think I believe her. I don’t think she knew what she had at all.”
Her eyes sought his, looking for a reprieve from her terror. But it wasn’t going to come.
“My dear, you may have tossed out a fortune in cocaine, but you will still have to be an example. I can’t have everyone acting with such cavalier ignorance.”
A loud noise came from the front of the clinic. “Annie! Are you still here? I forgot my cell phone,” yelled Leon.
Jerking up, Annie began screaming. “Leon, call 911, I’m being robbed. 911. 911.”
The man holding her tried to put his hand over her mouth again, but she was too quick. Ducking her head, she continued screaming. Kicking out, her shoes hit his shins, causing him to loosen his grip just enough for her to wiggle away. The taller man was already at the alley door, making his escape. The shorter man’s glare was no longer smiling as she now saw a gun in his hand aimed at the hall.
“Nooooo!” she screamed, terrified that Leon would come into the room, then found herself being thrown to the floor as the man who had been holding her pushed her down so he could escape. “Stay back, Leon! They have a gun!” she yelled.
She looked up just in time to see the gun pointing at her as the man called Jose was at the alley door. His eyes, soulless, pulled the trigger just as she tried to roll away. The sound of gun blast in the small area deafened her as a pain sliced through her side.
She lay on the floor, seeing Leon’s anxious face above hers.
“Oh God, doc. What the hell happened? Stay with me. I’ve got you, honey.”
The sound of sirens filled the night air. Leon’s face seemed fuzzy. Far away. Then another face appeared above her. Shane. Then blackness.
Chapter 9
F loating. On the ocean. On a blow-up pool lounger. Warm sun on her face. Working on her tan.
It’s not warm. It’s dark.
Strange noises seeped into Annie’s consciousness. Noises that did not sound like waves.
Opening her eyes, the harsh lights had her closing them quickly, but not before her brain registered that she was in the hospital. A flood of memories rushed back as she remembered the events in her clinic. Panic rose in her chest as her eyes opened wide and she tried to sit up. The pain in her side sliced through her and she fell back to the bed, a gasp escaping her lips.
“Baby?” a familiar voice sounded right next to her. She opened her eyes again, seeing Shane bending over her, worry lines scoring his face.
Confusion melded with fear and as much as she hated to cry in front of him, tears slid down her face.
Shane cupped her face with his hands, wiping her tears with the rough pads of his thumbs. “You’re okay, baby. You’re gonna be fine.”
“I was shot,” her voice croaked.
“I know. I’m so sorry, Annie.”
“How bad?”
“The bullet just barely grazed your side. Honestly, baby, it did not hit anything major. It is more like a bad burn.”
“Hurts.”
“I know, baby. I know,” he answered as he leaned over and kissed her forehead.
She looked into his blue eyes, so expressive, so different from the dark contacts he had been wearing. She saw concern…and care. No, I do not see care. He does not care about me.
She did not want to ask, but found the words coming out anyway. “Why are you here?”
Shane’s gaze did not waver. “Annie, there’s nowhere else I would wanna be than right by your side.” He saw the doubt in her eyes. “Baby, you ran out yesterday and didn’t give me a chance to explain.”
Just then there was a commotion at the door as Leon and Suzanne hustled in.
“Explain what? That you are a complete asshole who used Annie to get what you wanted? Forcing her into your world of drugs and men with guns and…and …your shit!” Suzanne yelled as she got right in Shane’s face.
Before he could react, Suzanne was pulled back into Leon’s front as he wrapped his arms around her. “Down wild-girl,” he said calmly. “Annie doesn’t need this
Her eyes sought his, looking for a reprieve from her terror. But it wasn’t going to come.
“My dear, you may have tossed out a fortune in cocaine, but you will still have to be an example. I can’t have everyone acting with such cavalier ignorance.”
A loud noise came from the front of the clinic. “Annie! Are you still here? I forgot my cell phone,” yelled Leon.
Jerking up, Annie began screaming. “Leon, call 911, I’m being robbed. 911. 911.”
The man holding her tried to put his hand over her mouth again, but she was too quick. Ducking her head, she continued screaming. Kicking out, her shoes hit his shins, causing him to loosen his grip just enough for her to wiggle away. The taller man was already at the alley door, making his escape. The shorter man’s glare was no longer smiling as she now saw a gun in his hand aimed at the hall.
“Nooooo!” she screamed, terrified that Leon would come into the room, then found herself being thrown to the floor as the man who had been holding her pushed her down so he could escape. “Stay back, Leon! They have a gun!” she yelled.
She looked up just in time to see the gun pointing at her as the man called Jose was at the alley door. His eyes, soulless, pulled the trigger just as she tried to roll away. The sound of gun blast in the small area deafened her as a pain sliced through her side.
She lay on the floor, seeing Leon’s anxious face above hers.
“Oh God, doc. What the hell happened? Stay with me. I’ve got you, honey.”
The sound of sirens filled the night air. Leon’s face seemed fuzzy. Far away. Then another face appeared above her. Shane. Then blackness.
Chapter 9
F loating. On the ocean. On a blow-up pool lounger. Warm sun on her face. Working on her tan.
It’s not warm. It’s dark.
Strange noises seeped into Annie’s consciousness. Noises that did not sound like waves.
Opening her eyes, the harsh lights had her closing them quickly, but not before her brain registered that she was in the hospital. A flood of memories rushed back as she remembered the events in her clinic. Panic rose in her chest as her eyes opened wide and she tried to sit up. The pain in her side sliced through her and she fell back to the bed, a gasp escaping her lips.
“Baby?” a familiar voice sounded right next to her. She opened her eyes again, seeing Shane bending over her, worry lines scoring his face.
Confusion melded with fear and as much as she hated to cry in front of him, tears slid down her face.
Shane cupped her face with his hands, wiping her tears with the rough pads of his thumbs. “You’re okay, baby. You’re gonna be fine.”
“I was shot,” her voice croaked.
“I know. I’m so sorry, Annie.”
“How bad?”
“The bullet just barely grazed your side. Honestly, baby, it did not hit anything major. It is more like a bad burn.”
“Hurts.”
“I know, baby. I know,” he answered as he leaned over and kissed her forehead.
She looked into his blue eyes, so expressive, so different from the dark contacts he had been wearing. She saw concern…and care. No, I do not see care. He does not care about me.
She did not want to ask, but found the words coming out anyway. “Why are you here?”
Shane’s gaze did not waver. “Annie, there’s nowhere else I would wanna be than right by your side.” He saw the doubt in her eyes. “Baby, you ran out yesterday and didn’t give me a chance to explain.”
Just then there was a commotion at the door as Leon and Suzanne hustled in.
“Explain what? That you are a complete asshole who used Annie to get what you wanted? Forcing her into your world of drugs and men with guns and…and …your shit!” Suzanne yelled as she got right in Shane’s face.
Before he could react, Suzanne was pulled back into Leon’s front as he wrapped his arms around her. “Down wild-girl,” he said calmly. “Annie doesn’t need this
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