“I don’t care where you go, as long as you stay away from here for at least six months.”
Haddison didn’t say anything as the doctor finished bandaging up his arm. And when Gause finally left, Haddison let his mind relive the moments right before the crash, when Ms. Kennedy Bennett had snatched off his mask and kissed him.
He could still taste her flavor, a blend of oh-so-hot tang and delectable mint. He forced his thoughts off her to Vince and Andy. He was glad they were behind bars, but still, he couldn’t forget Vince had been acting strange the entire day. He’d always been difficult, but today he’d been deliberately so. Haddison would make sure to include that in his final report.
“All done,” the doctor finally said.
He looked up at the man the FBI had assigned to treat him at an undisclosed location. “Thanks, Doc.”
“No problem. It could have been worse.”
He knew that to be true. All of them could have been killed. He didn’t give a royal flip about Andy and Vince, but he was glad Ms. Bennett was okay. He would love to see her, to know for himself how she was doing. Talk to her. Let her know he wasn’t what she thought he was. Not a thug, criminal, or a killer. He wished he could tell her that he worked on the right side of the law, was one of the good guys and that he would have protected her with his life, had it come down to that.
Haddison moved toward the door where two FBI agents stood. They were there to take him to the airport. The men’s presence was a reminder that he would never get the opportunity to tell Kennedy Bennett anything. Chances were their paths would never cross again.
“He died?” Kennedy asked, unable to ignore the painful pounding of her heart.
One of the FBI agents who’d come to the ER to take her statement nodded. “Unfortunately, he wasn’t wearing a seatbelt and was thrown from the vehicle.”
She hadn’t been wearing one, either, but she remembered him using his body to shield her from the impact of the accident. He hadn’t had to do that and in essence, he’d saved her life. Another thing she remembered — with vivid clarity — was that just moments before the crash, she’d kissed him and he’d thoroughly kissed her back. She had gripped his powerful shoulders and hung on as the kiss had transported her to another place, making her forget the danger she’d been in. It hadn’t mattered that he was a bank robber and she was his hostage. She had wantonly pressed her body against his and enjoyed what she thought was the best kiss she’d ever experienced.
And now he was dead.
She could feel her throat clogging up over his senseless death. She wasn’t sure how long the kiss had lasted, because the next thing she recalled was waking up in this hospital’s emergency room. She’d been told the car had flipped several times and that she and two of the bank robbers had been knocked unconscious, and that the other one had died on the scene. She had hoped, silently prayed, he hadn’t been the one who’d lost his life.
“The other two men will be taken to jail after receiving medical treatment.”
The agent’s words intruded into her thoughts, and she was grateful for what he’d said. The thought of them walking the streets again, especially the one with the blue eyes, terrified her. She wouldn’t want anyone to go through what she’d gone through today.
Today…
Kennedy thought about her horoscope and its prediction. After all the mishaps of earlier, was this supposed to be the best day of her life, simply because she still had a life? She could just have easily died…the way he had. There had been something about him that had been different from those other two. She could tell. Although he’d talked as mean as they had, there was no ruthlessness in his eyes. Something about him had been different.
She thought about the moment she’d snatched off his mask. For just a second or two, she’d seen his features. He’d been better looking than she’d suspected. Even the scar across his cheek, which looked like the result of a knife slash, hadn’t detracted from his handsome looks. And now he was gone.
“The robber who died. What’s his name?”
If the FBI agent was curious as to why she wanted to know, he didn’t show it. “He went by Bracey and had a rap sheet a mile long. He’s been in and out of jail since he was seventeen. I hate to say it, but the world is better off without the likes of him. And as soon as we can transport the others to Texas to stand trial, we will.”
“Texas?”
“Yes, they’re wanted for a number of illegal activities in the Houston area.”
“I see.” She said the words, but she didn’t see. Not really. How could someone actually choose to live the sort of life he had. She could only wonder what sort of childhood he’d endured. Where were his parents? Did he have any? Family? Who would claim his body? Would he have a funeral?
Those questions plagued her long after the agents had left, leaving her alone with her thoughts. But on their way out, the agents warned her that she might be called to testify at the robbers’ trial. She hoped that wouldn’t be the case — she never wanted to set eyes on them again.
At that moment, the ER curtain was thrown open and her three cousins came over to her. Monica and Victoria had expressions of panic written all over their faces. Sebrina’s face showed concern. Since this was the hospital where Sebrina worked, she’d probably already spoken with one of her colleagues about Kennedy’s condition and knew it wasn’t as bad as it looked.
“We got here as soon as we could. You’re alright?” Victoria asked in a rush, while Monica checked her over.
“I’m fine now.”
“I can’t believe the bank was robbed and you were taken hostage.”
Kennedy nodded. “I know. It was crazy.”
“Tell us what happened.”
She shook her head when a wave of sorrow swept over her. She was feeling sadness for the man who’d chosen to live on the wrong side of the law and had lost his life because of it. Sadness because deep down, she felt that under different circumstances, he might have turned out to be someone — someone special.
Kennedy fought back the tears that threatened to fall. “Let’s talk about it later, okay? I promise to tell you everything. Right now, I’m just glad to see you guys.”
And she truly meant it.
Six months later
“YOUR MOTHER, GOD BLESS her soul, would have been pleased that you’ve decided to come work here. She never wanted you to become a cop.”
Haddison looked at the man behind the huge desk. As much as he hated to admit it, he knew his uncle was right. His father, who’d been a cop on the streets of St. Louis, had been gunned down one night. After that, Haddison’s mother had done everything she could to dissuade her twelve-year-old son from ever following in his father’s footsteps as a police officer.
She’d died four years later from ovarian cancer, so she never knew her only child had become a cop, anyway. At sixteen, Haddison had been sent to live with his bachelor uncle, his mother’s only brother, in Los Angeles. After losing his parents, those years with his uncle had been the best. Maceo Rivers was just the person Haddison had needed in his life. There was nothing like being a teen and having a die-hard, fun-loving bachelor as a guardian.