Page 18 of Redemption (Favorite Malady Duet #2)

DANE

“ A bigail!” I roar her name when the Jeep jerks sharply to the left, away from the closing gates. “NO!”

She doesn’t know that the beautiful landscaping has been cut into a blind fence.

The feature keeps troublesome sheep out of the estate while providing an uninterrupted view of the countryside.

Instead of an unsightly fence, there’s sharp a ten-foot drop that’s unnoticeable if you don’t know to look for it.

And she’s racing right toward it.

My feet pound the curated lawn, and my heart hammers against my ribcage. I’ll never reach her in time. There’s nothing I can do to stop her. My stubborn Abigail is about to crash the Jeep, and I can’t prevent it from happening. I can’t save her. I can’t protect her.

The disaster seems to happen in slow motion, each horrific moment imprinting on my brain to create nightmares that will last a lifetime. The Jeep is airborne for a split second.

Then comes the crash. The screeching metal. The blaring car horn.

I know what I’ll find when I reach the wreck.

Blood. Death.

I’m as powerless as I was on that terrible night when I was five years old. Another crash, when I was a helpless child.

The sound that tears from my chest is something between a bellow of rage and a wail of anguish.

I can’t lose Abigail.

I won’t.

I refuse to live without her.

I swallow the copper tang of fear that coats my tongue and sprint toward the wreck. Whatever I find at the base of the blind fence, I’ll have to face it head-on. If Abigail survived, she’ll need medical care. She’ll need me.

I can’t allow old memories of long-buried trauma to rise up and consume me. I have to remain grounded in the present.

I have to save her.

She’s alive. She’s alive. She’s alive.

I’m not sure if it’s a prayer or an irrefutable truth that I’m willing into the world.

I finally reach the blind fence, and acid burns my throat at the sight of the wrecked Jeep.

I curse my feckless brother for his carelessness in leaving his keys where she could easily find them.

And for his foolish taste in vintage vehicles that lack modern safety features like airbags.

A sensible car would’ve protected her from the worst of the damage, but this aged behemoth could’ve crushed her delicate body.

I leap off the blind fence and barely feel the pain that shudders up my left leg as my ankle twists. I manage to stumble toward her. I can see her lovely face in profile. It’s covered in blood, and she’s slumped over the steering wheel. Her eyes are closed. She’s not moving.

Adrenaline increases my strength, lending me the leverage I need to wrench open the door. It screeches in protest, but I manage to get to her.

“Abigail. Abigail. Abigail…” I’m saying her name over and over, but she’s not responding.

Her blood is hot and slick on my hand when I gingerly cup her cheek.

My stomach turns in pure revulsion at the gory sight, but I force myself to study her wounds with clinical precision.

She’s bleeding heavily from a gash at her hairline.

I can’t tell how serious the damage is, but it’s enough to have knocked her unconscious.

“Open your eyes, Abigail,” I command. “Look at me.”

But she doesn’t obey.

The longer she remains unconscious, the higher the likelihood of brain damage. She could have a fractured skull. Internal bleeding.

All I can assess now is the fact that she fucking bleeding all over my hands, and she’s as limp as a ragdoll.

I struggle to breathe through the fear that smothers my thoughts.

There’s a pulse at her throat. She’s breathing.

She’s alive.

And she’s going to be fine. I’ll make sure of it.

“Dane?” James calls down to me. “Oh, fuck.”

As much as I loathe him in this moment, my voice is rough with desperation when I beg, “Help me.”

With James’ help, I’m able to get Abigail out of the wrecked Jeep and into another vehicle. I keep her gathered in my arms, murmuring reassurances to her as he drives the short distance from the base of the blind fence to the road.

We’re in the back of one of my father’s sleek black SUVs. If Abigail had chosen this for her insane escape attempt instead of the Jeep, she’d probably only have a few scratches.

Her escape attempt.

The thought makes my blood run cold. She was so desperate to get away from me that she risked her life. She’d begged me to let her go, but I’d selfishly refused because I didn’t want to live without her.

Now that she might be bleeding out in my arms, I’m struck by the sudden, powerful realization that I can’t live without her.

Abigail has given my life meaning. I won’t tolerate a world without her in it.

I won’t be able to endure it.

My vision blurs strangely, and I blink quickly to clear the burn from the corners of my eyes.

“Are you listening to me?” James demands. “The nearest hospital is almost twenty minutes away.”

“She needs medical attention,” I growl.

I’ll do anything to save her, even if that means walking into a hospital and confessing my crimes against her.

“You’re a fucking doctor,” James shoots back. “We have first aid facilities at the house.”

My mind races. The faster I get Abigail medical care, the better. I’m one of the best surgeons of my age. I’ll care for her with far greater attention than she’ll get at hospital.

Because our survival depends on her recovery.

Abigail has a deep cut on her forehead, but it won’t scar, thanks to my neat stitches. The damage seems to be a flesh wound rather than a cranial fracture. Seeing her covered in blood had made me irrational, but now that she’s stitched up and resting, I’m somewhat more composed.

She has bruised ribs and whiplash from the seatbelt cutting into her torso.

She’ll be in pain for a while, but she’ll live.

She will be okay.

And I will spend every day of the rest of my life making this up to her.

She stirs on my bed with a low groan, and I give her hand a gentle squeeze.

“You’re safe, Abigail.”

I’m right here, I want to add, but I swallow the reassurance.

When I’d washed the paint off her face, she’d said that she needed someone to protect her from me. My presence isn’t a comfort to her.

But still, I can’t let her go.

I know now that she’s utterly essential to me; I can scarcely breathe at just the thought of losing her.

I rake my free hand through my hair. I’ve never felt so lost, so helpless. I don’t know how to fix things between us. I can heal her body, but I fear I’ve done deeper, irreparable damage to her. To us.

“You’re in love with her.” James’ quiet observation hits me like a blow to the gut.

I round on him with a glower. He doesn’t understand the first thing about me. No one in my family has ever understood.

I’m not capable of love.

Obsession, yes. Possessiveness, definitely.

And above all, selfishness.

My absolute devotion to Abigail will have to be enough for her, because love is something I can never offer.

James holds up his hands in a show of surrender.

“Fine. It’s none of my business. I’ll leave her in your capable hands now.

And don’t worry. I’m not going to run to mum and dad to tell them you’re here.

Let her recover fully before you go anywhere.

I don’t owe you anything, brother, but she doesn’t deserve to be pulled into our family drama. ”

I narrow my eyes at him, usure if I should believe this show of goodwill. “And you’re not curious about why she was driving away from me?”

He shrugs. “Like I said: none of my business. You’re an arsehole. I’m not surprised you did something to make her pissed enough to leave you. But Daniel.” He pierces me with a dark green stare. “You can’t keep her forever if she doesn’t want to stay.”

“You’re absolutely right,” I snarl. “My relationship with Abigail is none of your fucking business.”

He sighs. “Arsehole.”

I turn my attention back to my sleeping princess and barely register his retreating footsteps. For the foreseeable future, I’ll have Abigail all to myself. I’ll take care of her in her recovery. I’ll prove to her that she can trust me.

She will love me again.

She has to.