Expired Getaway (Last Chance County #7) - Lisa Phillips Page 0,40

me.”

“I’ll go check with Millie and see if Eric is okay. When I know something, I’ll come and find you.”

She actually looked relieved. “Thanks.”

“Right this way, Ms. Weston.” The nurse glanced at him. “Officer Donaldson.”

He nodded. “How’s it going?”

Bridget muttered something about a small town and went after the woman. He watched her move until she was out of sight, observing the hitch in her stride. Bruises. Those were better to contemplate than the things that drew him to her. Fact was, she had been injured while he was with her.

Looking back, he should have stayed with her. As soon as she’d sent him into the barn at her dad’s house, he’d realized the reason she’d given him an errand was to get some space for herself. While he’d been happy to give her time alone, and he’d made a couple of phone calls in the barn, Aiden shouldn’t have left her for that long. If he had known Clarke was inside the house, he wouldn’t have left her at all.

He should have known something was wrong.

A crowd had gathered outside the room Eric had been assigned. Aiden found his sergeant and walked over. “How is he?”

“Out of surgery. Conscious, but not happy even though they said he’ll make a decently quick recovery.” Basuto waved him to the door. “This way.”

“What’s going on?” He needed to speak with Millie, but couldn’t if she was sitting with Eric.

“Millie will tell you.” The sergeant strode to the door and knocked. “She said if you or a blonde woman showed up that we should immediately tell her you’re here.”

The door opened and Millie stood there. “Aiden. Good.”

“Let him in, Mill.” The voice from inside the room was thunderous and extremely irritated.

Millie swallowed and pushed the door open. She stood by it as he strode in, looking like she wanted to run.

“I want to hear this conversation.” The man in the bed was pale, but the life in his eyes indicated a serious amount of strength. If Aiden hadn’t met him before and hadn’t worked with him as a cop, he might be inclined to believe the guy was a threat. Instead, all he saw was someone in pain—both physical and emotional.

“My husband is now fully up to speed with everything concerning my occupation, among other things. He would like to be involved right now in the case, considering this is time we’re scheduled to spend together.”

“Plus, I just got shot.” Eric glanced aside at her. “That means I get to be briefed.”

Aiden figured both her statement and his amounted to the same thing. “I’m not sure about the job thing, except that Clarke attacked Bridget at her dad’s house.” Since they both looked ready to ask, he said, “He got away. After he hit Bridget with a stun gun.”

Millie looked like she wanted to punch someone.

Aiden stepped back. “He’s on the loose, and as far as I can tell, coming after both of you. He has a plan, and he wants to do things his way, but I don’t know what he’s after.”

“The database. Our client list.”

“So why would he leave Bridget alive and come after you?”

Millie settled on a chair by the bed. “It takes two of us—both passwords—to access the database. But as soon as Bridget called me, I revoked Clarke’s access, which means he can no longer use his access as one of the passwords. He’ll need both of us to cooperate, which is why he tried to kill Eric. To force me to go with him.”

“Thank You, God, the boys are out of town.”

Millie laid her hand on her husband’s. “Amen.”

Aiden put a couple of the puzzle pieces together. “He’s the kind of guy who would go after someone’s child to persuade them to his way of thinking?”

“I wouldn’t have thought so.” Millie tipped her head to the side. “I mean, I hired the guy. I knew he was dangerous, but that’s a perk in a job like this. You have to be able to take care of yourself.” She paused. “You don’t need to worry about Sydney or anything. Not if you’re not on this guy’s radar.”

“So you’re certain Bridget can take care of herself?” Aiden folded his arms. “Because it seems like she could use a little help from where I’m standing.”

Eric glanced between them. “Was this Bridget person a CIA agent too?”

Aiden stared. “Was she…what?”

Millie shot her husband a look. “We don’t work for the government. Our company is independent. We help people. As soon as