Page 49

FORTY-EIGHT

IMOGEN

It’s as if I’m watching a scene in a movie and am not part of the action. It’s the most surreal experience of my life. I hear the words and understand them, but am powerless to react. I’m locked inside my own body, and it’s the scariest thing that has ever happened to me in my life.

I thought I was going to die. The man in the red cloak, the samurai sword, and his evil words will haunt my nightmares forever.

There was nothing I could do but where my body had no reaction, my mind did.

Fear prickled on every nerve ending as I awaited my fate, accepting it would be a painful ending.

Then I heard Frankie and my fear increased ten hundred because if Frankie was here, so was Cassie.

There was another voice, a deeply disturbing chilling voice that made my flesh sizzle. Then shots, so many shots before salvation.

As soon as Drake whispered he had got me, I couldn’t even cry tears of relief. He saved me and I had no way of thanking him.

Then he was replaced by my father and I swear if it was possible, I would have broken down. I will never forget that emotion inside me when my father lifted me effortlessly off the trolley and carried me to the waiting ambulance, the emotion in his voice so very hard to bear.

I am not alone in the ambulance. The other girl was brought in with me and with two Reapers and the paramedic it’s pretty crowded in here. He says nothing, but his anxiety reaches out and fills me with fear. What if I never recover and am destined to live life locked in my body with no way out?

“She’s been drugged.” The paramedic explains to my father as he lifts my wrist and checks my pulse.

“Will it wear off, or is it–” Daddy’s voice catches and I have never heard real fear accompany his words.

“Possibly, but the doctor at the hospital will understand it better. I’ve never seen this myself, but her signs are normal, so it may be temporary or the doctor may have an antidote.”

He radios ahead and daddy reaches down and strokes the hair away from my face, whispering as he smiles tenderly, “It’s okay, Imogen, the doctors will work their magic on you and the poor girl in this with you.”

I wish I was able to reassure the girl beside me.

She must be as scared as I am but unlike me, she has nobody to comfort her.

As if he can read my mind, daddy turns to her and says brightly, “Same for you, darlin’.

We’ll make this better for both of you. You’re safe now and nothing, or nobody, will hurt you again. ”

I wish I could explain. Chase away the fear in his eyes, but I am powerless in every way.

The paramedic finishes his call and smiles reassuringly.

“I spoke with the duty doctor and he thinks it’s a drug that is widely used these days, usually in date rape cases. There is a shot he’ll give you when we arrive that he’s eighty percent convinced will restore physical function with no side effects.”

“Only eighty percent?” I detect the worry in my father’s voice and the guy nods. “We can never guarantee one hundred percent, as I’m sure you understand. Eighty is good, though, especially in this doctor’s case. He does tend to be on the more pessimistic side and usually gives odds on two to one.”

He winks and then turns to the girl beside me and checks her signs and once again my father strokes my face and whispers, “We’ve got this, Imogen. You’ll be fine. I know in my heart you have nothing to worry about.”

Just seeing his face is enough. Whatever happens, I am safe, and that reassures me more than his gentle smile of encouragement.

Luckily, it doesn’t take long before we screech to a stop and the doors fly open, several doctors pulling the trollies out of the ambulance and racing us down a clinical hallway into the hospital.

My father follows by my side and as we enter the emergency room, he steps back as the doctors crowd around me and I imagine they are doing the same for the girl who traveled in with me.

The lights are blinding, they almost hurt my eyes and as the voices blur into a mixture of medical terms and practicalities, I put all my faith in them to know what they are doing.

It doesn’t take long before I feel something. It’s as if a river of knives is slowly making its way through my body. Almost like my nerves are being jumpstarted one by one and as my finger twitches, the doctor smiles, “It’s working.”

“Same.” Another voice reassures me that I’m not alone in this and as the sensation returns to my body, I weep tears of relief.

Gradually, my body comes back to me and the doctor says kindly, “Can you wiggle your toes?”

I do as he says, and he nods. “Good girl. We’ll move you to a ward and continue to monitor you. You gave your daddy quite a scare back there and–”

He leans down and whispers, “It’s possible he needs medical attention more than you right now for shock.”

A soft giggle from deep inside me causes tears of relief to fall from my eyes and the doctor smiles and says gently, “It’s okay to cry. Let your emotion out and be assured there should be no lasting damage. In twenty-four hours, you should be back to normal.”

He steps back and as the porters wheel the bed toward the double doors, my father holds my hand as he walks beside me, not letting go of my hand for a second.

We are soon alone.

I am resting in a private room holding my father’s hand and he whispers, “You gave me quite a scare back there, darlin’.”

“I’m sorry, dad.” I smile my apology and he raises my hand and kisses it softly.

Just seeing him is emotional because he may not be my biological father, but he ticks all the other boxes and more besides.

I love him as my blood and that will never change and I whisper, “I’m sorry. Does mom know about this?”

He heaves a deep sigh.

“No.” He shrugs. “She thinks we’re on a mission. I spared her the details.”

That doesn’t surprise me because he has always shielded her from the harsh realities of the world we live in.

Mom knows what they do but none of the details, and I love how much he cares for her.

He must carry so much inside him that only another Reaper can understand, which is why it’s good that we live together as one happy family.

The guys have someone to offload to in the bar at the end of a tough day and the women are there to ground them and provide normality—well as much as normal exists in our world.

There is a burning question scorching my lips and I hesitate in asking it because I’ve put him through enough for one night and yet I can’t focus on anything other than Drake right now. He saved me. He threw his body over mine in a hail of bullets, and I broach the subject tentatively.

“Um, is–” I search for the right words as I hesitate and he squeezes my hand and whispers, “Is Drake alright?”

My eyes widen and he sighs heavily.

“Your mom told me, darlin’. “

An expression of resignation is my answer before he shakes his head.

“I can’t pretend I’m good with this. Drake is a man and you are my baby girl. I’m struggling with that.”

“But he’s a Reaper, daddy.” I smile softly. “Surely you must be happy I fell in love with a man like that.”

“Love.” He visibly winces. “Stab me in the heart and be done with it.” He exhales sharply. “No man is good enough for you, darlin’ but if I had to choose one and if I’m honest with you, Drake would be number one on the list.”

“Really?” My eyes widen as I sense victory and he nods, a miserable pained expression on his face.

“Drake is a shadow in our organization. A ghost if you like, and I don’t know much about him because he is always undercover.

When he does return, he takes off on his bike to clear his head.

But he’s a Reaper, and that badge is enough to gain my approval.

He’s also not much older than you, five years give or take and yet has earned his patch in the military and subsequent operations, this one included.

But more than all of that–” A smile of sudden admiration lights his face as he squeezes my hand and whispers, “He saved my baby and I will always be indebted to him for that.”

Pure emotion lights his eyes and my lip trembles as I whisper, “I love you, daddy.”

He shifts and as he pulls me into his huge arms and crushes me to his chest, he buries his face in my hair and says gruffly, “I love you more, darlin’ and I always will.”

I’m not sure how long we remain like this, but a soft chuckle disturbs us as he whispers, “I kind of think there’s someone desperate to see you out there.”

“Who?”

He pulls away and grins. “The guy who saved you. He keeps on peering through the window and if I don’t put him out of his misery soon, he’ll end up in the emergency room under the defibrillator.”

I turn my attention to the window, and Drake’s anxious face stares back at me. I half wave and smile my reassurance and as my father stands, he says gruffly, “Give us a minute, darlin’. I need a word first.”

As he leaves the room, I lean back against the pillow, a small smile on my lips. It will work out fine. I have no doubt about that, although I would love to be a fly on the wall of that hallway when my father has his word with the man who saved my life, in more ways than one.