their destination and the situation was coming to a head right now.

There was no way he’d let Gabriella down. She’d saved his life and he was determined to do the same.

No matter the risk.

TWO

Gabby was sandwiched between the two men dressed in black, her heart racing with fear.

The only advantage she had at the moment was the fact that they’d tied her wrists together in front of her. Slowly she edged her hands over to the right, trying to reach the pocket of her lab coat without either of the gunmen noticing.

Her wrists hurt from where the rope cut into her skin, but she forced herself to ignore the sharp pain as she slipped her fingers into the deep pocket. She knew she had a scalpel in there from earlier in the evening, when she thought she was going to need it but then hadn’t. The one-and-a-half-inch blade wasn’t much of a weapon, especially against a gun, but it was better than nothing. Still, she had to get it out of her pocket and take the cover off the sharp edge of the blade before she could even use it.

Gabby could feel the handle of the scalpel, but her fingers were growing numb and she couldn’t seem to get a grip on it. Twice she managed to grasp the handle between her fingers, but then when she tried to draw the blade out, dropped it.

Gabby swallowed hard as tears threatened. At twenty-nine years old, she wasn’t ready to die, and certainly not like this. What in the world was going on? She led a boring life, one that consisted of working, eating, sleeping and then working some more. Sometimes she read mysteries and tried to get some running in, but not very often. As the youngest trauma surgeon on staff, she was expected to take a good portion of the late-night and weekend shifts.

Her social life was nonexistent, which was the way she liked it. She’d avoided personal relationships since her residency, unable to fully trust that she wouldn’t become another victim again. Besides, she didn’t need a man interfering with her goal of dedicating her life to helping others.

She couldn’t imagine what she’d done to make anyone, especially a guy named Creighton, angry enough to do something like this. The more she thought about it, the more she believed these Neanderthals had grabbed the wrong person. This couldn’t possibly be about her. Yet being innocent wasn’t going to spare her life. If they didn’t rape her, they’d likely kill her.

Sooner than later.

But she wasn’t dead yet and just the idea of this being a potential sexual assault made her determined not to give up without a fight. She tried once again to grasp the handle of the scalpel and this time managed to hang on long enough to inch it up into the palm of her hand. Now she needed to figure out how to get the cover off the blade without slicing herself.

Abruptly the driver turned right onto a dirt road and the momentum made her fall against the guy on her left. Somehow she managed to hang on to the scalpel even when the guy harshly shoved her back upright.

“Hope you’re ready to cooperate with Creighton,” the guy on her left sneered. “Don’t bother trying to fight him—he’s used to getting what he wants.”

Gabby had no idea what that meant, and didn’t particularly want to find out. Desperately, she inched the handle of the scalpel farther into her hands until she could feel the edge of the plastic cover shielding the blade.

As the truck came to a stop in a small clearing, she managed to push the cover off the end without hurting herself. She did her best to keep the tip pointed down and hidden beneath the edge of her lab coat.

If either one of these men with guns looked at her hands too closely, they might see her meager weapon.

And then it would be game over.

The thug to her right slid out of the backseat first and then stood outside and gestured with his gun. “Get out.”

Gabby swallowed hard around the gag and scooted awkwardly across the bench seat, trying not to give in to the overwhelming sense of doom.

Despite having worked a twenty-four-hour shift, she needed to stay focused, ready to react at the right moment. The scalpel in her hands wasn’t much, but maybe, just maybe she’d catch these guys off guard long enough to run away. She hoped that the Creighton guy they talked about wasn’t standing there waiting for her.

The fact that she was wearing a white lab coat wouldn’t exactly help her hide for long. White was easy to see in the darkness of the night. Gabby winced. Why hadn’t she changed her clothes? It was obviously too late to wallow in regrets now.

“Hurry up,” the guy said with impatience.

The truck sat high off the ground, forcing her to jump down awkwardly. She stumbled and staggered off to the side, remaining bent over as she stayed on her feet, hiding the fact that she was still gripping the scalpel.

“Where do you think you’re going?” the guy growled, crossing over to where she was standing.

She obviously couldn’t answer with the gag in her mouth. There was no one else in the clearing, and the second guy was still making his way out of the car, so when the first guy came closer, she figured it was now or never. His jacket was open and he only wore a thin T-shirt beneath it. Gabby brought her bound hands upward, shoving the tip of the scalpel into his upper abdomen with all the force she could muster. He let out a howl of pain and doubled over, so she immediately turned and ran toward the trees.

Pop! Pop! The sound of gunfire echoed around her like fireworks on the Fourth of July, and she braced herself for searing pain even as she ducked behind the trees.

No pain yet, or maybe she was just too numb to feel it. She kept going, frustrated that she couldn’t get out of the lab coat with her hands tied in front of her, and worse, she’d inadvertently dropped the scalpel. Desperately she pushed farther into the woods, not even caring that she probably sounded like an elephant barging through the forest. She purposefully chose the dense areas in an attempt to use the brush for cover.

And while she normally wasn’t the type to pray, she found herself doing just that.

* * *

Shane crouched in the bed of the truck closest to the passenger side, watching and waiting for the right time to make his move. One guy got out from the backseat first and then told Gabriella to do the same, waving his gun at her in a way that made him clench his teeth in anger. If that guy hurt her... He couldn’t bear to finish that thought.

Moving slowly, Shane rose to his feet, plastering himself against the black truck in time to see Gabriella jump down and then stumble off to the side, putting space between herself and the first assailant.

Good job, he thought proudly, willing her to keep her distance if possible.

When the man who’d gotten out of the truck first moved closer to Gabriella, Shane pulled his weapon from his shoulder holster and waited for the second guy to get out, knowing that he’d have a better chance if he took care of both gunmen at the same time.

He was concentrating on the second perp, so he missed what happened. But when the guy closest to Gabriella howled in pain, Shane couldn’t help feeling a surge of satisfaction. Using the distraction to his advantage, he turned and fired at the second kidnapper, who’d just gotten out of the truck. When the perp fell backward, Shane turned his attention to the man who was doubled over in pain. He didn’t know how badly the guy was hurt, but since he was still on his feet, Shane shot him, before jumping down to the ground. Gabriella was already running into the trees, her white lab coat shining like a beacon as it flapped behind her.

He sprinted after Gabriella as more gunfire erupted from behind him. No doubt the driver, along with the two guys who must not be as injured as he’d thought.

Shane let her run for a bit, knowing they needed to cover a lot of ground, but when she glanced back at him, obviously afraid she was being followed, he understood she assumed he was one of the bad guys.

He caught up, reaching out to grab Gabriella’s arm. She swung at him with her bound wrists, her eyes wild.

“It’s me, Shane Hawkins,” he whispered, hoping she remembered him. “I’m a cop and I’m here to help.”

For a moment she stared at him, as if trying to see his face clearly in the dark. His SWAT uniform must have helped reassure her, because suddenly she sagged against him.

He was tempted to hold her reassuringly, but there was no time. Shane gripped her arm and urged her to continue moving. He’d caught a glimpse of the gag around her mouth and her bound wrists, but right now, putting distance between them and the gunmen was more important than freeing her.

Gabriella must have understood because she kept pace alongside him as they made their way farther into the woods. He wove a zigzag path going as fast as he dared, finally stopping behind two trees at what he estimated was a good seventy yards from the clearing.

He holstered his weapon and reached for his knife. “We need to get you out of that lab coat,” he murmured.

She nodded, her eyes wide as she held up her bound wrists. He cut through the rope, feeling helpless at the way she winced as blood rushed back into her fingers. He then reached up to untie the gag. She dragged in a harsh breath and it occurred to him that running while being gagged must have been grueling. When Gabriella was finally free, she shucked out of the lab coat, shivering in her thin dark green scrubs.

“Here,” Shane whispered. He quickly removed his black jacket and guided her arms into the sleeves. Then he balled up the white lab coat and tucked it deep in the brush. He kicked dirt over it and then straightened. “I’m sorry, but we have to keep moving.”

“I know,” she whispered back, drawing the edges of his jacket close.

Shane was impressed by Gabriella’s determination and fortitude. Her training as a surgeon must be helping her to keep calm in a crisis. Which was a good thing...because they couldn’t afford to slow down now. He didn’t hear anyone moving through the woods, but that didn’t mean the gunmen weren’t out there tracking them.

He quickened his stride and urged her to do the same. There was no way he was going to assume the two he’d shot at were too injured to move. His goal had been to wound them enough to get away, not to kill them.

No doubt, the uninjured driver was still out there, searching for them.

Shane turned to the right, hoping they could double back toward Highway 60. His backup should be arriving any time now, but the deputies wouldn’t know he and Gabriella were hiding in the woods. And he wanted to warn his team members about the gunmen.

Gabriella stumbled and fell to her knees, breathing hard. His heart ached for her and he dropped down, placing his arm over her shoulders and leaning close. “Gabriella, are you all right?” he asked.

She rubbed her hand over her eyes and nodded.

“Let me help you,” he said, gingerly urging her upright. When she was back on her feet, he anchored his arm around her waist. She leaned heavily against him as they continued moving through the woods.

Did he dare use the radio? The last thing he wanted was to broadcast their location to anyone close enough to hear them. Even the slightest sound would travel in the night.

“Maybe we can hide over there,” Gabriella murmured.

He turned to the left and saw what she meant. A huge tree had fallen, but instead of hugging the ground, it was propped up at thigh level by the massive branches at the far end.

Not the ideal place to hide, but it might work long enough that he could radio for help. He took Gabriella’s hand and silently led the way to the fallen tree.

“Right here,” he said, indicating the thickest area of the tree. Gabriella didn’t argue, collapsing to the ground and leaning against the rough bark.

Shane stayed right next to her, using his body as a shield as he took a few minutes to sweep his gaze across the area.

The night was eerily silent.

He flipped on his radio and cupped his hands over his mouth and the speaker. “This is unit twelve. What’s the status on backup?”

“Two squads have gotten off on Highway 60,” the dispatcher informed him. “Please provide your location.”

“Roughly two miles west on sixty, there’s a dirt road off to the right.” Shane wondered belatedly if the deputies had passed them by. The dirt road might not be easy to see.

“Ten-four,” the dispatcher responded.

Gabriella looked up and lightly grasped his arm. “Tell them to look for a red fire marker, number 271,” she said quietly.

He lifted a brow, wondering how on earth she’d managed to notice that detail, but repeated the information for the dispatcher.

“Ten-four,” the dispatcher said.

Shane flipped the radio off and hovered over Gabriella. There was a part of him that wanted to keep moving, just in case, but at the same time, their backup was so close they only needed to hang on for a little while longer.

“Do we have to move?” she whispered, obviously exhausted.

“Not yet, you can rest for now,” he replied. He wanted Gabriella to be safe before he could begin to figure out why she’d been kidnapped in the first place.

He crouched protectively over her and waited, hoping his teammates would arrive soon.

* * *

Gabby was still wired from the rush of adrenaline, but she wasn’t sure her legs would carry her much farther. Shane must think she was a wimp, but he had no way of knowing she’d worked more than twenty-four hours straight.

She was still reeling from the fact that the ruggedly handsome deputy had appeared out of nowhere to help her. Had he witnessed the men kidnapping her from the hospital? No other explanation made sense, and right now she was deeply grateful to know she wasn’t alone.

His coat smelled like him, warm and musky. She buried her face in the collar, taking a deep breath. Shane’s scent helped to keep her calm as she listened for any indication the gunmen were close.

The minutes ticked by with agonizing slowness. Shane finally flipped his radio back on.

“I need an update,” he said in a low, urgent tone.

“Unit ten has been trying to reach you. They’ve found the truck and three men, all dead.”

A chill snaked down her spine and she stared at Shane in horror. “Wh—what? How could all three be dead?” she stammered.

“That doesn’t make sense,” Shane replied grimly. “I only shot two of them, leaving a third unaccounted for. He was the driver.”

“Understood. Unit ten, please confirm the number of dead found at the scene,” the dispatcher said.

“Hawk, where are you?” a male voice asked impatiently. “We found the black truck on the dirt road, but we have three dead guys here, and we need to know what’s going on.”

“I don’t know how that’s possible,” Shane said. “We’re obviously not alone out here. Someone must be lurking nearby, and I won’t risk exposing the female hostage with me to any more danger.”

“Creighton,” Gabby whispered, reaching up to grasp his arm. “They were taking me to see a man named Creighton, and told me I’d better cooperate since he’s used to getting what he wants.”

Shane narrowed his eyes at her. “Do you know this Creighton guy?” he asked.

“No, never heard the name before in my life and I can’t even begin to guess if that’s his first or last name.”

“Subject at large goes by the name of Creighton,” he said through the radio. “Spread out and search the woods.”

“Ten-four, hold your twenty.”

“Are you sure you don’t remember someone named Creighton?” Shane pressed. “Someone you work with, one of your patients...or someone from your past?”

“I’m sure.” She wasn’t about to explain about her eidetic memory. Men tended to look at her oddly once they knew the truth. Yes, she was smart, but mostly because her brain was wired in a way that made it easy to remember things she’d read or learned. But for some reason, men were put off by her level of intelligence. Except for Damon, and he’d turned out to be a horrible brute anyway. She shivered again, forcing the bad memories of the past out of her mind. None of that mattered now.

She felt safe with Shane.

Finally the beam of a flashlight cut through the darkness. “Hawk? Is that you?” a male voice asked. She could see a tall, sandy-haired man walk toward them, dressed in the same black uniform as Shane’s.

“Yeah, we’re here,” Shane said, relief audible in his tone. “I’m glad to see you, Nate. Are you sure there’s no sign of anyone else hiding nearby?”

“I’m sure,” Nate’s tone was firm. “And when you see the scene back at the truck, you’ll be sure, too. Whoever did that is likely long gone.”

Gabby’s stomach clenched, not that she wasn’t used to seeing dead bodies, but generally she preferred to see them in the hospital setting, not where they’d been killed.

“Gabriella, are you able to walk?” Shane asked her. “Or would you rather I carry you?”

“No, thanks. I can walk.” She couldn’t imagine being carried out of here in Shane’s arms...talk about embarrassing! “And please call me Gabby.” She dragged herself upright with an effort, secretly relieved when Shane put his arm around her waist again, grateful for his support.

“I’m Deputy Freemont,” Nate said, coming up alongside her. She nodded, humbled by the fact that these brave men had put their lives on the line to rescue her.

Especially Shane.

“I don’t know how you managed to find me,” she murmured to Shane as they approached the clearing. Now that they were walking back to the scene from where she’d managed to escape, she felt nervous, half expecting the men in black to come after her again. “I thought for sure those thugs would hurt or kill me.”

“I was supposed to be picking up evidence at the hospital, but when I saw you outside, I decided to head over to talk to you,” Shane said. “I just happened to be several yards behind when those two men grabbed you.”

“Did you follow the truck?” she asked.

“No, I managed to hitch a ride in the back,” he admitted gruffly. “There was no way I was going to let them get away with hurting you.”

The stark conviction in his tone sent a shiver of awareness down her spine. Gabby knew Shane was a cop and that protecting people like her was part of his job, but she couldn’t help thinking how attractive he was with his dark brown hair and blue eyes. But his big muscular frame was a bit intimidating, even though he didn’t give any indication that he’d use his strength against her.

Damon hadn’t given her that impression, either.

Trusting men wasn’t easy for many reasons. Damon had tried to sexually assault her. And she still resented her stepfather for sending her away at nine years old to live at the Einstein School of Brilliance. He hadn’t seemed to care how much he’d hurt her by tearing her away from her mother. And her mother certainly hadn’t stood up for Gabby, either.

She shook her head, reminding herself that all of that angst was in the past. She needed to stay focused on the present. Her career. The hospital, the one place she knew she belonged.

She walked alongside Shane and when they approached the clearing, he stopped and placed a restraining hand on her arm. “You shouldn’t come any closer, Gabby,” he advised. “This might give you nightmares. Stay here with Nate and I’ll return shortly.”

“No, I want to come,” she said, surprising herself with the need to see what had happened.

He frowned and shook his head. “There’s no reason for you to have to see this,” he insisted.

“Shane, I’m a trauma surgeon,” she reminded him. “I’ve probably seen more gunshot wounds than you.”

Shane and Nate exchanged a look of frustration. “I doubt it,” Shane said grimly. “Come along, if you insist, but stay close to me.”

She was still shaken by what had happened, so sticking close to Shane wasn’t a problem. There were several other cops in the clearing, but Gabby’s focus was on the dead gunmen.

The closest man lying on the ground was the guy she’d stabbed with her scalpel. Even though she was told they were dead, she found herself kneeling and reaching out to feel for a pulse.

“Don’t,” Shane said quickly, reaching down to take her hand. “I’m sorry...but I can’t risk you accidently contaminating the evidence.”

She hadn’t thought of this as a crime scene, but of course it was. “Sorry,” she murmured. “But you should know this is the one I stabbed with a scalpel.”

“A scalpel?” he repeated in surprise. “You normally carry one around with you?”

She flushed and shook her head. “No, but sometimes supplies end up in my pocket. This particular scalpel wasn’t the kind we use in the operating rooms but one of the disposable ones that we use to make small incisions as needed while providing patient care in the emergency department.”

“I’m really glad you had that with you,” he said, looking deep into her eyes. “Using that as a weapon provided the perfect distraction to help me take out the other guy.”

She nodded, ridiculously touched by his praise.

“Nate, shine your flashlight on him. There, see? He has two gunshot wounds,” Shane said. “I shot at his chest, and can see the entry wound where I hit him. But there’s no way I gave him the gunshot wound in his forehead.”

“The other two guys have the same type of injury,” Nate added, leaning over Shane’s shoulder. “They were all taken out with a single gunshot wound to the head. You can see why we figured the shooter was long gone.”

“I’m not sure I understand,” Gabby said, glancing between the two deputies.

“Dead men don’t talk,” Shane explained in a somber tone.

She shivered, knowing he was right. Dead men couldn’t talk, and she couldn’t help wondering if Creighton himself had done this.

And if so, what had he intended to do with her?

THREE

Shane scowled and glanced around the clearing, trying to piece together what exactly had taken place. “Don’t you think it’s odd that he didn’t come after us? Why give up so easily?”

Gabby shook her head and shrugged. “I don’t know.”

“Did you notice anyone following you before all this happened?” Nate asked her.

“No, but again, I wasn’t really paying attention to that kind of thing.” She shivered again, and Shane didn’t think it was from the cold. “I was focused on getting home.”

He wanted to put his arm around her for support, but reminded himself he was here to protect her. Nothing more. “Maybe Creighton heard the gunfire and knew that Gabby escaped with my help. Since he knew I was armed, Creighton decided to kill the guys who had let her get away and decided to wait for a better time to come after her.”

“Sounds plausible,” Nate agreed.

“But the real question here is why they’re after Gabby in the first place,” Shane said thoughtfully. “I still find it incredible that they dared to grab her from right outside the hospital.”

“I know, and that’s been bothering me,” she admitted. “Those guys had to be waiting there in the parking structure for a really long time. I ended up working over twenty-four hours straight, and frankly, the only routine thing about my schedule is that it’s not routine.”

“Is it possible they couldn’t find your home address?” Nate asked. “Did you move there recently?”

“Yes, I moved into my current place just three months ago,” Gabby replied. “But I only live a mile from the hospital and, considering how everything these days is on the internet, I can’t imagine that they couldn’t find the address if they really tried.”

“True, but maybe they hadn’t gotten that far,” Nate mused. “Could be that they knew you worked at the hospital so used that as their stake-out point.”

Shane knew that with resources, finding Gabriella’s address wouldn’t take long. “That settles it,” he said, taking Gabby’s arm and drawing her away from the corpse. “You’re not staying at your place alone until we figure out who’s after you and why.”

“Wait, maybe we’re overreacting,” she said, backpedaling. “The whole time they had me, I couldn’t help thinking they’d grabbed the wrong person. Maybe they mistook me for someone else?”

“You mean they would have kidnapped any beautiful woman with red hair?” Shane echoed drily. “No way, Gabby. This is definitely personal.” He gave her a pointed look. “It’s obvious they want something specific from you—otherwise, why would they tell you to cooperate with Creighton?”

“None of this makes sense,” she said with a scowl. “But I’m telling you, I don’t know Creighton and I think they grabbed me by mistake.”

Shane turned to Nate, tired of arguing and determined to get Gabby away from here. “Would you mind giving us a lift back to the hospital? That’s where I left my car.”

“Sure,” his friend agreed. “After we’re finished here, I’ll give you both a ride back.”

“Good, that way I can take Gabby someplace safe where this Creighton guy will never find her.”

“Wait a minute,” Gabby protested. “I can’t just disappear! I have patient-care responsibilities.”

“She has a point,” Nate said. “And really, it might be best if she stays inside the hospital where there are plenty of people surrounding her. These guys waited for her outside because it was a better place to grab her. It wouldn’t be so easy to get to her inside the hospital.”

Shane hesitated. Nate was right. Being surrounded by dozens of people around the clock was a good way to remain safe. “I wish the hospital security guards carried weapons,” he muttered.

“A Taser is a weapon,” Nate said mildly. “And I know the senior security guards carry Tasers.”

“There are dozens of call rooms,” Gabby spoke up. “I can stay in one of them.”

Shane considered the fact that Gabby might be safer in a call room at the hospital than in some isolated hotel room. And he could sleep on the floor outside her room as an extra point of security. The floor wouldn’t be comfortable, but maybe they could find a blanket or two for him to use as a cushion.

“Uh-oh, we’re in trouble now,” Nate muttered. “I just saw Griff pull up.”

“Who’s that?” Gabby asked with a frown.

“Our boss,” Shane explained. “He’s tough but fair, even if he doesn’t know how to smile.”

“That guy is seriously intense,” Nate added.

Their tall, blond-haired leader climbed out of the police vehicle and strode purposefully toward them. “Hawk, fill me in on what went down,” he ordered.

Shane gave him the condensed version and as he spoke, Griff’s serious expression morphed into a dark scowl.

“Why didn’t you follow protocol by calling for backup right away?” Griff demanded. “You could have tailed the truck using your squad.”

Shane shook his head, deciding this wasn’t the time to explain how he owed Gabby for saving his life. “I followed my instincts, and my vehicle was too far away to go back for it.”

Griff glared at him for a long moment before he spoke in a grim tone. “Hawk, you’re the newest member of my team and a good cop. But I need you to follow the rules. Trust me, if you pull a stunt like this again, I’ll cut you loose so fast your head will spin like a top.”

“Understood,” Shane said, swallowing hard. The last thing he wanted was to lose his job, but he wasn’t going to apologize for rescuing Gabby, either.

Given the same set of circumstances, he’d do the same thing again.

“Excuse me, Mr. Griff?” Gabby spoke up.

It hardly seemed possible, but Griff’s expression turned even darker. “Vaughn, Lieutenant Vaughn,” he corrected in a clipped tone.

“Oh, sorry, Lieutenant. I wanted to make sure you understand how grateful I am for Shane’s actions tonight. Maybe he didn’t follow protocol but he saved my life.”

Shane wanted to tell Gabby to be quiet, that she was probably only making things worse, but the fact that she spoke up in his defense at all caught him off guard. Was she actually trying to shield him from Griff’s anger? The notion was inconceivable.

“Look, Miss—” Griff began, but she swiftly cut him off.

“Doctor,” she corrected, adopting the same clipped tone he’d used earlier. “Dr. Gabby Fielding, trauma surgeon.”

Griff looked polaxed by Gabby’s quick comeback and Shane didn’t dare look over at Nate for fear he’d burst out laughing. Obviously, Gabby didn’t have red hair for nothing.

“Dr. Fielding, I’m truly glad you’re all right, but the end doesn’t always justify the means.”

Gabby opened her mouth to argue, but Griff shook his head.

“Let’s put that aside for now, okay? Have either of these deputies taken your statement yet?” the lieutenant asked, his tone softer than it had been before.

“No, but I’m happy to do that right now if needed,” she responded.

Shane wasn’t surprised when his boss backed off. After all, Gabby wasn’t just any victim—she was a well-respected doctor in the community. She’d been the surgeon on duty after the airport shooting that had taken place ten days ago, and he’d had the opportunity to see her in action since he and Nate had ended up following the victims to the ER.

Watching Gabby in the trauma room had only reminded him how good she was at her job. She was smart, gutsy and never once hesitated doing exactly what needed to be done.

He’d admired her from afar but didn’t dare allow his feelings to get personal.

Nate took her statement at Griff’s direction. Gabby reported the events she’d suffered in a monotone voice, as if she were reciting a recipe rather than describing the way she’d been victimized. Once again, he was struck by the need to place a reassuring hand on her arm, but of course he didn’t. Shane glanced back at the dead men in the clearing. After his dad died, he’d run with a rough crowd and had gotten arrested. He counted his blessings that he’d been able to turn his life around, becoming a cop rather than continuing on a downhill spiral.

“Thank you, Doctor. Are you sure you can’t describe the men in more detail?” Griff pressed.

Gabby’s control snapped. “I gave you everything I saw and heard in explicit detail. I have a good memory, so trust me when I say there isn’t anything more I can tell you.” She huffed out a weary breath. “Besides, I’ve been up well over twenty-four hours straight and I need to get back to the hospital so I can get some sleep.”

“We’re almost finished here,” Nate said.

“No, we are finished here. I refuse to be interrogated as if I’m the one who did something wrong.”

“Dr. Fielding, I assure you my intent wasn’t to treat you like a criminal,” Griff said. “But victims often remember more details than they realize. We have to ask questions over and over to get the full story.”

“I remember everything crystal clear,” she said flatly. “I have an eidetic memory, so there’s no point in rehashing this any longer. You know everything I do, so I’d like to leave. Now,” she added for emphasis.

“Griff, why don’t you let me drive the doctor and Hawk back to Milwaukee,” Nate offered. “We can follow up more later if we need to.”

“Okay, fine,” the lieutenant said with reluctance. “But keep in touch...and Hawk? I expect to see your report on his first thing in the morning.”

“Will do,” Shane agreed, even though first thing in the morning was only six hours from now. It was already two o’clock and they had a good thirty-minute ride back to the city. Being off duty for the next couple of days was good timing. He’d have a chance to keep a close eye on Gabby.

“Come on, my car is parked out on the road,” Nate said as he turned away from the clearing.

Gabby followed the deputy without saying a word, stumbling a bit as she walked. Shane slipped his arm around her waist, silently offering support.

“Thank you,” she murmured, leaning against him. “Do you think we can go to my house to pick up some things before we go to the hospital? I really need a change of clothes.”

“If it’s safe,” he hedged, wishing he could do what she wanted. But he wouldn’t sacrifice her safety for clothes.

She swayed as she walked and he told himself that if she stumbled again, he’d lift her up into his arms and carry her, but they managed to make it out to Nate’s car without any trouble. He tucked Gabby in the backseat and slid in beside her.

Nate lifted his eyebrow but didn’t comment as he went around to take the driver’s seat. Gabby fumbled with the seat belt, so he reached over to help her before clicking his own into place.

Shane wasn’t surprised when Gabby curled into the corner between the seat and the door and closed her eyes, finally giving in to her exhaustion. He couldn’t imagine how she’d held herself together for these last few hours after finishing a grueling shift.

“Is she out?” Nate asked, catching Shane’s gaze in the rearview mirror.

“Yeah.” He scrubbed his hands over his face, wondering how in the world they’d find this guy, Creighton, before he found her. He didn’t buy her theory that she’d been grabbed by mistake. Although, with her eidetic memory, surely she’d remember an unusual name like Creighton.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized that they were better off going straight to Trinity Medical. It could be that the hospital was the last place Creighton would look for her at least in the next day or so.

Gabby shifted in her seat, turning to burrow against him instead of the hard door. He put his arm around her shoulders, holding her close.

“Don’t get in over your head, Hawk,” Nate warned. “She might be a victim in all this, but we really don’t know for sure that she’s totally innocent. She might actually know Creighton.”

“No way,” Shane protested, every instinct in his body refusing to believe the worst. “I saw how frightened she was, Nate. She stabbed the gunman with her scalpel to get away. If she knew Creighton, she would have said something.”

“I get that’s what you want to believe,” Nate said bluntly. “But just remember to keep an open mind.”

Shane didn’t answer, distracted by the citrusy scent lingering in Gabby’s hair. He inhaled deeply, letting the fragrance fill his mind.

Yeah, he’d consider all possibilities, but at the same time, he knew he’d absolutely protect Gabby from harm.

Sacrificing his own life, if necessary.

* * *

From the dim recesses of her mind, Gabby could hear someone calling her name.

“Gabby? Come on, Gabby, you have to wake up, we’re here at the hospital.”

“Sleep,” she whispered, pressing her face into the warmth of her pillow.

“Gabby, please, I know how much you need to rest, but you need to show me where your call room is so I can take you there. Then you can sleep.”

She heard the words, but it took a few minutes for them to register through the fog in her brain. As much as she wanted to go home, she forced herself to open her eyes and lift her head.

At first she didn’t understand that she was still in the backseat of the car, but when she saw Shane so close, she was chagrined to realize his shoulder had been her pillow. “Sorry,” she muttered, rubbing her eyes against the burn of fatigue. “Okay, I’m up.”

“Good, now just show me where your call room is located, okay?”

Gabby focused on pulling herself together long enough to get out of the car. But the muscles in her body seemed to be moving in slow motion. She lifted the door handle and shoved, barely having the strength to open the door, but then Shane was there with a helping hand.

“Thank you,” she whispered. She stumbled out with a low groan.

And then suddenly, she was swept up off her feet and cradled against his chest.

She clung to Shane’s broad shoulders as he strode into the hospital through the ER doors. There were several nurses sitting at the triage desk and one of them jumped up when she saw him.

“Oh no, is that Dr. Gabby?” she asked, aghast. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened, she’s just tired,” Shane retorted. “I need you to show me where the call rooms are located.”

Gabby was half listening to the exchange, too tired to be mortified. Just the thought of walking under her own power was overwhelming.

All the adrenaline that had rushed through her bloodstream had drained away, leaving her limp and weak.

“Right this way,” the nurse replied. “Are you sure she’s not hurt?”

“I’m sure.” Shane’s tone was firm enough that the nurse didn’t argue.

Gabby must have dozed again, because the next thing she knew, she was being set carefully down in a bed.

“Rest now, Gabby,” Shane murmured, brushing her hair away from her face in a soothing gesture. “You’re safe here. I’ll be just outside the door if you need anything.”

She wanted to assure him that wasn’t necessary, but he flipped the light switch off and left her alone, closing the door behind him.

And this time, she didn’t bother to fight against the desperate need to sleep.

* * *

“So now what?” Nate asked as Shane closed the door of the call room behind him.

Good question. “I need a favor,” he said. “Will you stay here outside her room for a few minutes?”

“Why, where are you going?” Nate asked suspiciously.

Shane had a feeling his buddy wasn’t going to like his plan. “I want to head over to Gabby’s house,” he admitted. “Just to make sure everything is okay.”

“So what if it is?” Nate countered. “That doesn’t mean Creighton won’t show up hours from now, looking for her there.”

“I know, but my gut is telling me to check her place out now,” he repeated. “Thirty minutes. Give me thirty minutes.”

Nate let out a heavy sigh. “Fine, take your half hour. But how are you going to find her house?”

“I’m hoping one of the nurses knows her address,” he said. He decided against calling his sister, Leah, because it was the middle of the night and he didn’t want to risk waking her son, Ben, or her husband, Isaac, who also happened to be a member of their SWAT team. Since Isaac was off this weekend, Shane knew he wouldn’t appreciate being dragged into this mess.

Besides, Gabby’s safety was his responsibility.

Getting the location of Gabby’s home was way too easy. Stacy, the triage nurse who’d showed them to Gabby’s call room, had been able to give him everything but the actual house number.

“She lives in the third house from the corner, on the west side of Rivera Street,” Stacy said. “It’s a brown ranch-style house with tan shutters on the front window. I live in the four-family apartment that’s two blocks over and have seen her there several times.”

“Thanks,” Shane said. “Deputy Nathan Freemont will be waiting here until I return. If you can spare a chair for him, I’d appreciate it.”

“Oh, uh, sure, no problem.” Stacy frowned. “Is Dr. Gabby in trouble?”

Shane debated how much to tell her. “No, of course she’s not in trouble. We just want to be sure she’s safe, that’s all.”

Stacy looked as if she wanted to ask more questions, but he abruptly turned and strode toward the doors leading outside.

After sweeping his gaze around the area to make sure he didn’t see anything amiss, he jogged across the street to the surface parking lot where he’d left his sheriff’s deputy vehicle.

Following Stacy’s directions wasn’t difficult and he slowed his speed when he approached Gabby’s house. The windows were dark, although there was a small light on over the side-entrance doorway.

Instead of stopping, he drove past, circling the block to park on the next street. Shane silently got out of the car and then walked between the two houses into Gabby’s backyard.

There were two young maple trees and he hovered behind the one closest to the side entrance to the house, looking for any signs of an intruder.

If he were Creighton, he’d make Gabby’s house his next stop. Shane fully believed the guy was either here himself or had sent yet another flunky to keep an eye on the place.

Shane stayed where he was for what seemed like hours but was probably only fifteen minutes. He was just about to give up so that he could fulfill his thirty-minute promise, when he saw a light flicker inside the house.

His heart thumped heavily in his chest as he carefully pulled his .38 from his shoulder holster. The light had almost instantly vanished, and for several seconds he wondered if he’d imagined the entire thing.

But then he saw the light flicker again, in a different location, and knew his instincts had been right.

Someone was inside Gabby’s house.

This time he didn’t hesitate to call for backup and it wasn’t because he was worried about Griff being ticked off with him. He wanted the house surrounded as soon as possible.

This time the intruder wasn’t going to get away.

After giving the dispatcher the location, he darted from the tree over to the house, plastering himself against the brick. He carefully peeked around the corner to the side entrance.

The light was still on, but from the back of the house he couldn’t see the front door. He needed a better position so he could watch both doorways.

The neighbor’s yard was his best option. Shane made his way carefully around the neighbor’s house, hoping that no one would catch a glimpse of him and yell out, giving away his position. The fact that it was the middle of the night worked in his favor.

After a long three minutes, he was hidden along the front of the neighbor’s house, where he could see both doorways. He crouched down to wait.

Almost instantly, the front door opened a crack and a figure emerged. There was no sign of his backup, but he refused to let this guy get away.

“Stop, police!” he said, stepping out of the shadows.

The figure on the porch lifted a gun and Shane hit the ground mere seconds before the shot echoed and a bullet whizzed over his head.

By the time he looked up, the figure was gone.

No! He was getting away!

Shane leaped up and dashed over to Gabby’s front yard, frantically searching for a sign of the intruder. But he was gone, vanished somewhere into the night.

Leaving Shane to wonder if the guy had found what he was looking for inside Gabby’s house? Or not?

He hadn’t seen anything in the interloper’s hands, but that didn’t mean much. But he obviously needed to keep a vigilant watch over Gabby, until he could be absolutely sure she was safe.

FOUR

Gabby woke up, momentarily confused by the darkness. When she figured out she was in a twin-size bed, she surmised she was in a call room rather than at home. She turned over and peered at the tiny alarm clock located on the bedside table. The red numbers read eleven o’clock, but was that morning or night? Without a window for natural light, it was difficult to tell. Especially since she couldn’t remember what time it had been when she’d returned to the call room in the first place.

She turned on the lamp located next to the clock and slid out of bed, running a hand through her tangled curls. Her stomach cramped with hunger and her mouth was desert dry, so she headed into the small bathroom.

Fifteen minutes later she felt more human, even though without a blow-dryer she was forced to let her curly red hair air-dry. She checked her pager, to make sure she hadn’t missed any calls, before opening the door to leave.

She took one step and tripped over the prone figure of Shane lying on the floor across the doorway.

“Oomph,” he grunted as she landed, without much grace, directly on top of him.

“Sorry, sorry,” she muttered, shrinking away from him as much as possible as she tried to disentangle herself from his large, muscular frame.

“My fault,” Shane assured her, managing to shift her to the side so he could rise to his feet. He offered her a hand up and she struggled to hide her reaction to him. “You look better this morning, Gabby, but how are you feeling?”

“Fine. Hungry,” she added as the events from the night before came rushing back. Staring into his mesmerizing blue eyes, she visualized everything with distinct clarity. Had she really allowed Shane to carry her into the hospital like some fairy-tale damsel in distress? What was wrong with her? She hadn’t gotten to where she was, the youngest trauma surgeon on staff at Trinity Medical Center, by being weak. Her colleagues would never respect her if she continued to allow that sort of behavior to happen.

Time to get back on track. She wasn’t the timid, vulnerable girl she’d been as a new resident. Damon had taken advantage of her innocence, but no way would she allow that to happen again.

“Let’s grab some breakfast,” Shane suggested.

The thought of sharing a meal with the strikingly handsome deputy filled her with a strange sense of panic. “Oh, I’m sure you have work to do, and so do I,” she hedged.

“I don’t have anything pressing and we need to talk,” Shane said, his expression grim. He lowered his voice to a whisper. “Someone broke into your house last night.”

“What?” She’d assumed he had been with her the entire time since Nate had driven them back to the hospital. “When? What happened?”

“Let’s eat, and then talk,” Shane said, placing his hand in the small of her back. “Which way to the cafeteria?”

She didn’t appreciate his evasiveness, but she was too hungry at the moment to argue with him. “Follow me,” Gabby said, heading down the corridor and then taking a series of turns. She knew all the shortcuts and took a back staircase that came out right near the cafeteria.

The place was busy since it was eleven-thirty in the morning and the lunch crowd was already packed in. She longed for breakfast, her favorite meal of the day, but the hospital cafeteria stopped serving bacon and eggs by nine-thirty, so she settled for a grilled-chicken sandwich and a salad.

Shane ordered a roast beef sandwich and then followed her to the checkout line. He pulled out his wallet, but she waved him away. “I’ll put this on my ID badge,” she murmured.

“No, I’m paying,” Shane said in a clipped tone. He pinned the cashier with a stern look and of course the woman was happy to accept his cash.

Gabby grimaced, belatedly realizing she must have offended his pride, although that certainly hadn’t been her intention. In the world of medicine, she was accustomed to colleagues paying for each other regardless of gender.

Besides, she didn’t want to give Shane the impression that this was personal.

“Thanks,” she said when they carried their trays to one of the few empty tables in the back of the room. “I really appreciate it.”

Shane gave a curt nod, glancing around as if looking for somewhere more private. Unfortunately, there weren’t many open spaces, much less anything offering privacy.

They took their seats and Shane closed his eyes and bowed his head for a moment before he picked up his roast beef. She was a little surprised by his quick prayer but didn’t say anything as she dug into her salad with gusto. Neither one of them spoke as they concentrated on their food.

Once her stomach was full, she eased back in her seat, feeling like her old self. Amazing what sleep and food could do. She pushed her empty plate aside, grimacing when she realized that she’d finished her chicken sandwich and her salad, while Shane was still eating his roast beef. Working in health care, she tended to eat at warp speed in case she was interrupted by a trauma call.

“Did you come up for air?” Shane asked, flashing a wry grin. His smile transformed his rugged features and it occurred to her that this was the first time she’d seen him smile.

“Probably not,” she admitted, hoping her fair skin didn’t betray her embarrassment. “I’ve learned to eat fast or skip meals.”

“I understand—trust me, it’s the same thing for us. Seems that the minute we sit down to eat, we get called out for one thing or another.”

She nodded, pushed her empty tray aside and leaned forward. “Okay, so tell me what happened last night,” she said in a hushed voice. “How do you know my house was broken into?”

“I was there,” he said, his expression turning serious. “But I’d rather not talk here, it’s too crowded. Give me a few minutes to finish up and then we’ll head over to your place. I need to know what, if anything, is missing.”

Patience wasn’t one of her strengths, but Gabby nodded and tried not to tap her fingers restlessly on the table while he finished eating. The thought of someone going through her personal things bothered her deeply.

Had he stayed here at the hospital all night because of the break-in at her home? She was oddly touched that Shane had felt it necessary to sleep on the floor in front of her room. She couldn’t imagine what the staff had thought about that. He couldn’t have been very comfortable, and she hoped he wasn’t putting his job in jeopardy by spending so much time with her. After all, his boss, Lieutenant Vaughn, hadn’t seemed too happy with Shane last night.

“Do you want anything else?” he asked, rising to his feet.

“No, I’m fine, thanks.”

He took her tray and stacked it on top of his before making his way over to the conveyor belt near the exit.

“I’m parked in the structure,” he said as she led the way back to the ER.

“Me, too,” she admitted. “I’ll meet you at my place.”

“No, we’ll drive together,” Shane said, an underlying edge of steel lacing his tone. “You can’t stay there, Gabby.”

She had to tamp down a flash of temper. Of course she knew that staying at her house wasn’t an option. “Thanks, I appreciate your advice.”

“This isn’t advice, it’s nonnegotiable,” Shane said bluntly as he held the door open for her.

She scowled but then ducked her head as they walked into the bright, blinding sunlight. She paused and blinked, giving her eyes a chance to adjust.

Shane waited at her side, keeping pace as she began to walk. As they approached the parking structure, she remembered that her car keys, cell phone and driver’s license had been in the pocket of her lab coat, which was buried in the dirt and leaves somewhere in the middle of the woods. With a sigh, she acknowledged she couldn’t drive her car right now, even if she wanted to.

“This way,” he said, lightly touching her arm to steer her to the right.

The deputy-issue vehicle wasn’t exactly inconspicuous, and as they approached the car, she winced when one of her colleagues strode past them, acknowledging her with a brief yet curious nod.

Personal news tended to ripple through the hospital grapevine at an alarming rate, and back when things had exploded between her and Damon, it seemed as if everyone had looked at her differently. In the years since, she’d tried to fade into the background, unwilling to jeopardize what she’d worked so hard to achieve. Healing patients was her calling. Her mission. Her life.

Shane, with his dark brown hair, broad shoulders and strong jaw, was far too big, muscular and attractive for her peace of mind. The sooner she figured out what Creighton wanted, or who he was really after, the better.

Because Deputy Shane Hawkins was a dangerous distraction she couldn’t afford.

* * *

Shane hoped that once Gabby saw the mess left behind in her home, she’d realize that she couldn’t stay there. He’d been forced to bite his tongue several times in the face of her stubbornness.

Yet, oddly enough, he was glad her feistiness had returned. He’d enjoyed the way she’d curled up beside him in the back of Nate’s car, and carrying her into the hospital hadn’t exactly been a hardship. But he liked how she stood up for herself and imagined that she’d had to do that often in her role as a trauma surgeon.

Shane pulled the passenger door open and waited as she slid into the seat. After shutting the door behind her, he rounded the car to climb in. Gabby didn’t say anything but twisted her hands in her lap as he backed up the vehicle and left the parking structure.

Once they were out on the road, she broke the tense silence. “Tell me what happened.”

He nodded, knowing she deserved the truth. “I went to your house after you fell asleep in the call room.”

“How did you know my address?” she asked.

“The nurse at the triage desk told me, which, by the way, isn’t good. I appreciate that I’m a cop so she no doubt felt I was trustworthy, but your coworkers shouldn’t be sharing your personal information with anyone else, and it’s better if you don’t confide in them, too.”

“I didn’t,” she protested. “You must have talked to Stacy Mueller—she lives close by and I’ve seen her around the neighborhood.”

“Yeah, Stacy.” Shane made a mental note to talk to the triage nurse again, to reinforce the need to keep Gabby’s information private. “Anyway, I went over to watch your place for a bit and saw a flicker of light inside. I made my way over to the neighbor’s house so I could keep an eye on your front and back doors. Sure enough, a tall guy dressed in black came out the front door. When I confronted him and identified myself as a cop, he took a shot at me and then ran off.”

“He shot at you?” Gabby asked, her voice rising in alarm. She reached out and lightly grasped his arm. “Were you hit? Are you all right?”

Once again, he was touched by her concern. He reminded himself that her worry over an injury wasn’t personal, she clearly took patient care very seriously. After all, she’d taken the risk of driving out to an isolated cabin to remove a bullet lodged in his shoulder. The IV antibiotics and fluids she’d given him had certainly saved his life. He wanted to believe the earnest determination in her eyes was only for him, but more likely the way she was with all her patients.

He needed to remember that she was someone he was trying to protect. Getting emotionally involved would only backfire, in a big way.

“I’m fine, but his shot was close enough that I hit the ground, which gave him the time he needed to get away. And since he had been wearing gloves, we don’t expect to get any fingerprints.”

“I can’t believe this,” she moaned. “What is going on? Why is this happening?”

He had the same questions, so he glanced over at her. “Are you sure you don’t know what this is all about?” he asked, trying to keep his tone nonthreatening. “You must have some idea what this guy wants from you.”

“I don’t,” Gabby insisted, clearly exasperated. “Why would I put my career, or more important, my life, on the line? This is crazy, my only hobbies are reading mysteries and running, my career is too demanding for anything more.”

Shane pulled into her driveway, letting the car idle as he turned in his seat to face her. “Gabby, listen, I can protect you if you tell me the truth,” he said in a gruff tone. “But if you lie to me and the truth comes out later, there won’t be anything I can do to help you.”

Gabby lifted her wide green eyes to his and he could clearly see the anguish reflected there. “I promise you that I have no idea what’s going on.”

Shane desperately wanted to believe her. “What about old boyfriends or maybe a former fiancé?” he pressed. “Surely you must have made some enemies over the past ten years.”

Gabby slowly shook her head. “I’ve spent the last decade completing medical school, finishing my residency and proving myself a capable trauma surgeon.” She hesitated, then continued, “There was one boyfriend during my residency, and I did break things off, but I can’t imagine he cares about that now all these years later.”

“You don’t know that for certain,” Shane said brusquely. “Anyone else?”

“Well, there were a couple of residents in the past ten years who resented me, basically making my life miserable, but I highly doubt either one of them is still holding a grudge.”

“Why don’t you give me their names anyway,” Shane said. “Including the guy you dated. It wouldn’t hurt to touch base with them.”

Gabby pressed her lips together in a frown. “It’s ridiculous to think they’re involved,” she reiterated.

“Then what’s the harm in doing a background check, and validating where all three of these guys were last night so we can cross them off the list?” There was a long pause before she conceded. “Fine. The man I dated briefly was Damon Keller—I have no clue where he is now. Eric Ambrose was the resident who resented me the most. I was chosen to be the chief resident over him and he did not take it well. But I heard he relocated to the East Coast somewhere.” She released a sharp breath, then continued, “Joe Chasco was another resident who didn’t appreciate the fact that I was given the position, either, and he and Eric made my life extremely difficult. Joe relocated to Chicago, I believe.”

Shane wrote the names down, intending to follow up on both of those guys. “Chicago isn’t that far away,” he said as he scribbled in his notebook. “Any other residents who resented you?”

“No, those two were by far the worst.”

He tucked the notebook back in his pocket, wondering at the adversity Gabby must have faced during her career. Was it always like this for female surgeons? Or had she been a target because of her genius IQ?

He could see why some of the physicians she worked with might be intimidated by her eidetic memory, but weren’t they all supersmart? So why pick on Gabby? His mouth hardened into a tight line. He didn’t like the thought of people, especially men, treating her badly.

Shane pulled himself up short, reminding himself that his interest in Gabby wasn’t personal. He wasn’t about to risk opening himself up for another misguided relationship. Besides, Gabby was clearly not interested in him that way, either. He’d noticed the way she shrank away when she’d tripped over him at the door to the call room. And not once had she flirted even the littlest bit.

He needed to keep his distance from Gabby.

Once they figured out who this creep was and arrested him, they’d both go their separate ways. Leaving mutual respect and friendship remaining between them.

* * *

Her house didn’t look any different, Gabby noted as she slid out of Shane’s vehicle and headed for the garage. “I have a spare key,” she said over her shoulder when he joined her.

“That’s good, because the lock on your front door was broken by the intruder, so we nailed it shut.”

Hearing that made her nervous, but she kept her chin steady as she punched a code into the keypad mounted on her garage. When the door opened, she ducked inside and found her spare key. Then she headed over to the door along the side of her house.

“He left a mess,” he warned as she unlocked and pushed the door open. Full of apprehension, she crossed the threshold.

Gabby thought she was prepared for what she’d find, but as it turned out, she wasn’t. The kitchen was a mess, although it didn’t look as if anything was broken, but each drawer and cabinet was open and had obviously been thoroughly searched.

“Your office is the worst,” Shane said his hand resting on the small of her back.

“I didn’t expect to feel so violated,” she murmured as they made their way through the living room, which wasn’t too badly messed up, to the hallway where the bedrooms were located, one of which she’d turned into an office.

She gasped when she saw the chaos on her normally neat desk. “What in the world was he looking for?” she asked helplessly.

“I don’t know,” Shane admitted. “I didn’t see him carrying anything out, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t have something tucked away.”

For a moment panic gripped her by the throat and she bolted past Shane to head over to the bedroom. Dropping to her knees, she pulled out a small cedar box, roughly six inches by six inches wide and three inches deep. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest as she gingerly lifted the cover.

She let out a whoosh of relief when she surveyed the contents. “It’s all here,” she said, moving the precious items around to make sure she wasn’t missing something. “He didn’t take it.”

“What’s in there?” Shane asked, kneeling beside her.

She shrugged, not willing to go too much into depth. “Personal mementos, that’s all. Nothing of monetary value. Costume jewelry, like this charm bracelet that my father gave to my mother before he died, photographs of us together as a family. The necklace Leo, my godfather, gave me. Just sentimental things...”

Shane peered over her shoulder and tapped the picture on top where she stood proudly in front of her parents, who were grinning widely for the camera. “You look adorable in that dress,” he said, his breath tickling her ear.

His compliment made her flush, and she quickly replaced the cover of the cedar box, knowing that looking at the old photographs might bring back the crippling headaches that she’d suffered throughout her childhood. “Thanks,” she whispered, scooting away from him, “but this isn’t important right now. I’d better go through my office.”

“Sure thing.” Shane stood back and let her pass. She carried the cedar box with her, setting it aside. Then glanced around at the mess, wondering where to begin.

“If you’re able to tell me what’s missing, that would help,” he said.

“Lucky for you, I’m extremely organized,” Gabby said, gathering papers together. She collated her medical school stuff first, and then the paperwork she’d saved from her residency. She took her time with those, wondering if it was at all possible that Damon Keller, Eric Ambrose or Joe Chasco could have done this.

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