After the Storm (KGI #8)(38)

“Shhh, Eve, it’s me, Donovan. You’ll be all right. I’ve got you now.”

The soothing voice broke through her panic, and calm descended. But then Travis and Cammie came screaming to the surface. Her eyes flew open to see Donovan’s face outlined by the pale light of dawn. There was determination—and worry—etched into his handsome features. How had he gotten here? Where was she?

“Travis. Cammie,” she choked out. Oh God. Where were they? Had she lost them to the storm?

Donovan’s grip tightened around her, and she realized he was carrying her. But where?

“They’re fine, Eve. My brother has them in my truck. We’re going to take you somewhere you can all get the care you need.”

“No,” she whispered. “Please. We can’t. Let me go. We have to go. Oh God, my suitcase. Where is it?”

Donovan frowned and stopped walking, still cradling her against his chest. Then with a shake of his head, he resumed again, muttering something underneath his breath she couldn’t decipher.

She found herself carefully placed in the extra cab of a truck. To her relief, Travis and Cammie were next to her.

“Lean on me, Evie,” Travis said, worry evident in his voice.

She sagged gratefully against her brother’s shoulder, and he wrapped his free arm around her. His other was curled securely around Cammie. Eve opened her eyes to see both Travis and Cammie staring anxiously at her.

“I’m okay,” she said hastily, not wanting to frighten them even more than they already were. “What about you?”

“Fine,” Travis said quickly.

“He’s not fine,” Donovan said bluntly.

Eve swung her gaze over to see Donovan standing in the doorway. She glanced back at Travis, taking in the pallor of his skin.

“What’s wrong?” she demanded.

Travis flushed, not looking happy that Donovan had contradicted him.

“He’s hurt,” Donovan explained. “May have some broken ribs. I’m going to take you all back to my place. We have an infirmary on site, and the doctor I told you about yesterday will come there to check you all out.”

His tone brooked no argument and his features were set in stone.

“My suitcase,” she said in a quivery voice. “I need that suitcase. It has everything in it.”

Donovan turned to one of the other men standing outside the truck, and a moment later he held up a waterlogged suitcase. “This yours?”

Relief hit her hard. It was the suitcase that had their clothing and her mother’s jewelry in it. The food they could do without. But the jewelry represented their only hope of supporting themselves for the coming weeks.

And now that they’d suffered yet another setback, who knew when they’d be able to move on?

“Yes,” she murmured.

Donovan didn’t look happy over that fact, but he remained silent. He tossed the suitcase into the bed of the truck and then handed his keys to one of the men standing behind him.

“You drive and let Swanny ride shotgun. I’ll cram in here with Eve.”

The man took the keys with a nod and walked around to the driver’s side. The other man got into the passenger seat, and it was then that Eve saw the deep scar that puckered the entire side of one cheek. She winced in sympathy. It had obviously been a serious injury.

“Scoot over as close to Travis as you can sit comfortably,” Donovan said in a gentle tone. “Cammie, sweetheart, can you sit on my lap so you don’t hurt your brother’s ribs?”

“She’s fine,” Travis said hastily.

“You’re hurting,” Donovan said quietly. “There’s no need. I can hold Cammie.”

He reached for her and to Eve’s surprise, she went willingly, her legs dragging over Eve’s lap as Donovan lifted her. He settled her onto his lap and then reached over to carefully engage Eve’s seat belt. Then he secured his own, making certain that Cammie was strapped against his chest.

“Who are they?” Eve asked in a low tone as she gazed up at the driver and passenger.

“The one driving is my brother Joe. Swanny is the other. You can trust them, Eve.”

If only it were that easy. She couldn’t afford to trust anyone. But she kept silent on that account. No sense arguing. She had to figure a way out of her current mess. Her whole idea of avoiding Donovan and the doctor was one huge epic fail. Now even more people knew of her and her siblings. It was hard to keep her despair from overwhelming her. How long before they were discovered? Being exposed to so many people was like a ticking time bomb. She couldn’t stay lucky forever. Sooner or later, Walt would find them.

“Why were you leaving, Eve?” Donovan asked quietly.

She yanked her head toward him, sure that guilt was plastered all over her face. She’d never been adept at hiding her feelings.

“It was time to go,” she said simply.

A slight frown thinned his lips. “I was bringing a doctor out to see Cammie. Why would you leave before then?”

Her shoulders sagged and she dropped her gaze, but she could still feel his boring into her. Could feel the weight of his stare and the judgment behind it. He thought she was an idiot. That she hadn’t wanted her sister to get help.

“The more people we are exposed to, the greater the risk,” she said so she wouldn’t be overheard by the occupants of the front seat. “I can’t risk Cammie and Travis that way. I won’t.”