Unforeseen Danger Read Online Free PDF Page A

worse.”
    “I’m all she has right now, Elaine.   I can’t just walk away from her.”
    “She’s taking advantage of you.”
    “You don’t understand how she is now.   She’s a different person than she was before the accident.   She’s so fragile, so vulnerable—”
    “For how long?” Elaine interrupted.   “I know you love her, but I love you, and it hurts me to see you like this.   I wish she would change, but it’s not going to happen.   It’s just like my situation with Brandon —”
    “This is nothing like you and Brandon!” Jake said.   “He hurt you—”
    “And Nikki’s hurt you.   Does it matter that it was with her actions and not with her fists?   Sometimes, it’s hard to see how bad things are when it’s your own relationship .   Please, I’m begging you, just—” The doors slid open to Nikki’s floor.   “—be careful,” Elaine finished.
    Jake opened the door to Nikki’s room and was surprised to find it empty.   He sat Elaine’s mums on the nightstand and hurried to the nurses’ station.
    “My wife—”
    “More tests.”   The nurse smiled.   “They’ll bring her back in about half an hour.”
    Jake turned back to Elaine.   She looked relieved.
    “Let’s do lunch,” she said.
    ***
    When they wheeled Nikki back to her room, she wondered where Jake was.   She noticed the huge vase of mums and figured that Catherine was back.   Maybe she was making him eat something.
    A soft rap sounded on her door and she called, “Come in.”
    Instead of Catherine or Jake, she was surprised when a handsome blonde man stepped inside.
    He scanned the room.   “Where’s Jake?”
    “I don’t know.   He went outside to call my mother, and then they wheeled me out for tests.   Haven’t seen him since.”
    “Oh.”   The man shoved his hands in his pockets and shifted, looking very ill at ease.   “So…how are you doing, Nik ?”
    “Okay,” she said.   There was a long, uncomfortable pause and Nikki said, “This is embarrassing, but did anyone tell you about my amnesia?   I can’t remember anything yet.”
    “Yes,” he said, and then his gray eyes widened.   “Oh! Right.   I guess that includes me.   I’m sorry.   This is just so weird.”
    “Tell me about it.”   Nikki smiled.
    “I’m Eliot.   Jake’s stepbrother.   Best friend.   However you want to think about it.   We went to school together and were friends for years before Dad and Catherine married.”  
    “Nice to meet you, Eliot.   Again.”   Nikki gestured at the chair by her bed and said, “Have a seat.   I’m sure Jake will be back in a minute.”
    He gave her that nervous look she’d seen on Jake’s face, like he wanted to bolt, but he sat beside her.   To make conversation, Nikki said, “So I’ve known you for – what, three years?”
    “Actually, I’ve known you a little longer.   Our parents ran in the same circles when we were teenagers.”   Eliot grinned at her.   “Jake used to gripe that I could’ve fixed you two up instead of making him find you on his own.   I told him if I’d known you weren’t dating Derek anymore, I’d have asked you out myself.”
    “ You flirting with my wife again?”   Jake asked from the doorway, and they both jumped.   Neither had heard him open the door.
    A stunning redhead stood beside Jake, her arm linked through his.   She shot Nikki a look of pure venom.   Nikki blinked, and it was gone.   The redhead gave her a cool smile.
    “Yeah, you know, I’ve got a clean slate now.   Nik doesn’t remember the time I threw her in the lake at the summer cabin— ”   Eliot winked at Nikki and she laughed.
    “Or the time you backed over her car,” Jake added.
    “ Shhhh !” Eliot said.   “Don’t remind her of that.   She chewed me up one side and down the other over that.   I’ve never been called so many names in the space of five minutes.”
    Jake ushered the redhead forward.   “ Nik , this is Elaine.