Page 93 of Hating the Boss

“Every word,” he murmured.

I pulled him toward me.

“Good,” I said just before he leaned in and kissed me.

Chapter 36 Brad

“We have to get her to the hospital,” said the EMT with a touch of urgency in his voice as he gripped the railing of the gurney.

I reluctantly pulled away from Sarah’s kiss, knowing she had to go. Knowing what precious cargo she held, aside from her own well-being. I searched her face as if it would give me a clue as to what was going on inside her, worry flooding my insides. She simply nodded, putting on a brave face.

I clutched that face between my palms and kissed her again.

“Sir, please…” said the EMT, growing impatient.

“It’s okay,” said Sarah softly against my lips.

I savored her kiss, knowing how close I had come to losing it since last night. The past twenty-four hours had been a whirlwind. What had only been a short amount of time felt like it had been a week, between the gala and Angela stealing from my office to this horrifying attack on the woman I loved.

Loved.

It was true. I had fallen for Sarah. Unfortunately, it took me almost losing her to realize it, but now I didn’t want to let her go. Something that the EMTs didn’t understand as they pulled the gurney toward the open doors of the ambulance.

I went to follow it, but one of them placed his hand on my chest and stopped me. He shook his head. “I’m sorry, but you can’t ride with her,” he said sternly.

“What?” I exclaimed, looking over his shoulder as the gurney bumped its way up the ramp and into the ambulance. The lights turned on, flashing red across the street and sidewalk. Across the faces of those who still lingered, enjoying the unexpected morning show on their way to work.

“Family only, I’m afraid,” he said, his lips pulling to the side as he nervously chewed the inside of his cheek.

“But I’m the father!” I said, my voice rising. I tried to move past him.

“Please, sir. Don’t make me get the officers involved.”

I let out an exasperated sigh and put my hands up, backing away.

“She’ll be all right,” said a woman’s voice, a gentle hand on my shoulder. I turned to face Sarah’s friend. The one who had tried to save her and was now growing a reddish-purple bruise on the right side of her face. I smiled sheepishly at her, feeling like an asshole for putting her friend in danger.

“I’m Brad,” I said, holding out my hand.

“Brittany,” she said with a knowing smile that told me she must know every little detail about Sarah and me. I felt my cheeks burning slightly.

“I’m sorry for all of this,” I said, gesturing to the ambulance. Gesturing to Angela who still sat on the sidewalk, spewing hate and lies, as the officers wrote down a report.

“It’s over now,” she said. “Let’s just make sure our girl and that baby are okay.”

I nodded.

The word baby still rung in my ears. I was going to be a father. At least, I hoped I would be if we got through today. It was something I never knew I wanted, yet now it was all I wanted. As I looked at Sarah lying peacefully in the back of the ambulance, I knew that was the life I wanted with her.

That was what she was going to tell me last night at the gala. I felt like such an idiot for not giving her the chance to. I walked away because I put business first, and I would regret that for the rest of my life if anything happened to our baby. If I hadn’t left her alone then this whole thing with Angela could have been avoided, and our baby’s life wouldn’t be on the line right now.

I vowed from that moment on to never put business ahead of what really mattered, and that included my father. That included Howard Knight and his millions of dollars. That included the board with their opinions and biases.

None of it mattered.

I pulled one of the EMTs aside, just before the doors of the ambulance closed, so I could exchange one more glance with Sarah.

“I want her taken to the best hospital in this city,” I said sternly.