Page 29 of Vain (Tempest #2)
Chapter Twenty-Nine
AIDEN
When the car finally stops rolling, an eerie silence blankets us. It’s oppressive and heavy, as if it’s waiting with bated breath for the carnage to continue. I can’t hear anything for a minute, and my vision is compromised by the blood running into my eyes.
I feel around in the back of my pants for my gun. I pull it out and check it before releasing my seatbelt and crumpling to the roof of the car.
“Matilda?” I call her name, her face obscured by her hair as she leans toward the window. When she doesn’t answer, I reach over and tug her hair away, sucking in a sharp breath when I see how much blood is covering her face.
“Tilly? Baby, wake up for me.”
Still nothing. I look around the busted vehicle, loathed to move her.
The smell of fuel leaves me little choice.
I move until I’m in a better position to grab her before I unclip her belt.
She lands on me hard, jarring my shoulder.
I didn’t even realize it was injured until now.
Pulling her into my arms, I use my foot to kick the door open.
It takes some maneuvering to get us both out, and by the time I do, the smell of fuel has grown strong enough to burn my nose.
I drag her as far from the vehicle as I can, ignoring my shoulder, which screams in protest. I lay her on a patch of damp grass and slip her hair away from her face. I press my ear to her chest and hear her heart thump strong and steady, thank god.
The snap of a twig has my head turning in time to see a flash of light catching off something in the copse of trees.
I’m not taking any risks, not when Tilly’s life is in my hands.
I aim my gun and wait, keeping a protective stance in front of her.
When I see a figure move through the long grass toward us with what looks like a gun in their hand, I fire a warning shot.
They duck instinctively, not realizing how lucky they are.
If I’d been aiming to kill, they’d be dead right now.
I go still when I hear the sound of sirens in the distance. Our attacker must hear them, too, because they take off running. I consider shooting again, but shooting someone in the back is likely to get me arrested, and then where will Tilly be?
Once I’m sure they’re gone, I holster my gun and drop to my knees. I lift Tilly’s head and rest it on my legs before checking her pulse again just to make sure she’s still with me.
She moans as I smooth her hair away from her face. “I’ve got you, baby. I’ve got you.” My eyes fall on her hand and the ring on her middle finger. Her grandmother’s engagement ring. I reach for her hand, and, as gently as I can, I slide it off before slipping it onto her ring finger.
The sound of yelling and footsteps has me turning. “We’re over here!” I yell. I never thought I would be so happy to see a couple of cops, especially after what happened earlier. When they make it to me, they take one look at Tilly and immediately jump into gear.
“Get the paramedics over here,” one of them yells.
“I can carry her,” I offer. His eyes glide over me. “No offense, sir, but you don’t look like you can even carry yourself. You wanna tell me what happened?”
“Yeah. Before I forget, though, I have a 9mm in a holster at my back. I have a license to carry.”
“Alright. I’m gonna come get it, okay? I need you to keep your hands where I can see them.”
I nod and hold my hands out in front of me, noticing the blood covering them. I swallow, not knowing if it’s mine or Matilda’s. I feel him take the gun before he passes it to his partner.
“You have anything else on you?”
“Only my phone.”
As the paramedics ease Matilda flat to the ground and begin doing their checks, I get to my feet and face the officer who took my gun.
“Mind if I pat you down?”
I shake my head and hold my arms out again, this time at my sides with my legs slightly parted. Once he’s done, he nods to his partner, who holsters his own gun, ready in case I try something.
“Okay, walk me through what happened.”
So I do, from the second we pulled off the set to the moment I pulled her from the wreckage.
“I probably shouldn’t have moved her, but the car’s leaking fuel,” I explain to the paramedics.
One of them looks up at me. “If the car had blown up, she’d have died.
This way, she at least has a fighting chance.
Sometimes the choices you have to make are shitty.
Doesn’t mean you didn’t make the right call though. ”
I nod, knowing he’s right.
“Would you come down to the station so we can get a full statement?”
“Yeah, after I get my fiancée to the hospital and someone to watch her.”
“You think this person deliberately attacked you?”
“Yes. I was hired by Matilda when she started to feel unsafe, and given her history, she wasn’t willing to take any risks.”
“Her history?”
I look from the cops to the paramedics, realizing that with her face covered in blood, nobody has recognized her.
“My fiancée is Matilda Carson. She had a stalker before, one who ended up setting a trap involving acid. She and a couple of her co-stars were hurt.”
“Shit, I remember that. The guy is still in prison, right?” the officer, who up until now had been quiet, asks.
“He admitted his guilt, but there were no witnesses to him actually setting things up. The stalking started with Post-it note messages and dead birds before things took a darker turn. I was called in when she started receiving Post-it notes and dead birds once more.”
“She should have reported this to the police.”
“She did. She was told it was either in her head, that she had PTSD symptoms, or that she wanted the attention. We have literally just left two cops on the set where we’ve been filming, dealing with the stalker’s latest offering.
” I wave my arm around to show the smoking car. “Maybe they’ll take her seriously now.”
A groan pulls my attention.
“Easy miss, stay still for me.” One of the paramedics tries to comfort Tilly, but I can see the panic taking hold.
I drop to my knees beside her and lean over so she can see my face. She stills immediately.
“It’s okay. I’m right here. They’re just looking you over, baby, before we get you to the hospital.”
“No hospital,” she murmurs.
“Sorry gorgeous, but that’s a battle you won’t win.”
She whimpers, reaching out to grab my arm. “Don’t leave me.”
“Never,” I promise as the paramedics move her onto a backboard before lifting her.
“Sir—” one of the officers starts, but I follow the paramedics back to the ambulance, my hand wrapped around Tilly’s. “I’m going to the hospital with my girl. You can either meet me there or wait until I’m done.” I keep walking, daring them to stop me.
“Sir, we’re not supposed to let you ride with us,” the younger of the two paramedics says, but Tilly starts freaking out.
“I’m not leaving you, Tilly. I’m right here.” I squeeze her hand before glaring at the idiot.
“She’s hurt, scared, and has someone after her. Not to mention the last time she was in the hospital, it was a long and grueling stay. I’m not leaving her.”
“Just stay out of the way.” The older one jumps in, sending a look to the other guy before he can say anything to piss me off.
“I’d rather have him here than have to sedate her with a head injury.
If she becomes combative, we’d have no choice, or we’d risk her hurting herself further,” he explains.
Between them, they maneuver the gurney onto the back of the ambulance.
I climb in and keep out of the way just like he asked, but I do not let go of her hand for a second.
I told her I wasn’t letting go, and I meant it.
I talk quietly to her, to keep her calm and focused on me while the lead paramedic runs a series of checks.
By the time we get to the hospital, she’s passed out again.
Still, I stay with her until the doctors take her down for a CT scan, leaving me in the waiting room with a headache and a growing need to find the person who did this and rip them apart with my bare hands.
My cell starts ringing so I pull it out and hear Banner cursing down the phone at me. “You motherfucker, I was worried sick?—”
“We’re at the hospital. Matilda’s gone for a CT scan.”
He sucks in a harsh breath. “Is she okay?”
“I don’t know. She took a smack to the head. I’m waiting for the doctor to come out and talk to me.”
“Which hospital are you at?”
I tell him the name before standing up and pacing.
“Look, shit kinda hit the fan here so I don’t have bodies to send you.”
“I’m not asking you to.”
“I’m not fucking leaving you out there without backup. Just give me a minute.” His voice becomes muffled, as if he’s talking to someone else before he returns.
“Arlo knows someone who might be able to help out for a little while. He’s gonna give them a call. They’re in the area anyway for some kind of event.”
“Who?”
“No fucking clue, but you know Arlo. The guy knows fucking everyone.”
“Alright. Call me back if you find anything that will help me find this motherfucker.” I hang up and lean my head against the wall, letting my eyes drift closed.
“Sir, are you okay?”
I open my eyes, squinting in the harsh light.
“I’m okay. Just waiting for news on my fiancée,” I murmur, my eyes already drifting shut.
“Sir.” With a sigh, I open my eyes and stare at the nurse. Before I can tell her to go away, she crosses her arms over her chest and scowls, daring me to say something.
“I’m sure your fiancée is just as worried about you, so while you’re waiting, how about I clean you up? You have a nasty gash on your forehead that looks like it needs a few stitches.”
As much as I want to blow her off, I know Tilly will only worry if she has to keep seeing me in this state.
“Okay, but I don’t want to go too far. My fiancée is getting a CT. I want to be here when she comes out.”
She turns around and yanks open a curtained cubicle, indicating that I should step inside, like a game show assistant showing me what kind of prize I could win. Despite everything, my lips twitch in response.
“Hop on up on the table. I’ll be right back.”
I do as she asks, wincing when I put my weight on my shoulder. It feels like I sit there forever until she returns, but a glance at the clock shows it’s been barely five minutes.
“I asked at the desk about your fiancée. She’ll be another thirty minutes or so yet.”
“Thank you.”
“I get it. If me and my husband were both brought in together, I wouldn’t give a damn about my injuries. I’d just want to know that he was okay. I can tell you this, though—the second you know she’s okay, you’ll crash, and all the lovely adrenaline that’s making your pain disappear will vanish.”
“Your bedside manner needs a little work.”
“The truth is painful, but you look like a guy that could do without the bullshit. I know your girl is awake and talking, and that’s a good thing. I’d hate for her to come out of this okay only to find her stubborn ass of a man let his injuries kill him.”
“If you hadn’t mentioned a husband, I think I’d have been able to guess.”
She grins as she sits on a stool and wheels herself closer, along with a small tray of instruments.
“Trust me, I have a front-row seat to just how stubborn men can be. I’m going to give you a local, numb the area, and then begin. It doesn’t actually look as bad as I first thought. I think you’ll get away with four, maybe five stitches.”
“Do what you gotta do.”
“I’d like to get you in for your own CT scan, just to rule out any head injuries.”
“I didn’t bang my head. This is from the glass when the window broke.”
“Ah, good to know. Are you injured anywhere else? Don’t lie. I have a built-in bullshit detector.”
I chuckle. “I tweaked my shoulder when the car flipped. It’s not broken.”
“I’m sorry. I didn’t realize I was in the presence of a doctor.”
“I’ve had enough broken bones to know the difference.”
She sighs but doesn’t push any further. She hums softly as she cleans up my face, and after checking that the area is numb, she deftly stitches my split eyebrow.
“Alright, you’re done. I’ll have a look and see if I can find a scrub top that will fit you.”
I look down and see the blood soaking my T-shirt and nod. “Thanks. Tilly’s been through enough, I don’t want her to worry about me too.”
“Women’s prerogative. You alpha types think you have the market cornered on protection.
” She shakes her head and gets to her feet.
I think about Tilly stepping between me and Daniel.
And when she squeezed my thigh to keep my temper in check around officer dickface.
She’s right. Daniel could have thrown a punch, hitting her in the crossfire, and yet she didn’t hesitate to step in.
The same goes for the cop. He could have arrested me, though I know damn fine Tilly wouldn’t have let me go easily.
She was just as likely to get herself arrested in the process.
“I’ll bring you the top and then I’ll take you back to the waiting area.” I nod, but she’s already yanking the curtain open and walking off.
I stare at the people milling about, feeling grateful for grouchy nurses and overworked doctors. I couldn’t do what they do. I’d lose my shit at least once a day.
I’m about to get to my feet when a tall blonde peers in. Dressed in leather pants, a matching jacket, and a motorcycle helmet tucked under her arm, she looks me over before checking her cell phone. “You Aiden?”
I frown. “I know you?”
“Nope. But I know Arlo.”
Now, it’s my turn to check her out. She’s pretty and built like an athlete, but there is an edge of danger to her, not just in how she looks at me but also in how she holds herself.
“How do you know him?” Arlo easily has twenty years on this girl. I’m not bothered by age gaps as long as they’re legal, but I’ve never seen Arlo date a woman who wasn’t close to his age.
“He helped train me to fight when I was young.”
My face must convey the shock I’m feeling. She grins then. “Yeah, I get that a lot. When will boys learn that women are so much more than tits and ass?”
“Trust me, I know that. I’m just surprised because I know how ruthless Arlo used to be before he retired. There were a lot of fighters that wanted him to train them, but he only took a liking to a few.”
“I guess that makes me special.” She winks. “Anyway, I’m Reese.”
“Reese, huh?” I turn the name over in my head, but I’m pretty sure Arlo never mentioned her. It makes me curious because I’m a little shit like that. But as it’s none of my business, I keep my mouth shut.
“Nice to meet you, Reese. Thank you for dropping everything and coming here.”
She shrugs. “Arlo rarely asks for a favor, so color me surprised. So what’s going on?”
I sigh. “Honestly, that’s what I’d like to fucking know.”