he was supposed to do in prison. It was a different kind of life in this place. The walls kept the bad guys in. He wished to hell that they kept all the ghosts out, too.
Jennifer was waiting there. His heart raced, seeing her.
He loved that woman so much.
Her big dark eyes were cold to him now. She had her own demons. Demons he’d created.
Wallace wanted to touch her but didn’t dare. He didn’t know how she had managed this, but his wife had plenty of connections in the city. Jennifer always had managed to find her way to everything she wanted. He was so proud of her. He wanted to tell her that, but didn’t. He didn’t know what to say to her. She had one word to say to him, though.
“Bail.”
“What?”
“We’re going to get you out of here, Wallace,” the attorney said. “But it will take some time. I need you to be honest with me—is there anything you’ve done that will make it harder for that to happen?”
Wallace shook his head. No. He wouldn’t ever mention what he’d done. That would be stupid. Dangerous.
It would ruin everything for Jennifer and Reggie.
37
Allen took one look at Izzie and knew she had been pushing herself far too hard. She leaned over the patient, a middle-aged man near sixty, who’d come in suffering from pain in his left arm and suspected indigestion.
They both knew the possible ramifications of those symptoms.
Allen stepped closer to the bed. Nothing she was doing required specialized care. Allen had done it a million times himself. He was perfectly capable of doing it now.
He leaned close enough to her to whisper next to her ear. “Go take a break. You look exhausted.”
“I’m scheduled to go in an hour. I’ve got this; there are three patients waiting for you.”
He’d been called in after a minor traffic accident that had backed Cage and Virat up. Now, he was sticking around to help where he could.
He could help right here, right now.
“Take a break now. I’ll square it with Cherise.”
“It’s not possible. There are other nurses who’ve been here longer than I have. We’re all exhausted, but what’s new?” She didn’t want him butting in. Allen got it, but the woman had no business working a full shift right now. It was obvious to anyone looking closely that she wasn’t quite up for it yet. Being an ER nurse was grueling and thankless, even in the best of health.
“Then you head to exam room C and get started over there. The sooner we get everyone evaluated, the sooner you can take a break.” Izzie needed one. He saw the exhaustion beneath her eyes. Saw the way her narrow hands shook. “Grab something to eat, too.”
No, it was in her best interest, and the best interest of the hospital and patients, for her not to exhaust herself like this.
Allen almost said that, but he knew it would have her erupting. That was the last thing they needed right now. He kept his mouth shut until she was finished with the patient. When she was about to step out of the exam room and head to the next, he caught her at the door. “Izzie, you have to take better care of yourself.”
“I’m doing the best I can. I don’t need you to take care of me.”
Izzie practically stormed out of the exam room.
The patient chuckled. Allen winced. He’d almost forgotten where they actually were.
“Feisty thing, isn’t she? Pretty, too. Reminds me of my own wife. Before I lost her. Cancer, two years ago. All that fire makes a man’s life interesting. I don’t think even two days were the same with her. You’re a lucky man.”
Allen almost corrected the man about his involvement with the woman, but didn’t.
As he contemplated it, he knew one thing—whatever man did finally catch Izzie MacNamara would be a lucky man, indeed.
If he survived the process.
38
If Izzie had to talk to one more arrogant, pushy, know-it-all physician, Izzie was probably going to scream. The temporary physician Rafe had been “trying out’’ in the surgical department was a total asshole.
He’d sleazed up to Izzie the first day, after learning Jillian was the boss’s wife, and Annie involved with the mayor. First, she wasn’t too keen on being anyone’s third choice or part of the crowd. Second, the guy thought he was gifted.
She didn’t mean in his chosen profession. Unless slimeball was on the Bureau of Labor statistics list somewhere.
He thought he was sexy as a god