Ryker (Hope City #6) - Kris Michaels Page 0,26
shoot.” She motioned with the weapon and the men raised their hands, slowly backing away. “Leave me and everyone who works here alone, or the next time we meet, you'll be holding your intestines.” She used her free hand to feel around the bottom of her purse for her keys and finally depressed the fob, unlocking the driver's side door. Carefully, she got into the SUV, keeping the weapon pointed at the men. She put the car into gear and spun out of her parking slot. The weapon went back in her purse and she flew from the alley.
On any ordinary day, confronting those assholes and pulling a weapon would have been an almost insurmountable task. She wouldn't have had the guts to pull that gun. She would have given them her purse, the keys to her truck, anything to avoid the confrontation. But they were preventing her from getting to Ryker. She'd have pulled that trigger. God help her, she would have. Tears streamed down her face as she recklessly sped down the street. She wiped her cheeks and gunned it through a yellow light. The hospital wasn't far, but every second felt like hours.
The parking lot wasn't full, so finding a spot didn't take long. She grabbed her purse, shoved the gun into the glove box, and slammed the door, locking it with her fob on a dead run to the emergency room entrance. Skittering to a stop, she asked the first person who looked up at the admitting desk how to get to the surgical waiting room. Elevator to four, take a left at the end of the hall and then make a right. The words played on repeat as she waited for the elevator. Four, left at the end of the hall, right.
The car was blessedly empty and didn't stop until the fourth floor. She bolted down the hallway and turned right. About thirty people turned to look at her as she raced down the hall. She zeroed in on Brody. “Is he out of surgery? Is he okay?”
Brody's brow crunched. “Brie? What are you doing here? Who are you talking about?”
She thrust her hands out and spread them wide. “Ryker! Is he okay?”
The presence of a tall man beside her drew her attention. He had kind brown eyes and a wonderful smile. “Hi, I'm Lieutenant Theron. Ryker is still in surgery. The doctors said that the bullets caught him in the shoulder.”
She grabbed onto the man's arm and held onto him like he was a life preserver. “Tell me what you know, please.”
“This is an active investigation. We aren't releasing details.” A bitter voice from behind her startled her, swinging her around. He was an older man in uniform. She glanced at the rank and knew this asshole had to be Fenton.
“Excuse me?” She glanced at the others in the room. None of the people gathered would meet her eyes. But they were staring, some with open contempt, at the man who addressed her.
“Oh... I get it. You're Fenton.” She hefted her bag to her shoulder and stared at him with the disgust that had been brewing for months. “What are you going to do, Colonel? Are you going to blame Ryker for getting shot in his own house? Are you going to spin it that he was incompetent for sitting on his couch? Or you could relieve him of command for being off duty at home and then try to paint him and his team as ineffectual as they bust their asses to make this city safer. Let's compare arrest records, shall we? Why don't you whip out your limp dick, Colonel Fenton, and let everyone see how lacking you truly are? If anyone here is inept and unsuitable for duty, it's you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm not talking to you, I was talking to––”
The man's face flushed red and a vein on his forehead bulged. “Who the hell do you think you are?”
“My name is Brianna King.” She flung her arm toward the surgical doors. “I'm in love with Ryker Terrell, and just so we are clear, you, sir, are a complete ass.”
“King.” Fenton sneered.
“Yes, she's my daughter.” Brianna pivoted at her father's voice. Brody and Amber stood to his left, Deputy Commissioner Duckworth to his right. “Brie, I think you need to take a walk with Amber and cool down.” Her father's voice left no room for argument. She looked back at the doors that were still closed. “I'll send