Sweet Dreams Boxed Set by Heather Graham, Alex Kava, Brenda Novak, Lee Child, Erica Spindler, Allison Brennan, Theresa Ragan, Carla Neggers, Cynthia Eden, CJ Lyons, Liliana Hart, J.T. Ellison, Tiffany Snow, Jo Robertson Read Free Book Online

down on the stool that Gabriel had vacated. “What happened?”
    She told him everything, starting with walking out on the interview and ending with pursuing the suspect. He didn’t say anything for a long minute.
    “Jim caught the case.”
    Her dad seemed surprised. “Jim Perry.”
    “Yeah, my ex. I know you liked him, sorry it didn’t work out for you.”
    She was really bitchy right now.
    “Alexandra, I liked Jim. But I love you.”
    She always put her foot in it.
    “He’s a good cop,” she said. “He didn’t like my analysis, but he’ll figure it out on his own.”
    “What analysis?”
    “Nothing.”
    “Tell me.”
    Because she was stuck here until Gabriel came back with a shirt, she said, “From the shooter’s angle, I don’t think Hart was the target. But it doesn’t make any sense—why take out a staffer?”
    “And Jim doesn’t concur?”
    “There was a huge towering plant thing that blocked Hart from the shooter. But he if was good, he could have shot through it. Though good snipers aren’t going to put an obstacle between them and their target. Maybe he didn’t expect the plant to be there, but that means no recon. Since when does a sniper not case out his roost? But Jim’s theory also made sense.”
    “Which was?”
    “The shooter wanted to cause a scene, scare Hart, scare the press, whatever. That he didn’t intend to kill anyone, or didn’t care who he shot.”
    “He shot you.”
    “I wasn’t the target.”
    “Maybe not.”
    “Maybe?”
    “I mean, Jim’s theory is sound, but so is yours. Maybe Hart was the target. Or his staff. Let Jim do his job.”
    And that was it. It was Jim’s job to investigate the assassination attempt, not hers. End of story.
    Gabriel Storm came in with a sweatshirt. “It’s clean,” he said.
    She pulled it on, wincing when her arm pulled.
    “And, because I know you won’t take the pain meds even if I ordered you, here are two prescription strength Tylenol. Trust me—you’ll want them. Just to take the edge off.” He handed her a cup with the two pills big enough to choke a horse, and a bottle of water.
    “Thanks for not making a huge production, Gabriel,” she said after swallowing the pills.
    “You’ll want to bypass the reporters on your way out—there’s only a few, but all it takes is one jerk to ruin your day.” He handed her dad his hospital ID. “Drive your car into the physician’s lot. There’s a separate entrance from our garage. I’ll take Alex to meet you. That way you’ll slip away undetected.”
    The judge shook Gabriel’s hand. “Thank you. Again. You’ve taken good care of my daughter.”
    “It’s my job, Judge.”
    Alex’s dad left to retrieve his car, and Alex said to Gabriel as they walked, “I’ll make you cookies.”
    He raised an eyebrow. “Those peanut butter cookies you made for Christmas?”
    “If you liked them.”
    “They were amazing. Selena and I arm-wrestled for the last one.”
    “Who won?”
    “I did. But I split it with her.”
    “True love,” she teased. She kissed Gabriel on the cheek and said, “Pass it on to Selena.”
    A young man in a suit, carrying a huge bouquet of flowers in a vase, briskly approached Alex. “The nurse said you were Alexandra Morgan?”
    Gabriel tensed beside her, shifting his body so that he was partly in front of her.
    “You’re not authorized to be here,” Gabriel said firmly. “I will have security remove you.”
    The guy looked almost green from surprise. “I-I-my name is Robbie. I-I work for Travis Hart’s campaign. He-he-he asked me to deliver Ms. Morgan flowers t-t-to thank her.”
    Gabriel stepped forward and took the vase from Robbie. “Tell Mr. Hart thank you. You may go back the way you came.”
    Robbie nodded. “Thank you. Thank you.” He practically ran back down the hall.
    “Who’d have thought doctors were so intimidating,” Alex said.
    Gabriel wasn’t smiling when he handed her the vase. “Whoever let that kid in violated my