“Sydney, Agent Wickowski is offering you police protection.”
“No!”
“Mrs. Inglewood, this time we’ll use our own people. I promise you we’ll see that you’re protected.”
“Am I under arrest?”
Her voice was stronger, though it still had a hoarse, raspy edge.
Wickowski shook his head. “Of course not.”
“Then I’d like to leave.”
“That’s it, Wickowski. We’re out of here.” Noah’s own instincts clamored for him to get her away as quickly as possible.
“Mrs. Inglewood,” the doctor interjected, “this isn’t a good idea. You’ve suffered a severe trauma to your head and you’ve just had surgery on your hand. You’re taking a big risk leaving here.”
“Bigger risk…staying,” she croaked out as her voice broke down in a hoarse whisper.
“Don’t strain your vocal cords,” Noah chastised, reaching inside her closet for the bag of torn, stained clothing. “We’re leaving.”
He liked the way she stood up to the doctor. She was no cringing wimp, that was for sure. He went back to her drawer and collected the contents of her purse.
Sydney got discharge papers and lectures, but Noah had her in a wheelchair and out front before her breakfast tray arrived.
“Impressive,” Sydney whispered. “I can see why you’re a major.”
In one hand, she clutched the African violet. He felt ridiculously pleased. She’d left behind the large sprays of flowers from her friends and coworkers.
Long sooty lashes fluttered closed when she leaned back against the cab’s upholstery. Noah resisted an urge to smooth away the dark smudges of fatigue beneath the fall of lashes. He had to keep reminding himself that this was his brother’s wife.
Staring at her profile, he decided Jerome’s photographs hadn’t done her justice. Sydney Edwards Inglewood had flawless skin over the sort of bone structure that gave her a clean, natural beauty.
“Thank you for getting me out of there.”
“I should have listened to you last night. I didn’t know they were going to pull the guard at your door.”
Her shoulders lifted and fell in a small shrug. “They didn’t know I was in danger.”
“You’d think they’d protect a material witness better than that. Can you tell me what happened without straining your voice?”
In a husky whisper, Sydney told him what little she’d seen. “He wanted something, but he was so afraid I’d scream again he kept holding on to my throat so I couldn’t answer even if I’d wanted to. I wonder if it could have been that orderly who scared me earlier.”
“What orderly?”
Sydney’s explanation fed his anger.
“You mean to tell me that no one checked this out?”
Sydney shrugged. “The nurse never came back. Or if she did, I was already asleep. Maybe the orderly was just weird, but in retrospect, I think he was going through the drawer on the nightstand.”
Noah was coldly furious. “Is anything missing?”
“I never looked.”
“We’ll do that when we get to the hotel.”
“I didn’t have anything worth taking, Noah. Maybe ten dollars and some change. And I could be wrong about what he was doing.”
“Did you tell Wickowski about this?”
She shook her head.
“We’ll call him later.”
He helped her from the cab in front of his hotel and she stumbled over the curb, forcing him to reach for her.
“Lean on me,” he told her quietly. “We don’t need you falling down in front of half the visiting businessmen in the city.”
Men and women in power suits, sporting briefcases and newspapers, moved busily about the lobby. There were even a few early-morning tourists scurrying about.
Sydney stiffened. “I won’t fall.”
“Good. I hate scenes first thing in the morning.”
“Then move your hand or you’re going to get a doozy.”
He realized that in avoiding her bad arm, his hand had pressed against the soft round curve of her breast. Instantly, he released her. Sydney moved forward with quiet dignity.
“Why are we here?”
“This is where I’m staying.” He reached for the elevator button.
She raised her eyebrows expressively.
“I didn’t think you wanted to answer any more questions for a while.”
After a second she gave a delicate shudder and looked away. “I don’t.”
As a crush of people jostled their way out of the elevator, Sydney was pressed up against him. He steadied her lightly, careful of his hands this time. But that only reinforced his awareness of her body. A very nice body. She was a good height for a woman, almost at eye level with him.
The sudden flare of awareness in her eyes caught him off guard. Her lips parted. A lacy sweep of pink brightened her cheeks. His answering response came as another surprise. As soon as they entered the elevator away from prying eyes, he stepped away from her.
“My room has two double beds, Sydney,” he said to reassure her as well as himself. “You can use the second one to try for a little sleep while I make other arrangements.”
She wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Who put you—?”
“In charge? I did.” Her whispery voice only added fuel to the unwanted kindling of awareness. “You’d better stop trying to talk. You’re losing what little voice you have left.”
Her eyes narrowed and she lifted her head. “I realize you haven’t seen any proof of this so far, but I am quite capable of taking care of myself, Major.” Her voice dropped even lower as it cracked and broke. “I’ve been doing so for a number of years.”
“I know. Jerome told me you were an orphan.”
It had only confirmed his conviction that Jerome was a fool who’d let himself be trapped by a needy older woman with a biological clock ticking away.
On the other hand, Jerome had always liked to get his own way, so Noah figured it was the woman who would come to regret the decision. Jerome was a handsome charmer. He was also totally self-centered and used to being catered to.
Still, Noah had found himself studying Sydney’s photograph at odd moments, baffled by the woman Jerome had selected for his wife. While pretty, she wasn’t the flashy adornment Noah had expected Jerome to pick.
“I’m sorry I didn’t make your wedding,” Noah told her. “I was out of the country at the time.”
“He would have liked you to be there,” she said without looking at him.
Privately, Noah doubted that.
“It was a simple service. We didn’t even use a church.”
Was that a trace of regret? Noah couldn’t tell. The last assignment had left Noah taking a hard look at the choices he’d made in his own life. He’d experienced a tug of envy over the life his brother had planned. Talk about irony. Noah risked his life every time he went on a mission, yet it was Jerome who’d died protecting someone else, leaving Noah the living hostages to fortune.
Noah was relieved when the elevator doors opened