Page 62 of Beautifully Broken Control

“No. No ambulance. Please.” Her eyes were wide now, almost panicked.

“Kenz, you need the damn hospital, and they are going to get you there.”

She winced at my tone. “I don’t have health insurance.”

I let out a slew of curses. “It doesn’t matter. I’ve got you.” Kennedy blinked up at me, then opened her mouth to say something else. “Don’t. Do not even think about telling me to send the ambulance away. They are going to help you, and you are going to let them.”

Her fingers reached out, feeling for mine. “Okay.”

My entire body sagged. “Thank you.”

“Sir.” An EMT ran up, another following him, a backboard between them. “Can you tell us what happened?”

I walked them through everything I could, and then they got to work, forcing me to take a step back. But I stayed as close as I was allowed.

A throat cleared behind me. “Um, here are your keys. I parked it right over there.”

I didn’t even bother to look. I didn’t give a damn. “Can you do me a favor?”

“Sure.”

My gaze focused on Kenz as they rolled her onto the backboard. “Can you take the keys to the police station? Give them to Walker Cole and tell him where you parked it?”

“Of course. No problem. You know her or something?”

“Yeah, I know her.” I still didn’t look at the man. He was nice enough, doing me a favor, but you could tell he was one of those gawker hangers-on that got a thrill out of emergencies.

“Okay. I’ll go do that now.”

“Thanks.”

The EMTs lifted the backboard, carrying it towards a gurney. “You riding with us?” one of them asked.

“I am.”

“Stay back until we load her in.”

I watched as they worked. I’d only felt this powerless one other time. A time that, if I thought about it now, I’d lose it, and I wasn’t sure I’d ever recover.Focus on Kennedy.She’s here, she’s okay. They’re helping her.

“You can hop in, sir.”

I was climbing into the rig before the EMT had even finished his sentence. “How’s she doing?” I gave the EMT more of my attention now. He looked like he was barely out of high school.

“I’m fine, Cain. Just a little banged up.”

My head snapped in Kennedy’s direction. “You are not fine. You flipped off your bike, going at least twenty miles an hour and were knocked unconscious. So, if the next words out of your mouth have anything to do with not needing to go to the hospital, I swear I will have a suit made out of Bubble Wrap for you and force you to wear it.”

Kennedy’s mouth stretched into a smile, which instantly turned to a wince, the action pulling at the torn skin on the side of her face. “No Bubble Wrap for me.” She forced levity into her tone, but I could hear the pain underlying it.

I took hold of her hand. “We’re going to get you fixed up.” I turned to the EMT. “Right?”

He nodded quickly. “We’ll be to the hospital as quick as we can.”

The sirens flipped on as we pulled into traffic. “How long does it usually take?”

“About twenty minutes.”

My jaw clenched. That was a hell of a trek in a true emergency. My mind whirled with contingency plans. Maybe I could put a helipad on my lake property and have a pilot on standby, perhaps employ a nurse.

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