Hard As It Gets: A Hard Ink Novel

  Rixey retrieved all three cases into his arms.

  “You don’t have to be such a hotshot,” Miguel said, slamming the trunk with a wink.

  “The grunt work’s the least I can do.” Nick led their way to Becca’s front door.

  “Let’s put the stuff inside and then we’ll do an exterior sweep to start.”

  Nodding, Rixey fished the keys from his pocket. Finding the right one took him a few tries, but then the key finally turned and he pushed the door open. He stepped back to let Miguel through.

  “Holy Mary, Mother of God.”

  Frowning, Rixey stepped into the little foyer behind him. “Sonofafuck.” Brazen assholes had come back after all.

  The place had been tossed. Nick dropped the cases to the floor and drew his gun. Olivero was right there with him, gun drawn and at the ready. The older man nodded, and they moved in unison to clear the first floor and the small basement.

  Making their way back through, Rixey saw that the rear door stood open a crack. He resecured it. Heart thundering in his chest and adrenaline flying through his veins, all Nick could think was thank fuck he’d made Becca leave last night. Shit, the thought that she might’ve been there when someone did this . . .

  Drawers dumped out, books knocked off shelves, cushions tossed and torn. Destructive, but about what you’d expect if someone was looking for something. It was the other damage that filled his gut with dread. Pictures and figurines smashed, plants knocked over, the dirt spilled everywhere and then tracked through the carpet. Looked like two, maybe three guys by the different-sized prints. Seemed like a lot of damage for the sake of damage.

  Rixey nodded toward the stairs. Weapon at the ready, he leaned into the stairwell, gave a quick looksee, then hightailed it up. A clear sight into the bathroom told him the room directly ahead was clear. He signaled to Miguel to cover him and darted across to Becca’s room.

  Jesus.

  The floor was a veritable debris field, with clothing and books and jewelry and seashells underfoot. Fuckers had smashed her guitar and emptied out her drawers and closet.

  All this damage made no God-given sense. It had taken time and potentially risked the stealth of their actions—and the intent seemed punitive, terroristic. His gut dropped to his boots when he imagined Becca’s reaction. And that he was going to have to be the one to break her heart with the news.

  He rejoined Miguel in the hall and made quick work of ascertaining the last room was also clear.

  “As a crime scene, this place makes no friggin’ sense, Nick,” Miguel growled, echoing Rixey’s own thoughts as he looked over the disheveled piles of papers covering every surface of Becca’s office. The full weight of Miguel’s gaze lifted to Rixey’s, and the man didn’t have to say a word. This wasn’t any ordinary B&E. And it wasn’t any typical missing persons situation. This was something organized, deadly serious, and royally pissed off, by the looks of this place. Way too much emotion involved in all this destruction to read it any other way.

  Becca. Jesus Christ, she was out in the open, completely unprotected—and unsuspecting. “I have to go get Becca.” Nick backed to the door. “I don’t know what this means, but no way I’m letting her take the bus home by herself.”

  Miguel nodded. “I’ll stay here and handle this.”

  “Locksmith should be here soon. Tell him to install the highest-grade locks on every exterior door,” Rixey said, alarm pounding against the inside of his skull. “Windows, too. I don’t care what it costs. And thank you, Miguel.”

  “Go get your girl, son.”

  Rixey turned and jogged down the steps, already pulling his phone from his pocket. The crap-ton of oh shit parked on his chest made it impossible to analyze what all this meant, how it was all connected. He just couldn’t see the forest for the trees, and he wouldn’t be able to until Becca Merritt was back in his presence and under his protection, safe and sound.

  BECCA SAT DOWN on a bench in the small outdoor courtyard with a diet Coke and a pack of peanut butter crackers. Not because she was hungry but because she hoped they would settle the upset stomach she’d had all day.

  As she nibbled at a cracker, her gaze traced over the open rectangular space. Surrounded on three sides by the towering hospital, it was a favorite hangout for staff seeking a bit of fresh air and a short reprieve from the demanding pace inside the hospital. Here and there, people filled benches, talked on cell phones, or clustered around the one corner where smoking was permitted.

  Just another hour left to go. Which was good, because being at work instead of out looking for Charlie was making her crazy. With everything that was going on, her brain had struggled all day to remain present. And being distracted was always a bad thing to be in the ER.

  She cracked open the soda and took a sip. Thank God she didn’t have to stay into the evening. Weekend nights were always the worst. By 5:00 p.m., the crap would really start hitting the fan, but she’d be long gone by then. Maybe Nick would take her to meet his PI friend, or they could go talk to Charlie’s neighbors. She just needed to do something. Anything, really. Then later, would she be staying at her house or Nick’s? She’d have thought her preference would’ve been clear, but she found herself thinking about how nice it was to eat dinner with someone, and have somebody with whom to share the day ahead over breakfast.

  It had been a long time since she’d had anything close to that in her life. Becca dated occasionally, when she had the time, energy, and inclination—which hadn’t happened often since her father died, truth be told. But even before then, she just hadn’t met anyone who really made her feel.

  I want to make you hold onto that bag while I bury myself in you so hard and so deep you don’t know your own name.

  The erotic promise of his words slammed her into the memory of being pressed against Nick’s body, both of them sweating and breathing hard, the undeniable urge to have him coursing through her, the taste of his skin in her mouth, the strong grip of his hands on her skin. The feelings had been so overwhelming because she’d truly never felt anything that emotionally and physically intoxicating before.

  Not until Nick freaking Rixey.

  And, God help her, she would’ve entertained Nick’s desires if what he’d said afterward hadn’t overwhelmed her with guilt.

  After hours of trying to balance her worry for Charlie against the needs that her unfulfilled arousal demanded, she felt more than a little strung out.

  A long yawn rolled out of her, the result of the restless night’s sleep and a crazy day. Around eleven o’clock this morning, someone made the cardinal mistake of saying it looked like a quiet day. Like clockwork, the emergency department got slammed.

  Two multi-victim MVAs. A kid with a 105 temp. An overdose. A GI bleed. Several cases of garden-variety chest and abdominal pain. And those were just the ones she remembered off the top of her head.

  “I don’t usually get to see you, girl. How you been?” Her pink scrubs bringing out the warm tones in her brown skin, Janeese Evans plunked down on the bench.

  Becca managed a small smile at the nurse she’d gone through orientation with years before. Now they tended to work different shifts, but with Becca covering for someone, their paths had crossed. “I’m so-so. How are you?” she asked, resisting venting her fear and frustration at the woman. For the thousandth time, she found herself wishing her best friend, Cassie, still lived in Baltimore. It would’ve been nice to have someone to talk to about all this, but Cassie had moved to Chicago with her new husband right after their wedding two years ago. Now they Skyped every couple of weeks when life didn’t get in the way. Becca didn’t feel close enough to any of her other friends to dump something this serious on them, and wasn’t that a sad statement.

  Once they got Charlie back, Becca vowed to pull her life together. Spend more time with Charlie. Take a class. Volunteer for a charity. She’d been doing a little too much going through the motions lately, and that was a damn shame. If anyone knew how fleeting life coul
d be, it was her.

  “I’m good. Tyler just turned two.” Janeese beamed, and an empty ache took up residence in Becca’s chest.

  “No way. How the heck did that happen already?” Becca didn’t begrudge her friend an iota of happiness, but if Becca was honest, she was lonely. It wasn’t something she dwelled on or let herself feel sorry about, but there was no denying that the past year or two had sorta kicked her butt. Joking around with Nick and Jeremy in their kitchen last night had been a stark contrast to her usual solo routine. Even though she didn’t know them well, it had felt nice to be a part of a family for a few hours, even if from the periphery.

  “I know. It’s crazy. He’s so big and never stops talking and chasing the dog. Hey, are you okay?” She leaned forward. “What happened to your face?” The woman arched a questioning brow.

  “My house got broken into last night—”

  “Shit, really? You okay? Is that what that’s from?” Janeese gestured to Becca’s temple.

  Becca shook her head. She couldn’t talk about Charlie, not if she expected to finish out her shift. “I’m okay. I’ve got a friend helping me. It’s just that the intruder picked the lock, so I need to get new ones installed before I can stay there.” She supposed “friend” was a fair description for what she and Nick were.

  “Police doing anything?” Janeese asked.

  “They filed a report.” Which wasn’t going to get Becca much. Especially in Baltimore, where the crime rate was sky high.

  Janeese seemed to agree. “Hmph.”

  “Want one?” Becca asked, tilting the package of crackers toward her. They weren’t helping her stomach after all. God, it felt like the clock was ticking backward.

  “Sure,” Janeese said, taking one. They munched crackers in silence for a few minutes. “Hey, look at that.”

  Becca followed her friend’s gaze to the open end of the courtyard, where a sidewalk veered around to the ambulance bay. A little dog sniffed a trash can. As he came around the other side, Becca sucked in a breath. He only had three legs. One of his hind legs was gone. She rose to her feet. “Have you seen him before? He looks like a puppy.” Becca’s heart squeezed.

  “Uh-uh.”

  “Aw, let’s go see him.” They crossed the grass, passing several other hospital staff who were watching the little guy, too. When Becca got close, she crouched down and held out her hand. “Hey, buddy.”

  The dog—a German shepherd, she guessed—paused and tilted his head her way.

  “Oh, my God, he’s all ears.” His sweet face and oversized ears were mostly black, while his chest and paws were a warm, caramel brown. The puppy’s coloring reminded her so much of Wyatt, their family dog, who was already an old man when they were all kids. Wyatt had followed Charlie around like he’d thought he couldn’t let the youngest Merritt out of his sight. The mutt had even slept with Charlie.

  “Wonder how it lost its leg,” Janeese said.

  And so young, too. He couldn’t have been more than a few months old. “Come here, boy.”

  After a moment, the shepherd hobbled over on enormous paws. He was surprisingly stable and wore no collar or tags, which could have explained why he was a bit scruffy around the edges. “Hi, boy. Er, oh, girl.”

  She licked and nipped at Becca’s fingers with her sharp puppy teeth, then flopped over and offered her stomach.

  Becca laughed. “Silly little thing, aren’t you?”

  Janeese crouched down beside them. “Must be a stray. Shame on whoever would dump a puppy like this.” She got lured into the belly scratch, too.

  The shepherd rolled onto her paws and toddled around them. Becca scratched her back, the cuteness and memories of Wyatt wrapping tendrils of temptation around her heart. With everything going on, could she really take on another responsibility right now? But the puppy was all on her own, and so was Becca. “Maybe I could take her home,” she said, trying out the idea and giving Janeese a sideways glance.

  She laughed. “You’re getting sucked in, aren’t you?”

  Becca chuckled. “Kinda. Yeah.”

  “Well, she seems friendly enough. And shepherds are good guard dogs. Police use ’em. Might give you some peace of mind after what happened.”

  Well, that was true, and it certainly gave Becca a logical argument for considering this craziness. The puppy laid down by Becca’s feet and found one of her shoestrings to snack on. Her big ears were so silky. “I guess I could take her to the vet and see if she’s okay. And then, maybe . . .” She left the rest of the thought unspoken, but even so, the idea was planting deep roots in her mind and her heart. This sweet girl needed a home, and Becca wouldn’t mind the company. “Come here, you.”

  The puppy was a chunky sack of potatoes in her arms, all paws and snout and ears, but so, so cute. And warm. And cuddly. An enormous pink tongue sideswiped her cheek, making Becca laugh as she stood up. She was going to have to change shirts after this, but she couldn’t find it in herself to regret holding the dog.

  “Aw, you’ve gone and done it now. Picked her up. You are doomed.”

  Janeese was right. The more Becca entertained the idea of keeping her, the more she wanted to. “Yeah, I think I am.” Smiling, she glanced around. “But what am I going to do with her for the rest of my shift?” Oh, and she couldn’t take the dog on the bus. “Do you think—” Her phone vibrated against her hip. “Oh, hold on.” She fished the cell from her pocket, swiped to answer the call, and put it to her ear all while dodging more wet puppy kisses. Laughing, she said, “Hello?”

  “Becca, it’s Nick.”

  It’s a sign! Maybe he can still take me home. “Oh, hey. You know, I was just thinking about asking you for a ride after all—”

  “Becca, listen to me. I’m on my way to you right now. You need to stay in a safe place. Stay inside and off the street. I’ll come into the ER for you when I get there.” His car motor revved in the background.

  Tingly goose bumps broke out over her body. “Why? What happened?”

  “I’ll explain when I get there. Just do what I’m telling you.” His tone was stone cold and tight.

  “Okay.” Dread flooded ice along her nerve endings, and tears stung the backs of her eyes. “Is it Charlie?” she whispered.

  “No. You stay somewhere secure, you hear? Becca?”

  “Yeah. I will.”

  The line went dead.

  Chapter 10

  As she lowered the phone, Becca glanced around the courtyard. The sunny spring day suddenly seemed so out of place, almost sinister in perpetuating the lie that everything was good, nice, pleasant.

  “What’s the matter?” Janeese asked, frowning.

  “I don’t know. My friend’s on his way to get me, but he wouldn’t say why.” Becca ran her hand over the puppy’s ears and neck, the soft texture of her coat giving Becca something else to think about. Something besides the bad news Nick was bringing her way. It had to be Charlie. Didn’t it? But Nick said it wasn’t, and he wouldn’t lie to her. What else could it be? Maybe my house is bugged after all? “He told me to stay inside, to stay somewhere safe. Maybe it has to do with the break-in?”

  “Holy shit, girl. Well, let’s go in the break room, then.” Janeese wrapped her arm around Becca’s shoulders and guided her. “Should you call the police?”

  “I wouldn’t know what to say.” Not yet, anyway. A sour taste rose up the back of Becca’s throat. She swallowed, hard, but it wasn’t enough to wash away the rising tide of panic. “I can’t take the dog inside, though.”

  “Don’t even worry about that. You stay in the room with her until your friend comes, and it’ll be fine.”

  Becca nodded, and so many worst-case scenarios paraded through her mind that they accumulated into a deafening rush of white noise that left her feeling strangely detached. In fact, the only thing she could really feel was the dog’s warmth and softness, the gentle rise and fall of her breathing.

  Janeese swiped her ID and opened the exterior door to the break ro
om, and Becca was relieved to find the room empty. “You wait here. I’ll go find Donna and send her back,” Janeese said.

  That was good. Becca needed to talk to the head nurse anyway about taking some time off. “Thanks. Oh, my friend’s name is Nick Rixey. Can you buzz him in when he gets here?”

  “Yeah. Be right back.” Janeese slipped into the hallway, the hustle and bustle of the emergency department spilling in through the open door.

  When it shut, Becca put the puppy on the floor. “Want some water, pretty girl?” The answer was an enthusiastic yes, if the speed with which the puppy drank was any indication. Whatever was going on, at least this whole area was secure. No one could get back into the ER without being admitted by the desk nurse or swiping a UMC badge. Just hang on for a few minutes, Bec. Nick will be here soon. She heaved a breath. “Stay here for a minute, ’kay?”

  The dog looked up, cocked her big ears, then dove back into the dish Becca had set down for her.

  Becca slipped into the adjoining locker room and wound her way to the second row. It was a good thing she’d had this lock so long, or the fog hovering around her brain would’ve kept her from remembering the combination. She removed the lock, grabbed her purse, and resecured the door.

  Woof!

  Jogging back to the break room, she hoped no one else had heard the animal. No doubt the puppy would be a big hit with the other nurses, but Becca didn’t want to disturb any of the patients. She pulled open the door to find her new best friend sitting and waiting right on the other side.

  “Don’t worry, I’m here,” Becca said, crouching down and petting the scruff of her neck. “You need a name. What am I going to call you?” The dog tilted her head to the side as if trying to decipher the words.