Page 78 of Death, Interrupted
I didn’t bother to answer. “I’m here, baby,” I whispered. “Don’t go to sleep, you hear me? Keep your eyes on me.”
“Poor girl,” the passenger said quietly, shaking his head. “Must’ve been a nasty fall to get her face all beat up like that.”
“It wasn’t the fall,” I muttered. My jaw tightened until it hurt.
The man studied me. “Then what happened?”
I met his stare and said nothing. I didn’t owe him an explanation.
He didn’t take the hint. “Sure doesn’t look like the asphalt did that,” he said, eyes flicking to Sumner. “Sweetheart, did this man hurt you?”
“Devin, what the fuck,” the driver snapped.
“It wasn’t me,” I said, my voice rough. “Just drive. Get us to the hospital.”
Devin raised a hand defensively but didn’t turn around right away. “Just making sure, man. You’d be surprised how many guys act innocent after doing shit like that. I’m not helping some asshole who beats women.”
“It was her ex,” I said, cutting him off. “He ran us off the road.”
That shut him up.
The only sound left was the rain against the windshield and Sumner’s faint, uneven breathing. I tightened my arms around her, lowering my head close to hers. “You’ll never go through this again,” I whispered. “I promise you that. No one’s ever going to touch you again. Not while I’m still breathing.”
Chapter 27
Sly
My wet clothes clung to me in the worst way, and the blood on my hands bothered me most because it was Sumner’s.
When we arrived at the hospital, they took her from my arms before I could even get a word out. I followed until they stopped me at the door of the emergency room.
“You’ll have to wait outside, sir,” a nurse told me, giving me atight smile.
I nodded, even though everything in me wanted to shove through and stay with her. I stood there for a while, trying to catch a glimpse through the small window, but it was just white walls and the shadows of people moving fast around her bed.
I went into the waiting room but didn’t sit down. I couldn’t stay still. Not until I knew she was okay. I paced the room, ignoring the elderly woman getting annoyed at my restlessness.
When she cleared her throat a little too loudly, I turned to her with a heavy sigh. “Listen, lady, I’m sorry if me pacing is making you nervous, but I can’t sit still right now. My girl is in there, and the last time I had her in my arms, she wasn’t doing well. So, I’d appreciate it if you’d let me pace in peace.”
She stared up at me with narrowed eyes, but she didn’t dare to say a word.
“Thank you,” I breathed before running my hands through my hair and starting to pace again.
After what felt like hours, a doctor came out. Her scrubs were stained and she looked tired from probably being on her feet all day, but when she spoke to me, her tone was calm.
“You’re Ms. Ellis’ partner?” she asked, pushing her hands into her scrub’s pockets.
“Yeah, I am. How’s she doing?”
“She’s stable,” she replied. “She has a mild concussion, a broken nose, and a few bruises. Nothing that won’t heal, but it might take time. Especially…the mental part.”
I nodded because I knew that would take a while, but I would be there to help her through it. “Can I see her?”
She nodded. “She’s drowsy but conscious. Try not to keep her awake too long.”
“Okay.” I was ready to leave, but she stopped me by stepping in front of me. “I want to inform you that we have called the police. She was able to tell us in pieces what happened.”
I tensed but nodded. “Are they coming right now?”