Baltimore 03 - Did You Miss Me?

hit.’
    ‘In the thigh,’ Joseph said. ‘Your PI’s with her now.’
    Maynard knelt next to Stevie Mazzetti, putting pressure on her thigh. His coat was rolled up, pillowing her head. He’d taken off his shirt and ripped it into strips. He had to be freezing, but showed no sign that he even noticed the cold.
    The PI had told him that Daphne wasn’t his, that they were just friends. Looking at Maynard’s agonized expression as he treated Stevie’s wound, Joseph believed him. If I look like he does  . . .  Might as well wear a neon sign over my head . Down for the count .
    ‘ Is she all right?’ Daphne started to sit up again, then fell back, hitting her head on the step before Joseph could reach her. She groaned softly, touching the base of her skull. When she pulled her hand away, it was covered in blood. Fresh blood this time. She stared at her hand, not quite seeing. ‘I think I hit my head.’ She closed her eyes, grimacing. ‘I don’t feel so good. You might want to step back. Really.’
    ‘You need to throw up, go ahead. Nothing I haven’t seen before.’ He’d started to probe the back of her head to determine the damage when her eyes flew open.
    Alarmed, she grabbed his wrist again. ‘No,’ she pleaded desperately. ‘Don’t.’
    ‘I need to know you’re okay,’ he said firmly, then gentled his voice. ‘I won’t hurt you, Daphne, but I need to check. You might have a concussion. Don’t fight me.’
    She angled her face away and closed her eyes again. Her cheeks grew flushed, the bright red in vivid contrast to her pale face. ‘Just . . . hurry. Please.’
    Frowning at her tone, he touched the back of her head. Then his frown sharpened when his fingers slid up under . . . her wig. She’s wearing a wig . Why? For a moment he wondered what he should say, then realized there wasn’t anything he could say that wouldn’t embarrass her further. So for the moment he said nothing. Later, he’d ask. ‘Open your eyes. Let me see your pupils.’
    She opened her eyes, looking everywhere but at him. ‘I guess you’re wondering—’
    He laid his finger across her lips. ‘Your pupils are looking more normal and you’re sounding less drunk. You’ve got a bad gash,’ he said matter-of-factly and watched her swallow hard. ‘You probably hit your head on the edge of the step and even small head wounds bleed like a bitch. I doubt you’ll need stitches, but you need to get checked.’
    He needed to wipe the shame from her expression. Whatever her reason for the wig, it didn’t change the fact that she was the most beautiful, the most . . . compelling woman he’d ever met. He’d tell her someday. Because this was definitely not the time.
    ‘Stevie’s snarling at Maynard,’ he said, redirecting her attention, ‘so I think she’s okay.’ Daphne shot him a look of gratitude that grated. What did she think I’d do? Yank the damn thing off her head and hold it up for everyone to see? But she was hurt, so he stowed his irritation. ‘Maynard’s applying a tourniquet. Boy knows his first aid. He’s doing everything he can without a med kit.’
    ‘Clay’s seen gunshot wounds,’ she said. ‘He did two tours in Somalia.’
    ‘He told me he was in the Corps.’ The PI moved up further in his estimation. Now that Maynard wasn’t a contender, Joseph could feel all kinds of friendly toward the guy.
    Now that he knew Daphne wasn’t going to die, he could breathe again. And in a minute, I’ll destroy her . I’ll have to tell her that her son is missing, his bodyguard slain .
    His ears pricked at the sound of sirens, starting soft but growing louder. ‘EMTs are coming,’ he said, looking over his shoulder to the street. ‘JD’s meeting them.’ He’d get her in one of the ambulances, away from prying eyes. And he’d tell her there.
    She frowned. ‘He wasn’t with Stevie when she was shot. Where did he go?’
    Joseph pointed to a man lying face down on the pavement, his wrists cuffed behind him. ‘JD was subduing him when we got here.’
    ‘Help me up.’
    Joseph guided her to vertical, placing his hand against her back in case she got dizzy again.
    She sucked in a surprised breath. ‘That’s Reggie’s father.’
    ‘He had a Glock just like the one the girl used, plus an assault rifle. Good thing JD saw him when he did, because even after we’d stopped the girl, he might have kept on firing. We’d all be dead.’
    ‘Now I know why he left the courtroom after