me or you’re empathizing with one or more of your patients a little too well. I’m really worried here.”
She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel and took the only option she had at the moment. “I’m sorry you’re worried. But you have to trust me on this, Jeffrey. We have to do this my way.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “I’m certain you believe every word you’ve told me, but you’re not thinking rationally. Clearly you’re not yourself. We need assistance.”
Oh, hell. She’d run out of options. Olivia seized the weapon from her bag and pointed the business end in his general direction. She really hated to do this, but…“Put the phone in my bag, Jeffrey. Don’t ask any more questions. We’ll be in Memphis soon and then we’ll discuss the situation.” He didn’t have to know there wasn’t even a round in the chamber.
“Have you lost your mind? Put that thing away!”
So much for pulling off her former persona. If she couldn’t put the fear of God in Jeffrey, she was pretty much screwed.
She shoved the gun back into her bag. She wasn’t worried about Jeffrey attempting to grab it. He knew absolutely nothing about weapons.
“Let’s just not argue, okay?” She looked at him for as long as she dared with her speed hanging around eighty. “I have to do this. Can’t that be enough for now?”
The hesitation before he nodded had her holding her breath. “All right. We’ll figure this out when we get to Memphis.”
“Thank you.” His agreement most likely had more to do with his fear that she’d lost her mind completely than anything else, but she’d take it any way it came. She inhaled deeply and let the breath go, her mind and body weary. Four, maybe five more hours. She could hold out that long. It had been years since she’d pushed her body to perform without sleep. If she was lucky that was another old habit that would be easy to fall back into.
Contacting Hamilton was her only chance at getting to the bottom of whatever the hell was going on. If he couldn’t help her, then she was on her own.
Pulling off the interstate at a chain hotel just west of Memphis, Olivia finally let her body sag with relief. It was past 6:00 a.m. She’d been driving for twenty-four hours straight, only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks. She’d eaten a sandwich behind the wheel and she felt starved now, but that would have to wait. She needed sleep far more than food.
Jeffrey stretched as best he could in the seat as she parked in front of the hotel’s office. “I can take care of the room if you like.”
Under normal circumstances she would know that he was being considerate, but these circumstances were anything but normal. She couldn’t risk that he wanted an opportunity to call for help. He had unquestionably decided that she’d flipped out. If she were him, she’d likely think the same thing.
“That’s all right. I’ll get it.”
Still trusting of her despite her recent behavior, he didn’t have time to fathom her intent before it was too late, when she took his left hand.
She snapped the cuff into place, then fastened the matching one to the steering wheel.
“I’ll be right back.”
He jerked at the restraint. “Olivia! This is unconscionable! How could”
“I’ll be right back,” she reiterated before grabbing her handbag and sliding out of the SUV. She was too damn tired to try to make him understand.
She didn’t bother looking back as she entered the lobby. She had his cell and, thankfully, Explorers weren’t equipped with anything like OnStar, so he wasn’t going to be making any calls. They hadn’t been followed, so she wasn’t worried about his safety.
“Good morning, ma’am.” The clerk offered her a smile, no matter that his shift was likely nearly at an end and he probably wanted to sleep as badly as she did.
“Morning. I’d like a room. Nonsmoking, two double beds, on the ground floor,
She tightened her fingers on the steering wheel and took the only option she had at the moment. “I’m sorry you’re worried. But you have to trust me on this, Jeffrey. We have to do this my way.”
He reached into his shirt pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “I’m certain you believe every word you’ve told me, but you’re not thinking rationally. Clearly you’re not yourself. We need assistance.”
Oh, hell. She’d run out of options. Olivia seized the weapon from her bag and pointed the business end in his general direction. She really hated to do this, but…“Put the phone in my bag, Jeffrey. Don’t ask any more questions. We’ll be in Memphis soon and then we’ll discuss the situation.” He didn’t have to know there wasn’t even a round in the chamber.
“Have you lost your mind? Put that thing away!”
So much for pulling off her former persona. If she couldn’t put the fear of God in Jeffrey, she was pretty much screwed.
She shoved the gun back into her bag. She wasn’t worried about Jeffrey attempting to grab it. He knew absolutely nothing about weapons.
“Let’s just not argue, okay?” She looked at him for as long as she dared with her speed hanging around eighty. “I have to do this. Can’t that be enough for now?”
The hesitation before he nodded had her holding her breath. “All right. We’ll figure this out when we get to Memphis.”
“Thank you.” His agreement most likely had more to do with his fear that she’d lost her mind completely than anything else, but she’d take it any way it came. She inhaled deeply and let the breath go, her mind and body weary. Four, maybe five more hours. She could hold out that long. It had been years since she’d pushed her body to perform without sleep. If she was lucky that was another old habit that would be easy to fall back into.
Contacting Hamilton was her only chance at getting to the bottom of whatever the hell was going on. If he couldn’t help her, then she was on her own.
Pulling off the interstate at a chain hotel just west of Memphis, Olivia finally let her body sag with relief. It was past 6:00 a.m. She’d been driving for twenty-four hours straight, only stopping for gas and bathroom breaks. She’d eaten a sandwich behind the wheel and she felt starved now, but that would have to wait. She needed sleep far more than food.
Jeffrey stretched as best he could in the seat as she parked in front of the hotel’s office. “I can take care of the room if you like.”
Under normal circumstances she would know that he was being considerate, but these circumstances were anything but normal. She couldn’t risk that he wanted an opportunity to call for help. He had unquestionably decided that she’d flipped out. If she were him, she’d likely think the same thing.
“That’s all right. I’ll get it.”
Still trusting of her despite her recent behavior, he didn’t have time to fathom her intent before it was too late, when she took his left hand.
She snapped the cuff into place, then fastened the matching one to the steering wheel.
“I’ll be right back.”
He jerked at the restraint. “Olivia! This is unconscionable! How could”
“I’ll be right back,” she reiterated before grabbing her handbag and sliding out of the SUV. She was too damn tired to try to make him understand.
She didn’t bother looking back as she entered the lobby. She had his cell and, thankfully, Explorers weren’t equipped with anything like OnStar, so he wasn’t going to be making any calls. They hadn’t been followed, so she wasn’t worried about his safety.
“Good morning, ma’am.” The clerk offered her a smile, no matter that his shift was likely nearly at an end and he probably wanted to sleep as badly as she did.
“Morning. I’d like a room. Nonsmoking, two double beds, on the ground floor,
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