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was. Dirt and grime streaked her face; her blouse was ripped in several places, revealing a small bruise near her right shoulder. She was a mess.
    “Doc says I’ll be here for a day or two. I twisted my shoulder when I hit the pavement after shooting Tom. Bruised it up real bad, but at least it’s not dislocated, again. It’ll heal okay. I just have to take it easy for a couple of weeks.”
    “Why is he keeping you here for that?” An injured shoulder didn’t sound serious enough to be in the hospital for days, or even overnight.
    Mason squirmed in the bed and fumbled with the covers. He adjusted the rails and motioned for her to sit next to him on the edge of the bed. He managed to pour a glass of water on his own, waving away her offer of help. Definitely stalling .
    “What are you not telling me?”
    He sighed. “A stray fragment from Tom’s gun lodged into my side. Luckily, they were able to take it out with no problems. The doctor says I have to stay overnight as a precaution to make sure there’s no internal bleeding or infection. I should be able to get out of here tomorrow afternoon.”
    ****
    A knock at the door interrupted his explanation. Detective Marks sauntered into the room, Bobby right behind him. Picking up on the end of the conversation, Bobby’s words came out laced with laughter. “Come on Mason. You mean to tell me you’re going to lie here all night and most of tomorrow? I don’t think I’ve ever seen you sit still longer than a few hours, much less days.”
    “Ha ha. Maybe I can sweet talk the nurses into letting me sneak out early.”
    “I don’t think so.” Kendall spoke up. “You’re going to stay right here until the doctor releases you.” All three men laughed. She didn’t understand what was so funny. She let her gaze rest briefly on each of the men in turn.
    Bobby walked up to her, taking her into his strong, brotherly arms. “Hey, sis.”
    Leaning her head onto his chest, she welcomed the comfort.
    “I’m so glad you’re here, Bobby.”
    “Tell me what happened when I went down.” Mason said.
    “No,” Kendall interrupted. “Start from the beginning and tell me why my boss was chasing us.” Her voice came out a little harsher than necessary; fear still had its grip on her.
    The men exchanged looks. Mason motioned with his free hand for Marks to take the lead. Kendall listened in awe as the three men explained the situation.
    “Your boss was into extortion and money laundering. Mason had been following him for about a year in Beaumont before Tom moved here. Tom would buy out these small, but financially stable, investment firms, much like the one where you work. Then, he’d filter money from the company and their wealthy clients into overseas bank accounts. When the FBI finally had enough evidence to take him down, one of their key witnesses suddenly disappeared. Without that guy, they didn’t have the testimony to bust Tom.”
    Mason fumbled with the controls until he was able to adjust the bed and sit up a little straighter. He cleared his throat. “We found the witness, but he had suddenly decided not to testify. He was afraid to turn on Tom. At that point, I went undercover. This witness could identify me, and he knew Bobby and I were friends. It wouldn’t have taken long before Tom figured out the connection and discovered Bobby was also FBI. Then you would have been in more danger than you already were.” His blue gaze locked on hers for a mere second. “I had to lay low until we got the rest of the proof we needed to make an arrest.”
    “He came after me anyway. What happened?” Her voice was stronger now, surprising even herself.
    Bobby gave Kendall’s hand a reassuring squeeze and picked up the story. “I had to make sure Tom didn’t make a connection between you, me, and Mason. Tom knew I was your brother, so I had to watch my step around him. Remember, you introduced us at the Christmas office party?” Kendall nodded. “You never knew, but