He made a face. “I think my retching was loud enough that Troy heard it. And I don’t think sex afterward sounds very romantic.”

She shrugged. “Don’t judge. It might be somebody’s kink.”

He gaped at her. “What?”

“I saw a lot of shit in the ER, Diesel. Even you would be shocked. I’ll wait for you outside.” She sauntered out of the room, leaving him to stare after her.

Kicking himself into motion, he rinsed his mouth with the mouthwash stocked in the medicine cabinet, then followed her out the door.

Where Agent Troy stood, looking grim. For a split second Diesel worried that the Fed had heard everything, but Troy was holding out his phone. “I’ve got some things you need to see.”

Cincinnati, Ohio
Monday, March 18, 6:00 p.m.

Grant drew a deep breath as he exited the hospital’s elevator on the ICU floor. I’m going straight to hell. Impersonating a damn priest. He prayed this would work.

He also prayed that he wouldn’t asphyxiate before he got to Stone O’Bannion’s room, because the clerical collar seemed more like a noose. Grant couldn’t imagine his brother wearing the priest’s cassock, as his neck was thicker, far more muscular. Wes would have choked to death.

Grant stumbled a little at the thought. Wes might actually have been choked to death. Grant had to stop walking, leaning against the wall for support as his knees buckled. He hoped Wes had been choked or shot or something. Before he was dismembered and thrown into the river.

You don’t know that that’s what happened. But he knew. Somehow he just knew.

“You okay there, Father?” a nurse asked in concern.

“Yes,” Grant managed, realizing she was talking to him. Get a grip. Stand up straight. You’re not helping Wes by holding up the wall. “I’m fine. Thank you.”

The nurse smiled uncertainly. “Can I help you, then?”

“Yes. I’m here to see Stone O’Bannion.”

“He’s got a restricted guest list.” The nurse pointed through a window in the unit’s double doors, to one of the ICU rooms where a uniformed cop stood. “But they might let you in. Heads up, they’ll frisk you. We get searched every time we leave the floor and come back in to make sure we haven’t smuggled a gun into the ICU. Mr. O’Bannion is a recent victim of a crime.”