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Carter
“Boss,” said Darren, leaning his head into Carter’s study.
“Yes?” Carter looked up from his quarterly budget reports for Roche Electronics.
Darren came into the room. “Sorry to bother you when you’re busy and all, but nobody’s seen Scarlett in hours.”
Carter removed his reading glasses, and looked at Darren. “I saw her this morning around eleven. She was leaving for a walk.”
“It’s six now, Carter, and no one has seen her,” Darren repeated. “I looked everywhere and so did the staff, but I don’t think she ever came back from her walk.” He frowned before tentatively suggesting, “Do you think she flew the coop?”
Shrugging, Carter stood up from the desk. “It’s possible, but I don’t think so. She probably got lost in the woods just to spite me because I told her not to. Take out a small team and look for her. Keep me updated,” he said as Darren hurried out. “Every hour,” he called after him.
At seven, Darren called. “No sign of her yet, Carter. Want us to keep looking?”
“Yes.” Carter was growing concerned himself. She was probably sitting at Terini Manor this very moment, enjoying a hearty chuckle about him
with her family. If she wasn’t though, they had to find her. The woods on his property weren’t extremely dangerous, but she was probably scared. And now she was his he had to protect her.
Keep her safe.
Keep her close.
After waiting in the house for what felt like the whole night Carter called Darren. He knew he’d be surprised to hear from him, but Carter was also surprised. Surprised at how worried he was. “If you haven’t had any luck by nine, we’ll call in the police.” How was he supposed to explain the circumstances of this strange arrangement to the authorities? He should probably call Rocco to see if she was home, but didn’t want to show his cards just yet.
Scarlett
Scarlett was shivering from the cold and her clothes were soaked. Her head and ankle throbbed, and she was miserable. Her chin was resting on her chest as she tried to stay awake, knowing she must stay conscious in case she had a concussion. It took her a moment to recognize the difference in the sound, and then she realized there was something walking through the undergrowth. “Over here,” she called, praying it was someone to rescue her instead of an animal come to eat her.
Darren and two other men found her within minutes, and he knelt beside her. “What the hell happened?”
“I fell off the stones.” Her voice wobbled with embarrassment and stress. “I hit my head and sprained my ankle, or maybe I broke it. Either way, I can’t stand on it, and it hurts just as bad as my head.” She took a deep breath to avoid bursting into tears. “Then it rained, and it hasn’t stopped,” she said with tears in her eyes.
“Let’s get you back to the house,” Darren suggested as he reached for his cell phone. She watched as he made a call. “We found her, boss. She’s hurt, so you might want to arrange for a doctor to meet us at the house.”
“I can’t walk. How am I going to get there?”
Darren lifted her into his arms. “I’ve got you,” he assured her as his two companions walked ahead and behind them, each training their flashlights forward.
Scarlett relaxed in Darren’s arms, figuring it would be easier for him to carry her if she wasn’t stiff. The trek back to the house was much more difficult than the walk she’d originally taken. She felt like a fool when they hit the trail less than five minutes after starting back for the house. She’d been so close. None of this would have happened if she’d reined in her childish impulses and kept searching for the trail.
The lights were blazing at the house as Darren carried her up the stairs and inside. Carter was standing with another man who was holding a black bag. “Thank you, Darren. Take her upstairs. Dr. Weiss will be up in just a moment.”
He nodded to the maid. “Go up with them to help Ms. Terini change into dry clothes.”
Scarlett was lying under the covers when the doctor walked in. “Tell me what happened.” Dr. Weiss looked at her head injury first. Scarlett told him the story as he examined her ankle too.
“I’d feel better if you spent the night at the hospital. You have a concussion, and I want to x-ray that ankle. I don’t think it’s broken, but better to be safe than sorry, yes?”
“I guess,” Scarlett said without enthusiasm.
“I will arrange it. You rest here, but don’t fall asleep just yet.”
“I won’t.” She yawned. “Thank you, doctor.”
Darren came to retrieve her just a few minutes later. “Looks like we’re headed to the hospital. Mind if I carry you again?”
“I’ve got her,” Carter interrupted. He carried her down to the town car and delicately put her inside. When he set her down she missed the warmth of his touch. The way he held her. He quickly climbed in next to her.
