Colorado Abduction - By Cassie Miles & Marie Ferrarella Page 0,43

hospital.

Burke leaned against the van and exhaled a long breath.

Carolyn stood beside him. In the harsh light outside the E.R. entrance, he saw her smirk. “That went well.”

In spite of her sarcasm, he was pleased with the way his team had extracted Sunny—a witness who had given them useful information against Logan.

While they were at the hospital, they’d checked on Jesse Longbridge. Burke hoped for a lucky break. If the bodyguard was out of his coma, he could identify the men who kidnapped Nicole.

Chapter Fourteen

Hospital visiting hours had, of course, ended much earlier. And the nurses didn’t seem pleased about the after-midnight exception they made for Carolyn and Burke after he showed his FBI credentials.

Walking beside him down a clean corridor, she tried to keep her sneakers from squeaking on the tile floor. Her hands were washed, but the black clothes she’d worn for the meeting with Sunny were filthy and sweaty. She felt like a germ invading sterile territory.

Hospitals made her uncomfortable, especially this one—it was where her father had passed away. She shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t really be involved in anything like a hostage extraction. She was a CEO, not part of the CIA. But the alternative was doing nothing, and she had to admit that rescuing Sunny had been a rush. Escaping from pursuit and racing to the hospital made her feel like she was accomplishing something. And it looked like there would be a happy ending to that story. Sunny was already in the delivery room with Silverman. If only they could rescue Nicole so easily, Carolyn could get back to her regular life—a life that didn’t include Special Agent J. D. Burke.

She wasn’t exactly sure how she felt about never seeing him again. Like her, he was dressed in black—a color that should have made him appear smaller. But he looked huge and dangerous. His jaw was tight. His dark eyes burned with a purposeful intensity that fascinated her.

Perhaps she’d miss him.

At the end of the hall, they entered Jesse Longbridge’s private room. Wentworth and another guard from Longbridge Security greeted them with a handshake and stepped aside.

Dim night-lights gave the room an ethereal quality. Jesse lay motionless and unconscious under a white sheet. IV lines ran into the veins in his right arm. The left was bandaged. A large dressing covered his left shoulder. A nasal cannula delivered oxygen to his lungs, but he was breathing on his own. His chest rose and fell steadily. The heart monitor made a regular beep.

As Carolyn approached his bed, she felt a strong connection to this man who was, in fact, a stranger. They’d never been introduced, but his blood had flowed through her fingers and stained her clothing.

She gently brushed his thick black hair off his forehead. He was rather handsome. She’d heard that Jesse was half Navajo and could see his heritage in his strong features. His eyelashes flickered, and she thought for a moment that he would waken. But the slight movement faded into stillness.

Concentrating, she sent positive thoughts from her brain to his. You’re going to get better, Jesse. You will be well again. He’d risked his life trying to protect Nicole. Frankly, he was the answer to all their questions. When he woke, he’d be able to identify the kidnappers.

Seeing him lying there—so still and quiet—saddened her. He didn’t deserve these injuries. He was one of the good guys, someone who tried to do the right thing. And how was he repaid for his efforts? Damn it, this wasn’t fair.

Burke stood close behind her. “He’s expected to make a full recovery.”

That knowledge didn’t assuage her anger. “What if he doesn’t?”

“He will.”

She turned her head. In Burke’s expression she saw strength and determination, but he couldn’t affect Jesse’s medical condition. Some things were simply out of his control. And hers, too.

Quietly, she stepped away from Jesse’s bed. Wentworth accompanied her and Burke, leaving the other guard in the room to keep watch. He led them past the nurse’s station into a private office with file cabinets, a computer and a couple of chairs. Wentworth closed the door.

Burke asked, “What’s the update on Jesse’s condition?”

“Same as before. No broken bones. No organ damage. All his systems are functioning and he’s got brain activity. A couple of times, he’s opened his eyes, looked around and then zonked out again. The docs say he’ll be okay.”

“I’m sure he will be.” Burke took his cell phone from his pocket, checked the caller ID and excused himself. “Sorry,