Fatal Distraction by Diane Capri Page B

voice managed to project—inside, she felt none of that poise or certainty.
    After Oliver was loaded onto the gurney and they began to move him, one of the paramedics turned and squinted at her. “Ma’am? I need you to look at me,” the paramedic said, shining a light into her eyes.
    Involuntarily, she blinked, and then moved around him to accompany Oliver. The paramedic put his hand on her arm to stop her. She shook him off and followed behind the gurney toward the Medevac helicopter.
    Frank Temple fell into step beside her. She raised her voice to be heard over the roar of the helicopter and the noises of the rescue teams.
    â€œStay here,” she told Frank. “Learn as much as you can. You’re my eyes and ears. Meet me at the hospital later.”
    For the second time in their relationship, Frank questioned her wishes. “I can’t let you be anywhere without security, Governor. I have men I trust here. I’m coming with you.”
    Numbly, she gave in. But as she watched Oliver be loaded into the helicopter, rage began to replace shock.
    None of this should have ever happened.
    She’d left little to chance since Eric’s death, exercising her iron will to protect herself, her family and the ranch. The longer she thought about Jake and Oliver and the invasion of her home, the angrier she became. She felt as if she had an oversized bulls-eye printed on everything dear to her, and she’d had enough of it.
    She turned to Frank and allowed her anger to surface. “If you really want to help, you can find out what the hell happened here. Your security team was supposed to be taking care of Oliver. Where were they? Where’s Todd Dale? Find him and bring him with you. Somebody owes me some answers.”
    To his credit, he didn’t argue this time, even though she had no technical authority to direct his procedures. Instead he began speaking commands into his portable radio as she stepped into the helicopter and found a place to sit for the short flight to Tampa.
    She stared out the front windshield as the chopper lifted off, ignoring the paramedic who continued to pester her with his examination attempts. She felt the sting of the cuts on her face and suspected she’d need more than a few stitches. It’s a good thing I’ve never had to rely on being pretty . The weak humor barely touched her mood.
    The paramedic wouldn’t let up. “Ma’am? Please lay down here. Let me check you over, take your vitals. Make sure you’re okay.”
    She continued to stare at the destruction of her home. She saw Jake’s barn in full flame, a total loss, all the horses gone. She felt small comfort that a much broader disaster had been averted.
    â€œMa’am? You’re going to get me in trouble if we land and you’re not on a gurney. Please don’t get me fired. I need this job.”
    The pleading tone of his voice may have been a lie, but Helen saw no harm in doing as he asked for the moment. She lay down and allowed him to treat her while she sorted through the events of the past few hours with cold, hard logic.
    Helen heard the reassuring sound of Oliver’s heart monitor projecting regular beeps. He was alive. But he’d made no sound of any kind. Nor had he moved, even the slightest bit, since she’d first found him. Back in the woods, when she’d cradled him in her lap, she thought she’d felt a slight depression of his temple on the bloodied side of his head. Maybe not. She hoped not. She waited for one of the medical personnel to mention it.
    The paramedic lifted her arm and she winced. “You’ve got a nasty burn here. We’ll get it treated when we reach the hospital.”
    Burn? How had she burned herself? She didn’t remember coming anywhere near the fire. But she must have. Since he’d brought the burn to her attention, she felt it like an open flame. As the paramedic cut what remained of her ball