Page 17

I was ridiculously excited when he sent me the photos of some of the renovations Fred had come up with on his house outside of the city. They were gorgeous and exactly the vibe I’d want in my condo.

Basically, trust the process.

It was hard. I didn’t have faith in people most days, and even more recently it seemed things were falling apart left and right. That trusting people was stupid.

I sighed and reminded myself of Joyce. Renee. Carla.

All the department heads who were stepping up and taking matters seriously. Alan was all over managing with his department to work closer with my staff and the president to get more blood drives going.

Faith was validly granted at times. I had to keep reminding myself of that.

The pep talk I’d given myself was shattered when I arrived back at the hospital and walked up on a situation. A woman and her daughter were both being unloaded out of an ambulance… Along with another woman berating her for making a fuss over nothing.

Instantly, I was thrown back to the past. I wasn’t sure if it was the exact wording or the stress that I was already under that triggered me—probably both.

But it was also the amount of times it had happened and with different women.

“Ma’am, you need to step back and not get involved,” I said harsher than I should, interjecting so fast that even the EMTs hadn’t seen me coming.

“Who are you to tell me what to do?” she snapped, doing a double take when she realized what I was.

As I did her which made it all the worse for me. Something I could freak out about later.

She rallied though, not caring that another vampire was stepping in her way. “That’s my granddaughter and daughter-in-law and I—do you have any idea who I am?”

“Lady, she runs this place, so you better check yourself before you make an enemy you cannot afford,” one of the EMTs suggested sounding too tired.

And normally getting to check people amused EMTs and support staff. They stopped getting yelled at then when the big bosses arrived or at least people who could shield them.

Which told me that this woman was in a whole other league.

“They’ll take good care of your family, ma’am,” I pushed, getting a clearer picture when she flinched and anger filled her eyes.

It was starting to be red flags for as far as I could see. Seriously.

I forced her to admitting to fill out paperwork and reminded her that she would need to call her son to let him know that his wife was hurt. She ranted that she wasn’t going to bother her son for something so unimportant and her daughter-in-law was just attention-seeking.

She finally realized she needed to tone it back when just about everyone around us looked at her like she was a monster. Clearly, she was, but monsters were normally better at hiding it.

“How bad?” I asked when I rejoined the group, speaking to the EMTs.

Rage was coming off one of them at my question. “We couldn’t get any information to figure out much because of that woman trying to answer everything. The woman fell holding the child. That was all she would say and she was being ridiculous having called an ambulance.”

“She did let it slip especially since the kid woke backup,” the other EMT added.

Absolute monster.

The mother was so scared that they were having a hard time treating her. In such pain that her mind wasn’t her own and all she cared about was her daughter.

I moved right to her head and held it still as I pressed my lips to her ear. “Calm yourself, darling. I will protect your daughter like she was my own. Your mother-in-law, nor husband, will go near her until you say otherwise. Not in my hospital, I promise. And we will help you get out of whatever you’re in and keep you both safe.”

She stopped thrashing and simply closed her eyes, tears leaking out. “I haven’t ever felt safe. I wish I had jumped, but then my baby would never have been born. I cannot keep letting her be hurt. I failed as a mother.”

A growl distracted me and I glanced up to meet the gaze of one of the emergency department doctors. “This was notnothingand minor. She’s got fourcrackedribs, not just broken, and a list of injuries. This wasn’t just a fall.”

“Stairs,” the mother gasped. “I fell down the stairs when she threw things at me again.”

“I’m making the call,” I told everyone there. “She’s a victim of domestic abuse. Private room and guard at all times.No oneis allowed in besides staff until I say otherwise.”