AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Trying to kill me,” I say between wheezes. “You need to get help, Sam.”
Sam yanks me back and away from Lilian’s reach. “Somebody help! Security. Where is everyone?”
“Lilian did something to cause a distraction,” I reply between pants. The blood is still pumping furiously through my veins, and I’m struggling to think past the ache in my muscles and the panic clawing its way through my chest. “We need to lure her away.”
Sam and I jump backward as Lilian charges at us, and I catch a glimpse of the wild mane around her face and the shadow settling over it.
She looks unhinged, like the kind of woman who is at the end of her tether. Without any help, there’s no telling what she’ll do.
Sam takes my hand in hers, and she drags me away.
Lilian trails behind us, yelling and taunting me the entire time. Sam and I race past rows and rows of closed doors, but we don’t run into any other medical staff. When we finally reach the end of the hallway, which spills out onto the nurse’s station, we finally see someone else. A single nurse is sitting there, with a landline cradled between her neck and shoulders. Her eyes widen when she sees Lilian round the corner, the syringe held in her hand.
“Call security,” I snap as we circle the desk and stand opposite it. “Where is everyone?”
“There was an emergency.” The nurse’s fingers tremble as she pushes a button under the desk. “What the hell is going on?”
“She’s insane.” I step behind the desk and pull the woman backward. “My fiancé and I have a restraining order against her, but she won’t abide by it.”
Together, the three of us step out from behind the desk and dart into another empty hallway. Lilian is still hot on our heels as we take a series of twists and turns. I’m suddenly thankful no one else is in the hallway because I can’t imagine what Lilian might do to them. In her desperation to get to me, she will lash out at anyone. Everyone is fair game as far as she’s concerned.
When we reach the elevator, the nurse presses the button frantically and tries her phone. “I don’t know what’s happening. I’ve got a really bad signal.”
The elevator doors ping open, and I release a sigh of relief when a few security guards spill out, with Carter stepping off last. His face is one of stony fury when he recognizes Lilian, who skids to a halt. Immediately, he tucks me into his side and motions to Sam to step behind him. I’m still shaking and uneasy as the security guards surround Lilian.
The syringe falls to the floor with a clattering sound as Lilian spins on her heels and darts off.
Carter takes a step in her direction, but my hand darts out to stop him. “Don’t go.”
He twists to face me, and I can see the muscles working in his jaw. “You can’t ask me for that, dove. I have to go after her to make sure they do their fucking jobs.”
“They’ll get her,” I plead, my eyes moving over his face. “There’s no way she’s going to make it out of here.”
Carter pries my fingers away and gives me an apologetic look. “I can’t leave that up to chance.”
Without waiting for a response, he darts off after them, and I collapse against Sam. The two of us shiver as the nurse leads us back to the station. There, she pulls out two chairs for us and forces us to sit down. She is saying something to me, but I can’t make out the words.
Because all I can think of is what would’ve happened if help hadn’t arrived in time. Would Lilian have hurt Sam and the nurse to get to me? Would I even still be alive to see Carter one last time?
I drape an arm over my stomach, another violent tremor coursing through me. “My baby…”
Comprehension dawns on the nurse’s face as she kneels in front of me. She pulls out a portable sonar from a nearby supply room and sets it up. Wordlessly, she runs the machine over my stomach, a furrow appearing between her brows.
A long and tense moment passes.
Finally, we all hear my baby’s heartbeat, strong and steady, as it fills the empty hallway. Sam buries her face in her hands, and I collapse against the nurse. She pats my back awkwardly and waits for a few minutes before pulling away. Then she puts away the machine and leads me back to my room. Sam and the nurse put everything back where it was while I linger in the doorway, one hand over my stomach and the other curled into a fist at my side.
I keep listening for the sound of Lilian’s voice.
Carter materializes as Sam is helping me get back into bed. He and Sam exchange a quick look before she leaves the room, the door clicking shut behind her.
I fold my arms in my lap. “I hope it was worth it.”
Carter runs a hand over his face. “What the hell did you expect me to do, dove? She came after you at the fucking hospital. She’s lost her mind. I’m not the bad guy here.”
“I told you not to go after her.”
Carter crosses over to me, his eyes blazing with emotion. “And I told you that I wasn’t going to do that. What the fuck do you expect me to do, huh? Let a bunch of dumbass security guards go after her?”
