When Brick left the room to make a phone call, Stephanie looked down at the hospital robe she was wearing.
“I had better go and change,” she said, leaving Tom in order to find the nurse. She was given some clothes to put on and went back into the private room to change.
A figure stood behind the door, but was hidden as she opened it. She dropped an item of clothing on the floor and stooped to pick it up. The figure tensed, waiting for her to enter. She walked into the room and made her way to the chair. Before she could react, she felt a hand clamp around her mouth and drag her backwards. She went to struggle free but a pair of firm arms held her in a solid like grip.
“Don’t struggle, just listen. You aren’t safe here; someone will try to kill you. Get out now.” The voice was rough and deep but rasped out in a whisper.
With that she was released. She swung around, catching a quick glimpse of the side of his face through a glass window in the door as he exited.
“Henry!” she said aloud in surprise. Then her thoughts went to Tom and she fled out of the room.
She had no more than passed the exit when she saw an armed man at Tom’s door. At that moment voices could be heard approaching down the corridor, and the man turned, noticing Stephanie at the same time. Terror filled her then as she had no way of protecting herself should the man turn on her. She froze, her eyes focused on the gun in his hands. The man hesitated, as though unsure of how to proceed. Then he glanced down the corridor, past Stephanie, and seemed to make a decision. He turned and fled.
Stephanie ran in to check Tom, her heart pounding, and he looked up in surprise as she entered.
“I thought you were changing,” he said.
She sighed with relief to see him safe, and began to pace the room, her mind in confusion.
Tom watched her, perplexed by her sudden mood swing. “Stephanie, I thought we’d already done this scene. It’s okay I’m alive, remember? And then I get you on the bed, and then…”
“Shut up you idiot, you just almost got killed again,” she grated out.
“Yes, yes I know, if I didn’t let you up…”
She stopped in front of him with a frown, throwing her arms in the air. “What are you talking about?”
“Is this some kind of delayed reaction or something? Did you bang your head on that boat?” he asked.
Why was he so bloody blasé about everything? She continued with gritted teeth, pointing at the door. “There was a man outside your room just now with a gun.”
He looked a little surprised but not that concerned. “Are you sure you aren’t seeing things now?”
She growled. “Just be quiet and let me think.” She began pacing again.
Suddenly the door opened and Stephanie froze, but sighed when she saw Brick renter.
“Hey boss, Stephanie’s losing her mind, I knew it would happen eventually,” Tom joked. She glared at him and he grinned back, “I just hoped it wouldn’t be this soon.”
Stephanie turned to Brick. “There’s been a development Sir.”
He looked at her warily. “Go on.”
“Someone outside this room just now wanted Tom dead.”
Brick ran a hand through his hair.
“And there’s more,” she continued.
He looked up. “More?”
“Yes Sir, I’ve just had another visitor too… Henry.”
Tom sat bolt upright then. “Henry was here?”
YOU ARE READING
A Dangerous Affair
RomanceStephanie White was a dedicated, ambitious journalist, working for a top London newspaper. Recently, the city had been plagued with a series of serious crimes, and rumours had it that one man, a Mr Henry Carlton, was behind it all. If she could get...
