When the Dead Speak, Bailey Bradford [new ebook reader .TXT] 📗

Mr. Robledo’s release forms as well.” Dismissing her, the woman smiled at Sev. “I’m Dr. Hunter. You seem determined to leave.” Her sharp brown eyes studied Sev closely.

“I can’t stay here. I’m sorry.” What was he apologizing for? Maybe he’d lost a couple of his much needed brain cells.

Dr. Hunter nodded. “It’s not really necessary. You seem to have come around just fine. Though if you could explain to me how you nearly froze to death in a hotel room…?”

Sev glanced away from her and tried to think of something believable. Nothing came to mind, and a swell of panic rose. A big hand on his shoulder helped the panic abate.

“I’m checking into it, Dr. Hunter,” Laine sounded so calm, so sure. “We don’t rightly know how it happened, but the only explanation for it, has to be a freak accident involving the AC unit malfunctioning.”

Dr. Hunter chuckled and shook her head. “I’ve never heard of an AC getting cold enough to cause hypothermia—and I’ve never stayed in a hotel in Texas with air conditioning that even did a half-decent job of keeping the room cool.”

Sev spoke up before Laine could, feeling the man’s tension by the way his grip tightened on Sev’s shoulder. “Then how would you explain it, Dr. Hunter? Because I don’t remember touching the AC. All I remember was a bit of a chill entering the room, a sense of disorientation, then being so cold I thought I’d never be warm again.” Pretty much the truth, minus the interacting with the dead guy. No, not just ‘the dead guy’, but Conner, Laine’s former lover.

“Hmm. It is indeed a puzzle, and please don’t take this wrong, Mr. Robledo, but if the paramedics hadn’t recorded the room temperature, I might have thought you were crazy.”

Sev couldn’t stop himself from stiffening under Dr. Hunter’s gaze any more than he could stop the fear that threatened to choke him. He’d already been down the thought-you-were-crazy route and was in no hurry to ever repeat it.

“But, everyone was cold, every thing was cold. Yes, a puzzle that will drive me nuts until something else takes its place.”

Sev was saved from the doctor’s intense study by Nurse Lynn.

“Here’s the release forms, and here”—the nurse gave the wheelchair a pat—“is your ride out of here.”

Lynn took the signed release forms and left. Dr. Hunter smiled and shook her head.

“Lynn’s usually a much more pleasant person than that. I don’t know what her problem is today.” Dr. Hunter extended a hand to Laine and then to Sev. “It was interesting, that’s for certain, gentlemen. Sheriff, if you find out what happened, would you mind filling me in?”

Laine nodded once and took the papers the doctor held out to him. “I don’t think we will ever figure it out, one of those freak accidents like I said. Thank you, Dr. Hunter.”

“Read over those, and if there are any problems, don’t hesitate to bring Mr. Robledo back.” Dr. Hunter turned to leave then stopped at the door and grinned over her shoulder. “Oh, and you might want to consider seeing to it the Mr. Robledo gets a different hotel room.” Chuckling, she left the room.

“I don’t think she believes the AC story,” Sev mused as he sat forward in the chair to push himself up. Laine was there, strong hands reaching out to lift Sev.

“Grab your gown.” Laine’s lips were so close to Sev’s ear he could feel the heat coming from the man, the moist breath sending a different type of shiver down Sev’s spine.

“Afraid you won’t be able to resist me if you see my cute ass, Sheriff?” Sev couldn’t help but tease, even though he knew it was a petty attempt to combat the butterflies he seemed to get in his stomach any time Laine was around. Laine plunked Sev down not ungently in the wheelchair. Bracing his hands on the wheelchair’s arms, Laine moved in until he was almost nose-to-nose with Sev. Laine’s eyes seemed to shift, the color deepening in a way that Sev felt ensnared by.

“I don’t know if I could, but I’m damned sure I wouldn’t even want to try.”

Sev felt that trickle of fear, the sure knowledge that this man could consume him, body and soul. He couldn’t think of a single joke or a smart-assed reply to save his life and so he found himself held by Laine’s gaze. There was nothing humorous in the dawning knowledge spearing Sev. Somehow, this man had managed to get to him. Sev finally tipped his head down and studied his own shaking hands.

“Can we go now?” Sev cringed at the tremulous note in his voice—it sounded like a dead giveaway to him, but hopefully Laine would put it down to exhaustion and sheer terror. Anything, Sev thought, but that I am vulnerable to him. It was easier to think of himself as vulnerable. Not that Sev cared for it, but it was better than admitting that his emotions were already tangled up over this tall, serious man. He reached up to finger his chain, the familiar feel of the links his one source of comfort, and flinched when he only found bare skin.

“Where’s my—” Sev tugged at the neck of the gown as he looked at Laine. The sheriff reached into his shirt pocket and pulled the silver necklace out before moving behind Sev and fastening it in place. Sev was fingering the chain before the clasp was closed, but it was the stroke of roughened fingertips gliding down the back of his neck that had him shivering, breath stuttering.

“That chain means a lot to you?” Laine’s fingers stroked over Sev’s nape again before slipping under the necklace and rubbing gently.

“It… uh.” God, I can’t think when he’s doing that! Sev rolled the chain between his finger and thumb, searching for the calm the motion brought him. “It’s just… It was my grandmother’s.” Sev tried to make himself shut up, but his nerves were jangling, which set his mouth to