Finding Eden (A Sign of Love Novel)(72)

When I came back to myself, the crowd had moved back and I was hunched over Eden on the sidewalk, heavy breaths of exertion rasping from my chest. I looked around wildly to assess any more threat and saw several men with blood on their faces and two still sprawled on the ground. I sprang to my feet, bringing her with me and pulling her in tightly to my chest as my head whipped around in every direction. There were words coming from my mouth and as I tried to calm my raging blood. I realized they were, "Never again, never again, never again."
"Calder? Calder?" Eden's voice. Her soft, angelic voice. I gasped out and looked down, my vision completely clearing. Eden was crying softly against me. I pulled her back against a car parked on the street and ran my hands up and down her body, tilting her head up so I could rake my eyes over all her features, assessing whether she was hurt.
"I'm okay, Calder," she choked out. "I'm fine. I'm okay. I promise." She nodded her head at me, reaching out her hand tentatively as if trying to calm a wild animal. "I'm okay. You protected me. I'm okay."
My heart rate seemed to slow a little as I listened to her words and saw she was okay. I pulled her against me again, soothing myself with the feel of her body in my arms, in my possession. I became aware that the crowd of people I now recognized as journalists, and several others who had gathered on the street, were all silently watching me, some with cameras turned in our direction. I probably looked feral, out of control.
I let out another haggard breath as I heard a car come to a stop behind me. "Calder. Eden. Get in the car," I heard called and I turned around and saw the girl who had been with Eden at the gallery the week before. Her cousin, Molly.
I pulled Eden around the car we were leaned against and moved in front of it, darting my head back to the crowd who stood, still unmoving, behind us now.
I opened the door and practically shoved Eden inside before getting in behind her. The car lurched into drive and sped away. Outside the car windows, the day grew dark, storm clouds moving quickly across the sky.
I pulled Eden against me in the back seat and attempted to get myself back under control, breathing in and out slowly, wrapping my hand around her wrist so I could feel the steady beat of her pulse right beneath my fingertips.



CHAPTER TEN


Calder



We pulled into Eden's mom's driveway and got out of the car.
We had driven in silence, Molly glancing repeatedly in the rearview mirror at us, a worried expression on her face. Eden had simply let me hold her, her head resting against my chest. She knew exactly what I needed.
I couldn't be sure, but I thought Molly had driven around for a while before going to Eden's mom's house, perhaps giving us both time to settle down and collect ourselves. My fists were bloody and I felt shell-shocked.
Once the car stopped and we got out, I held on tightly to Eden as we walked to the house, looking around to make sure we hadn't been followed by any of those news people. How in the hell had they found out about us?
Eden's mom came rushing out when we were almost to the door. "Oh my goodness! It's all over the news. Come inside, come inside. I'm so glad I sent Molly for you when I did."
She hurried us in and then took one look behind her before shutting the door and locking it.
"Carolyn, Calder needs a first aid kit for his knuckles," Molly said.
Carolyn put her hands up to her cheeks when she took in my bruised and bloody hands. "Oh no, oh no. Of course," she said, rushing over to Eden and running her eyes down her body twice before squeezing her shoulders and rushing out of the room.
Eden and I sank down on the sofa and I put my hands palm down on my lap so I wouldn't bleed on all the nice furniture.