Unexpected Father. Delores Fossen

too, violating Jason’s personal space. “And I won’t be questioned about my every move, either.”

      “You don’t have a choice about that. You have motive and that gives me the right to question you about your every move.”

      “Is that Wayne Sandling?” Lilly called.

      “Don’t you dare try to get out of bed,” Jason warned her without taking his eyes off the man. He didn’t want Lilly to have to confront Sandling. That didn’t mean she’d agree with him, and she would probably go so far as to try to get up and make her way into the hall.

      That wasn’t going to happen.

      Jason decided it was time to put an end to this spur-of-the-moment conversation. “Detective O’Reilly, escort Mr. Sandling out of the building. If he puts up a fight, arrest him.”

      “I won’t let the cops and Lilly Nelson try to pin trumped-up charges on me again,” Sandling insisted. “Find another scapegoat, Detective Lawrence, and leave me the hell alone.”

      And with that, Sandling turned and walked away. His hand shot up, to give O’Reilly a back-off warning when the detective tried to take hold of his arm. O’Reilly’s escort duty wasn’t necessary; Sandling left on his own, practically gliding down the hall. Jason kept his gaze fastened on him until the man was out of sight.

      “Make sure he doesn’t come back,” Jason instructed O’Reilly. He turned to Lilly, who was indeed trying to get out of bed. “Stay put. He’s gone.”

      Huffing, Lilly sank her head back onto the pillow. “Well, that was a special ending to a special night.”

      It was indeed. “I’ll beef up security at the nurses’ station and the front door.” Just having to say that riled him, because until Sandling’s impromptu visit, Jason thought he’d already done that. Which only proved just how dangerous this situation was. It was next to impossible to secure the place. He needed to have her transferred to the other hospital immediately.

      “Sandling wouldn’t dare try to come back tonight,” Lilly said under her breath.

      It seemed as if she was trying to convince herself.

      “Are you still having doubts as to whether you need protective custody?” Jason didn’t wait for her answer. “Then think again. Because I’m going to protect you whether you want it or not.”

      It was an order. Solid. Forceful. Certain. But Jason had his own doubts about the certainty. With everything that’d happened, he had to wonder. Could he do his job and keep Lilly alive?