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Chapter 16

"HE’S IMPOSSIBLE," CAROL SAID OVER HER CELL PHONE to Lelandi and then took another sip of her bottled water to finish it off She washer break Although as annoyed as she ith Ryan, Carol hated to ad her patient visits

Ryan stood with his legs apart, ar bodyguard and listening in on her conversation S

Coffee bubbled in a pot nearby, the aro with so in the staff microwave

"Impossible," she repeated and cast Ryan an annoyed look, but his back was to her so he didn’t get the full benefit of her irritation

"What did he do that was so wrong, Carol? He’s supposed to be there protecting you You have toyour everyto help" Lelandi was her usual reassuring self, as if she was practicing her psychology lessons on Carol

Feeling worn out froht and Ryan and her earlyromp into sated bliss, Carol propped her cheek on her hand as she rested her elbow on one of the lounge tables

"He gave y reave them all kinds of dietary advice And where did all thiswith his Aunt Tilda, who has every ailment known to erous?"

"Well, no, of course not But he shouldn’t be offering it!"

"Do you want Jake to stay with you instead? He said he would Or Tom, for that matter"

Carol lifted her head and watched Ryan His whole body had tensed So out of thecatch his attention?

He jerked his phone off his belt and then hesitated She parted her lips to speak with him, but he suddenly flipped his phone open, punched a couple of buttons, and said, "Jake, south of the hospital, three men met across the street and then hurried down an alley Yes, of course they should be checked out I would, but I have to watch Carol All three earing blue jeans and sweatshirts, real casual They were taking a lot of interest in the hospital Yet they didn’t make any move to approach it One even motioned to your truck and theninto Carol’s concern about Ryan’s conversation with Jake "Did you hear ot another uarding o to medical school"

Ryan snapped his phone shut, folded his arh she didn’t want to believe that the rabbed her, she couldn’t help the shiver trailing down her spine The best lanced at her watch "Break tiet home"

"Can’t wait See you later" She closed her phone and said to Ryan, "Ready to go back to work?"

He turned around and nodded, his face a mask of indifference

"Do you think it was the she didn’t sound nervous But hell, they’d shot her full of dope, taken her out into the cold naked, and duht No wonder it bothered her that they ain! She shoved her hand in her pocket and felt the syringe, her defensive weapon if she needed one

"Could have been Or not"

She wasn’t sure what Ryan’s response meant He kept any hint of e but not alar, either She threw her empty water bottle in the trash and headed for her nurse’s station

"It’s not that I don’t appreciate you being here for et yourself,medical advice to patients"

He opened his mouth to speak but then frowned and yanked his phone off his belt As he walked her back to her station, he flipped the phone open

"Yeah, Jake? Sa her

Another tre to keep his expression neutral, but she could tell he orried by the way a shtly tightened

Hell She’d hoped that after Ryan and Darien and the others had kept those ht before, that would be the last of it That today they were being way overcautious And that to in the exale" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>