“Maybe, but we aren’t at the compound now. This hospital was the closest,” he said. He took her into the emergency entrance, and a medical team was already waiting for him. He loved that they could get such perfect service. But then Levi and Ice donated a lot of money to the place—and unfortunately donated a lot of patients too.
When the staff came forward with a gurney, Noah sat her gently there and explained what had happened. She was taken away, while he did paperwork and called in to Levi with an update. “I’ve got her at the hospital. They’re checking her over right now. She took four steps and collapsed, so I couldn’t not take her in, even though she really, really didn’t want to go.”
“No surprise there,” Levi said. “She’s always been like that.”
“Cranky?” Noah said, with a note of humor. “I figured that was the head injury.”
Levi laughed. “Well, maybe, but she tends to be a little contrary, always has been. It’s part of her charm,” he said. “But we needed to get the head checked anyway, so you’re right on.”
“So, am I bringing her back there to the compound?”
“Yes, Ice and I have already discussed it. We need to get more details from her and figure out what’s going on.”
“Are you still thinking it’s the same guy?”
“Well, Di remembered Maxwell and recognized him. I’m just not sure what’s driving him or how far he’s prepared to go.”
“It seems like he’s already prepared to go pretty far, especially if he’s the one who came back and attacked her afterward.”
“That’s the curious thing about it. Why? Why not just leave her there in a panic?”
“Maybe he thought she was just way too lively,” Noah muttered. “I mean, who knows what makes these guys tick? Something’s broken.”
“Something’s broken is a good way to look at it,” Levi said, “and, if it’s broken, everybody wants to try to fix it.”
“But some of these guys are beyond fixing,” Noah warned.
“That’s all that awesome global experience of yours speaking,” Levi said in a light tone.
“Maybe. As soon as I know more,” he said, “I’ll call you back. Otherwise, expect us home this afternoon.”
“Good enough.”
“Did you pick up her vehicle?” Noah asked Levi.
“I did,” he said. “That’s in progress right now.”
“Good.” Noah hung up from the call and turned to see the doctor walking toward him.
“Light concussion and no serious side effects. She can go home with you, as long as she’s not left alone.”
“She’s going back to the compound with Levi and Ice.”
The doctor smiled. “That sounds great. Ice has a fabulous facility, with practically everything I have here, and more,” he said enviously.
Noah smiled at the doc. “You know that you only have to ask for what you need.”
The doc nodded. “It’s just not that easy,” he said. “Hiring extra personnel, training, space, and upkeep must be considered. Sometimes it’s all just a big headache.”
“So, no lasting injuries, nothing else except the head?”
“Yeah,” he said, motioning Noah to the curtained-off rooms. “The cuts are largely superficial, except for a couple spots she needs to watch, where we put in a few stitches. If she has any further negative symptoms, don’t hesitate to bring her back in again.” At that, he pulled open the curtain.
Dianne was sitting up, looking a little worse for wear. She glared at him.
Noah smiled. “You ready to go home?”
At that, she looked at him. “Home?”
“To Levi and Ice at the compound.”
She smiled and said, “Yes, that I would like, although I do have a hotel room. They know that, right? I don’t need their largesse.”
“That’s got nothing to do with it, and you know it,” he said in exasperation.
She shrugged. “Just so that everybody knows I’m not on the street or anything.”
“You’re visiting the country.”
“Actually I’m not,” she said. “I’m on my—I just moved back. And I’m attending this conference at that hotel, while I figure it out.”
“And why move here?” he asked, as he led her back to the truck.
“I don’t know,” she said. “I spent a lot of years here when I was in college. I’ve always felt like I needed to come back here.”
“And often that’s the only reason we have,” he said. “Otherwise you could have stuck a pin in a map and gone anywhere.”
“I could have, but I have friends here.”
“Ice and Levi, you mean?”
She nodded and smiled. “And several others at the compound. I’ve met a lot of them over the years that I’ve known Ice and Levi. They’ve always been big on health and fitness, hence them crossing over to my area. We met when they were working in Australia on a job years ago. Ice and I just hit it off, and we’ve been friends ever since.”
“Did you ever ask Ice for a job?”
“Wasn’t sure I wanted one, honestly. I was thinking about setting up my own business, but, right now, I can’t even think straight.”
“And, right now, you don’t even need to,” he said cheerfully. He helped her into the truck and said, “Just rest, okay? We’ll be about forty minutes.”
“I thought you said it was a fifteen-minute drive?”
“Because I was coming to help a woman who was injured and in trauma,” he said. “Now I have that same woman in the vehicle who doesn’t need any extra trauma or stress from the drive,” he said. “So we’ll slow down and take it easy.”
When he got in, she rolled her head to the side and looked at him, and said, “Since when did you become such a knight in shining armor?”
He looked at her. “I thought it was a prerequisite for working for Levi.”
*
Di burst out laughing at that. “Oh my,” she said, as she grabbed her head. “That’s the best line I’ve heard yet.”
He grinned at her, an all-too-endearing grin, as he reached over, patted her gently on her knee. “Just shut your eyes and rest. Don’t laugh, until your head stops hurting. And don’t worry. Just rest.”
“Yes, boss,” she said, closing her eyes, as he pulled out of the hospital parking lot into traffic. It was nice being in a big truck like this too, high above the traffic, not feeling like she would get hit by any other vehicle. She wasn’t a nervous driver, but sometimes the traffic here in Houston really got to her. And she’d driven in Ho Chi Minh City in Vietnam and some parts of Thailand that were completely uncontrolled. Yet this was very different, had an aggression to it here that she didn’t like. As she settled into her seat, she wondered at the turn of events that brought her here and to this.
“Heavy thoughts?”
She rolled her head ever-so-slightly to him. “Just wondering about that strange attack.”
“And yet he knew who you were?”
“Well, I presume so,” she said. “After all, he had a message for Levi.”