She shifted on the bed. Her limbs felt weighted down. It was the morphine or whatever they had given her. Her gaze took in the feet and legs of the hospital staff moving about from where she could see them below the curtain. The moment someone came to check on her, she was going to ask for Jace.
Taryn swallowed, her mouth dry. The second she had been in FBI custody, she had been rushed to a hospital, and her wound seen to. Because of the location of the gunshot in her shoulder, they’d had to go in and get the bullet out, which meant that she had been under anesthesia. Taryn had no idea how long it had been since she last saw Jace, but she couldn’t stop the rising tide of dread that grew with each breath she took.
Someone pushed the curtains open and a young, petite nurse with a blond pixie cut and a bright smile greeted her. “You’re awake. I wasn’t expecting that. How are you feeling?”
“Jace,” Taryn said, barely able to get the word out. “I … need … him.”
The nurse patted her hand. “I’m sure he’ll be here shortly. You woke much earlier than normal. Take your time. We’ll get Jace.”
Taryn’s eyes welled with tears as she tried to get the words past her lips, but they wouldn’t form correctly. The nurse moved around her, checking her vitals, completely unaware that Taryn was drowning in fear.
“Rest, dear,” the nurse said with a smile before she vanished through the curtains.
A tear fell down Taryn’s face. It took great effort to lift her arm and wipe it away. So much for the nightmare being over. Then again, she hadn’t known the full scope of what had been going on with Boyd until recently. She still couldn’t comprehend what her sister had done.
That’s when it hit Taryn that she had no more family. She was the last one. She couldn’t even find it in her to be upset that Payton was dead. Her sister had made her choices, and she’d paid for them. After all, Payton had tried to kill Taryn. If she hadn’t, Taryn wouldn’t be lying in a hospital right now.
She closed her eyes for a heartbeat, and that’s all it took for the pain meds to nearly pull her under once more. Something deep within her ran cold with dread, and some nameless fear surfaced. She clawed her way out of the darkness and opened her eyes. Somehow, she knew if she fell asleep, she wouldn’t wake again. She didn’t know how she knew it, only that she did.
“Jace,” she whispered.
She knew him. He would be there with her if he could. Had he been arrested? Were they keeping him from her? She had no answers, and there was no one around to ask. Taryn was beginning to think that she wouldn’t see anyone she recognized.
The hospital buzzed with activity. People moved around her constantly, but the curtains kept her separate from everyone. She was thankful for the small bit of kindness that allowed her to remain hidden. But at the same time, it prevented her from seeing anyone.
She tried to sit up. It was the wrong thing to do. Pain shot through her, and she wasn’t able to stop herself from crying out. Instantly, the blond nurse was back.
“What are you doing?” she chastised Taryn. “You need to relax. Rest.”
Taryn gripped the nurse’s arm, holding her as tightly as she could, though Taryn wasn’t sure it was barely more than a touch. “Jace. I need Jace. Emergency.”
The nurse stared at her for a long minute. Then she nodded. “You’re the one they brought in with the FBI?’
“Yes. Jace. Please, find him. It’s important.” Her speech was better, but still not normal.
The nurse glanced around her. Then she whispered, “I’ll see what I can do.”
Taryn released her and slumped back on the bed. Maybe the alarm she felt would dissipate now. Perhaps all she had to do was get someone to find Jace—if he was even in the hospital.
With that thought, her panic doubled. She wouldn’t be able to wait for them to find Jace. She had to get out. Now.
* * *
“What the fuck do you mean I can’t see her?” Jace demanded as he got up in Bobby’s face.
The FBI agent kept calm. “Taryn’s in recovery. When they say you can see her, they’ll come get you.”
“I need to see her now,” Jace insisted.
Cooper walked over to him and put a hand on his arm. “We get it, but you need to take it easy. Everything is over.”
Jace ran a hand down his face and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. The sight of Taryn wounded, of her blood on his hands, had sent him spiraling into an abyss of fear that he hadn’t been able to break free from—and wouldn’t until he saw her again.
“Coop’s right,” Brice said. “She’s going to be fine.”
Jace opened his eyes and nodded at his friends. Then he looked at Bobby Flannigan and lifted his chin. Jace walked to the chairs in the waiting area and sank into one. He couldn’t explain to anyone the driving need that hounded him to find Taryn.
To his surprise, Bobby came to sit beside him. The agent stretched out his legs and crossed his ankles as he folded his hands over his midsection. “You lost her once, and you didn’t know what happened. Then you found her. She needed your help, and you were more than willing to lend it. Now that she’s hurt, you’re worried you’ll lose her again. Does that about sum it up?”
“It does,” Jace admitted without looking at Bobby.
“We have agents all over the hospital. Some undercover. There’s no safer place.”
Jace slowly turned his head to Bobby. “Why are there agents here?”
“A precaution.”
“For what?” Jace pushed, a knot forming in his stomach.
Bobby pressed his lips together, unable to meet Jace’s gaze. “A precaution.”
Fury exploded within Jace as it all came together. “You don’t have Boyd.”
“What?” Caleb asked, having overheard them.
Bobby glared at Jace before he looked at the others, who quickly converged on him. The agent hissed, “Keep your damn voices down.”
“Tell us what we want to know,” Cash stated.
The agent blew out a resigned breath. “No, we don’t have Walters. He slipped away. The agent we had undercover was injured trying to apprehend him.”
“And you’re just telling us now?” Jace said as he got to his feet. “You’ve got two choices. You can take me to Taryn, or I’m going to rip apart anyone who stands between my wife and me.”
Out of the corner of his eye, Jace saw Cooper, Myles, Cash, Brice, and Caleb join him.
“Fine,” Bobby said as he threw up his hands. “I think you’re all being ridiculous. Walters is getting as far from here as he can. He’s not going to come here just to try to get to Taryn.”
Myles snorted. “We’ll be the judge of that.”
Brice touched Jace’s arm to get his attention. “Caleb, Myles, and I will go scout the entrances.”
“I’ll check this floor with Cash,” Cooper said.
Bobby started to reach for his cell phone when Jace grabbed his hand and said, “I don’t trust anyone in the FBI. You aren’t talking to anyone, but you are coming with us.”
They walked from the waiting room, splitting up to go in separate directions. Jace and Bobby made their way to the nurse’s station.