Free HAYDEN (Dragon Security Book 5) by Glenna Sinclair Page A

thinking that since we’re going to New York, and he had been a cop in New York, we might do a little more digging.”
    “Are we looking for something in particular?”
    “It’s probably nothing.” She brushed a piece of hair from her face, a gesture that screamed nerves, like she was trying to hide something she’d done that she was a little ashamed of.
    “What?”
    She studied my face a second. “He got a call while he was at my house the other day.”
    “From who?”
    “Honeysuckle Nursing Home.”
    My eyebrows rose. “Isn’t that the same place where Luke—”
    “Yeah. But it’s a big place. They have over two hundred beds. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence.”
    “I’m sure it is, too. But nothing ever came up on the background checks. As far as I know, he doesn’t have any living family.”
    “Maybe it’s a friend of the family. His mom’s best friend or something.”
    “Maybe.”
    I tugged my iPad out of its little case and pulled up the files on Dante. I looked through them a minute, Megan leaning to look over my shoulder.
    “We could arrange to have lunch with a couple of his colleagues.” I pointed out a couple of names on the report. “Maybe one of them could tell us more.”
    She nodded. “I’m sorry. I wanted this trip to be fun, but…”
    “No, it’s fine. I want to do this for you.”
    She touched my knee, an overwhelming sadness filling her eyes. I looked away, not really ready to talk about what was happening. I’d heard what the doctor said. The details repeated themselves over and again in my head when it was quiet. Maybe that was part of why I was so grateful that Hayden had been there these last few nights. He kept me occupied and helped me sleep soundly. Those thoughts were gone until this moment.
    We landed a few hours later and went to a nice dinner that I could only afford in Megan’s presence. Then we arrived at the hotel—a ball of luxury that was almost overwhelming—and a long night of tossing and turning.
     
     
    “How long are they going to make us wait?”
    I tugged the dorky hospital gown closer against me, trying not to wonder if Hayden would find me beautiful if he were here and could see me like this.
    Megan came up behind me and rubbed my back. “I’m going to go see if I can find a nurse or someone.”
    “No, don’t go,” I said, snatching her wrist.
    She nodded, taking a seat in the chair beside me. But then she got up again and began to pace the room.
    “Do you really think this doctor will find something different than Dr. Alvarez back home?”
    Megan nodded. “I do.”
    “But Dr. Alvarez—”
    The doctor chose that moment to come into the room, my chart displayed on a tablet in his hand, a pretty nurse behind him.
    “Ms. Wagner,” he said, barely looking at me. “I understand you’re here for a second opinion on your myocarditis.”
    “Yes.”
    He nodded, still perusing the chart. It was a long moment of silence while he reviewed it, then he set it down and took a seat on a stool, rolling toward me.
    “Let’s have a listen.”
    He pressed his cold stethoscope to my chest, listening to my heart from several different positions. Then he looked at my hands, my bare toes, and my eyes.
    “Your lupus is under control at this time?”
    “Yes.”
    “And the myocarditis…what did your doctor decide was the cause?”
    “Inflammation caused by the lupus.”
    He nodded. “It’s unusual for the heart to be directly affected by lupus, but it has happened.” He took my wrist in his hand and felt my pulse. “Any breathing issues? Dizziness?”
    “She has dizziness, but it’s gotten better since they started on her on medications.”
    The doctor seemed a little irritated that Megan answered for me, but he didn’t comment. He continued touching me, looking for things that I’d read about on various websites: bluing around my lips and fingernails that might indicate a reduction in oxygenated blood in my system, coldness in my hands and