Page 53 of Hidden Dane
As they neared the ambulance, Dane motioned with his head toward his friend and said, “Henry, get the ambulance door.”
Paramedics took over and led Emily to a stretcher, but she refused to let go of his hand and dragged him inside the ambulance with her. “How bad is my leg, Dane?”
She tried to give the jewelry back but he pushed the necklace toward her. “Emily. Hold onto this necklace.”
“You hold it for a while.” She leaned back on the stretcher as paramedics checked her out. Again she smiled at him though she clearly had pain as she said, “Dane, answer my question.”
Henry waved at him as the paramedics closed the ambulance door and drove them to a hospital.
Dane had no answer until he overheard the paramedic in the passenger seat speak to his colleague, the driver. Dane only understood, ‘balle rasée.’
Good. His horrible French meant the bullet had grazed her skin.
Emily would be fine. He kissed her hand and said, “You got lucky—the bullet missed out on all your bones and arteries. But a doctor is going to have to check for sure. We’ll find out more after you’re examined.”
She nodded. More police sirens grew louder, but right now Dane didn’t care. He had Emily here and she was fine.
He bowed his head.
She broke the silence in the ambulance and asked, “Dane?”
“One minute.” He scooted closer.
She touched his tight jaw “I trust you because I love you. Please forgive me for last night. I was wrong and stupid and I never meant to hurt you like that. I’m so sorry.”
Wow. He’d never heard her apologize for anything before. He shifted a blonde strand of hair from her cheek. “Don’t worry about anything, but next time when you’re overtired, just close your eyes.”
He pressed his forehead to hers, their hands clasped. As the ambulance pulled into the hospital lot, she let him go. “Thank you for getting my necklace back. Keep it until we’re out of the hospital. I finally changed my bra.”
He laughed. He hadn’t meant to, but Emily’s joke broke through the fog. The paramedics opened the ambulance and wheeled her out on the stretcher. He followed and walked beside her, holding her hand as he said, “When you’re better, you and I will talk to my father together about my uncle stealing my treasures.”
“Is that who is behind it?” She tried to sit up but the paramedics were clear she needed to lay down. “I’ll be beside you for as long as you need me.”
The automatic doors opened for them. He stayed next to her as they were wheeled inside. “Emily Mira, you drive me crazy. It’s part of why I’ve always loved you.”
Her face drained of color but she held his hand tighter.
As long as Emily made it through, nothing else mattered. He needed her in his life.
Chapter 18
The four white walls of her private hospital room drove her crazy. She needed to move and see people, color, trees outside. Anything but the same walls and the unending white light from the beaming bulbs above her head that left no shadow anywhere. Emily squatted on her leg and tried to stand with one leg up on her other. Exercise was her only calm here, when she was alone.
She was going to be just fine.
The last thing anyone was going to do was hold her down ever again, though the bandages on her legs made her poses awkward.
Dane just shook his head as he watched her from the corner armchair. At least he was awake now, so they could converse.
Talking was perfect.
Someone knocked on the door and he stood, tucking his phone in his back pocket.
As the door opened, she smiled and waved as Dane came beside her and gently pushed on her knee so she’d put her leg down as he said, “Henry, Brady. Come in.”
Brady had metal wraps around his fingers. She winced for him. But at least he took care of himself, which was better than Dane. Dane acted like he was never hurt.
Emily hobbled onto her bed, grateful that the bullet hadn’t punctured her leg. It had grazed her skin, the melting metal hot and fast, but it could have been a whole lot worse.
