Page 46 of Bitter Lies

No sign of Alma. I begin to wonder if maybe she was taken to a different hospital.

On the verge of giving up, a loud commotion behind a curtain grabs my attention.

“Don’t touch me, you pervert! Where am I?” the woman’s terrified voice rises. “I know you. You hit me over the head and then stole my precious Botticelli.”

That’s all I need to hear to know I’ve found Alma.

“I did no such thing, ma’am. You’re in hospital. Brought here by ambulance. Can you tell me your name?” A man’s voice, grating and irritated, requests. It’s off-putting.

“You’re lying! I’ll have you arrested.” Her voice, sharp with panic, pierces through the curtain. “You want my paintings. Everyone wants them. You can’t have them. They’re mine. I’ll never let them go.”

Her accusations intensify with each attempt to calm her, escalating the situation.

I’ve heard enough.

Yanking the curtain back, I step inside. “Alma? There you are. I’ve been searching for you. Isabel sent me.”

“Sir, you need to leave. Only patients and family members are permitted back here.” Leaving the curtained room, the male doctor attempts to get the attention of a security guard.

“I am a patient. I also know this woman.” Despite the nurse’s efforts to keep me away, I step around her. “Isn’t that right, Alma? You and I are friends. Isabel, your granddaughter, she’s worried about you. I told her I’d check on you. Are you okay?”

Alma frowns, shaking her head as worry deepens the lines on her forehead. “I don’t know how I got here. That man was touching me, and I didn’t like it.”

“That man?” I point at the doctor, who stands with his arms crossed tightly over his chest, clearly annoyed by my presence.

“Yes. He stole my Botticelli.” Her hand moves to the back of her head, a whimper escaping her lips. “He hit me with something and then stole it from my gallery.”

“I did no such thing. And I didn’t touch you. I was doing my job, which requires a detailed examination, checking you over for injuries.” He grabs the stethoscope hanging around his neck with both hands. “Can I do my job now?”

“I don’t like him.” Ignoring everyone else in the room, Alma focuses her attention solely on me. “Can we go? I don’t like this place.”

I take her hand, enclosing it between mine. “After you’ve been cleared by a doctor, then we can go. What if we get another doctor to have a look at you? Your penthouse was filled with smoke, and Isabel found you unconscious. Do you remember that?”

“No.” Tears fill the older woman’s eyes. “Where is Rico? I need to speak with him. He has to forgive Sofia. She was only doing what was best for the baby. We have to make him understand. It’s the only way. If he finds out, he’ll send them away. That can’t happen. Ramon is the only one who can keep them safe. Please help me find Rico.”

Understand what, exactly?

What the hell is she talking about? Who’s Sofia?

“Let’s worry about that later.” I offer a welcoming smile, masking my thoughts. “Once we’ve taken care of you, and you’re back with Isabel, I’ll find Rico.”

“I like you.” Her warm smile forges a connection I didn’t expect. “I’m so happy she married such a lovely man. You will make beautiful babies.”

Heat floods my face before I can stop it, betraying me. I push her words aside and force myself to focus.

Marriage. Fatherhood. Nah, I’m good. That life holds no appeal for me. I’m a bachelor. Happily unmarried. No plans to change that. A workaholic. It’s me against the world. No one else.

So why the fuck am I blushing at the mention of Izzy being my wife?

Because you are a damn liar! my inner voice snarls as I mentally punch myself in the face and pull it together.

Turning to the staff left in the room, I get us back on track. “What are you waiting for? Bring in another doctor to check Mrs. Lopez. We’re wasting precious time standing around like this.”

The doctor Alma loathes storms out of the room. His anger echoes through the ward as he yells at a colleague standing at the nurses’ station. My guess is that he’s delegating the task to her.

She seems unaffected by his mood and enters the curtained room with a warm smile.

“Hello, I’m Dr. Hoyt. Let’s see what we can do to get you feeling better.” Her eyes scan the chart the nurse hands her. “Mrs. Lopez, looks like you’ve had a busy morning. And who is this handsome man next to you?”