Hot Blooded (Wolf Springs Chronicles) - By Nancy Holder Page 0,69
pretend that she was thankful for anything in this whole mess.
There was an exchange of looks that didn’t bode well. Then Justin said, “We’ll work something out.”
“You can go, Kat,” Mr. Fenner announced imperiously.
Her lips parted in surprise. She’d come all the way out and now there’d be no training? She dipped her head, grateful for the reprieve, and hurried to the door.
Justin followed her out to her car. When she started to open the door, he laid his hand over hers. His dark brows met over his deep blue eyes.
“Things are bad now, Kat. Suspicions are running high and no one wants this police investigation to go forward.”
She nodded, trying not to focus on the touch of his hand and the way her skin was tingling. He leaned forward and brushed her cheek with his lips.
“Don’t worry,” he whispered. “I’ll protect you.”
“Please, don’t touch me,” she said, aware that heat was starting to flash through her, burning in her veins like fire. It was how it always felt when he was this close. His breathing had changed, become more ragged, and she knew he was feeling what she was. She pushed the feeling back down — this was not who she was.
With a small grunt of frustration, he stalked up the steps and went back to the house. Katelyn got into her car and drove away as fast as she could.
That was close, she thought.
Too close.
Saturday morning, Katelyn went with Beau to see his grandmother. It was a long drive to Bentonville, and both of them were nervous. Beau kept music on to fill the void.
“They’ve moved her to the convalescent wing,” he told her as he angled his truck into a space in the parking structure.
She wrinkled her nose as they entered the building. She had always disliked hospitals, but now the smell of antiseptic and sickness burned into her pores like acid.
As they walked down the hall toward his grandmother’s room, Beau took her hand and gave it a squeeze. “Thank you for coming with me.”
“No problem,” she said. “I just hope that she can tell us something useful.”
They made it to the room and walked in. Katelyn recognized her as the elderly lady she’d met the first time she went in to Babette’s. Beau’s grandmother, Mrs. Nelson, had looked very elegant then, in a black dress and feathered hat, but now the hospital bed engulfed a sunken old lady, frail and wispy-headed, and fearful. She had warned Katelyn and Cordelia to go home and lock their doors. But for her, her home had not been safe.
“Grandma, how are you? This is my friend, Kat, the girl I was telling you about,” Beau said, planting a kiss on her forehead.
The older lady smiled wanly at him and picked at the edge of her hospital sheet. She didn’t even look Katelyn’s way. “You’re my good boy, Beau,” she said in a warbly, uncertain tone.
Beau flashed a smile at her, then glanced over at Katelyn, as if he weren’t sure how to get started.
“I love you, too, Grandma. Ah, we were hoping you could tell us what you saw that night at your window,” he said.
“My . . . window?” the old lady repeated, worrying the sheet more rapidly.
The old lady turned her head toward Katelyn, and her eyes bulged. She cowered, pushing herself against Beau.
“You! I saw you! Get away from me, demon!”
13
Katelyn stared in shock at the old lady, who was grabbing at her grandson. Then Katelyn met Beau’s astonished eyes.
“No, I wasn’t there,” Katelyn said.
“Get away from me!” the old lady shouted.
Katelyn fled the room, and rushed down the hall, then back the way she’d come. She could hear Beau’s grandmother screaming. A nurse hurried across the hall, saying, “Now, Henrietta, what’s the matter?”
“She’s the one!” Mrs. Nelson shouted. To Katelyn it sounded loud enough to be heard by the entire building. Whether or not that was just her enhanced hearing she didn’t know. “She’s a monster! She’s killing them. Beau, you have to shoot her,” she said, lowering her voice. Katelyn could still hear her. “I got a gun under my bed at home, honey. You take it and you shoot her in the heart.”
“You have a gun, Grandma?” Beau said, his voice laced with disbelief.
Katelyn wanted to be out of there, but her car was back in the school parking lot. I could just leave. I could