Arranged(73)

My relationship with consciousness took quite a dive for a bit after that. It was touch and go. I’d wake up, ask to be drugged, and sleep again. This went on for days. As far as I could tell, Banks never left my side. He was always there for my brief lapses into wakefulness. I’d lost count of how many when I woke up to the sound of my father-in-law’s voice. I didn’t open my eyes. That still hurt.

“You don’t look surprised,” he was telling someone in angrily, voice drenched in contempt.

“Of course I’m not surprised,” Banks replied, just as angry. “I’m the one that told you.”

My whole body went cold, almost numbing the pain. Almost.

What did that mean? I didn’t like the sound of it, but I was quickly distracted from exploring the thought.

I must have moved in some kind of way, something that betrayed my wakefulness because the next thing my father-in-law said was, “I think your wife’s awake.”

I opened my eyes, directly meeting Pasco’s. In spite of his disdainful tone with his son, his expression was soft with concern as he studied me. “How are you, dear?”

I smiled wryly. “I’ve been better.”

“Do you remember what happened?”

I did, mostly. It had all returned to me in blurry patches as I drifted in and out. “Someone tried to drown me,” I said softly. My throat sounded better, at least, though it still felt like hell. I had a horrifying thought for the first time. “Is Chester okay?” He must have been the one that saved me, but that very fact meant he’d most likely been in direct contact with whoever had tried to drown me.

Banks barked out a laugh that was far from amused.

Pasco’s mouth twisted into a rueful smile. “He’s been sick with worry for you, but other than that he wasn’t hurt too badly. Do you feel up for hearing some of the details?”

“Yes,” I answered instantly. I wasn’t sure if I was, but I wanted to hear it anyway.

“There were multiple individuals involved in the attack. They were well-coordinated. Two of them attacked Vincent, who was waiting at the front of the building. That drew Chester away from his post, and during the time that was happening, a man came after you in the pool.”

I listened with a numb sort of shock. This couldn’t be real. What reason could someone have to try to kill me, let alone a whole team of someones? It simply made no sense to me.

Pasco kept shooting looks at Banks that were outright hostile. It was so strange. Banks was visibly upset. And there was obviously nothing he could have done about any of it since he wasn’t even there when it happened.

“Is Vincent okay?” I asked.

“A few bumps and bruises. He’s old, but they underestimated him. He can still fight, and he held his own just fine until Chester entered the fray, and then it was game over. Chester knocked one of them out cold with one hit, which chased the other one off. The whole thing took about two minutes before he went back to check on you, but it was a very close thing.

We’ll be upping your security,” Pasco continued, as though it was the most normal thing in the world. “Chester and Vincent did as well as they could, but it clearly wasn’t enough. All the guys got away while Chester and Vincent were taking care of you.”

“Why?” I asked. “Why would they go to so much trouble to hurt me?”

Pasco and Banks shared a look. “They were hired,” Pasco answered.

“By who?”

Pasco’s nostrils flared. I darted a look at Banks, who wasn’t meeting my eyes.

“We’re looking into it,” Pasco said tonelessly. It was infuriating, but apparently the only answer I was going to get at the moment.





As soon as it was apparent I was staying awake for longer than two minute stretches, the visits began. A sobbing Jovie almost crushed me with affection while Santi told me cheerfully that I was the sixth most Googled person of the week.

Vincent’s bruised eyes teared up at the sight of me, and a gruff Chester patted me on the hand and glared at Banks on my other side.

Pasco and Diana visited frequently. As soon as I voiced my concern about missing so much work, Diana reassured me that it was all being handled.

“I’ve been interviewing new assistants for you since Asha was let go so . . . unexpectedly,” Diana added. “I think I’ve found a good fit. You’ll meet her just as soon as you feel up to it.”

That felt promising. An assistant certainly sounded more pleasant than a handler.

I caught some of the bits Pasco had left unsaid on the news from my hospital bed as things developed. No arrests had been made but the men involved had all been identified as professionals. Catching them was unlikely, as they’d undoubtedly left the country or gone underground, but they didn’t really matter, did they? The real question was: Who had hired them?





CHAPTER





THIRTY-THREE





My mother always used to say that bad things come in threes, and as far as I’ve ever been able to tell, she was right.

The blows just kept coming.

The news broke the day I came home from the hospital. It made a much bigger impact than it would have, I think, because I was already getting so much attention due to the attack.

Turned out, Asha held a grudge. Also turned out, NDAs aren’t worth a damn when someone wants to take you down with them badly enough.