Recalled (Death Escorts #1)(62)
Author: Cambria Hebert

I tossed away the hospital gown and slipped the white silk tank top over my head, pulling it in place. Then I picked up the light-blue cashmere sweater and did the same. I never knew fabric could feel so soft and luxurious all while being warm. Next I pulled on a brand new pair of dark-colored designer jeans, a pair of cashmere socks, and slid my feet into a pair of light-brown Uggs. The sheepskin felt like heaven against my toes. Oh my goodness, I wanted a pair of Uggs since I first saw them… Talk about warm and comfy on a cold Alaskan day.

I went into the bathroom and winced at my face. No amount of cashmere could detract from the cuts and bruises. Frankie was going to flip when I finally called her. I had no idea what I would say. I’d tell her the truth because she was like a freaking walking lie detector machine. But I would need to make something up for the police. I knew it was only a matter of time before they came knocking at my door. I wouldn’t really be able to tell them much about the man who kidnapped me because I didn’t know anything. Maybe I would tell them that I got away and called Dex, who came to get me, and then on the way to the hospital we hit some black ice and the car crashed.

Just thinking about it all made me tired, and a wave of homesickness came over me. I felt like I was still kind of in shock over everything that happened. And I needed to talk to Dex. I needed more answers.

I rinsed my mouth out and did what I could with my hair—which equated to pulling the tangled mess up onto my head in an even more tangled knot—then left the bathroom.

The homesickness in my belly was still tugging at me and so I went toward the phone by the bed. I knew I said I’d wait to call Frankie, but I couldn’t. I just wanted to hear her voice. She was like my sister.

She answered on the first ring. “Hello? Piper, is that you?”

“Hey, Frank. Yeah, it’s me,” I replied, as that feeling of homesickness ebbed away at just the sound of her voice.

“Oh my God! I’ve been so worried about you! What happened? Are you okay? Where are you?” Her words tumbled over one another, and when she finally fell silent, I heard her take a shuddering breath.

“I don’t have time to explain everything now… but I will. I promise. I just wanted to call and tell you that I’m okay. I’m at the hospital.”

“The hospital!” She gasped.

“Yeah, Dex and I got into a car accident.”

“You’re with Dex? What does he have to do with all this?”

“He’s not here right now, but I think he’ll be back. I’ll explain later. I have to go, but I’ll call you as soon as I get out of here.”

“Piper—”

“Yeah, I know. It was scary. It’s over. I’ll talk to you soon.”

I hung up the phone and stared down at it for long moments. It was good to hear her voice. After that vision I was so afraid I was going to lose her. When I pushed her out of the way of the gun, her future must’ve changed. Hopefully, that meant her life was no longer in danger.

I turned from the phone and began gathering up the tags from my new clothes when the door opened behind me.

“I think Hobbs should give up his current line of work to become a personal shopper,” I said, smiling as I turned.

My smile faltered when I saw it wasn’t Dex. It wasn’t the nurse or the doctor, either.

It was a man, a man dressed in black slacks and a steel-grey button-up shirt. He wasn’t a big man and although there wasn’t a wrinkle on his face (he was kind of bony-looking though), I knew he was old.

At first, I thought he was just here to visit someone else and he came into the wrong room. But that theory was shot down when he said my name.

“Ahh, so wonderful to see you out of that hospital bed, Piper. What a time you have had.”

“Do I know you?” I said, glancing at the door, which already closed behind him.

“I’m here as your Escort.”

Escort. Isn’t that what Dex said he was? A Death Escort.

I took a step backward and reached behind me for the call button to signal the nurse. This wasn’t some harmless old man.

“I wouldn’t do that if I were you,” he said, watching me move. “We wouldn’t want anyone else to get hurt.”

“What do you want with me?” I asked, even though I already knew. Dex was supposed to kill me. He didn’t. This guy still wanted me dead.

I watched as he came forward, smiling. If I didn’t suspect what he was here for, I wouldn’t even be alarmed. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out and held it in his palm.

“It’s nothing personal, really. It’s just death.” He spoke like he was talking about visiting a friend for dinner, or going out to watch a movie. Did he think death was so trivial?

I watched as he reached out and laid something on the bed. A light-colored stone. A chill ran up my spine. This guy was creeping me out.

“Come along, then,” he said, crooking a finger at me like I’d just follow after him.

“I’m not coming anywhere with you.”

He sighed, rather dramatically, and spoke like he was speaking only to himself. “This is why I always just touch them. No drama in that.” Then he speared me with eyes that seemed to grow very cold. “Death has come for you. I, the Grim Reaper, have laid claim to your life. There is no getting out of it. If you run, I will follow. If you hide, I will hunt you down. Usually, I just touch the people I want to claim, but you, you are lucky.”

I was lucky? Really, I didn’t feel like I’d won the lotto.

“You can come with me now to where Dex is waiting, and I will give you the chance to say good-bye or I can touch you.” He extended his fingers toward me and wiggled them. “Here. Now. And you will die. Instantly.”

Those were my choices? Die now or die later? That was hardly fathomable. Yet, when I looked at this man with his bony features and almost jolly presence, how could I not believe it? Only something this bizarre could be true. And besides, hadn’t Dex tried to explain something like this to me earlier?

“How do I know Dex is where you say he is?” I asked.

“I am a lot of things, young lady… Grim Reaper, Death dealer, fate sealer… but I am no liar.”

“So if I come with you, you’ll let me say good-bye to him?”

“Oh yes. It will be quite the show.” He actually clapped his hands together.

“Okay, I’ll come with you. But don’t touch me.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it. Not yet anyway.”