Explosive Attraction by Lena Diaz Read Free Book Online

compartment. She reached inside, tugged on something he couldn’t see, then snapped out a rectangular mirror attached to a piece of plastic the same color as the tray.
    She held up her prize and hurried back to him. “Voilà.”
    He squeezed herhand in thanks and took the mirror. “Remind me to arrest you later for destruction of hospital property.”
    The answering grin on her face faded when he crouched and placed the mirror flat on the floor, sliding it just under the edge of the door. The dim emergency lights in the hallway showed no one was standing outside. What he could see of the hallway was deserted.
    It shouldn’t havebeen.
    Officer Daniels should have been outside.
    A nurse should have been sitting at the nurses’ station.
    The phone by the bed rang. Darby let out a startled yelp. Her eyes widened in dismay and she clapped her hands over her mouth.
    Rafe pulled her to the bathroom again, pushing her inside. He grabbed the phone before it could ring again. “Detective Morgan.”
    “It’s Buresh.Dr. Steele, is she—”
    “She’s fine. Daniels isn’t here, though, and the power’s out. What’s going on?” He stretched out the phone cord so he could stand closer to the door and watch for any movement reflected in the mirror.
    “Something happened to the power transformer. I’m downstairs with Daniels, in the emergency room. He came down to check on the noise. Keep Dr. Steele with you untilwe get this figured out, okay? SOP, you got that?”
    Rafe’s fingers tightened around the phone. “Got it. SOP. Call me back once you have more information.”
    “Will do.”
    He pressed the button to end the call. Then he dialed 9-1-1. He gave his name, location, and told the operator that an officer needed assistance. Without waiting for a reply, he pitched the phone on the bed, grabbedDarby’s hand and pulled her toward the door at a near run.
    “What are you doing?” she gasped as he tugged her into the hallway. “What’s going on?”
    “Be quiet.” He squeezed her hand to soften his words. The neon green emergency-exit sign glowed at the end of the hall, drawing him forward like a beacon. All he had to do was get through that door and down the stairs. From there he could getDarby out of the hospital and take her somewhere safe.
    A muted noise sounded behind them. Footsteps, coming toward the double doors that blocked off this wing. The exit was still thirty feet away.
    Too far.
    Rafe shoved the nearest door open and pulled Darby inside the room with him. A brief glance at her face had him wincing. Her complexion was ghostly white, her eyes wide and searching.With good reason.
    They were in a world of trouble here.
    Easing the door shut, he dropped her hand and did a quick survey of the room. It was another patient’s room, thankfully empty because—as the doctor had told Rafe earlier—Captain Buresh had cleared out the floor to keep Darby safe.
    Not that his plan had worked.
    Footsteps sounded down the hallway again, quiet—as if someonewas trying not to make any noise—and stopping and starting, like someone was searching each room, one by one.
    Rafe had to do something, fast. He ran to the window and looked out. A three- or four-story drop to the parking lot. No balcony. And there weren’t any other exits from this room. He did what he’d been trained to do long ago at the police academy—look up—because most people don’t.When he spotted the acoustic tiles in the ceiling above him, he realized exactly what he had to do.
    “Rafe,” Darby whispered, “what’s going on? Wasn’t that Buresh on the phone? What did he say?”
    He let out a quick breath. “A transformer blew. The captain said he and Daniels were in the E.R. He said we should stay in my room and wait for him to call back.”
    “Then why did we leave yourroom?” Her voice was panicked, high-pitched.
    He held a finger to her lips, reminding her to whisper. “Because Buresh said Daniels was with him.”
    “I don’t