Time To Play by KA Richardson (best book club books of all time TXT) 📗

Chapter Thirty-One

HDU, Sunderland Royal Hospital – 20 November

T he last thing Ali had expected to see on entering Connor’s room was Connor gasping for breath, and a blood-covered Marlo grappling with Fred Rockingham on the floor. Panic almost knocked him for six, and he’d seen Marlo start to sink to the floor. The crack her ribs had made when Fred kicked her had reverberated around the room, and he’d felt his breath catch.

Then the anger had arrived.

He’d all but flown around the bed and used his whole body weight to slam Rockingham into the wall behind the head of Connor’s bed.

Now he stood with his arm jabbed up into the man’s throat, practically daring him to fight back. ‘Calm the fuck down,’ he said. How he was managing to maintain control of his temper he didn’t know, but he was doing his best. Fred struggled beneath his arm, and in one movement, Ali spun Fred around and shoved his face into the wall. ‘In case you hadn’t gathered’ – he panted as he pushed Fred’s arm up his back – ‘You’re nicked. Now calm the fuck down before I put you down,’ said Ali firmly.

Fred was spent though. He sagged in his hospital gown beneath Ali’s grip and whispered, ‘It’s over.’ His head shook as though he couldn’t quite believe it.

‘What the…’ Alex’s astounded voice came from the doorway. ‘I go for coffee and come back to…What the hell is all this?’

‘Take him, Alex. Get him the hell out of my sight. I need to check on Marlo.’

‘Bitch deserved it,’ muttered Fred, his muscles tensing beneath Ali’s grip.

‘Don’t bother yourself,’ Alex’s voice was calm as he took over his brother’s hold on Fred and pushed him towards the hospital room door. ‘Like he said, you’re nicked. You do not have to say anything, but anything you do say…’ Alex’s voice faded as he took Fred down the corridor.

‘A little help here,’ shouted Ali, kneeling beside Marlo.

Sunderland Royal Hospital – 20 November

Marlo groaned and opened her eyes. Her head felt like it was splitting in two, and the light was as sharp as a pin.

‘Christ,’ she said, trying to sit up.

The movement caused the room to tilt sideways, and her head flopped back down to the pillow.

‘Easy, Marlo. You took a helluva knock to the head. Doc says you’ve got concussion.’ She cracked her eyes open again and glared at Ali. Just because he was the nearest thing to her and was stating the obvious.

‘Bloody bloke was huge. Was it Connor’s uncle? Is Connor OK?’

‘Aye, it was Rockingham, and yes, Connor’s going to be fine. Has some bruising to his neck and larynx, but he’ll be OK. He’s a tough guy. Said you were like a thing possessed, pulling his uncle off him and putting him in a chokehold. Little spitfire you are, love.’

Marlo knew Ali was teasing. ‘Wish I’d just left him to it. My head’s bloody killing me. Was it you who slammed him against the wall?’

She watched Ali’s eyes darken with anger and realised he’d been genuinely afraid for her. He nodded with a grim smile, and instantly she knew he’d wanted to do way more than slam the guy against the wall.

‘How’d you know I was here?’ It suddenly hit her that she’d arrived at the hospital alone.

‘Elvie, she told me you’d left. I needed to see if Rockingham was awake so I could arrange the interview, and I figured I’d pop up and meet you before I went down. He knocked Harry Green out, you know? Harry had let his cop go back to the nick for changeover. He was just gunna wait for the replacement to arrive. Rockingham fooled everyone into thinking he was still out for the count, the sneaky bastard. He’s cuffed to the bed now, like. The nurse didn’t even know how he was conscious. Says he can be taken to court tomorrow, and my guess is, thanks to his behaviour, he’ll be remanded without bail.’

‘Should bloody hope so too. You’ll need a statement off me?’

‘Yeah, but tomorrow’ll be soon enough. Only reason the doctor let me sit with you was coz I told him we were engaged. Don’t think he believed me, like, not ’til Alex backed me up, anyway.’

Marlo blushed. ‘He probably thinks I’m a right slut then. I had to say the same thing to get him to let me in to see Connor.’

Ali smiled, his face lighting up. I’ve never seen him smile so brightly – solving cases is good for him. I like him …Oh, I like him! The thought hit her like a ton of bricks and for a moment she couldn’t speak.

When his hand reached over and brushed an errant strand of hair from the side of her face, she shivered at his touch. Seeing the look she gave him, he leant over the bed and kissed her.

Marlo kissed back, instantly wanting more. Nipping at his lip, she moaned as he pulled away.

‘Bad girl,’ he said gruffly. ‘Keep kissing me like that and I’ll take you right here and right now.’

Marlo blushed furiously. ‘Who says I don’t want you to?’ she countered. Her words bolder than she actually felt.

Ali made a strangled noise and purposefully stood and walked to the door. He went to flick the catch on the lock, when the door suddenly opened, and Alex walked in.

Glancing first at Ali, then at Marlo, Alex put two and two together and guessed what he’d interrupted. ‘You two are best keeping that kind of behaviour for home.’ His voice dropped to a cheeky whisper. ‘Besides, the locks are shite. Me and Cass nearly got caught twice when she was in.’

A spurt of surprised laughter burst from Marlo, and Ali grinned.

‘Anyhow, hormones aside, the