When Love Intrudes (When the Mission Ends) by Christi Snow Read Free Book Online

the ambulance.”
    “Don’t worry, Nate. I have it covered.” Her credit card would cover the payments, but before she could explain that, the nurse broke in holding out a sheet of paper.
    “Oh, honey, you don’t have to worry about it. Someone has already taken care of your bill for you.”
    Toni’s shocked gaze swung to the nurse. “What?” She grabbed the paper the nurse offered and searched for a name… Brian Barnes . Why would he pay Nathan’s hospital bill?
    Nathan saw it, too. “That’s the detective, right?”
    She nodded, stunned. This bill had been thousands of dollars and it said right there in black and white that Brian had paid it in full. It didn’t make any sense.
    Scowling, Nathan’s lips pressed into a flat line. “Has he been bothering you? Is this his way of getting into your pants?”
    “Nathan! No! He’s not that type of guy. I haven’t even talked to him since he questioned you yesterday. Believe me; he’s not interested in me that way.” She looked back down at the bill. “Honestly, I have no idea why he did this, but don’t worry about it right now, okay? Let’s just get out of here. We’ll sort it out later.”
    Toni was thankful that Nathan didn’t pursue it any further while the nurse rolled his wheelchair out the hospital door.
    He rolled his eyes at her as they exited the hospital. “I don’t know what lies you’re telling yourself, but the evidence says otherwise.” He nodded his head to her car parked curbside. Brian leaned against her car.
    In jeans and a leather jacket, Brian took her breath away. His blond wavy hair ruffled across his forehead in the autumn breeze and her fingers itched to touch it, to touch him. Instead she curled her damp hands against her jean-clad thighs.
    Nathan muttered under his breath, “Not interested, my ass.”
    Brian stood straighter and gave them a cautious smile as they approached.
    “What are you doing here?” Toni asked.
    The smile immediately disappeared as he glanced around the parking lot. “I called the nurses’ station and they told me Nathan was going home. I just wanted to make sure there wasn’t any trouble.”
    “Do you really think they would be stupid enough to come after him again?” She looked around the parking lot nervously.
    Nathan’s voice was low and alarmed when he asked, “What are y’all talking about?”
    She hadn’t told him the men who attacked him had been set free. She didn’t want to scare him, not when he had other things to worry about with his recovery. And his nightmares were bad enough already.
    Toni raised a hand to placate him. “Relax, it’s okay. I’ll explain everything when we get home. Let’s just go, okay?”
    Nathan nodded hesitantly as he got into the passenger’s side, wincing at the pain the movement caused his bruised ribs.
    Toni thanked the nurse and turned to get into the car. Brian stopped her with a hand on her arm. That slight touch sent alarming tingles of awareness across her skin. She couldn’t let him affect her again. That way would just lead to more heartache.
    “I’ll follow you back to your place.”
    She resisted the urge to argue with him. She needed to talk to him anyway about the hospital bill. So she just bit her tongue and nodded, hoping this over-protectiveness wasn’t the sign of a larger threat coming at them.
    As she pulled out of the parking lot, a big grey truck pulled in behind her. It had to be Brian. It struck her as odd that as much as they’d been through together, she didn’t even know what he drove and he’d never been to her apartment, or met her Lab, Sam. She’d never been to his house, either. He’d kicked her out of his life while he’d still been recovering in the hospital.
    Glancing over at Nathan, she was surprised to find him scowling.
    “Do you want me to get rid of him?” he asked.
    “The detective?”
    “No, the Easter Bunny.” Nathan rolled his eyes at her. “Yes, the detective. If you don’t want him around,