packed.”
Bella pried open her eyes. They had reached Hank’s truck.
One of the policemen got out of the patrol car and came running up to help Hank. Balancing Bella against him, Hank unlocked the truck. The policeman yanked open the door. “Better make sure her neck or back’s not broken.”
“Jesus Christ,” Hank said, pure horror in his voice.
“Nothing’s severed, hurts too bad,” she forced through her lips.
Hank slid Bella inside, balancing her with his arm until he slid into the driver’s seat. He arranged her legs on the seat then lay her head in his lap.
“Follow me,” the policeman said in a crisp voice.
Bella winced as she once again heard the whoop-whoop of sirens.
Hank gently touched her hair. “Hang on, honey. Hang on.” He pressed down on the gas and they shot into the street. Bella let herself float beneath the pain. At one point, they swerved sharply to the right then left. Hank cursed under his breath.
“Finally,” he muttered, slamming on the brakes and throwing the gears into park.
The door creaked as he opened it and pulled her out. She forced her heavy lids up a fraction and saw the police car pulling away.
Hank drew her into his arms and carried her up the steps to Emergency. Gurneys lined the hallway. Her stomach rolled at the scent of blood and bile mixed with antiseptic and alcohol. “Get me out of here, Hank,” she whispered.
As a white-coated intern hurried by, Hank stuck out his foot.
The man stumbled. “What the hell are you doing?”
“This woman needs help and she needs it now.”
“I’m sorry but you are going to have to wait. There was a bad pileup on I-20. There’s at least fifteen people ahead of you.”
Hank’s grip tightened on Bella and she could feel the rigidity in his arms. He ’ s afraid for me .
“Is there another hospital in town?”
“Mister, it will be the same thing there. I’m telling you it was bad. You’re just going to have to wait. I suggest you go check in.” The intern hurried away, calling out, “I need a nurse.”
She felt the agitated rise and fall of Hank’s chest beneath her ear. He leaned down close and said in a low voice, his breath warm against her face, “I’m taking you to Maureen.”
“Puss–Puss,” she managed to push out. “Can’t leave him.” It took all of her strength but she managed to reach up and grasp the front of his shirt before her hand dropped limply to her side. “Promise,” she whispered.
“Okay, honey.”
“Thank you.” She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift. She could hear the swish of the doors as he carried her out of the hospital. The sweet night air felt warm on her chilled skin. Once in the truck, he placed her on his lap.
She drifted in and out as they drove to her apartment. She was aware of the knotted tense muscles under the smooth fiber of the tux and the heat of him but most of all the knowledge that she was where she belonged and somehow Hank McHenry would take her weight on his shoulders and get her to a safe harbor. She knew that as surely as she knew the sun would rise in the east. So she let herself drift back down into a blanket of darkness far beneath the excruciating pain hammering in her head and the rest of her body.
“Bella.”
She turned her head and burrowed back in the direction of oblivion. She didn’t want to go back to the pain.
“Bella, can you hear me?”
She sighed. Why wouldn’t he let her be? A calloused hand felt her forehead and stroked her hair back from her face. His voice was both caress and threat. “We are in front of the apartment. I’m going up to get Puss–Puss and let me tell you that name’s an affront to a tomcat of that caliber. You should have named him Tiger. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m going to ask George or whoever’s on duty to watch the truck while I’m upstairs. I’ll lock you in. Bella, can you hear me, honey?”
His hands on her tightened. “You listen to me. You’re a fighter. You
Bella pried open her eyes. They had reached Hank’s truck.
One of the policemen got out of the patrol car and came running up to help Hank. Balancing Bella against him, Hank unlocked the truck. The policeman yanked open the door. “Better make sure her neck or back’s not broken.”
“Jesus Christ,” Hank said, pure horror in his voice.
“Nothing’s severed, hurts too bad,” she forced through her lips.
Hank slid Bella inside, balancing her with his arm until he slid into the driver’s seat. He arranged her legs on the seat then lay her head in his lap.
“Follow me,” the policeman said in a crisp voice.
Bella winced as she once again heard the whoop-whoop of sirens.
Hank gently touched her hair. “Hang on, honey. Hang on.” He pressed down on the gas and they shot into the street. Bella let herself float beneath the pain. At one point, they swerved sharply to the right then left. Hank cursed under his breath.
“Finally,” he muttered, slamming on the brakes and throwing the gears into park.
The door creaked as he opened it and pulled her out. She forced her heavy lids up a fraction and saw the police car pulling away.
Hank drew her into his arms and carried her up the steps to Emergency. Gurneys lined the hallway. Her stomach rolled at the scent of blood and bile mixed with antiseptic and alcohol. “Get me out of here, Hank,” she whispered.
As a white-coated intern hurried by, Hank stuck out his foot.
The man stumbled. “What the hell are you doing?”
“This woman needs help and she needs it now.”
“I’m sorry but you are going to have to wait. There was a bad pileup on I-20. There’s at least fifteen people ahead of you.”
Hank’s grip tightened on Bella and she could feel the rigidity in his arms. He ’ s afraid for me .
“Is there another hospital in town?”
“Mister, it will be the same thing there. I’m telling you it was bad. You’re just going to have to wait. I suggest you go check in.” The intern hurried away, calling out, “I need a nurse.”
She felt the agitated rise and fall of Hank’s chest beneath her ear. He leaned down close and said in a low voice, his breath warm against her face, “I’m taking you to Maureen.”
“Puss–Puss,” she managed to push out. “Can’t leave him.” It took all of her strength but she managed to reach up and grasp the front of his shirt before her hand dropped limply to her side. “Promise,” she whispered.
“Okay, honey.”
“Thank you.” She closed her eyes, letting her mind drift. She could hear the swish of the doors as he carried her out of the hospital. The sweet night air felt warm on her chilled skin. Once in the truck, he placed her on his lap.
She drifted in and out as they drove to her apartment. She was aware of the knotted tense muscles under the smooth fiber of the tux and the heat of him but most of all the knowledge that she was where she belonged and somehow Hank McHenry would take her weight on his shoulders and get her to a safe harbor. She knew that as surely as she knew the sun would rise in the east. So she let herself drift back down into a blanket of darkness far beneath the excruciating pain hammering in her head and the rest of her body.
“Bella.”
She turned her head and burrowed back in the direction of oblivion. She didn’t want to go back to the pain.
“Bella, can you hear me?”
She sighed. Why wouldn’t he let her be? A calloused hand felt her forehead and stroked her hair back from her face. His voice was both caress and threat. “We are in front of the apartment. I’m going up to get Puss–Puss and let me tell you that name’s an affront to a tomcat of that caliber. You should have named him Tiger. But that’s neither here nor there. I’m going to ask George or whoever’s on duty to watch the truck while I’m upstairs. I’ll lock you in. Bella, can you hear me, honey?”
His hands on her tightened. “You listen to me. You’re a fighter. You
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