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I sit down on the sodden grass, resting my back against the wooden porch in the very corner. Jules is a limp noodle as I strategically rest her on my lap, securing her head against my chest and tucking her head underneath my chin. This is the best comfort I can give her at the moment. I fish out my phone from my side clip. The only sound I hear besides my heavy breathing is the rain pounding on leaves and rooftops.
I feel like I’m under a fast-flowing, cool waterfall as rain drips off every part of my body. I blink my eyes hard several times to clear my vision while I dial Grant’s phone number. He picks up on the first ring, and I don’t even give him a chance to say hello.
“Grant, it’s Travis,” I pant into the phone.
“Travis! Hey!” I can hear a smile in his voice. Shit, I hate to throw this curve ball at him, but he’s the only one I’ve got at the moment who I can trust.
“Listen, I’ve got a slight change of plans. We’ve been in a little accident. I had to hit the road on foot.”
“Are you okay?” Concern is evident in his voice.
“For now, I have a passenger with a head injury, and before you bitch me out, I couldn’t remain stagnant.”
I hear Grant sigh heavily into the phone. “Where are you?”
“I’m at the corner of Stoll’s Alley and Church Street. When you get here, just pull over and park. Once I see you, I’ll need to secure the area first.” I know he wants to ask a thousand questions right now, so before he does, I hang up. He doesn’t understand what it takes to remain stealthy. I hover under the branches while cradling Jules’ body, trying to keep her somewhat sheltered.
I place my phone back in its holster and draw my sweet girl tighter against me. I kiss the top of her head and murmur words that go unheard. “Stay with me, baby.” I press my fingertips to her carotid artery and feel for her pulse, checking her heart rate.
I don’t have to wait for long before I hear a car coming down the road. I listen to the vehicle’s tires as they plow through the thick rain water on the street; I hear them slow down, then soon after, the car comes to a halt. Thinking it’s Grant, I gently lay Jules down on the wet ground, keeping her hidden. I move cautiously with my gun drawn while my every sense remains on high alert, making sure it’s him and the coast is clear.
When I’m confident the area is secure, I return to Jules, scoop her up into my arms, and quickly head toward Grant’s car. As soon as I get her situated in the backseat with Grant’s instructions on how he wants her laying down, I slip into the front passenger seat. Grant takes a good, long look at me. I can tell he has a mouthful to say, but to his credit, he stays quiet. I wouldn’t even know where to begin at this point.
“Can we take her to the trauma center at MUSC?” Grant asks. This is where he works; plus, he has a serious amount of pull there.
“If you can keep us under the radar, yes.”
Grant puts the sedan in motion, careful to drive smoothly for Jules’ sake. On the way to the hospital, I give him the rundown as to what kind of injuries we may be dealing with. After he’s asked a million questions, I release a sigh of relief as we pull up to the back of the hospital. I know she’s in capable hands now. We park in a covered garage reserved specifically for doctors.
Once he unlocks the back door reserved for staff, he holds it open for me as I carefully carry Jules inside against his wishes. He wanted a stretcher and the whole nine yards. I don’t have time for all this shit right now, because I still feel the looming threat of being tracked down. When we get to a private treatment room, I gently lay her on the hospital bed, step back, and let Grant do his thing.
I run my hands through my wet hair in frustration as I pace the floor, leaving puddles of water behind everywhere I step. “Grant, is she going to be all right?” I ask. I’m beside myself with worry.
“I think so, Bud. I’m just hooking up a pulse oximeter, taking some initial vitals to get a baseline here. She appears strong and stable, but that doesn’t mean much when we’re talking head injury.”
I clench my jaw, pacing the floor some more. I feel like punching a wall, because mother-fucking-hell, there should not have been any way in hell for them to track me. I know beyond a shadow of a doubt I wasn’t followed, and yet, there they were. Not one, but two separate men came after me. I don’t know who the other man was, but you can bet the minute I get to a safe zone, I will be checking that shit out.
