Late that night, Maggie deliberately stayed out after her last fare and switched off the hidden camera in the cab. She parked behind the hospital, changed into the clothes Lena had told her to wear, and took a steadying breath. Then she headed straight for intensive care. Lena was already waiting. Together they moved Elijah onto a gurney and rolled him toward the back exit.
The wheels rattled loudly over the tile floor, and Maggie’s heart pounded so hard she thought it might give her away. She prayed no one would come around the corner. For good measure, Lena pulled a sheet over Elijah’s face. Luck was with them. At that hour, the hospital was quiet, and even the night doctor was asleep somewhere.
Once they got him into the back seat, Lena hurried back inside and whispered, “Hang in there, Maggie. I packed the meds he’ll need to recover, and there’s a note with instructions and a diet list. I’ve got to go before anyone notices.” Maggie drove like a woman in a thriller, pulse hammering in her ears.
She kept checking the mirrors, half expecting someone to be following her. When she got home, she called Kevin. “Kevin, can you come downstairs? I can’t do this by myself. I’m sorry—it’s late.”
He came down, saw the unconscious man in the back seat, and just stared while Maggie spoke in a rush. “Please help me. I can’t get him upstairs alone. I need to get him into my room. And please—no questions right now. I’ll explain later.”
Without another word, Kevin helped carry Elijah upstairs and lay him on the couch. Wiping his forehead, he said, “Maggie, you really know how to land in the deep end.
Where did this sleeping prince come from? Did you take a company car for this? Arman will kill you if he finds out. Did anyone see you?” Maggie shook her head.
“No one. I turned off the camera. I’m taking the cab back right now. You won’t turn me in, will you? I swear I’m not doing anything wrong. I’m trying to save his life. Do you believe me?” Kevin gave a tired wave of his hand.
“I know you’re a good person. I believe that. But don’t drag me any further into this. I’ve got a wife and two kids. I won’t say a word, but I don’t want details. Sorry. I’m going back to bed.”
He had done what he could. Maggie returned the cab to the lot without trouble. The security guards liked her, and she doubted they’d say anything.
Still, the nerves didn’t leave her. It had been too much for one night, especially in her condition. She got home on the last bus, checked to make sure Elijah was breathing steadily, and collapsed on the bed beside the couch. Then the tears came.
“Lord, what have I gotten myself into? Kevin’s right—this is dangerous. If that powerful man finds me, what happens then? What happens to Elijah? There’s nobody to protect me.
I’ve turned my own life into a bargain-bin crime drama. And somehow I’m the lead.” A full day passed before Elijah finally began to wake up.
He squinted in the sunlight and looked around in confusion. “Excuse me… where am I? Wasn’t I in the hospital? Wait—I know you. You’re the cab driver who found me on the road…
I never even got to thank you.” Maggie gave him a tired smile. “Once you hear the whole story, you may want to thank me twice. Though I’ll admit, I took a pretty big risk.” She told him everything: the visit from the supposed father, the drugs at the hospital, and even her own troubles, including the baby she was expecting…
