Caleb’s frown deepened, and he looked at Zack in question, obvious impatient for a report on just what this case involved.

The door opened and the doctor, an old family friend, walked into the living room, carrying two medical bags. Beau went to greet him, ignoring the others as he led the doctor to Ari’s room.

He knocked softly to alert Ari so she wouldn’t be startled when he entered with a complete stranger. But he shouldn’t have worried. When he quietly pushed the door open, Ari was curled into a protective ball, lying on her uninjured side, and he was struck by the image she portrayed.

Even in sleep, her features were marred by fear and exhaustion, as if her dreams were taking her straight into hell. Her forehead was wrinkled and furrowed as though she were in pain, and he cursed softly when he saw the slow trickle of blood seeping from her nose.

He went to the bed and eased on to the edge, reaching up to smooth her hair from her forehead, gently stroking the lines to ease her strain. She stirred and her eyelids fluttered open, her eyes droopy from fatigue, cloudy with confusion.

“Beau?”

“Yes, honey. It’s me. I’m sorry to wake you but you’re bleeding again and the doctor is here to see you.”

She reached self-consciously to her nose, but before she could wipe it away with her hand, Beau caught her fingers and reached for the washcloth he’d discarded earlier. Carefully, he wiped the blood away and then turned so she could see the doctor standing a few feet away.

Her pulse leapt. He could feel the sudden surge of her heartbeat against the hand he now had against her neck.

“It’s okay,” he said soothingly. “He can be trusted.”

“But I’m all right,” she protested. “I don’t need a doctor.”

Doctor Carey moved forward in his brisk, no-nonsense fashion and set his bags down on the bed in front of Beau.

“Why don’t you let me be the judge of that, young lady?” he said kindly.

He glanced sideways at Beau. “Would you like to step out while I examine her?”

Ari’s respiration immediately sped up and she glanced in panic at Beau as if her were her lifeline.

“I’ll stay,” Beau said firmly.

Ari sagged in relief, her eyes closing briefly as she settled more comfortably on the pillows.

“My head hurts,” she admitted. “Much more than my side. The bullet wound just stings a bit but my head is killing me.”

Beau looked at the doctor in concern. “She had a serious psychic bleed. She was bleeding profusely from her ears and her nose. I’m concerned she could have incurred a brain hemorrhage or permanent damage.”

Ari choked out an instant protest, looking frantically at Beau as if she couldn’t believe he would betray her confidence.

Beau instantly put a reassuring hand to her cheek. “It’s nothing he hasn’t seen before. He can be trusted, Ari. I wouldn’t put you at risk if I weren’t certain of his trustworthiness and his complete and absolute discretion in this matter.”

The doctor frowned. “That does sound serious indeed and is evidence of great strain on your brain. I’d like to do a scan just to make sure there is no bleed or that it’s continuing to bleed. Left unattended, it could be life threatening. But first let me see your bullet wound and then we’ll decide what’s to be done about your head.”

The doctor’s brisk, efficient manner seemed to calm Ari’s distress and she didn’t protest when Beau carefully lifted her torn shirt to reveal the two-inch cut in her side. The doctor frowned and prodded gently, examining the depth of the injury.

“This really needs stitching. I can do it here, but as I said, I’d feel better if you brought her into the clinic so I can do a CT scan of her head. That way we can know exactly what we’re dealing with. It won’t take long. You’ll be a priority case and I’ll make sure there are no medical records to indicate you were ever a patient in my clinic.”

Ari’s gaze shot to Beau as if seeking his guidance. He nodded, agreeing with the doctor.

“You should be checked out,” Beau said firmly. “If you’re going to be of any help to your parents, we need you at one hundred percent and that’s not negotiable. So either you give in gracefully and agree to go or I’ll haul you in myself.”

A small smile hovered on her lips. “Has anyone ever told you how demanding you can be?”

His smile was as small as hers, but he offered it to her in an effort to give her at least a small measure of reassurance because he sensed she was hanging on by a mere thread. “I’ve been told that a time or two, yes.”

“Okay then, since you’re leaving me no choice. Can I at least change into something that isn’t bloody and torn? I look like a mess and I don’t want to call even more attention to myself than necessary.”

“I have some of Tori’s clothing still here,” Beau said. “I’ll get you something to wear and then we’re leaving immediately. I’m not going to stand down until I know you’re all right. You come first, Ari. Then we’ll go after the bastards who have your parents.”

FOURTEEN

DESPITE Beau’s threat for her to go willingly or be hauled out, he still insisted on carrying her out of the bedroom and no amount of protesting did her any good. He simply scooped her up and strode out, ignoring her assurances that she could certainly manage to walk.

As soon as he walked into the living room and Ari saw more people gathered, heat crawled up her cheeks. She was embarrassed that Beau was carrying her like she was an invalid, but he’d been adamant, stating that he didn’t want her to incur any additional stress until they knew for certain the extent of her injuries.