“What?” Chance’s voice rose. “Who’s taking her?”
He was running toward the ambulance. “Bastard broke her wrist and I think he gave her a concussion. He is damn well going to pay.” Devlin hung up the phone and grabbed the second ambulance door before it could shut.
“Hey, buddy,” the male EMT said, “you need to back away—”
Devlin ignored him and opened the door. Julianna was lying on a stretcher inside, but her head turned and she met his gaze. “I want to come with you,” he said. Devlin tried to sound non-threatening, a hard task considering the rage that was pumping through him. He needed to stay close to her, until her attacker was caught. Her safety was his first priority.
No, she was his only priority.
The EMT grabbed his shoulder. “You need to step back—”
“Please,” Julianna pleased. “I need Devlin with me.”
The EMT let him go. “You family?”
“Close enough,” he muttered, not even caring about the lie as he bounded into the ambulance. He saw that they’d already put a brace around her wrist. His fingers brushed against hers as he settled in near her.
Julianna gave him a weary smile. “I think I need to hire you again.” The ambulance cranked and the siren blared. Her smile slipped away. “I’m not safe yet.”
No, she wasn’t. He brushed back her hair, being extra careful not to touch the growing bruise on her forehead.
“I have to do what’s right,” Julianna whispered. “I’m sorry.”
Why was she apologizing to him?
“I did it,” she said.
He frowned and leaned closer to her. “Baby, I think you’re confused.” He glanced over at the female EMT who was monitoring Julianna. “Is she okay?”
The EMT hesitated. “She took a pretty hard blow to the head. She’s got a concussion, and that can manifest in confusion and—”
“I did it,” Julianna said again, her voice stronger. “I’m sorry.”
He didn’t understand. “Julianna, just relax. Whatever you did, we can fix.”
A tear leaked from her eye. “We can’t fix this.”
He brushed away her tears. “For you, I can fix anything.”
Chapter Twelve
She had a new cast. A lovely blue one. And she had a concussion. The doctors were telling Julianna that she needed to stay in the hospital for observation, but she had someplace else that she rather desperately needed to be.
“Come on, Julianna,” Devlin urged her. “Just one day.”
He’d been with her during all of the poking and prodding. He’d been swearing furiously when her wrist was reset. His rage had filled the room, but during that very, very long swearing fit, he’d been stroking her hair—ever so tenderly—the whole time.
“I have someplace I need to be,” she said as her fingers stretched a bit. She’d forgotten what the cast felt like. Cold at first, then heavier, seeming to lock down around her wrist so tightly as the material hardened. She lifted up the cast, staring at it. Whoever that man had been, he’d wanted to hurt her. Kill her.
“Give us a minute alone, doc,” Devlin said.
She lowered her cast, frowning at him. “A minute isn’t going to change my mind.”
But the doctor was already fleeing, probably intimidated by the hard glint in Devlin’s eyes. Then again, the doctor had been glancing rather nervously at Devlin since the swearing began.
The door shut behind the doctor.
She braced herself for whatever stay-at-the-hospital lecture Devlin had planned.
He closed in on her, stalking slowly. Her chin tipped up.
He kissed her. Softly. Tenderly. Then he—very gently—curled his fingers under her chin. “You pretty much scared the shit out of me.”
Julianna blinked.
“When I got to that house and saw the door open like that…when I saw that fucking smashed door to the den...” His jaw hardened. “I was yelling your name, but you weren’t answering me.”
Because when she’d first heard that frenzied yell, she’d been terrified that it was her attacker. It had taken more than a few precious moments for the truth to sink in. Not the attacker. It’s Devlin.
“There aren’t many things that scare me. But tonight…you did it. Or rather, the idea of something happening to you, of someone hurting you…that got to me.”
She didn’t know what to say. Or maybe she was the one afraid then. Afraid to say the wrong thing to him.
“You’re getting to me,” Devlin rasped. “Making me feel things I shouldn’t.”
“Don’t.” Julianna pushed against his chest. He stepped back and his hand fell away from her chin. “Don’t feel anything for me.”
His eyes widened in surprise. “Why the hell not?”
Because I’m a killer. I’m about go to jail. “Maybe the stories were right about me. You’re a good man, Devlin. You need to find someone good, too.” She jumped off the exam table. Maybe her legs trembled a bit. Maybe Devlin had to lunge forward and grab her before she did a header into the floor.
No maybe about that.
“You are good, Julianna.”
She should tell him. But just saying the truth, right there to him…she was afraid it would break her own heart. Because once he knew, Devlin wouldn’t look at her the same way. Any growing feelings he had for her would turn into disgust.
Thirteen times. Jeremy was stabbed thirteen times.
“I need to get dressed,” Julianna said, fighting to keep her emotions under control. “Then I’m leaving the hospital. I don’t care what the doctors say.”
“Why.” Not a question, but a demand.
“Because I have to talk with Detective Chestang.”
His hold tightened on her. “What are you doing?”
She shook her head. “You don’t want to know. Not really.
” Then, even softer, “Don’t make me say it. Not to you.” Don’t make me do the one thing that will break us both. Did he think she didn’t feel that connection between them? She did. It was far too strong to ignore. Not just lust, but something far deeper.
She’d sworn never to let another man get close to her. But she’d broken that vow. Devlin made her feel and dream and need.
He made her need things she couldn’t have.
“You can say anything to me. You think I’ll judge you? You think I’ll turn on you?” Devlin demanded.
“I don’t want to find out.” And that was the stark truth. She didn’t want to see what he’d do in that situation. He was a good man, and she was damned if she’d be the one who made him cross that thin line that might lead him down a different path.
She grabbed her clothes and went into the bathroom. As quickly as she could, Julianna dressed in that little room. Her head was throbbing, nausea churned in her stomach, and the cast was bulky as hell, but she pushed through all that. Julianna didn’t glance toward the mirror, not even once. She just didn’t want to look at herself.
Moments later, she was done. She opened the door and found Devlin standing on the other side of that hospital room. Her shoulders tensed as she braced herself for another argument from him, but Devlin shook his head.
“You want to go and see Faith? Then I’ll take you.”
“Thank you.” She crossed to his side.
His blue eyes seemed even brighter. “I don’t like this.” Then he leaned close to her. His fingers feathered over her cheek. “I want to take you away from here. Get you as fucking far from this mess as I can.”
Did he think she hadn’t already had the same thought? Run. Hide. No one will find me…not if I run far enough and fast enough.
But there were some sins that you couldn’t hide from. And some that you could never outrun. “It would have been nice,” Julianna told him quietly, “if I’d met you before Jeremy.” Before she’d learned to fear a man’s anger so much. Before she’d learned to fear the darkness in herself.