Sweet Temptation (Sweet #4)(90)

Angelina lay across the seat in the extended cab of the truck, shivering as the heater piped in warm air. It wasn’t actually cold. Far from it—the man who’d stopped for her was standing outside the truck to escape the heat, although he popped his head in regularly.

She thought it likely he was worried she was going to die on him.

At times she was worried too.

She drifted in and out, but she wasn’t sure if it was an actual loss of consciousness or if she just fell asleep and woke at varying intervals.

The pain had numbed, and all she felt was a bone-deep chill. That loss of pain worried her. Her body should be screaming, but it seemed she became less aware of her injuries and her surroundings with each passing minute.

Micah was coming for her. She’d be okay.

She blinked against the sudden tears and then closed her eyes as the tears slipped down her cheeks, warming her chilled skin. Micah had lost so much because of her. Because of one man’s obsession. Looking back, there didn’t seem to be much difference between Chad’s preoccupation with her and her own fixation on Micah.

No doubt in Chad’s fractured mind he wasn’t capable of doing her harm either, and all he did he did out of love.

Nausea boiled like acid in her stomach.

“Miss? Are you still awake?”

The stranger’s worried voice seeped into the cab.

“There’s a helicopter landing. I think they’ve come for you. Thing’s landing in the road. Damndest thing I ever saw. Someone’s coming up the other way too. Guess the rescue is finally here.”

She closed her eyes in relief and shivered despite the stifling heat inside the truck. Again she drifted. What seemed only a few seconds later, she heard the door wrench open. A breeze ruffled her hair and then a hand touched her cheek, smoothing tenderly over the skin.

She roused, her eyes fluttering open. Micah’s face was close to hers, concern burning brightly in his eyes.

“Hi,” he said softly.

She tried to smile, but it just took too much effort. Instead, she let go and stopped fighting the darkness that threatened. Micah was here now. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

Micah watched her eyes close and a surge of panic nearly crippled him. He jammed his fingers to her neck, seeking a pulse. When he felt the faint pitter-patter, he nearly melted in relief.

He leaned out of the truck and waved frantically at the medic getting out of the helicopter. As he stared back at Angelina, he took in for the first time just how bad it seemed.

Her shirt was bathed in blood, though most looked to be dried. That was a good thing, right? Her mouth was swollen, and he ran a thumb over the raw-looking cut. Bastard had hit her. Hard.

He tried to pull her shirt away from her shoulder so he could see her wound, but it stuck to her skin via the dried blood, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause it to start bleeding again.

“What have we got?” the medic shouted behind him.

Micah moved back out of his way, though he hovered just a footstep away.

“She told me he shot her in the shoulder. Looks like he roughed her up pretty good.”

“We need to get her out of the truck and over to the chopper,” the medic said. “I’m light on equipment. This isn’t my usual ride, but Mr. Roche needed me fast so I grabbed my jump bag and hopped aboard.”

“I appreciate you coming so quickly,” Micah said. “I’ll help you get her to the chopper.”

“I’ll hook under her shoulders and pull. You get her feet when you can and make sure you don’t jostle her. Since I’m not sure what we’re dealing with, I don’t want to chance aggravating any injuries we don’t know about.”

Micah nodded and then he swallowed. “Look, you need to know ... She’s pregnant.”

The medic grimaced. “How far along, do you know?”

Micah mentally calculated the possibilities. It had to have been that first time. The night at The House when he’d all but raped her. He wanted to puke. “Can’t be more than a few weeks at most.”

“Okay, I’ll be sure to put it in my report so the hospital knows. Let’s get her out of here.”

The medic reached under her shoulders and gently pulled her out. Micah moved forward and hooked his arms under her knees, and the two maneuvered her out of the truck.

Connor was standing by the old man who’d stopped for Angelina, and the two were deep in conversation.

“Is there room for me to ride along?” Micah hollered as they neared the waiting helicopter.

“It’ll be tight but you should fit.”

“Let me tell my buddy I’m going. Don’t leave without me. I’ll be right back.”

The medic nodded as he and Micah placed Angelina flat on her back on the floor of the helicopter. The medic hopped in beside her and reached for his bag as Micah turned back toward Connor.

He jogged over to where Connor stood talking to the man, both silhouetted in the beam of Connor’s headlights.

“I’m riding along with her,” he told Connor. Then he turned to the old man. “I can’t thank you enough, sir.”

The man nodded and ducked a little self-consciously. “I couldn’t very well drive on with that little girl needing help so badly. I hope she turns out okay.”

Micah extended his hand to shake the man’s, then he nodded at Connor and started to leave.