groaned, pulled her towards me with my hands on her ass. “More,” I growled as she pulled away.
She pecked my nose. “We did come here for a reason. And feeling each other up in an open room on the oncology ward wasn’t it. Unless I missed some kind of memo.” She leaned her forehead against mine. “Thank you, hero. You saved me again.” She rubbed her nose along mine.
“Always,” I replied. “Always.” I kissed her once more before I eased her back so I could stand up. I looked down at my shirt. Shrugged.
Pulling her under my arm, I turned us so we could leave the room. As we stepped out into the open area we saw Nik was at the charge nurse station, speaking quickly and fiercely to the staff. “If you make me have to find him myself, you won’t like what happens to your life, Phyllis.”
“Nik?” I called as we walked up behind her.
She spun around, her eyes wide. “Thank fuck! Ryker, they won’t let me in. Said I’m not family.”
I nudged her to the side. Giving the nurse’s name badge a single glance, I felt my lips quirk. “Bethany, this is Nik. She is Corrie’s sister. Please add her to the list. I’d also like to speak to your supervisor.” I settled my features. “Now.”
Bethany, her hazel eyes wide with fear, backed up her rolling chair so fast she sailed into her counterpart on the other side of the station.
“Hey!” he called as he glared at her over his shoulder. “Watch it, Beth.”
“Sorry, Clint. Sorry.” She backed up some more. Grabbed up a phone. “Nurse Panthorn to the station. Nurse Panthorn to the charge station. Code orange.”
Clint backed up, whirled around. “What’s going on here?” He stepped between me and Nurse Bethany.
“I simply need to speak to your supervisor. My sister was removed from this facility without the proper orders. I want to know whose names will be going on the lawsuit for dereliction of duty, medical negligence, and anything else I can get to stick.” I smiled pleasantly. Deep inside I laughed like a maniac as Clint and Bethany started stabbing at computers with all the frenzy of a hacker on meth.
“Bethany, Clint, what the hell? I was in the middle of a consult with Dr. Myers,” a woman said as she rocketed up to the charge station.
Bethany pointed at me with one shaky finger.
The Charge nurse sighed as she turned to me. “Mr. Penn, how unpleasant to see you again. What are you threatening this time?”
I pouted. “Now, Abigail, what makes you so sure I’m threatening anything?”
Abigail snorted, smiled. “Honestly, I was in the middle of something important. How’s Corrie? Does she need anything?”
I eyed the woman who had been part of Corrie’s care team since we moved her here. Her face was open and responsive. No lying markers that I could detect. My gut wasn’t shouting at me of her guilt. “Corrie was abducted from this facility. She was held as blackmail against me. I want to know how they slipped her from this hospital without anyone contacting me or my mother.”
Abigail’s face blanched. She shook her head. “No.” Her mouth worked as if she were chewing on some gristly meat. “No.” She shook her head again. “No! That can’t be right.” She bent over the desk, started typing away at the computer. She was still shaking her head as she flipped through whatever she was seeing. Her eyes widened briefly.
She straightened and looked up at me. “We need to speak in private. Bethany, Clint, call Doctors Smith, Gregson, and Amgardner.” She hit a couple buttons on her computer. The printer next to her buzzed to life.
Bethany and Clint were on the phones. They spoke in low tones to whoever was on the other end. Bethany held up her phone. “Admin says she’s busy.”
Abigail grabbed the receiver. “Then make her unbusy or this hospital is going to be held liable for gross negligence.” She handed the phone back to her subordinate. She scanned a screen on the wall behind her. “Go to room 635. I’ll be right there with the proper paperwork and our administrators.”
I nodded. Pulling my phone from my pocket, I turned us all in the right direction. I hit the speed dial on my phone for my mom’s number. She picked up before the first ring went all the way through. “Mom, we’re going into a conference with the charge nurse and head honchos. Where are you?”
“Still in the ER.