“She has.” He watched his twin, curious about the mischievous glint in her eye. “Do you have something in mind?”
“We were out last weekend and she had too much to drink so she was a little more loose-lipped than normal. I think it might actually do her some good to go out on a date. I think we should try to set her up with someone.”
“O…kay.” That wasn’t what he expected, but immediately he thought of Carter and his interest in her. “You think she’s ready for that? I don’t know, Cassie. I’m not seeing signs of that.”
“That’s because you don’t know the whole story. I don’t think anyone does. She really doesn’t let anyone in, but I don’t think Aaron and Julie were as serious as we all thought they were.”
“Why do you th—” A blaring fire alarm shrieked out over the restaurant keeping Chris from finishing his question. For a moment, their eyes met in alarm, but as Chris surveyed the restaurant, he couldn’t see signs of a fire or other danger. No reason to panic. So he rose, pulling Cassie up with him and they joined the crowd shuffling shoulder to shoulder toward the exits.
They had been sitting on the backside of the restaurant, so they headed toward the restroom exits. Considering the crowd, it was an orderly evacuation. Sure, there were a few people who were panicked, but those were mainly kids. And on the other side of the coin were the college coeds who seemed to be making a party out of it.
At the doorway, they slowed to fit through the narrower opening. Chris continued to keep Cassie in front of him, trying not to lose her in the momentum of the crowd. As they slid through the door, a sharp, hot pain took his breath as it slammed into his left side. He immediately gasped and reached down to the wounded area.
His first assumption was he’d been elbowed—hard—but that was before he felt the moisture. Glancing down at his hand still holding his side, he realized he was bleeding. He glanced back, but couldn’t see any reason for the gash. There were no visible sharp edges on the doorway, but it was hard to really examine the doorframe as people still poured out.
He examined the faces of the crowd, but no one else seemed to be having a similar issue. What the hell had just happened? As he considered, the ache became sharper and more painful. He looked at it again, but in the darkened night and with the amount of blood on his shirt, he couldn’t tell how bad the cut was. At a minimum, he figured he needed a few stitches.
Mass confusion ruled the parking lot as the crowd mingled around not knowing for sure where to go. Cassie hadn’t realized yet what had happened to him and she was chatting with the lady who’d been sitting at the table next to them about what could have set off the alarm. He could see the flashing lights of incoming police cars. His side hurt more and more and he needed to find a place to sit soon, or else he was going to be on the ground.
His truck was parked in front of the restaurant and there were people all around it. He would never be able to get it out of his parking space until things calmed down here. He looked around, but didn’t spot Cassie’s FJ, so he turned to ask her. “Cass, where’d you park?”
Her eyebrows furrowed as her twin sense kicked in and she realized something was wrong with him. “Why do you feel weird?”
“Because I think I need a few stitches. Think you can get your jeep out of here to take me to the ER?”
“Seriously?” Her eyes immediately focused on his bloody hand holding his side. “Oh my God, what happened?”
“I don’t know. There must have been a nail sticking out of the doorframe, but I’m bleeding like a stuck pig, so how about we go to the hospital to get it taken care of before I pass out here?”
Even in the dark parking lot, he could see her face blanch as she took him by the arm on the other side to lead him toward her car.
* * *
Three hours and seventeen stitches later, Chris found himself chatting once again with Detective Brian Barnes about why someone appeared to be out to get him. Cassie was outside talking to Jake on her