Dangerous Circumstances

By Moira Callahan

Denise Franklyn has known Mackenzie Vaughn since she was a little girl. He’s been her best friend through all the good and bad. For a time they drifted apart, but when trouble comes knocking on his door she’s there for him.

Mackenzie Vaughn’s career as a surgeon involves lots of tension, and rapid decision making. When someone kills his boss after a confrontation, Mack quickly becomes the prime suspect. Thankfully Denise is by his side as his name is cleared.

But the bodies keep dropping. All are individuals are all linked to Mack. When the FBI are called in all Mack can do, and hope for, is to keep Denise safe from what’s quickly becoming some very dangerous circumstances.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Evernight Publishing
• Release date: Dec 28, 2014
• ISBN: 9781772331622

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www.evernightpublishing.com

Copyright© 2014 Moira Callahan

ISBN: 978-1-77233-162-2

Cover Artist: Sour Cherry Designs

Editor: Laurie Temple

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

WARNING: The unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this copyrighted work is illegal. No part of this book may be used or reproduced electronically or in print without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in reviews.

This is a work of fiction. All names, characters, and places are fictitious. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, organizations, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

DEDICATION

Thank you to my editor as always. Laurie I couldn’t do this without your guidance, your knowledge, and the occasional laugh we share over some of what comes out of my brain.

To my readers, you are amazing, and I couldn’t do this without all your support. Thank you for reading my books, and for all the kind words you have to say about my characters.

DANGEROUS CIRCUMSTANCES

C&M Security, 4

Moira Callahan

Copyright © 2014

Prologue

Six months ago…

Glancing at her boss, Denise listened as the phone rang, silently urging someone to pick up already.

Thank you for calling California Pacific Medical Center, Davies Campus. How may I direct your call?

I need to be connected with Doctor Mackenzie Vaughn please, surgical ward.

Certainly, may I tell him who’s calling?

Yeah, you can tell him that it’s Denise Franklyn.

Thank you, please hold.

Shawn Camden, her boss and co-owner of C&M Security, paced around her space like a caged tiger. He was driving her batty. Taking a deep breath, she listened to the dopey music playing through the speaker of her phone as she tapped a ratty looking nail to her desk top.

It was plain weird having him there in her office, hovering. He didn’t hover. Of course, the situation was a little out of the norm. So she’d forgive him, this time around.

As one of the co-owners, she rarely had him in her office space for more than a do this or find that situation. She was lead hacker for a reason. Oh, she had a fancy title as a Technical Support Analyst or something to that effect, but it all boiled down to being a hacker. Someone that could get into electronic places no one else could, or dared to, tread. Then back out without anyone being the wiser. Likely why the CIA, NSA, FBI and several other of the alphabet government lackey corporations had been vying for her.

She’d liked Shawn’s principals, what he stood for, and what he wanted to achieve. That and the fact the man never gave her grief for what she needed to do to get him the information. He just looked the other way, and smoothed her trail after the fact so nothing came back on her, or on C&M in general.

Both he and Robyn Matthews, his co-owner in the company, were good eggs. They had strong moral codes about what was right, and what was wrong. They had a very black and white view, yet still allowed a healthy gray area to come into play when necessary.

Denise?

The deep, slightly accented voice startled her out of her reverie. For a moment her heart fluttered, her gut clenched, and her palms began to sweat. Hiya, Mack. Listen, I have my boss here in the office with me, and you’re on speaker. Mack...shit, she muttered. I have a huge favor to ask. I wouldn’t, but this is super important and you’re the only person I can trust.

Give me a second, he said. Over the phone they could hear voices, a page sounding, and then a door closing. Okay, I’m alone, talk to me. What do you need, Denise?

God, she felt horrible dragging him into this. If she hadn’t known him since she was a kid, if she didn’t know him on so many levels, not all the ones she’d like, but enough. Shit, she shouldn’t be asking anyway.

Shawn shot her a look as she stalled. He knew she was having trouble with the situation, but he wasn’t pressuring her. He was waiting to see if she’d go through with it or if he’d have to pull a plan B out of his magician’s hat.

One of my co-workers is assisting a SFPD officer on a case. Shit went sideways. The nitty-gritty of it all is, the officer’s in a bad way and we need a doctor that’s willing to work off the grid to help her. I know, you’re a surgeon and this is likely a little outside your scope these days, but we need someone we can trust to keep this all way, way under the radar.

He was silent for a time. She didn’t say anything but she held her breath nonetheless. Sharing a look with Shawn, she watched as he waited silently in the corner.

I wouldn’t do this for anyone else, Denise. Fuck, he said quietly. All right, I’ll do whatever I can. Do you have any information so I at least know what to expect?

Yeah, Shawn will give you the details.

Doctor Vaughn, Shawn Camden here, thank you for helping us with this. We need you to keep everything off the record. She didn’t come to you, she doesn’t exist, nothing you did ever happened. Can you make that happen?

Sure, I can do that, Mackenzie said.

Good. As mentioned, she’s a SFPD detective that was undercover. Best we can figure, her cover was blown. There are currently issues that make it necessary for us to assist instead of this going through SFPD channels. We think someone sold her out, but without knowing who, we have to work blind.

Got it, tell me what you know, Mack said. Denise knew that tone, he was switching over to doctor mode, cool and analytical. Fucking sexy as shit on him.

Broken hand for sure, definitely has broken ribs, likely a cracked or broken jaw, maybe a broken cheekbone. Lots of lacerations and contusions. She probably has a concussion as well. Basically, Doc, she was beaten up, and bad. The ones that did it were trying to get answers out of her but went too far. My guy got her out in time, but she’s hurting. We need you to patch her up as best you can and get her ready to transport. We have to get her out of the city today, tonight at the absolute latest. This is not a request; this is a necessary step to ensure her safety. Can you do it? Shawn asked.

Shivering from the chill that skidded down her spine, Denise shot him a look. When he went all Marine like that it was seriously spooky. And slightly intimidating too.

Yeah, I can make it work. I’ll have to get some equipment together and find a room I can use. Shit, hang on; let me figure what’s open closest to an exterior door. I don’t want your man coming through the hospital anyway that he or the officer can be identified.

Excellent, Shawn said. He nodded to her as he rocked back on his heels.

Letting out a breath Denise tugged on the end of her braid.

Okay, there’s a section of the hospital getting painted right now so it’s closed off to patients. It’s in the north tower building. He’ll have to come in on Duboce Avenue; I’ll be standing outside the door. Hopefully, I’m the only guy who will be out there so this shouldn’t be an issue. Like I said, they’re doing work around on that section so we should have complete privacy given it’s Sunday. I will need to bring a nurse in. Beyond hospital policy for a female patient, I’m going to need an extra set of hands.

Shawn seemed to think on it for a moment. Do it. Just make sure that whoever you pick is trustworthy. This cannot leak out. If it does, she’s a dead woman, and I’m not fucking kidding either. The guy that did this to her is a psychopath of the first order and would not hesitate to kill you, your family, and everyone you’ve ever known since you were in diapers.

Right, Mack said. He didn’t sound all that worried. He was a surgeon though. They tended to have fairly overinflated egos. I think I can figure it out. I’ll grab one of my surgical nurses. Victoria’s been with me the longest and if I tell her it’s an undercover cop, she’ll never question me on any of the details. Her brother’s a cop and she gets it.

Thanks, Doc. Listen, we owe you huge for this. Send me a bill personally for anything you need covered on this. I will pay it, gladly. Just remember, in and out as fast as you can. Don’t worry about any security feeds, we’ll cover that from this end and keep them off anything that could potentially come back to bite us all in the ass.

Don’t worry about the costs, Mackenzie told him. But the favor I’ll hold you to.

Done and done, but sincerely, if you need to, just shoot me the bill, Shawn said. I’m going to leave you with Denise to figure out the logistics of where you’ll be working. She needs to know what she has to cover on the cameras, so be as detailed as possible. With a nod to her, Shawn left her office.

Releasing a breath, she picked the phone up and put it to her ear. Mack? she said softly.

Long time no talk, Denise, he said. Didn’t exactly expect to hear from you over something like this either.

I know. Damn. If I’d had any other options, Mack. Fuck, you have to know I’d never put you, or the hospital at risk if it wasn’t an emergency.

He let out a sigh. One that, to her ears, sounded like disappointment. I know. It’s fine.

But it wasn’t. She knew it