Free Fatal Deception by Marie Force

paramedics escorted her to the ambulance, where they applied medication to the wound that felt like they’d poured battery acid on her face. The pain was so ridiculous, she nearly passed out, and it was all she could do not to ruin her badass reputation by crying like a baby.
    “Sorry,” the lead paramedic said.
    He’d probably enjoyed inflicting maximum pain to pay her back for making him wait.
    Sam focused on breathing through the pain as they transported her to the George Washington University Hospital emergency department, where she’d been somewhat of a regular in the last year. At the hospital, she was whisked into a room and was grateful to see a doctor she recognized. Anderson, if she remembered correctly. Since she had only one working eye at the moment, she couldn’t make out the name embroidered into his white coat.
    “You again?” he asked with a grin.
    “What can I say? The service is so great here, I can’t stay away.”
    After the paramedics transferred her from the gurney to the hospital bed and left, the doctor got up close and personal with her face, poking and prodding until Sam wanted to beg for mercy. By the time he was done, she was shaking and nauseated.
    “That’ll require a plastic surgeon,” he declared.
    “Oh, come on! Why can’t you sew it up and get me out of here? I’ve got a murder and kidnapping to contend with.”
    “Believe me,” he said with a laugh, “you don’t want me sewing that. A celebrity like you needs to be worried about a big ugly scar on her face.”
    “Those are fighting words,” she growled. “For your information, I’m not a celebrity. I’m a cop, and I need to get to work.”
    “You may be a cop, but you’re also a celebrity, and I ain’t doing it.”
    “They teach you that grammar in medical school?”
    “They teach you that charm at the academy?”
    Despite the pain it caused her, Sam glowered at him, but he didn’t blink. She hated when that happened. Her glower was rather potent, if she said so herself.
    “I’ll page plastics and be back to let you know how long you’ll be our guest.”
    “Doc.” She swallowed hard. “Will this require shots? In the face?”
    “Couple of them, but they’ll numb you up first. Don’t worry.”
    Right, don’t worry , she thought as her entire body went cold with fear. The only thing that freaked Sam out more than needles was flying. No, needles were worse. Definitely worse. And needles to the face had to be the absolute worst. She’d rather take on ten gunmen single-handed than have a shot in the face.
    Freddie came in with Captain Malone trailing behind him.
    “I had your frequent-flyer card punched,” the captain said. “So don’t worry about that. You’re one incident shy of a free ER visit.”
    “Very funny. I’ve got a dead body in the morgue and a missing baby, and I have to sit here and cool my heels until McSteamy can sew me up.”
    “Who?” Freddie asked.
    “Plastic surgeon.”
    “The guy’s name is McSteamy?” Malone asked, perplexed.
    “Don’t you watch Grey’s Anatomy ?” It was the one show Sam never missed. Didn’t everyone know who McSteamy was? “You watch it, don’t you?” she asked her partner.
    “Sorry, far too busy for such foolishness,” Freddie said.
    “Right,” Sam said. “I know what you’re busy doing.” She pushed a finger into her closed fist and waggled her brows at him, which made her face sting with the fury of a thousand fire ants.
    With a mortified glance at the captain, Freddie slapped at her hands. “Shut up, Sam.”
    Naturally, his mortification made her laugh. Mission accomplished.
    “Children,” Malone said. “Keep your hands to yourselves.”
    Dr. Anderson returned to the cubicle. “It’s going to be an hour,” he said grimly. “Maybe two.”
    “Oh my God! I can’t sit here for two hours when I’ve got a murdering kidnapper on the loose!”
    “I’m afraid that’s the best I can do,” Anderson replied.
    “There’s no one