Page 9 of Waste (Legendary Shifters #4)

Drew now faced a quandary. Did he stop attending the coffee shop?

Shelley had looked cornered today, and Drew didn’t want to panic her.

But Pandora’s caution rang in his ear. Shelley was in danger if she continued her research on him.

Simultaneously, Drew had wished to know if Shelley was okay, and she clearly wasn’t.

As he drove back to his hotel, Drew tried to figure out a plan. He rounded a corner and slammed on the brakes as he spotted several cars in front of him. Parking up and hitting his hazard lights, Drew got out.

“What’s wrong?” he called to another guy.

“There’s been an accident. Strangest thing ever, the car just careened off the road and hit the tree. The driver’s alive and talking, but is badly injured.”

Drew walked closer, spotted the vehicle and paused. He recognised it. Although the last time he’d seen it, it was broken down, and the driver was being attacked.

“Shelley!” Drew gasped and hurried forward. Sure thing, Shelley sat in the driver’s seat with blood trickling down her face from a head injury and puffy eyes. The airbag had deployed, and people didn’t realise it could hurt as well as save their lives. There was a bruise on her cheek.

What worried Drew was the nasty, jagged wound on the side of her head. From the placement, it appeared as if Shelley’s head had smacked against the side window. He also noted how she was holding her neck. That meant possible whiplash.

“Hi, fancy meeting you here,” Drew quipped as Shelley’s panicked eyes met his.

“Drew?”

“In the flesh. Shelley, I offered you my number. You didn’t have to crash to get my attention,” Drew said as he looked for something to brace Shelley’s neck.

“I don’t want your attention,” Shelley replied, dazed. Her hand rose, and she tried to open her door.

“Don’t do that, Shelley. We don’t know what injuries you have,” Drew stated, and Shelley’s hand dropped.

“What happened?” Shelley asked.

“You crashed your car,” Drew responded, finding a sweater in the rear of her car. It would do. He rolled it up and placed it around Shelley’s neck. It limited her movement, and that was good.

“The brakes wouldn’t work. I tried dropping gears, but the vehicle didn’t slow down, and then the handbrake also failed.

Shelley touched her head and winced.

“Are you in pain anywhere else?” Drew asked as he heard the wail of an ambulance.

“Everything hurts.”

“Okay, help is here,” Drew soothed as he took Shelley’s small hand in his. He liked the way that felt.

“Don’t leave me,” Shelley suddenly begged, and Drew realised how scared she was. Strangers were surrounding her, and his was the only semi-familiar face she recognised. Plus, the way her car had failed meant this whole scenario had to be terrifying.

“I won’t, that’s a promise.”

“Thank you, Drew. I don’t deserve your kindness after I told you no.”

“Rest assured, Shelley, I’ll get a date from you soon enough.” Drew grinned.

Shelley smiled back, and warmth ran through Drew. “Good luck trying.”

Her eyes closed, and Drew squeezed her hand. “Stay awake, Shelley. The ambulance is parking up now.”

“I’m so tired.”

“I’m sure you are, but you need to stay alert,” Drew said and moved aside for the paramedics.

He quickly explained what he knew and stepped back to let them work. A police car arrived, and they took the addresses and names of the witnesses and brief statements.

“I’m PC Simmons. Who are you, sir?” a police constable asked.

“My name is Drew Martin. I was driving to my hotel when I happened upon this scene. I recognised Shelley from my coffee shop and stayed with her.”

“Ah, you know the driver well?”

“No, not at all. Truthfully, we met two days ago.”

“You came across the accident? You weren’t present for it?” Simmons asked, glancing over to Drew’s hire vehicle.

“No,” Drew replied coldly. “I was the fourth car back.” Drew guessed what the officer was thinking. Had Drew run Shelley off the road?

“The victim’s name is Shelley Evans,” another policeman said, approaching. “I ran her name. Miss Evans was involved in an incident where a stalker attacked her, and he ended up dead.”

“Parker, that goes above us. We’ll need to inform the detective inspector, who is investigating that matter. Miss Evans’s accident might be of interest to him,” Simmons answered.

“Miss Evans is claiming the brakes failed and then her handbrake too. The likelihood of that happening has to be a million to one,” Parker replied.

“As I stated, inform investigating DI, Parker. Now, sir, is there anything you wish to add?” Simmons asked Drew.

“No. What hospital is Shelley going to? She requested that I accompany her.”

“And you said you weren’t friends?” Simmons pressed suspiciously.

“I didn’t. I wish to get to know her.”

“So, why attend the hospital?” Simmons demanded.

“Because Shelley asked me to. It’s common decency to offer comfort to someone, even if you’re strangers,” Drew retorted. “Or has that flown out of the window alongside kindness, courtesy, and respect?”

“Mind who you’re speaking to,” Simmons warned.

“You mind the same, Officer Simmons. What hospital is Shelley being taken to?”

Shelley ended the standoff when she called out his name.

“Shelley, I’ll follow in my car,” he replied.

“Okay. Don’t leave me alone,” Shelley pleaded and coughed to clear her throat.

“I won’t,” Drew promised. He turned and held Simmons’ gaze. “Was that plain enough?” “I need your address and details.”

Drew gave them to the PC and then notified him of which hotel he was staying at.

Drew had a home address in London, but they weren’t in London.

He informed Simmons he was here for work before Simmons let him go.

Drew muttered several uncomplimentary things under his breath as he climbed back in the car.

He entered the hospital postcode and then drove after the ambulance.

One thing bothered him. What was the likelihood of both the brakes and the handbrake failing?

Shelley

She didn’t know what had got into her, but she found herself begging Drew to stay with her, knowing she just needed someone.

Her family would panic when they discovered she’d had an accident, and she didn’t need that.

Her mother was only just calming down about the attack.

The four times a day phone calls had finally whittled down to one per day.

Shelley’s older brother, Charlie, was overprotective. He’d smother her in his attempt to look after her. Shelley wanted to know her injuries before she contacted them. It made sense and would stop them from panicking.

The last person she’d expected to see peering at her had been Drew. But relief had swamped her when she’d seen him. The panic that had been building had faded, and his calmness had calmed her, too.

A nurse poked her head into Shelley’s bay. “There’s a Drew Martin here to see you.”

“I asked him to come,” Shelley murmured, feeling shy. What would Drew be thinking? She was acting like a crazy person.

Drew appeared as Shelley was trying to figure out how to act. “How are you doing?” he asked with concern.

“I’m okay,” Shelley replied. Jo had been correct about one thing: Drew was a gorgeous man.

“I doubt that, considering the state of your car and the two head injuries I saw,” Drew stated as he pulled a chair up and sat down. He studied her face closely. “Have medical personnel seen you yet?”

“No, I’ve only just arrived,” Shelley murmured as she fought to keep her eyes open.

“Shelley? Are you okay?” Drew’s voice rose with concern as darkness flowed over Shelley, and the last thing she heard was Drew bellowing for a doctor.

Drew

Shelley’s eyes rolled up and closed, and her body went limp. He yelled for help and checked Shelley for a pulse. Alarmingly, blood trickled from Shelley’s ear. Did that mean a brain bleed?

Drew bellowed again, and a nurse answered.

“Keep your voice down. What’s going on?”

“Get a doctor; she’s unconscious, and her heartbeat is thready. She’s also bleeding from her ear,” Drew snapped as he kept a tight grip on Shelley’s wrist.

The nurse disappeared, and moments later, her doctor appeared. He quickly checked Shelley over before ordering her to be taken for X-rays and an MRI.

Drew scowled at him. “Shelley should have been sent straight there on arrival.”

“We’re busy, and Miss Evans was responsive,” the doctor replied.

Drew leaned forward and hissed in his face, which made the man blanch. “If I hadn’t been here, how long would she have lain unconscious and possibly dying? She was in a bad car accident, and you neglected to check her out because she was conscious? I wonder what the medical board would say.”

“Don’t threaten me!” the doctor blustered.

“I’m not making a threat,” Drew said and stepped away. He’d use his contacts to ensure Shelley got the finest healthcare possible. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have the money, and somehow, Shelley had become his responsibility.