We All Sleep Alone (Finley Creek #11) - Calle J. Brookes Page 0,33

day until this past week. She’d been in the hospital three weeks, and someone—usually multiple someones—would visit her several times a day. When she’d come home, there had been an actual schedule put in place by Nikkie Jean to ensure she wasn’t ever left alone.

Not that anyone could ever be alone fully at Nikkie Jean and Caine’s. Caine’s uncle Henry had taken it on himself to hover over her that first week. Pen was absolutely hilarious once one got to know her. She’d made a fine babysitter for Izzie when Nikkie Jean and Caine couldn’t be there.

“You are to take it easy. I’ve stacked the schedule, with Rafe’s permission, so that if you are too tired, you are to rest.”

“I don’t want any fussing, Wanda. I need...” She blew out a big breath. “Hell, I need things to go back to as normal as possible. I’m going insane sitting around at home.”

She felt like the entire world had tilted on its side with the pull of a trigger.

Because of Wallace Henedy.

“Three hours on your feet. Then you are working the switchboard here at intake. I’ll take patients. No arguing. You have to build your strength back. And you need to eat. You must have lost twenty pounds.”

Izzie knew better than to argue. Wanda had that warrior mother look in her eyes that Izzie had seen before. She’d been the same way when Jillian and Lacy had both been so badly injured. And Annie, after the storm.

“I’m good, Wanda. I even made lasagna yesterday. I froze it in portions to bring for lunch. I’m good.”

“You’d better be.” Wanda’s voice hitched. “It wasn’t the same without you here. That bastard. Deserves whatever he gets. I hope they fry him for what he almost did.”

Those were sentiments she heard over and over as the day went on.

As well as the question of why? No one could believe that she didn’t know what had made Wallace Henedy try to kill her that day.

By the time the end of the day rolled around, she was ready to scream. And that was before Annie called.

34

Izzie studied the swanky condo complex and swallowed the lead that suddenly hit her.

A man like Allen Jacobson would live in the most exclusive condo complex in the city.

The man had money practically pouring out his ears. It was a far cry from the two bedroom she and her uncle shared two blocks from the hospital. They probably could afford to upgrade, but Jake was a curmudgeonly  creature of habit. Getting him out of that apartment would take an act of God.

That had been before Henedy had destroyed all her plans and depleted her savings. A part of her had wanted to eventually buy a house near Annie’s and fix it up into her own little sanctuary.

That wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Annie had called her as she was clocking out for the day and told her in a tight voice to grab antibiotics and a tetanus booster—in Allen Jacobson’s name, that he’d cleared it with the pharmacy department already. She’d given Izzie the request, and then an address. Then told Izzie to get her rear in gear—fast.

Izzie wasn’t going to question or argue.

Not with Annie.

She trusted her friend completely.

She buzzed the intercom, the bag of supplies clutched in her hand. It had only been thirty minutes since Annie’s call. Izzie was ready for some answers.

Like why Annie was at Allen Jacobson’s in the first place when she’d told Izzie and Nikkie Jean both that she was having another meeting with the mayor to go over his plans for her block. It was a hopeless battle.

Annie was about on the edge of giving up. Izzie had already thought she had. For herself—but Annie wouldn’t go down without a fight when fighting for the Hendersons and the others on the block that she loved.

Izzie wished she could make it work. Annie hadn’t deserved to lose the house she’d worked for a decade to buy.

Allen lived in number seven.

The door opened before she could knock.

Allen stood in the door, dressed in old jeans and an FCU T-shirt that showed off his well-defined chest rather nicely. “Izzie, should you really have gone back to work today?”

“Fin said I was perfectly fine. Where’s Annie? Who’s hurt?” Izzie didn’t wait for the invite. She pushed passed the tall, broad-shouldered man and deliberately told herself to ignore the scent of mint and man that surrounded him. “What’s going on?”

Annie was leaning over another far too beautiful man sitting