Fidelity (Infidelity #5)(82)

“Oh, yes, he’s outside talking to the SWAT team.”

SWAT?

“I need to get to him.”

She encouraged me to lie back on the gurney. “Miss, you shouldn’t be up and about. We need to run some tests.”

I pushed back, throwing my feet from the gurney. “I’m fine. Let me go.” I yelled toward the open door, “Nox!” My volume rose. “Deloris! Nox!”

“Miss…”

The most handsome face with the lightest blue eyes turned the corner, rounding the open doors and bringing every inch of his six-foot-plus body into view. His smile melted my heart and brought hope to my soul.

There had to be good news. That was why he was smiling.

“Is she all right? Do they have him? Please tell me she’s safe.”

Nox reached for my hand and ignoring the pleas of the paramedic, he helped me down from the tailgate. “How are you?” He ran his hand over my head. “You dropped like a rock before I even knew what happened.”

I winced as he came into contact with the sore spot. “That hurts… a little, but tell me about Chelsea.”

Reaching for my hand, he kissed my forehead and spoke as he led me toward a group of policemen in SWAT uniforms. “You haven’t been out that long. The paramedics want to take you to the hospital for a scan.”

“I’m not dizzy… just my head is sore.”

“Princess, you’re growing a goose egg on the back of your head.”

“Fine, I’ll get a scan—later. Chelsea?” I asked.

“At first they thought Spencer went to her room. They sent officers up there. The door was open.” He paused. “They found her phone sitting on the table.”

I stopped walking, unable to do anything but listen.

“I’m not sure how or why,” Nox went on, “but she left the room and went down to the coffee shop on the first floor.”

“Why?”

“I don’t know. Our guys spotted her before the police, but so did Spencer. He’s telling everyone that he’s armed. Isaac is there too. Spencer is holding everyone in the coffee shop. He’s threatened only Chelsea. Well, and Isaac.”

“Miss Collins?” an officer wearing a Kevlar vest asked as he approached.

I eyed his uniform, the vest, the hat, the ammunition. “Yes, is this really that serious?”

“Has Mr. Demetri filled you in on what’s happening with your friend and fiancé?”

“He’s not my fiancé anymore.” I looked up to Nox. “He’s told me that my friend is safe?”

“Currently. Edward Spencer just made a demand.”

“What?”

“We need to take you to the negotiator. Mr. Spencer said he’ll let everyone else in the shop go. There are seven other people, including three children. He says he’ll let them all walk out, if you’ll go in.”

“No,” Nox said, pulling my hand closer.

My stomach twisted. “Children? There are children in there?”

“Three children, two women, and two men as well as your friend and Edward Spencer.”

“I can’t believe he’d do this.” I turned back to Nox. “What does he have? What kind of weapon?”

“Isaac has been our eyes inside. He’s managed a few text messages and even a picture. He’s one of those men, one of the two. Spencer has said he has a gun. Isaac has only seen it through Spencer’s coat, the outline. Isaac was ready to take him out when he grabbed Chelsea, but Isaac was afraid that if he did, Chelsea would be hurt.”

“Oh my God. Why didn’t she stay in the room?”

“Miss Collins. We wouldn’t ask you to do this, except our profiler believes that the gun is fake. Mr. Spencer’s profile doesn’t include weapons.”

“He’s accused of murder. A body was found on his property,” Nox said.

“Yes, sir. And I can’t release any details about that, but a weapon was not the cause of death.”

I let go of Nox’s hand, covered my stomach, and whispered, “He beat her to death.”

“Miss Collins?” the officer asked.

“Bryce doesn’t use weapons; he uses his hands and verbal threats.” I pointed to the hotel. “This isn’t him. I mean, I think your profiler is right.” I turned to Nox. “Isaac said he grabbed Chelsea?”

“Yes.”

“That’s what he does. Brute force is his thing, not a gun.”

“I don’t care, you’re not going in there.”

“He won’t hurt me like he will Chelsea.”

“No,” Nox said definitively.

I turned to the officer. “Can I try to talk to him? On a phone?”

He nodded. “We have his number. That’s how he made the demand. He called us. We’ve set up a line of communication. Our negotiator can ask him if he’ll speak to you.”

“Can you take me to the negotiator?”

A few minutes later, Nox and I were in the back of a large van talking to more of the SWAT team. “Our profiler is usually right,” the negotiator said, “but if she’s wrong? I don’t recommend going in, not until we have more information on Edward Spencer.”