AllFreeNovel
Share Us
She was pale.
Her eyes were closed.
And there was blood trickling from a wound on her throat onto the sidewalk.
“The police and ambulance are on their way, Mr. Durand,” the owner of the restaurant said breathlessly as he came to a stop behind me. “I wasn’t far behind you. I called 911 as soon as I realized what was happening.”
I was relieved that help was coming, but I didn’t even look at the voice that had told me that. I simply waved at the perpetrator and growled, “Keep an eye on him. She’s hurt. Vanna!” I bellowed as I felt for her pulse and put a hand on her chest.
Her pulse was fast, but strong, and I could tell that she was breathing.
I checked the wound at her neck, relieved when I realized it was fairly superficial.
“Wake up, Vanna. Open your eyes,” I pleaded.
My heart thundered in my ears as I watched her eyelids flutter for a moment before she completely opened her eyes. Her expression was full of confusion until she saw my face and apparently remembered what had happened.
“Chase!” she choked out on a sob as she sat up and flung herself into my arms.
I wrapped my arms around her protectively. “Vanna,” I said with relief.
I knew basic first aid.
I knew I should have kept her quiet on the ground in case she had a back or neck injury.
But the chances of that were slim, and I couldn’t fucking let her go. Not after I’d almost lost her.
“Everything is going to be okay, baby,” I reassured her.
She openly sobbed against my shoulder. Her entire body was shaking like a leaf, so I simply held her, trying to soothe her by gently rocking her over and over until the ambulance finally arrived.
Savannah
“Are you sure that you’re okay?” Torie asked as she sat at the side of my hospital bed several hours later.
“I’m fine,” I said as I took her hand and smiled. “It’s just a superficial cut on my neck. The only reason they’re keeping me overnight is because I lost consciousness briefly when my head hit the pavement. It’s just for concussion observation. All of my tests were fine.”
It was after one am in the morning, but the whole gang was here in my hospital room.
The nurses had allowed it because I had a private room, and I’d just gotten upstairs from the ER a short time ago.
Hudson, Jax, and Cooper had arrived with Taylor, Harlow, and Torie, but apparently, Wyatt had been the first one to arrive soon after Chase and I had gotten here by ambulance. I wasn’t sure if Chase had called him, or if Wyatt just knew about everything the second something happened to his family. Everyone had been waiting for me in my room when I’d arrived a short time ago. The ER was packed, so no one had been allowed to visit me there since Chase had been with me, and the police had been interviewing both of us.
“I was so worried,” Torie said, her voice still reflecting concern.
“I’m glad that asshole is dead,” Cooper chimed in from his place behind Torie.
Truthfully, I was relieved myself. The perpetratorhadbeen Jeffrey Kruger, the son of the late Gerald Kruger.
The police had just informed us before we’d come up to my room that Jeffrey was dead. They’d taken him to a holding cell at the jail, and he’d immediately found a way to hang himself.
I shuddered, still not quite over my initial shock.
Maybe he was a tormented soul, but he would have killed me without a single ounce of remorse. He’d beenthatcrazy.
I didn’t remember anything about the short time I’d been unconscious, but I’d seen Chase flying into action right before my head had connected with the pavement.
I’d known that I either had to try to escape or I was going to die. The lunatic’s intention had been extremely obvious.
