Page 60 of Two Favors Repaid

“We need to make sure Natalie and Hunter stay far away until this is over,” Lorraine said.

Rob was silent for a moment. He saw a tall man and a woman enter the corridor at a run. The man paused to hold the door open for her. Although the woman’s belly had grown substantially in just a couple of weeks, Rob had no difficulty recognizing his boss and her husband.

“That might not be so easy, Lorraine,” he said softly. “I think Natalie and Hunter just arrived. Let me go speak with them. Can you meet us at the station?”

He disconnected the call and strode quickly in the direction he’d watched Natalie and Hunter disappear in.

#

Emma

“Em!”

Emma recognized that voice. She turned her head towards the doorway so fast her neck creaked.

“Nat … what are you doing here?” she asked her best friend.

She stopped speaking as soon as she took in Natalie’s shape. She’d rounded out substantially in the weeks she’d been gone and now looked like she’d swallowed a basketball. Hunter walked behind her. He kept a cautious distance from the bed and stared out at the doorway.

“How are you feeling, Emma?” he asked in his deep voice.

“I’m okay, thanks to Rob,” Emma said. She could feel herself blushing. She was going to have to tell Natalie what had happened between them. “What are you … how?”

Rob walked in behind them. He and Hunter shook hands. “Glad to see you’re both okay.”

“Rob!” Natalie said.

Emma watched as Natalie catalogued the bruises on Rob’s face. She knew also about the bruises that were not visible.

“What are you doing here, Natalie?” Rob said. There was a hard edge to his voice as he stared at his pregnant boss.

“What do you mean? We took the first flight out of Saint Lucia after we spoke.”

Rob looked at Hunter, who shook his head at him. “I couldn’t do anything to stop her.”

Natalie’s eyes filled with tears. She wiped at them angrily. “I had a message on my phone when we landed. It was from Ford. He called me. Said you were both dead. I thought—” For a moment she looked like she was about to faint.

Emma sat up in bed and scooted to the side, careful not to jiggle the arm with the IV. Hunter placed his arm around his wife and led her to the side of the bed, gently pushing her to a sitting position. Emma held her.

“Nat, please don’t cry. We’re okay. We’re really okay. I’m so glad you’re here.”

Emma looked up beyond Natalie at Hunter. It was hard to believe she’d ever imagined him capable of hurting Natalie. All she saw now was the love shining deep from his eyes. She saw the scar over one of Hunter’s eyes, a reminder of his last encounter with Ford. Hunter never spoke about it, but Natalie had told her Hunter never recovered full vision in that eye.

“You shouldn’t be here, Natalie,” Rob said woodenly. “I just got off the phone with Lorraine. Ford wants you here. In his twisted mind, you and Emma surviving is where things started to go wrong for him.”

“Let him try,” Hunter said, and this time his voice held real menace. “He’ll have to go through me first.”

“You really thought Hunter and I would stay away knowing you and Emma where in danger, Rob? We are family …”

Rob’s green eyes glinted dangerously. He looked like he was about to say something else then thought better of it.

“Lorraine and her partner are on their way. They’ll meet us at the station,” he said. He looked worriedly and Emma. Emma realized he didn’t want to leave her alone.

“I’ll be okay at the hospital, Rob,” she promised. “Dr. Leroy said I could go home in a little bit.”

“Not alone,” Rob growled.

“I promise I’ll call you when I’m ready to go home.”