Shadow of Perception (20 page)

When he reached the third floor, he made his first stop. A woman in her mid-forties lay sleeping in the hospital bed. He checked her vitals, reviewed notes on her chart, then turned to leave. The flower arrangements lining the window caught his attention and he stopped.
     

With an idea in his head, he left the room, and continued to make his rounds. Twenty minutes later, he collided with a man, who looked like a biker, exiting a patient’s room.
 

“I’m sorry,” Michael said with a smile.

“No problem,” the man responded, and continued down the hall.
 

Michael continued as well, then stopped short when he chanced a glance into the room the man had just exited.
 

Eden.
 

Now he knew which room was hers.
 

Now he could carry out his plan.

Minutes later, with a small bouquet he’d stolen from another sleeping patient’s room, he checked the hallway, waited a moment to make sure all was clear, then slipped into Eden’s room. She remained sound asleep. He set the bouquet on the window ledge, withdrew the note from his pocket, then tucked the paper between the flowers.
 

When he exited the room, he quickly made his way down the hallway. The elevator next to the stairwell entrance chimed. As he entered the stairwell, he saw the man he’d run into earlier exit the elevator. Michael closed the door, waited a few seconds then opened it, and peered down the hallway…just as the man entered Eden’s room.
 

*

The humming and beeping drove her crazy.

Groggy, but annoyed, Eden yawned and opened her eyes. Alarmed, she pushed herself up, and scooted her legs to her chest. A pinch to the top of her hand forced her to stop. She glanced at her hand, at the I.V., then looked around the room.
 

Hudson sat in a chair in the corner, sleeping, his laptop closed and resting on his thighs. As she continued to gaze around the room a rush of memories filled her mind. Throwing up, Pina Coladas, the Aryan, and the E.R. doctor. The way Hudson had held her in the car during the drive to the hospital, and the sweet kiss he’d given the top of her head.

Considering she hadn’t vomited in a while, she assumed the flu bug had finally completed its mission. Although weak, and a little tired, she felt good. Not good enough to plow through a sixty minute workout, but good enough to leave and enjoy the comfort of her own bed.

With the blinds drawn, she couldn’t tell whether it was morning or night. Had she spent the night in the hospital? She glanced at the clock on the wall. Was it nine in the evening or in the morning? Her poor babies. Brutal probably needed to go potty, and both animals would need to be fed.
 

Before she threw herself into a panic attack over the dog and cat, she shook her head and thought long and hard. Hudson would have made arrangement for the animals. He knew how important they were to her, and whether he’d admit it or not, she suspected he liked them, too. She leaned back into the pillows and smiled as she remembered thinking the same thing before falling on her ass and Lloyd coming into her bedroom.
 

Wait, why had Lloyd been in her bedroom? Where had Hudson…?

Knowing exactly where he’d been, she eyed the sleeping man. She’d bet anything that Hudson had gone to see Evan Pope, and had left Lloyd to babysit her. God, and she’d made such an ass of herself in front of Lloyd. She didn’t care about looking like a fool in front of Hudson. He’d never been the judgmental type, especially with her. Well, except when they were discussing—or rather, arguing—their relationship. Then he had no problem telling her where she’d gone wrong. Now that she thought about it, just before her last major puke session and her nap, he’d told her he had needed to tell her the truth about... something. Their past relationship? Himself?

He’s right there. Ask him.

But did she want to know? Did she really want to know how he felt about her? Before the DVD arrived, she had her life in order. The Network job was hers. All she had left was to sign the contract, which she’d planned on doing next week. Damn, she’d almost forgotten about the trip she’d scheduled to New York City. She’d also forgotten about the realtor she’d planned to use to sell the townhouse. Shit, Celeste had planned the grand opening of her new bakery next week, too.
 

Considering she had a sudden case of the stupids, she realized she needed her smart phone to review the following week’s upcoming events. With the killer sending her DVDs, the last segment of her series coming up in a few days, becoming sick, and…Hudson, she hadn’t been as on top of things as she liked. Probably because all she kept thinking about the past couple of days was having Hudson on top of her.
 

In her.
 

Behind her.
 

Between her legs.

“You’re awake,” Hudson said.

Cheeks burning from Hudson catching her deep in wicked thoughts, she mustered a smile. “Finally,” she responded. “How long have I been here?”

“Not long. We brought you in around four this afternoon. How do you feel?” He set the laptop on a nearby table, then stood.

“Good,” she said, and watched him approach. Even with all that hair, and dressed like a thug, she couldn’t help herself from wanting him.
 

Naked.

In her bed.

Sliding into her body.

He touched her cheek. “You look good. I’m glad to see color returning to your cheeks.”

If only he knew why. What would he say, or do, if she told him this particular truth? That she’d been blushing because instead of worrying about her health, or the case for that matter, she’d been thinking about sex?

“What did the doctor say? I can’t believe I’ve been admitted for a flu bug.”

“The flu wasn’t the problem. Well, it didn’t help.” He shrugged. “The real problem is that you don’t eat.”

Her face grew hot again. This time it had nothing to do with thoughts of sex. Only moments ago she’d considered Hudson a nonjudgmental person. She suspected that was about to change. He’d brought up her eating habits before. Even when they’d been dating he’d commented on how little she had eaten. In her opinion, strict eating habits were better than bulimia. She controlled what she ate, and control had always been important to her. At one time in her life, during a long ago night she’d spent half her life trying to forget, she’d been left without the power to control what happened to her body. Never again.

“My eating habits are none of your business.”

“Yeah, they are.”

The I.V. pinched her skin as she crossed her arms over her chest. “What I put between my lips is not your concern.”

He dropped his gaze to her mouth. “I can suggest something you could put between your lips.”

Thoughts of taking him into her mouth caused a throb between her legs. “Pig,” she muttered, despite her desires. Until she knew where they stood, she refused to let him know how much she—or rather, her body—had missed him. “I can’t believe you would even think about sex when I’m lying in a hospital bed.”

“Dirty girl,” he said, and sat on the edge of the bed, his hip touching hers through the blanket. “I never said anything about sex.”

True. Damn it. “You insinuated it, though.”

 
He shook his head. “Nope. But sex with me is obviously on your mind, considering where
your
thoughts went.” He reached across the bed and took her hand off her chest. With a gentle caress, he stroked the pad of his thumb near the I.V. “What I was going to suggest is that if you’re going to deny yourself meals, at least find a supplement you can take. You need something to help make sure you’re getting the proper nutrition.”

“Badass investigator turned nutritionist? What an interesting combination.”

Smiling, he stroked her cheek. “Before I joined CORE I was with the CIA. During my last mission, I ended up being held prisoner by this Russian jackass. Before the Marines came in and helped me escape, the Russian kept me locked in a basement cell for weeks. During that time, my daily ration was a shitty bowl of broth and, believe it or not, one of those milkshake supplements you can buy at the grocery store.”
 

He held her hand again, and looked to where their fingers twined. “I was in the middle of a Columbian jungle, and this crazy Russian somehow has a lifetime supply of these milkshake things? I’m not saying they taste all that great, but I will tell you that if he hadn’t been feeding them to me…things might have ended different.” He looked at her now, the pain and anguish in his eyes reflecting the memory of his experience in the jungle.

She tightened her grip on his hand, then reached to smooth his rough cheek. “Is this where we stop avoiding the past and tiptoeing around the truth?” she asked, nervous and yet excited at the prospect of finally having something real with Hudson. Although the move to New York loomed in the back of her mind, she wanted something real. Even for a short period of time. The memories they could make would last her a lifetime, and maybe erase those lingering, terrifying memories that still gave her nightmares.

He turned his face, kissed her palm, then cupped her cheek. “I just don’t want to ever bring you to the E.R. again. You scared me today.” He sighed, then smiled. “I just tiptoed, didn’t I?”

“A little bit.”

“Okay, then. Yes.”

“Yes, we’re going to actually start talking?”

“We’ve never had a problem talking.”

She gave his cheek a soft pinch. “Talking about our past.”

“I’m game,” he said, then kissed her forehead. “I want to know you, Eden. I always have.”

She wished she’d had an opportunity to brush her teeth. Right now, all she wanted to do was kiss him. Yes, she’d talk. But damn, it had been way too long since she’d had his lips on hers.

He pulled away, and held both of her hands. “I told you a little bit about me, now it’s your turn. Those flowers on the window ledge...”

“Yes. I saw those. Thanks for being sweet, but you didn’t have—”

“I didn’t. I assumed they were from your brother, Will, or maybe your sister, Celeste. You know, Ian’s daughter.”

She winced. “I guess I kind of tiptoed around that one, didn’t I?”

“I’ll admit I was disappointed when I realized you hadn’t bothered to tell me that you have a brother and sister. I mean, c’mon, Eden. Your sister was actually in your townhouse the first night I came to see you, and you couldn’t even introduce us?”

Shame coiled through her. “I don’t know why I didn’t introduce you to Celeste, or tell you about my family. I’m sorry.”

He stood, then retrieved the flowers. “It’s hard not to accept your apology when you’re lying in a hospital bed.”

Not interested in fighting with Hudson, but more interested in understanding how the man ticked, she said, “How chivalrous of you.”

After handing her the flowers, he said, “Looks like there’s a note tucked between the stems.”

She pushed the flowers apart, then retrieved the note. “It’s probably from Will. My sister would have sent something with a gnome on it.”

“Gnome?”

“Celeste’s a bit…eccentric,” she said, then opened the note.

She dropped the bouquet. Hudson caught the glass vase before it hit the tile, then set it on the floor.
 

“What’s wrong? Who’s it from?” he asked, and gripped her trembling hand.
 

She passed the note to him. “It’s from the killer.”

Chapter 11

Hudson stood in the corner of CORE’s evidence and evaluation room, frustration tearing through him like a bad Mexican meal. Moments ago, during a conference call with Ian, he’d learned that the hospital security cameras hadn’t identified who had delivered the flowers to Eden. While cameras had been positioned in the main corridors of the hospital, there hadn’t been one near Eden’s room. Plus, the people who were filmed by the cameras on Eden’s floor either worked at the hospital or were visiting patients. When hospital volunteers, who brought flowers and gifts to patient rooms, had been questioned, not one remembered making a delivery to Eden’s room. Another dead end.

“Quit pouting,” Rachel said from across the room.

He shoved off the wall. “I’m not pouting. I’m pissed. The killer could have been in Eden’s room. He could have…” He didn’t want to think about what the sick son of a bitch could have done to Eden, or how the threat of his presence mirrored the Winters case. At least then there had been CORE agents in place to protect Eden. Damn it, he should have had Lloyd at the hospital to help keep her safe.

Last night they’d had a breakthrough, maybe even a second chance at a real relationship. Whether things between them worked out or not, he cared too much to let anything happen to her. “I’d only left the room for a few minutes. I should have never left you alone,” he said, and looked to Eden.

She’d been released this morning, and while she’d said she felt better, the purple smudges of fatigue under her eyes, and the hollowness of her cheeks worried him. In his opinion, Eden needed to go home, have a big meal and then sleep for the next twelve hours. Not that it mattered to her. She wanted to come along with him to CORE to hear about Rachel’s new leads. He just hoped being hospitalized for dehydration had been a wakeup call to make her realize she needed to take better care of herself. A body can only take so much…