Duty Bound Guardian. Terri Reed

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СКАЧАТЬ in coincidence. Yes, there were times life seemed random and out of control, but his faith in God gave him perspective. God was in control, but He allowed humans the free will to make choices.

      Choices that affected others, like murder and theft.

      Though Adam couldn’t see the big picture, God could and would reveal what needed to be known when the time was right. Until then Adam would work with the bits and pieces he had that collectively didn’t make sense. Yet.

      Reserving judgment on Lana’s role in this mystery, he said, “You might know something that could help us find her.”

      “I wish I did.” Concern shone in her eyes. Genuine? Or fake? “Erin seems like a nice person, but we only talked art. She’s very knowledgeable.”

      Whether Erin was nice or not remained to be seen. If she had murdered her boyfriend and shot his father, then no, Adam wouldn’t categorize Erin as nice. But if she witnessed the murder and had been kidnapped by the unidentified assassin, then Erin could be in grave danger.

      If not dead already.

      He shifted his focus back to Lana. “Can you think of anyone who would want to hurt you?”

      Her lips pursed. “Other than my ex-husband? No.”

      The file Adam had on her said there had been domestic violence issues. He couldn’t abide men who abused women.

      “Could the attacker have been your ex-husband?”

      Her gaze jerked back to him. Her nose wrinkled up as she contemplated his question. “I don’t think so. This man was bulky, like a bodybuilder. Mark isn’t a bodybuilder. He prefers alcohol over exercise.”

      Adam made a mental note to check on Mark’s whereabouts at the time of the break-in.

      The door to the hospital room swung open and the doctor walked in. There was no mistaking the disapproval in the older man’s eyes behind his black-framed glasses. No doubt the good doctor still had his feathers ruffled from earlier when Adam had wanted to question Lana the moment she’d first awakened in the wee hours of the morning.

      The doc had put the kibosh on Adam talking to her, telling Adam in no uncertain terms that his questions would have to wait until they knew Miss Gomez’s head injury hadn’t caused any permanent damage.

      The doctor turned his attention to his patient. “How are you this morning?”

      “I’m feeling better. Not even much of a headache,” Lana replied.

      The smile she gave the doctor was warm, lighting up her whole face, and it belied the wincing Adam had witnessed a moment ago. His gaze narrowed. She apparently was accomplished at putting on a good front.

      “Can I be discharged now?” Lana asked, in a hopeful voice.

      The doctor moved so that he blocked Adam’s view of Lana. “Let me do my examination and then we can decide.” Throwing a glance over his shoulder, the doctor sent Adam a pointed look. “Do you mind?”

      “I’ll be right outside,” Adam said for both the doctor and Lana’s sake. If what Adam suspected was true—that whoever killed Rosa Gomez was now targeting Lana—then he needed to know why. Lana may have useful information, even if she didn’t realize she did.

      * * *

      Lana breathed a sigh of relief when Adam disappeared out the door. There was something about the man that scraped at her nerves and set her senses on alert.

      As the doctor did his exam, asking her all sorts of questions and taking her vitals, her mind grappled to come to grips with the officer’s suspicion that whoever killed her sister could now want her dead, as well.

      It didn’t make sense. She and her sister had nothing in common. They barely knew each other. Rosa had cut Lana out of her life three years ago.

      No. Adam was wrong. Whatever the intruder had been after last night had nothing to do with her or her sister. She still couldn’t believe the arrow hadn’t been stolen. Why go to the trouble of sneaking into the museum, breaking the glass display case, taking the arrow from its bed only to leave it behind?

      She was glad he had left the artifact whatever his reason and the relief was so overwhelming she almost wept. She prayed the damage done wasn’t too extensive.

      “Okay, young lady, I think you’re safe to go home, but I want you to take it easy. Lots of rest and plenty of water. You came in here with not only a nasty bonk on the head but you were dehydrated, as well.”

      She grimaced. Now that she thought about it, she remembered she hadn’t eaten or drunk anything yesterday, except a cup of coffee. She tended to skip meals when she was working. “Yeah, I’ll try to do better.”

      “No try. Do.”

      She laughed, the motion sending a ball of pain ricocheting through her skull but she held her smile in place. “Okay, Doctor.”

      He smiled. “I’ll have Cindy retrieve your clothes and initiate the discharge papers. Do you have someone to drive you home?”

      Considering she didn’t own a car, she would have to call a friend to pick her up and take her to the home. Or she could take public transit, her normal mode of transportation. “I’ll figure it out. Thank you, Doctor Evans.”

      With a nod, he left the room. Almost immediately Adam and his partner were striding back through the door. Dog and man moved as one unit with synchronized lethal grace. A daunting pair.

      Her smile faded. “You have more questions?”

      “I’m sure I will.”

      She blew out a breath of frustration as Adam halted at the foot of her bed. Ace, however, came to her bedside and laid his nose next to her so she could pet him. She found the rhythmic motion soothing. Was that why the dog had come to her? To soothe her?

      Adam frowned at the dog but didn’t reprimand him. “The doctor says you’ll be discharged within the hour. Ace and I will take you home.”

      Hearing his name, Ace sat at attention, looking at his master.

      “Ace,” she murmured. “That’s a fitting name.”

      Something she couldn’t identify flickered in Adam’s eyes. “I thought so, too.”

      Holding his gaze, she said, “I have a friend I can call to take me home.”

      “Actually, if you’re up to it, I’d like to take you to the museum, then home,” he said. “I’d like you to verify there is nothing missing.”

      Her heart gave a nervous thump. “Gladly.”

      Despite her relief that nothing had been stolen, she couldn’t stop the shiver of anxiety from slithering down her spine. Because if the intruder’s intent had been to kill her...then he might come back to finish the job.

      * * *

      Adam drove through the midmorning DC traffic with Lana secured in the passenger seat. They were on their way to the museum. She СКАЧАТЬ