Chapter 8 - The Woman in My Bed
Michael moved into a federal safe location.
Daniel returned to Chicago.
The mansion changed immediately.
More guards.
More cameras.
More suspicion.
Daniel trusted fewer people by the hour.
Except Emma.
That frightened him.
Trust was leverage.
And Emma was becoming the most valuable thing anyone could take from him.
He started watching her too closely.
"Where are you going?"
Emma stopped near the front door.
"Work."
"You work here."
"The foundation meeting."
"What foundation?"
She smiled.
"The one I haven't told you about because you're controlling."
Daniel frowned.
"I'm not controlling."
Luke, passing through the hall, laughed.
Daniel stared.
Luke kept walking.
Emma put on her coat.
"I'm meeting a nonprofit about my mother's care."
"I'll send security."
"No."
"Emma."
"No."
"You were shot at."
"My mother was shot at."
"Same situation."
"Not same person."
Daniel rolled closer.
"Take one guard."
"No."
"One."
Emma sighed.
"Fine."
Daniel watched her leave.
He hated how relieved he felt.
Later that night, rehabilitation went badly.
Reeves had traveled to Chicago to begin intensive sessions.
Daniel hated parallel bars.
He hated braces.
He hated being lifted.
Most of all, he hated hope.
"Again," Reeves said.
Daniel pushed.
Nothing.
"Again."
Nothing.
His arms shook.
Sweat ran down his neck.
"I said enough."
"Your body says otherwise."
"My body hasn't said much in two years."
"Daniel."
Reeves rarely called him Mr. Moretti.
Another reason Daniel disliked him.
"Again."
Daniel pushed.
His right thigh contracted.
Tiny.
Barely visible.
Reeves saw.
Daniel did too.
"Did that move?"
"Yes."
"Do it again."
Nothing.
Daniel's heart pounded.
"Again."
Nothing.
Rage surged.
He grabbed the brace and threw it.
It hit the wall.
The door opened.
Emma entered.
She looked at the brace.
Then Daniel.
"Finished?"
"Yes."
She picked it up.
Placed it on his lap.
"Good."
Daniel stared.
"What are you doing?"
"Giving it back."
"I said I'm done."
"No."
"Emma."
"You're angry because it moved once."
Reeves quietly stepped away.
Smart man.
Daniel's voice dropped.
"Don't."
"It moved and then stopped."
"Emma."
"So now you're terrified the first time was fake."
Daniel's face changed.
She crouched.
"Again."
"I hate you."
"I know."
He put the brace back on.
Tried again.
Nothing.
Again.
Nothing.
Then—
Movement.
Small.
Real.
Emma's eyes filled.
Daniel stared at his leg.
He laughed.
It escaped unexpectedly.
Emma laughed too.
He tried again.
Another contraction.
Emma hugged him.
Without asking.
Daniel froze.
Then his arms went around her.
For a moment, the entire world disappeared.
No Vale.
No Michael.
No bullets.
No wheelchair.
Just warmth.
Emma slowly pulled back.
Their faces were inches apart.
Daniel looked at her mouth.
She noticed.
Neither moved.
Then Luke walked in.
"Sorry."
Daniel almost killed him with his eyes.
Luke stopped.
"Actually, no. I'm not."
Emma stood.
Daniel's expression darkened.
"What?"
Luke held up a tablet.
"Security issue."
A camera feed.
Emma's staff locker.
Someone had opened it.
"Who?"
"Unknown. Camera glitched for six minutes."
Emma frowned.
"My bag."
She ran upstairs.
Daniel followed.
Her locker was empty.
The letter from Margaret was gone.
So was a small notebook Emma kept inside.
"What was in the notebook?" Daniel asked.
"Nothing important."
"Emma."
"Phone numbers. Bills. Notes."
"What notes?"
She hesitated.
"My mother sometimes says things during lucid moments. I write them down."
Daniel's stomach tightened.
"About me?"
"Sometimes."
"What did she say?"
Emma grabbed the notebook's backup photos from her phone.
They read them.
Most were fragments.
Blue house.
Nathan Mercer.
Red roses.
Daniel shouldn't take the blue pills.
Daniel stopped.
"What?"
Emma stared.
"I didn't notice that before."
"What blue pills?"
"My medication was blue."
Reeves had already removed it.
Emma scrolled.
Another note.
Bed. Letter. Hide where nobody looks.
Daniel frowned.
"What bed?"
Emma shook her head.
"I don't know."
Another:
If they come, Daniel's room. Nobody searches the king's bed.
Emma looked up.
Daniel's heart pounded.
"Your mother hid something in my bedroom?"
"Maybe."
They searched.
Drawers.
Frames.
Mattress.
Headboard.
Nothing.
At nearly two in the morning, Emma stood exhausted beside the bed.
Daniel watched from his chair.
"Go sleep."
"I'm not done."
"You've been awake twenty hours."
"So?"
"So you're swaying."
"I'm fine."
She opened the side panel beneath the bed frame.
Nothing.
Then footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Emma froze.
Daniel heard them too.
Not normal security.
Slow.
Deliberate.
He reached for his weapon.
Emma looked toward the door.
Then beneath the bed.
A narrow seam.
She felt it.
A hidden compartment.
Inside was a small envelope.
Daniel's name.
Footsteps got closer.
Emma grabbed the envelope.
The door handle moved.
Daniel whispered:
"Behind me."
"No."
"Emma."
She looked around.
No time.
She climbed onto the bed.
Pulled the blanket partly over herself.
And tucked the envelope beneath her body.
Daniel almost asked what the hell she was doing.
The door opened.
A guard entered.
"Sir?"
Daniel stared.
"What?"
"We had a motion alert."
"From where?"
The guard looked around.
"Here."
Daniel's eyes narrowed.
"Get out."
The guard hesitated.
Then left.
Daniel waited.
Emma remained hidden beside the pillows.
"He's gone."
No response.
"Emma?"
Nothing.
Daniel rolled closer.
She was asleep.
Completely.
He stared in disbelief.
She had worked herself unconscious.
Daniel carefully moved closer.
Then saw the envelope beneath her hand.
He reached for it.
Emma woke instantly.
"No."
She grabbed it.
Daniel stopped.
"What is it?"
"I don't know."
"My name is on it."
"It was hidden in your bed."
"Exactly."
Emma sat up.
Then something shifted near her hip.
A small metal object fell onto the sheets.
A flash drive.
Daniel stared.
Emma stared.
Neither had seen it before.
The envelope opened.
Inside was a letter from Nathan Mercer.
The first line read:
Daniel, if Emma Carter is the one who found this, trust her before you trust anyone in your organization.
Daniel's eyes moved to the second line.
May you like
And froze.
The person who made sure you stayed in that wheelchair is still living inside your house.
