Showdown in Mudbug (Ghost-in-Law, #3)(76)

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers, fully expecting her to pull away. Instead she lifted one hand to his cheek and kissed him back, a soft lingering kiss that made him warm all over. He pulled back a bit and looked at her.

She sighed and smiled. “I thought you’d never kiss me.”

Hank stared at her. “You wanted me to kiss you?”

“Of course. I would have liked to have dinner with you, too, but it looks like you’re going to have to take a rain check, as I’m not really fond of hospital food.”

Hank stared at her in disbelief. “I just never figured…I’m sorry, but I don’t think you should be involved with me. Look at all the shit—stuff—that just happened, and I don’t even know why.” He shook his head. “No, that’s wrong. I know why. It’s because of who I was. If I’d never been that person, these things wouldn’t be happening to me now. It still all comes back to my bad choices. I’m not an innocent.”

“You can try to run me off, Hank Henry, but you’ll find I’m tougher than you think. What about the woman in danger? Does Maryse know if she’s safe?”

“She’s not only safe, she’s the one who rescued me.”

Lila gasped. “Then it did have something to do with her.”

Hank shook his head. “We don’t know. That’s the really weird part. This guy who’s been looking for her is the one who told her where to find me, but he was all secretive, like he didn’t want anyone to know.”

“So his men took you, then he changed his mind?”

“I don’t think so. I mean, I could be totally wrong, but I think there’s something major going on here. Like I said, I don’t ask questions, and I’m guessing I wouldn’t get many answers even if I did.”

“I asked Maryse about her. All Maryse would say is the woman was above reproach and that the right people were trying to protect her.”

Hank nodded. “Yeah, she came to the hospital courtesy of a New Orleans detective who was looking at her like anything but a suspect. I think she’s in good hands.”

“Maryse said the feds were looking into things, too.” She sat up straight and stared at Hank. “Do you think she’s a fed?”

Hank stared at Lila in surprise. “You know, she’s tough and smart and clearly not under arrest. And she knows how to handle a weapon. I’ve seen that firsthand.” He shook his head. “Damn if you’re not onto something. Her being a fed would explain everything.”

“Well, maybe not everything, but probably a whole lot.”

“A fed. I bet that’s it. No wonder everyone’s tiptoeing around her. That cop with her looked like he was guarding the Hope Diamond.”

Lila smiled. “Maybe he thinks he is.”





Raissa closed her cell phone and tossed it on the dresser.

“Maryse?” Zach asked.

“Yeah.”

“How’s Hank?”

“Good. Helena got to see him, so she’s stopped panicking.” Raissa frowned. “There was something strange, though.”

“What’s that?”

“Maryse said when she went back to Hank’s room to check on Helena after talking to the nurse, that she ran into the woman, Lila, Hank’s boss that I told you about. Lila was standing outside Hank’s room and said she didn’t want to go in because there was a woman already in there. But the only woman who could have been in Hank’s room was Helena.”

Zach stared at her, eyebrows raised. “Maryse thinks Lila saw Helena?”

Raissa shrugged. “She can’t think of any other explanation.”

“The whole thing is just weird. So Luc used to see her but can’t now? What’s that about?”

“Luc’s a different story than the rest of us. Helena’s not the only dead person he’s seen. He’s part Native American, and apparently ghost-seeing runs in the family. But after Maryse was out of danger, he ceased being able to see or hear Helena.”

Zach shook his head in dismay. “Now that’s a hell of a thing to inherit. Maybe he and Maryse should consider adopting.”

Raissa froze at Zach’s words, her mind racing.

“Oh, hey,” Zach said, apparently noticing her lack of response. “I didn’t mean that seriously. They can have a dozen kids if that’s what they want.”

“No. I have an idea.” She jumped up from her chair and pointed at the files. “Grab those files. We have to get to the hospital. I need to check something.”

Zach gathered the files and grabbed his car keys. “What are you thinking?”

“It’s only an idea, but I think I can get proof.”

“Of what?”

“What those girls had in common. And why Hank Henry was abducted.”





Chapter Twenty-one


“Why the hospital?” Zach asked as he drove out of Mudbug toward the hospital. “Do you need to talk to Hank?”

“No. The hospital has a weak security system. It’s easy to hack their Internet access. And I’ll be less likely to be caught hacking medical records at other hospitals if the signal is coming from this hospital.”

“You want me to help you hack medical records?”