Page 120 of Hidden Ties

Lifting startled eyes to the woman, Sage felt a bubble of laughter. “You’re right. I didn’t see either weapon. If I had, I probably would have passed out.”

Kris’ eyes searched her face. “I don’t think so. You’re handling this better than I would have. I would have been screaming bloody murder.”

“I would have if he hadn’t threatened to cut me.”

The woman who appeared to be around her age shivered. “That’s frightening.”

Sage placed her uninjured hand to her throbbing forehead. “It was.”

Fortunately, a police car arrived to take a report. Kris and the man with her left, but not before giving her a slip of paper with her phone number.

“Please, give me a call in a couple of days and let me know how you’re doing.”

“I will,” she promised.

Satisfied at her promise, they moved on into the store after giving the policemen their information and stating they hadn’t seen what had happened.

“Ms. Riley, there’s an ambulance on the way. Is there anyone I can call for you?”

There was no way she was going to upset Glory. She would tell her what happened when she got home.

“I have a friend I can call. I won’t need an ambulance.” Grateful that her phone hadn’t been taken, she called her neighbor, asking her to sit with Glory and the girls until she was able to come home.

The ambulance arrived just as she disconnected the call.

“I told you I don’t need an ambulance.” All she could think at seeing the blinking red lights was the money it would burn through if she accepted their help.

“Ma’am.” The policeman gave her a kind gaze, as if he could read her thoughts. “The cost of the ambulance will come from a fund for victims of violence. Go with them and get yourself taken care of.”

Sage looked down at her hurt wrist; it was beginning to swell. “I’ll need my car to get home and for work in the morning,” she explained.

“I’m getting off in an hour. My wife is picking me up. She can drop me off here, and I’ll drive it to the hospital for you. My wife can drive me home from there.”

She wanted to cry at the compassion she saw in his eyes. “I can’t ask—”

“You didn’t. I offered.” The policeman motioned for the EMT, moving away before she could argue any more.

“He took my purse and has all my information …” Her voice broke off, terrified for Glory and the girls.

The policeman gave her a commiserating glance. “This store has cameras pointed at the parking lot. I hope we can have him ID’d before you get out of the hospital.”

Assured, she let the EMT help her to the ambulance, where she weakly lay back on a cot so she could be checked out.

When they arrived at the hospital, she was wheeled into the emergency room.

Three hours later, she was signing herself out when the policeman was allowed into her room to see her.

“Did you find him?” she asked hastily before he could get a word out.

“Not yet. We’re still working on it.”

Seeing her worried expression, he tried to assure her again. “I’ll keep you informed when we do. I’m sorry I don’t have better news.”

“It’s okay. I’m sure you’ve done everything you can.”

“Are you able to drive?”

“Yes. I have a slight concussion, and my wrist is sprained. It could have been much worse.”