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Kent needed a minute and went to the bathroom. He stood in front of the mirror and gripped the edge of the counter. What he saw before him was a man filled with rage and anger, and he wondered how he’d let himself get there. What signs had he missed? Where were the red flags?
What he’d thought was a relationship, Maeve had considered a fling. He was nothing more than a toy to her, something she could toss by the wayside when she was done. She didn’t even have enough respect for him to be honest about her life. He understood shit was complicated, but honesty went a long way in his book.
Now, it all made sense on why she’d rebuffed him about getting more serious than they were. Maybe Kent ought to thank her for sparing him the awkward conversation on moving out of his place. He could easily put what she had in his apartment in a box and leave it for her. As he stood there, thinking about his apartment, it hit him that he had no idea where Maeve lived. Was it with her parents? Had she moved back in with her husband? Did her husband know about him?
None of it mattered from this point forward. Kent was done with her. Even if the baby Maeve was carrying was his, he could never trust her again. He would take care of his child, but that was as far as any relationship with Maeve would extend.
Kent splashed water on his face, dried his hands, and took a deep breath before heading back to find Damian. He found his partner where he’d left him, sitting in the lounge with his feet up. Kent sat down next to him with a heavy groan and relaxed into the sofa. He was tired and looked forward to hitting the sack later, even though the beds in the dorm weren’t that comfortable.
Damian’s radio crackled. “Unit 81, are you in service?”
Kent and Damian stared at each other to see who was going to answer. Kent raised his eyebrow at Damian and then smirked. Damian rolled his eyes and pulled the radio off his belt.
“Unit 81, staging.”
“We have a caller on the line. She’s asking for Wagner to respond.”
Kent took Damian’s radio and pressed the button to open the channel. “Who is it?”
“Palmer Sinclair. She called reporting complications and asked for you.”
Kent stood and motioned for Damian to follow. “Unit 81 responding.”
“Roger, Unit 81, Cypress Ave, apartment 400.”
“Unit 81 en route.”
They booked it to their truck and headed toward the address. Kent filled Damian in on his earlier conversation with Palmer and reminded him she was the woman they’d picked up at the bank a few days prior.
“She doesn’t know if she wants surgery.”
“Damn, it must be bad.” Damian shook his head.
“I can’t imagine.”
The neighborhood Palmer lived in was part of a revitalization project that had done very well. People flocked to the area, mostly because of the view the area offered, and it was close to public transportation services. They pulled up to the apartment complex and took the stretcher out of the back. The lack of a doorman or security guard surprised Kent. He thought all the new apartments took extra precautions these days.
Kent knocked on Palmer’s door and announced himself. When he didn’t hear a response, he tried the doorknob, and was thankful it was unlocked. He didn’t want to have to call the police for help. Damian entered first, followed by Kent, who called out for Palmer. They surveyed the apartment. It was impeccably clean and had a beautiful view of the mountains.
“Ms. Sinclair?” Damian said her name louder. “It’s the paramedics.”
They looked at each other, both worried. Kent headed down the hall, with Damian following behind. He was in the middle of radioing dispatch to confirm the address when Kent moved rapidly into the bathroom.
“Palmer? Can you hear me?”
She opened her eyes, barely a slit, and nodded slightly. “Yes, sorry I didn’t answer.”
“It’s okay. Did you fall?” Kent asked.
“A little.” She mumbled her words. “I was sick, and when I stood up, I got dizzy and hit my head on the tub when I sat down.”
As Kent spoke with Palmer, Damian went back to the living room to retrieve the backboard and medical bag. He handed the bag to Kent, who went to work, making sure Palmer was okay. He explained everything he was doing when he saw her watching his every move. As soon as he had the c-collar secured about her neck, Damian maneuvered the backboard under Palmer. With limited space, they had to work effectively and make sure not to jostle her too much. After strapping her in, they carried her out to the living room and placed her on the stretcher.
“Purse,” she said as she pointed to the desk. Kent went to her desk and picked up her purse and cell phone. The note next to her phone gave him pause. Written at the top of the paper were the words Before I’m Gone. Thinking it might be something she needed, Kent put it in his pocket.
