Don't Mess With Texas by Christie Craig

Author:Christie Craig [Craig, Christie]
Language: eng
Format: epub, mobi
Tags: Mystery & Detective, Contemporary, Fiction, Romance, FIC027010, Suspense, Adult, Erotica, Women Sleuths
ISBN: 0446582840
Google: Trcv5EUBd18C
Amazon: B004QX079G
Publisher: Forever
Published: 2011-08-26T04:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

NIKKI SAT IN the ICU waiting room for five minutes before discovering that Ellen had been moved to the surgical floor. Tapping on Ellen’s door a few minutes later, Nikki heard a soft, “Come in,” and she moved inside.

Her gaze shot first to Ellen, asleep. She looked pale and small. Not anything like Ellen, who always wore a big smile and exuded a big personality. The vision of all the blood back at the gallery filed Nikki’s head.

How could someone have done this?

And why?

Mrs. Wise, standing beside the hospital bed, quietly rushed over to join Nikki. “She’s much better.”

While locked in Mrs. Wise’s embrace, Nikki spotted the nurse at the foot of the bed. It was LeAnn, Dallas’s sister-in-law. Nikki nodded to her in greeting.

LeAnn’s startled gaze shot to the door as if she was afraid someone, an unwelcome someone at that, might be following Nikki in. Recalling how LeAnn had run when her estranged husband, Detective O’Connor, had come into the emergency room, Nikki suspected the unwanted person was him. Nikki couldn’t blame her; the man gave Nikki the same reaction.

“She’s sleeping now,” Mrs. Wise said. “But she was awake a few minutes ago.”

“She needs rest.” LeAnn marked something on the chart she held. “We’ve got a morphine pump hooked up. She might be groggy. If she wakes up in pain, remind her she has the pump and can push it for medication. And if you need anything, hit the nurse’s button. I’m right outside.”

LeAnn looked at Nikki. “Are you feeling better?”

Nikki nodded and looked at Mrs. Wise. “I met LeAnn while in the ER.” Nikki wasn’t sure if she should say anything about LeAnn being Detective O’Connor’s wife, so she didn’t.

Another tap came at the door. “Come in,” Mrs. Wise said in a low voice.

LeAnn’s gaze shot to the door again.

Dallas walked in. “Hello.”

LeAnn relaxed. Mrs. Wise turned to greet Dallas. But Dallas barely gave the women a glance. He visually greeted LeAnn, then his gaze locked on Nikki as if he worried she might have fallen apart again. Embarrassment bounced like ping-pong balls through her chest. He probably had her down as a surefire basket case.

And why not? She’d done nothing but fall apart and wallow around in that basket since she’d met him. Well, when she wasn’t upchucking on him, threatening to upchuck on him, or making out with him on his bedroom floor. Oh God, she really needed to pull herself together.

She made up her mind. She was calling Nana back and asking to borrow her car. Dallas O’Connor shouldn’t be carting her around town. She’d hired him—well sort of hired him—to be her PI, not chauffeur or breakdown buddy. Nope, her breakdown buddy was asleep in the hospital bed. And until Ellen was back, Nikki was going to have to pull up her big girl panties.

Mrs. Wise moved closer to Dallas. “You were there last night with Nikki, weren’t you? I’m sorry I didn’t introduce myself.”

“That’s understandable.” Dallas offered the woman his hand. “My name’s Dallas O’Connor and I’m a private investigator looking into things.

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