Indecent Danger (Danger Incorporated #3)(66)
Travis’s eyes closed for a long moment and when he opened them she could see them bright with unshed tears, but he smiled and looked at her as if she was the most precious thing he’d ever seen.
“That sounds like a damn good idea. I think you and I should retire from sleuthing.”
“That is an excellent idea.”
The booming voice came from behind Travis and he moved aside to reveal West Anderson and Aubrey’s sister Gigi. Gigi squealed, racing forward to hug Aubrey but somehow managing to be gentle with her sister’s tired and sore body.
“Leave them alone, West. They were just trying to help out a friend.” Gigi leaned down and kissed Aubrey’s cheek. “You scared me out of my wits, sis! You’ve been asleep for days.”
Aubrey frowned and clutched her sister’s hand tightly. “Just how long have I been out?”
“Four days,” Gigi replied, cradling Aubrey’s hand next to her cheek as she started to cry. “So many times we didn’t think you were going to pull through. Travis hasn’t left your side since it happened.”
Aubrey gave a warm smile to the blushing man standing next to her bed. That explained why he looked like a walking zombie. Someone had obviously brought him clean clothes but she’d bet a wad of cash he wasn’t eating or sleeping well, if at all.
“When did you get here?”
West leaned against the wall of the room watching his fiancée indulgently. “We took the jet as soon as Shane called us. Jason and Brinley are here too and they went down to get something to eat but they’ll be back in a few minutes. I hate to break up this party and all but has anyone told the doctor you’re awake? They might be interested in this development.”
Travis pressed the call button. “Consider them notified.”
Within a few minutes the nurses and doctor were bustling in and out. Everyone was shooed out of the room while Aubrey was being examined and the doctor seemed pleased with her progress.
“You scared your family, young lady,” the older man scolded but she could tell he was teasing because of his kind smile. “We repaired the internal bleeding but we had to take out your spleen. If everything keeps improving like this you can go home in a few days.”
That sounded like heaven even if “home” was a hotel room with room service. She thanked the doctor, truly grateful she’d been given a second chance. She and Travis had so much more living to do. So many plans and dreams and she intended to live them all.
Travis joined her, propping himself on the edge of the bed. He’d sent everyone back to the hotel, but Gigi was coming back tonight to sit with Aubrey so that Travis could finally get some sleep. Aubrey had insisted on it and he seemed too exhausted to argue.
“Tell me what’s gone on while I’ve been asleep. Is Martin out of jail? What happened to Alana and Tom?”
Travis scraped his hand down his face and sighed deeply before answering. She had a feeling she wasn’t going to like what he had to say.
“Martin is out of jail but Alana has been arrested for accessory to murder, which isn’t a shock. Tom is on the run but I’ve got a private investigator out looking for him in addition to all the resources of Detective Prather’s office. He doesn’t have the resources to look outside of Florida.”
“You hired someone?”
It didn’t sound like the hands-on Travis she knew so well, but then his hands had been full with her these last several days.
“I did. An old military buddy of West’s named Wyatt Stone. He helped West get Gigi to safety when they were on the run. West said the guy can handle himself and knows a thing or two about covert operations. He seemed like the right man for the job. Jason has been trying to recruit him.”
Aubrey digested the information but it didn’t assuage the hunger to find out more about the time she’d been unconscious. “Do you think you’ll find him?”
Travis leaned down, their gazes locked. She’d never seen him look that intense before, not even when he’d told her he loved her. “Absolutely, and that’s a promise. I will find Tom and I will bring him to justice for what he did.”
“He did it for the money. At least that’s what he told us. He wanted Caroline too, but she wanted nothing to do with him so he said he’d make do with Alana.”
“Ah yes, Alana. She wanted the money as well but couldn’t get it because of her prenup. So she conspired with Tom to frame Martin for Bruce’s murder. She was having an affair with Tom and she wanted him and the life of luxury.”
It was still hard for Aubrey to wrap her mind around. “So they killed Bruce because of the insider trading?”
Travis chuckled and shook his head. “That’s not why. With urging from Tom, Iris encouraged Bruce in the insider trading. She was his mistress but she was also sleeping with Tom. Both women believed Tom loved them. But Tom wanted Bruce out of the way so he could have Caroline.”
“Wait. Iris was sleeping with Tom? Did he kill her too?”
The twists and turns were almost too much for her brain, already addled with painkillers. She had to listen and concentrate carefully to be able to decipher Travis’s words.
“Tom did kill Iris. He put some of Alana’s Ambien in Iris’s champagne and she fell asleep. He carried her out to the pool, dropped her in, and she drowned.”