Page 7

Please, God. Please help her.

Someone else was at their side–a woman carrying a bag. “The ambulance is on its way.”

Brett barely heard the words as he watched Jameson and Noah assess Thea. The blood was everywhere. Brett’s own blood roared in his ears, and every word that reached him was muffled as if he were listening from underwater.

“Steady pulse,” someone said. “Gash on her left arm.”

“Loss of consciousness,” someone else said.

Brett pressed a hand over his mouth, fighting the sickness that threatened to climb up his throat.

“What’s going on?” The familiar voice of Brett’s sister filtered in and out of his thoughts, but he couldn’t tear his gaze off Thea.

Jess gasped behind him. “Is that–”

“Thea,” Brett said as he watched Jameson and Noah assess her vitals and body. There was too much blood and not enough movement from Thea.

“What is she doing here? I thought she left.”

Wasn’t that the question of the hour. Brett would give his left pinky finger to know why Thea was here and what happened to her, but it didn’t look like she’d be answering those questions anytime soon.

The wails of the ambulance started low in the distance. How many minutes had it been? What was taking so long?

“Is she okay? Jameson? What’s wrong with her?” Brett leaned closer to examine the bruises on her face–that face he’d been praying to see again for years.

“She’s been beaten pretty bad,” Jameson said. “Calm down, man. We’ll get her checked out at the hospital.”

A concussion. Bruises. Cuts. Swollen face. In his dreams, she’d looked so different. In his memories, she was beautiful and happy, looking up at him with that heart-stopping smile he loved. Then, he’d remember to be mad that she left him without a backward glance. Even then, she was beautiful and flawless.

The ambulance slowly parked nearby, and two paramedics jumped out. Jameson and Noah briefed the men on Thea’s condition, and they were preparing to move her to a stretcher within minutes.

Careful not to jostle her, the four of them lifted Thea from the snow. A low groan came from her throat, and Brett took a step toward her.

A hand wrapped around his upper arm, but he pulled away from it.

“Brett, give them space,” Jess said.

When Thea was on the stretcher, some of the tension in Brett’s shoulders eased. “Where are you taking her?”

One of the paramedics looked up at Brett. “Are you her spouse?”

“No.” The truth came out quickly. Did this guy think Brett had beaten his wife or something? “I’m an old friend.”

The man looked around. “Is anyone here related to her?”

“No,” Jess said quickly.

Brett ignored the sharpness in his sister’s tone. She’d lost all love for Thea years ago, and the fighting between their family and Thea’s only managed to fuel that fire. “I’m the closest you’re gonna get.”

“We’ll be taking her to Cody,” the other paramedic said as they transferred the stretcher into the ambulance.

“Can I ride with her?” Brett asked.

“No,” Jess said behind him.

He ignored her. He loved his sister, but if he could put his own anger aside given the situation, he didn’t care one bit about what Jess thought about Thea right now.

The paramedic pointed to a seat on the right side in the ambulance. “You can sit there, but try to remain out of the way.”