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She kept a hand to her head as she looked up at me, then winced when she nodded.
“Let me look over your head,” I requested. She removed her hand, and I gently pulled her hair from its ponytail—although it still caused her pain, making me want to hunt down that bastard even more. As I searched for any broken skin or bleeding, I heard the sound of sirens approaching.
As the cars screeched into the parking lot, I slowly climbed to my feet, careful not to lose my balance and topple over, injuring myself—or Annalise if I fell on her—anymore.
She also tried to get up, but I held a firm hand on her shoulder. “Stay put until a paramedic looks you over,” I ordered.
“But—” She stopped protesting when she saw my expression, which made it clear that I expected to be obeyed. The flash of annoyance in her eyes almost made me laugh. She was so fucking adorable.
I quickly shot off a text to Deacon. His specialties were Surreptitious Entry and Technical Surveillance Operations, and he was a wicked hacker. I gave him what I could remember about the car to see if he could possibly find the vehicle on traffic cams or whatever other kind of magic he could do with the limited information.
Two police cruisers parked at the curb, and Annalise craned her neck to see the officers exiting the vehicles. After all four were visible, she let out an audible sigh, and I frowned.
“Are you afraid of someone on the force?” I queried in a low voice.
Her brow rose in surprise. “What? Oh, no.” She shook her head and gave me a sheepish smile. “I was just looking for Phillip, my brother’s best friend. If he’d answered this call, my dad and brother would be here any minute. Hovering, being overprotective, and just driving me crazy in general.”
“Ah,” I chuckled.
“Hopefully, they won’t hear about it until I can come up with a strategy to keep them from freaking out,” she grumbled. “They’d probably force me to go home with one of them, which would give me a bigger headache than this bump.”
Hmm.I filed that information away for future use.
Two of the officers approached us while the other pair went in to check the building.
“Are you two okay?” A tall woman with a severe bun, but kind face, asked. Officer Grange, according to her name tag.
“She’s a little banged up,” I told her before Annalise had a chance to answer.
“Ma’am?” The paramedics walked up to Annalise, and I backed up to get out of their way but moved to stand behind my girl. “I’m Henry”—he pointed his thumb toward his partner—“and that’s Jordan. I’m just going to give you a short exam before we get you on your feet and over to the ambulance.”
“I really think I’m fine,” she protested. “It’s just a bump.”
“Let them do their job, gorgeous,” I encouraged, using a persuasive voice that had sweet-talked many informants into giving up their information.
She sighed. “Fine.”
Henry crouched in front of her. While he checked her over, Officer Grange motioned for me to step away. I did so, reluctantly, but stood where I could still have my eyes on my girl.
“Can you tell us what happened?” her partner, Officer Ford, inquired, pulling out a pen and poising it over a yellow notepad.
Henry drew my attention away when he announced that Annalise was fit enough to stand and walk to the back of the ambulance. “Protocol, ma’am,” he told her before she could voice a complaint.
I cursed my damn bum leg when the paramedic put an arm around her to make sure she was steady as she walked. I wanted to rip his limbs off and shove them down his throat. But I swallowed the unreasonable urge, although I did shoot him a warning glance that caused him to gulp and loosen his hold on her.
Glancing back at the officers, I shrugged. “I can only tell you what happened when I got here. But the incident started before that, so only Annalise can fill you in on those details.”
The medics were walking away with Annalise, and even though it was only a few feet to the vehicle, I instinctively moved to keep as little distance between us as possible.
Jordan opened the back door of the ambulance, and they both helped Annalise inside.
“Give me a minute while they check her out,” I told the officers before jogging to the ambulance.
When I attempted to get in, the jackass—Henry—reached for the door and opened his mouth, his expression making it clear he was reluctant to say whatever ridiculous thing was about to come out of his mouth. “Sorry, sir. It…it’s a tight space…so, um, it’s family only.”
“I’m her fiancé.” The words were out before I could stop them. Annalise’s jaw dropped, and her eyes grew big and round. I mentally shrugged. She might as well get used to hearing the term since I planned on making it true at some point. Sooner rather than later.
“Oh, sorry,” Henry apologized as he stepped back to make room for me to enter.
