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Jack learned from his friend in the department that Matthew had discovered Sissy
had been skimming money from her husband s clients for some time and purchasing
diamonds. He d found her stash one night and moved it to his and Elyse s old safe
deposit box until he could make sure Sissy cut him in on the deal. It seemed that the two
were having an affair and Sissy was losing interest. Matthew ensured she didn t tell her
husband he didn t want to lose his job and earned a little money while he was at it.
Sissy apparently had other ideas and mistakenly killed Jonathan, thinking he was
Matthew. But then she couldn t get her hands on the diamonds because she didn t know
where Matthew had stashed them. On a fluke, she ran into him, discovering his deceit,
and said she would cut him in. Half of something was better than all of nothing.
Matthew had slipped when he told her Elyse had the diamonds. Sissy took matters
into her own hands to get them back. She stalked Elyse. She attacked her, trying to get
her alone to divulge the diamonds whereabouts. It wasn t until earlier that day when she
was posing as a potential buyer for Elyse s house that she managed to do just that.
Then all hell broke loose.
Jack just wished they knew where Sissy was now. She had fled the scene with
Elyse s jewelry box after Elyse passed out from the blow to the head. Unfortunately for
Sissy, Elyse had left her glass collection in the box and put the diamonds in another.
Sissy stole what amounted to absolutely nothing. The diamonds were turned over to the
appropriate authorities.
Now if they could just find Sissy Crumpet.
A light tap on Jack s arm pulled him from his thoughts. Diane Zweller smiled at him
through red swollen eyes.  She s asking for you. You can go on in.
Jack nodded.
His steps echoed in his ears as he walked down the long white corridor to Elyse s
room. His stomach knotted and his mind raced for what he would say to her. He loved
her so much. The thought he almost lost her scared him shitless.
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Holding his breath, he stepped into the small room. Elyse looked so young and
fragile. A bandage covered the right side of her forehead and a bruise snaked out
underneath and circled her eye. He knew from Diane that Sissy had hit Elyse with the
butt of a gun, eventually causing Elyse to black out.
She lay with her eyes closed and all he could do was stare at her. Anger and love
warred inside him, tightening his heart and his gut at the same time. He almost lost her
before they had a chance at a life together. She d been foolish to leave without him. She
hadn t listened when he d warned her it was dangerous for her to be out alone.
Not only had Sissy Crumpet found her, but her louse of an ex-husband had too.
There was no telling what he might have done had Sissy not shown up and shot him first.
Anger won as he clenched his fist at his side and gritted his teeth.
He heaved out a breath, trying to control his ire. The sound must have alerted Elyse
to his presence; her eyes fluttered open. A tiny smile turned the corners of her lips.
 Jack. Her voice was just above a whisper.
 I& I didn t mean to wake you. He approached the bed.
 I wasn t sleeping. Just waiting for you. She held out her hand to him as he moved
closer.
Her hand was so cold in his own. He reached out with his other hand to touch the
bandage, but he stopped himself before he could.
 Dammit, Elyse. You could have been killed.
He watched color crawl across her face, her smile faltered.  But I wasn t. She just hit
me.
 It could have just as easily been a bullet through your brain.
The smile that had teetered finally faded altogether and she pulled her hand from his.
 I can t believe you were so careless. He needed to rein in his temper, but he
couldn t seem to stop himself.  All I asked was that you stayed with me until we had a
handle on everything.
 Jack, I did what I thought I had to do. My job is important to me. They were
counting on me. And for the record, I would do it again.
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Denise Belinda McDonald
 And you nearly got yourself killed for it. Dammit, he yelled, before he could help
himself. He d never been so scared.  Was selling a few fucking dresses worth it?
 I thought you understood.
 You thought wrong, darlin . Nothing is as important as your life.
 Jack, you re being unfair.
 The hell I am. He paced beside her bed, running his hands through his hair.  You
were incredibly selfish.
She stared at him with a blank expression.
 Not to mention you could have gotten your precious co-workers killed if it hadn t
turned out the way it did. Sissy had already killed one person and almost killed another.
You took far too great a risk with everyone s lives.
She stared at him for a long moment.  You ve had your say, now you can leave.
She closed her eyes and turned her head away from him.
His gut burned from the lashing he gave her, but dammit, he loved her and she had
risked her life for no good reason.  Elyse, look at me.
 No. Get out before I call security. She picked up the call button and held her finger
over the button.
Jack couldn t believe she was kicking him out.
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Trading Faces
Chapter Twenty-Six
Elyse left the hospital two days later. Her parents insisted she come stay with them
since her house remained cordoned off by the police. Not that she intended ever to stay
there again. Her mother situated her in her old bedroom and left her alone to rest.
The same pink-and-white-striped Laura Ashley curtains hung at the window. The
same matching comforter covered the bed. She looked around the room and was
transported back to her youth, growing up in such a loving home. Secure and safe. She
picked up one of her twenty-some-odd stuffed animals and squeezed it to her chest as she
snuggled into the rest.
Why can t I feel security now? Why did things have to get so messed up?
Her eyelids fluttered closed.
Sometime while she slept, someone had let Monty into her room. She guessed Jack
had brought him over. She hadn t spoken to him since the evening at the hospital.
Though her pains from Sissy s assault still stung, nothing compared to the pain in her
heart.
When she needed him most, Jack had reminded her of her stupidity instead of taking
her in his arms and comforting her. He humiliated her for doing what she thought was
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