Drake Sisters 05 - Safe Harbor

of magazines."
    The detective couldn't stop the quick, curious glances he kept sending toward Hannah through the glass. "I think Ms. Drake is pretty safe from the kid and there isn't any family left to come after her."

    Fighting back the urge to deck Stewart, Jonas shoved his hands through his hair and followed the detective's gaze. To his astonishment, Hannah was looking back at him.
    His heart jumped. "Would you please keep me apprised of every aspect of the investigation? As soon as possible, we'll be moving Hannah closer to her home."
    "I'll need to speak with her. The doctors this morning said she had improved dramatically."
    "Not dramatically enough for you to speak to her. I'll let you know if she says anything or if she's able to be interviewed."
    The detective nodded, and moved away, glancing once more back at Hannah as he did so.
    Jonas muttered curses to himself as he walked back into the room, switching immediately to a smile. "You woke up, Hannah. You've been sleeping for a few days now. You scared the hell out of me." He sat in the chair, his heart pounding, trying to look casual and upbeat.
    She looked a mummy, swathed in gauze from her hips to her cheeks. Her face, what little he could see of it, was swollen and bruised. Her skin was so white she seemed to fade into the bandages and sheets around her. Her gaze was locked on his face, and if he wasn't mistaken, there were tears close.
    Jonas leaned forward and pressed his palm to the top of her head, providing contact and warmth. "Everything's all right, baby. All you have to do is lie there and get better.
    You're getting stronger." He would never get the sight of her like this out of his mind.
    Never forget the panic sweeping through him. He'd never get over the terrible bone-deep grief. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing the knife. The blood. He had never felt so helpless—so useless and impotent—in his life. He should have been there. God in heaven. I should have been there .
    Jonas.
    He heard the fear in her voice, the echo of it in his own mind. His gut clenched in reaction. He fought back his physical response and forced himself to smile at her in reassurance. "I know, honey. He can't hurt you now. No one is going to hurt you again.
    How are you feeling? Are you in pain?"
    "My throat." It hurts to talk. My throat is raw. I hurt everywhere. Even my mouth .
    The doctor had said her voice would never be the same. "The nurse can give you more pain meds."
    No. I just want to go home. Take me home. I feel like a freak show. Everyone stares, even the nurses.
    "We're going to move you to a private room, which we can much more easily guard.
    We'll get you out of here as soon as possible."

    I can't remember very much.
    He used his thumb to brash away a teardrop on her cheek. Her lashes were wet and spiky and so heart-breaking he wanted to gather her close and shelter her against everything and everyone. "You don't have to remember. We're all here with you and we're going to get you home."
    "What do I look like?" She raised a bandaged hand and touched the swath of gauze around her face.
    A shadow fell across them and Jonas turned just in time to see a man dressed as an orderly snap a picture of Hannah with his cell phone. Swearing, Jonas leapt up and caught the man as he was hurrying away. Yanking the phone from him, he dropped it on the floor and stomped on it.
    "Hey! You can't do that."
    "You're lucky I don't have you arrested." Jonas noted the name tag. "George Hodkins.
    I'm going after your job for this."
    "It's worth a lot of money, man. I'm going to school and I need it."
    "Go to hell." Jonas shoved him away and kicked the broken phone hard enough that it hit the wall. He signaled to the charge nurse, pushing the man toward her. "He's trying to profit by taking pictures of your patient. As soon as you take care of this, I'd like to get her moved to another room where we can protect her better."
    The nurse scowled at the man. "Yes, of course, Mr. Harrington." She switched her attention to the orderly. "How dare you invade one of my patients' privacy?"
    Jonas left them and returned to Hannah. That had been too easy. Had the man had a gun instead of a camera, he might have gotten a shot off. He couldn't protect Hannah here. He needed to get her someplace where he could control all movement around her. As soon as possible they had to transport her back home. Joley could provide a plane. He sank back into the chair beside her, his mind racing