Poppy's Passions by Stephanie Beck Read Free Book Online

Are you sick?"
    Before she could answer, screaming came from the hall. She heard Tammy order someone to stop and started out of the cubical to help. Unrest in the ER was a fairly common occurrence, desperation and anger often accompaniments to emergency situations, so she'd heard yells before. The hospital employed several security people stationed near the ER to help keep the patients and staff safe.
    The flimsy curtain of the cubical ripped open before she got to it. A young man all in green leather gear, much like Trevor's, stormed in and jerked a gun from his vest. His eyes were wild and angry as he looked for a target and settled on her. Sudden fear had her frozen in place. He lifted the gun and shot twice. The first shot came before she could react, but the second was skewed when he was tackled to the ground. Security was shouting, patients and staff screaming in terror.
    "Poppy—Poppy, are you okay?"
    She realized she wasn't on her feet. Sometime in the moments she'd blinked, Trevor pushed her to the floor. It was cold, colder than she would have thought. She tried to remember how she'd come to be face down on the tiles, but it was a shocked blurb in her mind. Trevor was above her, protecting her, though his weight was making the ceramic covered floor even harder.
    "I think so,” she answered, but felt herself slipping into shock, the cold of the floor sinking into her pores.
    "Hell, she's bleeding. Michael, she's bleeding. We need a doctor in here now. Poppy was shot,” he said, progressing to a shout. “Damn it, we need a doctor over here."
    Poppy. Shot? Poppy was shot? No way. She would know if she was injured, let alone shot, she thought groggily. She was a professional after all.
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Chapter 4
    "Come on, beautiful. Open those eyes for me."
    The voice was so compelling Poppy figured she'd have to be dead not to comply with the innocent request. Dull pain roaring to life assured her she wasn't dead, not when the simple action required much more effort than anticipated. She blinked the fuzzy, too tired feeling from her eyes, and knew it was from medications. She'd given enough of it to recognize the effects.
    "That's my girl,” Michael crooned in sweet, deep tones she recognized from their time in bed. “You have the prettiest blue eyes. Did I tell you that the last time I saw you? I should have if I didn't. I've missed how they sort of sparkle, even now they're twinkling up a storm. How are you feeling, sweetheart?"
    "Michael?” She'd dreamed of them so often she couldn't be sure he was real.
    "Yes, ma'am,” he answered, taking a gentle hold of her hand. “I'm right here with you. How are you feeling?"
    She squeezed his hand as discomfort grew. “Kinda’ rough."
    "The doctor should be around to see you again soon,” he promised. “Do you need me to call the nurse?"
    "I'm okay for now.” The pain was helping to clear her mind past the medication haze. “Is everyone okay?"
    "Yep, Cody's with Trevor and both are okay."
    "What happened? Who was that guy?” She adjusted and found the pain was radiating from her left shoulder. “Ouch."
    "Yeah, ouch is right,” he agreed and moved a pillow to brace her arm better. “The good news is the guy with the gun is a horrible shot and only grazed your shoulder. He's one of the racers Trevor was competing against."
    "The one who lost all the money Trevor said he won?"
    "That's the one. So, good news, you will be okay. The bad news is, it's going to hurt for a while and it's going to itch like crazy once it starts healing. Now, beautiful, do you think you're up to answering a few questions for the detective? We know you didn't see much, but he needs a statement. It should only take a few minutes."
    "Miss Maguire, I'm Detective Masterson.” He offered his badge before she could ask. Not that it occurred to her the grandfatherly man with kind eyes was anything but a detective. “Michael's right, I won't keep you from your rest. I need to