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The trauma itself wouldn’t make it possible.
Realistically, though, I couldn’t run.
Hell, I could barely stand without pain stabbing me in the side. And I barely had any use of my left hand, thanks to the cast.
That didn’t even mention the pain in my neck and the slight dizziness that accompanied the whiplash from getting my head yanked violently backward by my hair.
The headache from landing on my face.
The various other aches and pains all over my body.
I would barely be able to take care of myself, let alone try to fend off an attacker.
Really, what choice did I have?
I mean, yeah, objectively, I could have just paid cash to hole up in a hotel. But, honestly, the idea of being a sitting duck, all alone, again made my stomach slosh around ominously.
Was it safe to follow a strange man, one I suspected knew a little more about the criminal world than he was letting on, to a city I wasn’t familiar with while I was very hurt and unable to protect myself?
Probably not.
But it somehow didn’t feel any less safe than being alone in this condition.
Besides, if there was one thing I knew about New York City, it was that there were people everywhere. People who would hear me scream if it came to that.
There was a sick sort of comfort in that, I guess.
That was what I was telling myself as I got back into his car, taking slow, deep breaths as the pain cut through the pain meds.
I didn’t want to think about how I would feel when the pill wore off. Since I clearly couldn’t follow up with my doctors like I was instructed to do.
That was something to worry about later, though.
Right now, I was just focusing on thoughts that were one step ahead of where I was.
That meant Storm first.
It wasn’t a long drive to the pet sitter’s house, and she was quick to come rushing out to meet Silvano, who handed her what looked like a big wad of cash.
She tucked it away before I could be sure, her gaze sliding to the car, her head tipping to the side, and her hand going to her heart in silent sympathy.
I lowered my chin to my chest, covering up the bruises that I was most insecure about, even if the motion made my neck scream in pain.
Silvano didn’t waste time with small talk—he didn’t seem the sort—, just grabbing Storm’s leash, saying goodbye, and turning.
The second Storm saw me in the car, he damn near yanked Silvano’s arm out of his socket as he charged forward toward me.
“Easy,” Silvano urged as the puppy moved from between the front seats to love up on me.
“He’s okay,” I assured him, closing my eyes so he didn’t lick my eye as he greeted me, his whole body wiggling, and letting out little needy whimpers.
“How far is the city from here?” I asked as Storm finally settled down, immediately falling asleep on the backseat as we pulled away from the sitter’s house.
“Four hours or so, depending on traffic,” he told me. “You should rest the seat back and try to sleep through it,” he said even as the car hit a slight pothole, making my body jolt.
I didn’t think I would be able to sleep, not in the car with a stranger who I was foolishly entrusting my life with.
But it wasn’t long before the exhaustion, pain, and pill finally pulled my eyelids closed, letting me sleep through the rough ride.
