“A few men came in with you,” the nurse said. “One was in handcuffs.”
I swallowed. “Not him. The blond, gorgeous one.”
She smiled. “Ah, he was hard to miss. He was whisked away for treatment. Smoke inhalation. All of you were suffering from the smoke. The one in handcuffs had it the worst. He’s got a bunch of third-degree burns to his face and is in surgery. The big, tough-looking guy was fine, and the other guy who’d been beaten is getting seen to.”
“Okay.” I pulled in a breath. “That’s good news.” I tried to dredge up some sympathy for Doyle, but failed.
“Since you’ve got a few minor burns and smoke inhalation, you’re going to stay with us overnight for observation.” She patted my shoulder. “Lucky you.”
“No. I… The blond man. I need to see him.” I needed to see with my own eyes that Liam was okay.
“I bet. Any woman would like to see more of that man.” She winked.
I slid my legs over the side of the bed.
“Honey, he’s in a private room, and no one is getting to him.” She arched a brow. “Are you family?”
I hunched my shoulders. “No.”
“Then, I suggest you get some rest. He’ll find you if he wants to.”
She turned to leave.
“Wait,” I said. “He’s really okay?”
I saw sympathy on her face. “I can’t talk about other patients.”
“I’m not asking for all the medical details.”
She nodded. “He’s okay.”
I let out a shuddering breath, and the nurse slipped through the curtains surrounding the bed.
Liam was okay. Grasping onto that thought, I stood, and everything wavered. My hand shot out and I gripped the bed.
Crap. I had one of those stupid hospital gowns on, with my ass hanging out. There was no sign of my clothes, and I had no shoes.
It didn’t matter. I was finding Liam, no matter what.
I poked my head out of the curtain and saw a male nurse walking past.
“Excuse me?”
The man looked at me. “Are you all right?”
“Um, I can’t seem to find my clothes. Is there anything I can wear?”
He eyed me. “I’ll see what I can do.”
Back in my makeshift cubicle, I leaned against the bed and had another coughing fit. I didn’t see the lockbox anywhere, so I assumed Liam had it.
God, Jake. Was he all right? I hoped someone had called Erica.
The male nurse appeared, and handed me some folded blue scrubs.
“Thanks,” I said.
I quickly pulled them on, hating that my bra was gone.
Oh, well. Barefoot and braless, I headed out. Ahead, I saw the nurses’ desk. A pretty nurse, maybe mid-thirties, with dark hair and dark eyes, looked at me.
“I’m looking for the people that came in with me?” I asked.
“Name?”
Shit. “Liam Kensington.”
Her gaze changed and she eyed me like I was a slimy bug. “We have no one by that name.”
“I know he’s here. We came in together.”
“Are you family?”
“No, but we—”
“I can’t divulge that information.”
“He’d want to see me.”
“He left instructions to let no one through.”
Those words were like a sharp punch to my gut.
Another woman sauntered up to the desk. She wore a sharp suit, styled hair. She screamed reporter.
“Liam Kensington’s room, please?”
The nurse cocked her head. “Are you family?”
“Oh, well, almost.” The woman smiled.
The nurse’s face looked like stone. “We have no one by that name.”
The woman in the suit stopped smiling. “There’s a warehouse in the Bronx still burning, and I know one of the billionaire bachelors was brought in. The public has a right to know.”
“Leave,” the nurse said. “Or I’ll call security.”
Shit. They’d bar anyone trying to get to him.
Feeling dizzy, I wandered away. I sagged against the wall and looked at the burns on my arms, and wondered why they didn’t hurt more.
Probably some good painkillers they’d pumped into me.
Nurses and doctors rushed past, pushing someone on a gurney.
I was just in the way here. I ached, I was tired, and I just wanted Liam.
I thought about hustling my way through. I could swipe a nurse’s name tag and bluff my way past the desk.
But a thought hit me—if Liam was here, and he was okay, why hadn’t he found me?
My stomach turned over in an uncomfortable way, and tears pricked my eyes.
He had the photos and the lockbox. I guess he didn’t need anything else.
My foggy head made it hard to think. There was no way to get to him. I walked down the corridor, through some double doors, and came out in the main waiting area.
A baby was wailing, people sat slumped in chairs, and someone was moaning.
I hunched my shoulders, my chest tight. I headed for the front doors, but I had no clue what I’d do. I needed to find a phone. I could call a cab. Another wave of dizziness hit me, but this time with the added swirl of nausea. Great.
I weaved through some chairs, and then reached the automatic doors as they opened.
“Going somewhere?” a deep voice intoned.
My head jerked up, and I stared at Maverick Rivera. Just great. He was wearing jeans, a buttoned-up, black shirt, and his usual dark scowl.
“I’m going home,” I said.
“You haven’t even seen him, and you’re leaving?”
Damn, I wasn’t sure I had it in me to spar with Rivera right now. “They told me he was okay, but they wouldn’t let me see him.” My voice hitched. “He is okay, right?”
Maverick studied me, his gaze heavy and intense.
I grabbed the front of his shirt, half to make a point, and half to keep myself upright. “Rivera, is he all right?” Even I heard the panicked edge to my voice.
“He’s fine.”
I sagged. “Thank God.” Then I straightened and locked my knees. I didn’t want to show any weakness in front of this man. “I need to go.”
He eyed my bare feet and arched a brow.
I felt a sudden spurt of anger. My head was throbbing now. “I tried to see him, but they told me he’d left instructions for no one to be let through. I got the message loud and clear.”
Maverick’s gaze shifted to my face. I felt a hot prick of tears and tried to push past him.
He grabbed my arm. “He’s been in and out of consciousness. I gave the order to the front desk for him not to be disturbed, not him.”
“Oh.” I hunched my shoulders. I was really lightheaded now. I needed to go because I was about to faint in front of Maverick.
I turned, weaving unsteadily.
“Aspen, shit, you’re about to fall over.”
Shocking the hell out of me, he scooped me into his arms.
I pressed a hand to his rock-hard chest. “Rivera, don’t mess with me right now.”
He stared down at me. “Liam rambled that you shoved him out of the way of a burning beam.”
I didn’t respond.
“And he carried you out of that burning building.”