Showdown in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #3)(75)

Lila stepped into the room and looked around. Maryse was right—it was empty except for Hank. Lila sighed. “I must be losing it.”

“Trust me, I know the feeling. The lighting in here’s not all that great, either.”

“Is it all right to see him? I mean, I’m not interrupting anything…”

Maryse waved a hand in dismissal. “Not at all. My husband’s waiting for me in the car outside. I just checked in with the nurse and everything’s fine.” She smiled at Lila. “I’m sure he’ll be happy to see you. I’ve got to run.” She walked down the hall with a wave over her shoulder.

Lila took a deep breath and stepped into the room. As she approached the bed, Hank stirred and opened his eyes. “I thought I heard something. Were you singing?”

Lila shook her head. “I just got here, but I heard singing, too.” She looked around the room but didn’t see anything that could have created the noise.

“Probably in another room or something,” Hank said.

“You’re probably right.” Lila stood at the side of his bed, fiddling with the bottom button on her blouse. “You don’t know how happy I am to see you.”

Hank reached up and took her hand in his and pulled her toward the bed. “Have a seat and relax.” He smiled at her. “It’s hard to see you so far away. Everything’s still a little fuzzy.”

She sat on the side of his bed and studied him as he pushed himself up to a sitting position. “How do you feel? Did they catch the guy who did this? Maryse called, but she didn’t have any details, other than that you were fine.”

Hank felt his heart leap into his throat at the concern in Lila’s face. He swallowed once and tried to keep his emotions from his voice. Lila was his client and used to be his therapist. Even though she’d agreed to go to dinner with him the last time he’d seen her, the fact that she was visiting him in a hospital after his kidnapping was a clear indication that he had no business involving someone like Lila in his sordid life. At least, not on a personal level.

Keep things professional. “I feel fine, just a little tired. I don’t think they’ve caught the guy. I don’t know how they could, as I have no earthly idea who did it.”

Lila gave him a worried look. “Chuck said a guy had been hanging around the site. He thought he saw him hassling you the night you disappeared, but said you passed it off as nothing. Based on his description, it sounded like someone from your past.”

Hank sighed. “It was someone from my past, but I don’t think that’s who took me. The guy who took me bypassed a locked door and managed to creep up behind me without me hearing. He stuck me with a needle. I got the impression that he was taller than me. The other guy is shorter and not sneaky at all.”

Lila bit her lip. “But he was hassling you? And he has friends, right?”

“Yeah, I guess he could have gotten someone else, but I’m not involved in anything. I swear.”

“I went to Mudbug and talked to Maryse. Chuck said you called her one day with his phone, and I guess we hoped she might know something that could help. I hope you don’t mind.”

“I don’t mind at all. It’s nice that you and Chuck were trying to help. So what did you think about my ex?”

Lila laughed. “I think you were right saying you were crazy to let her get away. I think she’s great.”

Hank nodded. “She is, just not great for me. I see it now, but at the time, I guess I thought she could save me. I was wrong for using her that way. I’m still hoping she forgives me someday.”

“I think she already has. So do you think this was about her friend?”

“I don’t know. The guy Chuck saw had been trying to get information on Maryse’s friend, especially after she turned up missing from her apartment and business.”

“Why does he want her?”

“I honestly have no idea,” Hank said. “I warned her after the first visit, and she disappeared afterward. I called Maryse when Rico started coming around the job site. I borrowed Chuck’s phone for the call in case they were tracing mine. I never asked why they were after her, and I don’t want to know. It’s safer that way.”

Lila nodded but still looked worried. “That’s what Maryse said. But even though you didn’t know anything, the guy kept coming back. Why didn’t he just look somewhere else?”

“That’s not the way these guys work. They think if they put pressure on you, you’ll figure out a way to get them what they want, even if you don’t have it. They like shortcuts.”

“This woman is still in danger then. Is there any way I can help?”

Hank looked at Lila, unable to keep the smile from his face. “You’re really something, you know. You know the kind of guys I’m talking about, and here I was kidnapped right after a run-in with them, and you’re worried about the woman they’re after. You’re a wonderful person, Lila. Probably the most wonderful person I’ve ever known.”

Lila blushed and stared down at the floor. “I’m just trying to do the right thing. It’s no more than anyone else would do.”

Hank used one finger to lift her chin until he was looking her eye to eye. “It’s more than most people would do, especially for a stranger, and you know it.” He looked at her a moment longer and tried to command his racing heart to still. He knew what he was about to do was a horrible idea, but for whatever reason, his mind simply couldn’t convince his body to agree.