by Maya Banks
tears slide down his cheeks.
“Goddamn it, Mac, shine a light or something!”
Mac picked his head up as Ryder let loose a string of curses in the distance. He picked up his floodlight and began waving it frantically. “Over here!” he yelled.
Seconds later, he heard Ryder thrashing through the woods, the sound coming closer until finally Ryder burst into the clearing.
He stumbled over to Mac and sank down on the ground. “How is she?” he demanded, his voice raspy.
“She’s alive,” Mac said. “We have to get her out of here, but I don’t have a prayer of doing it myself. I need you to lead me.”
“Let’s go,” Ryder said grimly.
Ryder collected Mac’s light and flare then reached for Kit. Mac handed her up to Ryder while he struggled to his feet. Mac’s heart lurched at the sight of Kit lying so limply in Ryder’s arms.
Mac arranged the blanket tighter around her then gently took her back, hoisting her up in his arms. Her head lolled against his chest, and he rested his cheek on the top of her head.
“How far do you think we are from where we came in?” Mac asked.
“Not too far. She must have run a straight line.”
“If she ran,” Mac said quietly.
“She fought him,” Ryder said in a hard voice. “The blood on David wasn’t hers.”
Kit began to tremble and stir in Mac’s arms. She moaned low in her throat, a sound of fright and anguish. Mac gripped her tighter.
“Kit, Kit, baby, can you hear me? I’ve got you, honey. You’re safe now.” He pressed his lips to her forehead. “Talk to me, baby,” he whispered.
Kit heard a sound, and she tensed. Oh God, he’d find her. She had to be quiet and still. He’d find her. How long had it been since she’d fallen? Had she given him time to catch up to her?
The sound got louder. It was a voice. She whimpered as terror took firm hold of her. Tears streaked down her cheeks.
“Baby, don’t cry, I’ve got you. I swear he can’t hurt you.”
Mac. She blinked tired eyes. It was dark. So dark. Then she saw light. Moving light.
“Darlin’, listen to me. You’re safe now.”
Ryder?
She opened her mouth and blinked harder. “Mac?” she croaked out. “Ryder?”
“We’re here, Kit.”
“Mac!”
Tears flooded her already fuzzy vision, and she began to sob in earnest. She felt his arms around her, and suddenly she realized he held her. Mac. Not David.
She swayed back and forth, and she knew he rocked her in his arms. A gentle hand wiped the tears and the dirt from her eyes, and finally she could see the face looming over hers.
Warm lips kissed her forehead, her eyes, her cheeks.
She shook violently as reality settled in. Somehow Mac had found her. He’d saved her. David couldn’t hurt her now.
“Kit, talk to me, sweetheart. Are you hurting anywhere?” She was aware of movement, of a light bobbing in front of them. She furrowed her eyebrows as she tried to make sense of their surroundings.
“My ankle,” she said in a cracked voice. Her hand slid to her throat, and she massaged it, flinching at the discomfort caused by talking. Had she screamed so much?
Mac stopped, and Ryder turned around with a flashlight. He shined it on her ankle as Mac gently examined her. She hissed in pain when he hit a tender spot.
“I’m sorry, baby.”
“I don’t think it’s broken,” Ryder spoke up. “But it’s pretty swollen.”
“She’s not going to walk anyway,” Mac said tightly.
She clutched tightly at Mac’s neck. “David,” she whispered. They needed to know who had done this.
Mac stiffened, his arms like steel bands around her.
“Don’t worry about him, Kit. Never again. He’ll never hurt you.”
“Y-you know?”
“Yes, baby, I know. Rest now. Ryder will have us out of the woods soon.”
She bounced slightly against his chest as they continued moving forward. Sweat dampened his shirt. His heart thudded comfortingly in her ear, and she nuzzled closer. She closed her eyes and let the tears seep from underneath her lids.
CHAPTER 14
Mac sped up when he caught the first glimpse of flashing lights through the trees. His breath came heavy. Sweat rolled down his brow, and he blinked as the salty moisture stung his eyes.
“Do you need me to take her?” Ryder called back.
“I’m fine,” Mac said. Kit’s weight was negligible. And he wasn’t about to let her go. Even for a second.
Several long minutes later, the two men burst out of the woods. Ray and Sean hurried over, both offering to take Kit. Mac shook them off and headed for the waiting ambulance.
“I’m going to put you down, sweetheart. The medics are here to check you out.”
“No,” she whispered. “Don’t let them see.”
Mac’s throat tightened, and he swallowed back the heavy emotion knotting there. He kissed her forehead. “You need to go to the hospital, baby.”
“Come with me. I don’t want to go alone.”
“I won’t leave you, Kit. I promise.”
Her lips formed a smile. He’d never seen anything so glorious. “I know,” she said.
He set her down on the waiting stretcher and arranged the blanket around her. The paramedic approached and Mac held out his hand when the medic would have removed the blanket to examine her.
“It can wait,” Mac said in a quiet voice.
The paramedic nodded his understanding and motioned to his partner to help load the stretcher onto the ambulance.
“I’ll be behind you,” Ryder said.
Mac nodded and climbed into the back of the ambulance. As they pulled away, he looked down at Kit. She looked completely vulnerable, her pale, bruised face resting on the small pillow at the head of the stretcher.
He reached down and curled his fingers around her hand. She latched on, holding tightly as they bumped and swayed. Beside Mac, the paramedic kept close watch on Kit, but he didn’t move to disturb her.
Mac raised her hand and pressed her palm to his lips. “I love you,” he whispered. “I don’t know what I would have done if I lost you. I thought I had.”
Tears filled her green eyes and spilled over the rims. “I’m so stupid,” she croaked out.
He stroked the hand he held. He wasn’t entirely sure what she was talking about, but it didn’t matter. All that mattered was that she was here, touching him, looking at him with her beautiful eyes.
“We’re here,” the paramedic said as he braced himself for the turn into the hospital.
Mac put a hand down so that Kit wouldn’t be jostled. Soon the doors swung open and hospital personnel reached in for the stretcher. Kit’s hand tightened around his, and he saw fear in her eyes.
“I’m not going anywhere, baby. I swear.”
She relaxed her grip.
Mac jumped down from the truck and hurried after the stretcher as it was wheeled into the emergency room. No one tried to prevent him from entering the exam room with Kit, which was just as well, because he wasn’t budging.
An older nurse clucked and fussed over Kit, managing to get her into a hospital gown in the process. After promising the doctor would be in soon, the nurse exited, leaving Mac alone with Kit.
Mac pulled a chair close to the edge of Kit’s bed and settled down. He twined his fingers with hers, and with his other hand, he stroked the skin of her arm.
Ryder burst in seconds later, and he immediately went to Kit. Mac eased back to give Ryder room.
Ryder gathered Kit in his arms and hugged her tight.
“You scared me, darlin’.”
Mac kicked another chair closer to the bed so Ryder could sit down. As Ryder took a seat, Kit’s hand crept back into Mac’s.
“How did you find me?” Kit asked.
Mac exchanged glances with Ryder. He wasn’t sure how much he wanted to tel
l her right now. She’d have to make a statement, and he was dying to hear her version as well, but he didn’t want to upset her before it was necessary.
He was saved any response when the doctor walked into the exam room. The same nurse who had fussed over Kit before walked in on the doctor’s heels, and she made to shoo Mac and Ryder out.
“We need to examine her, then we’re sending her to get that ankle x-rayed. When she gets back, you’re welcome to come back in,” the nurse said.
Mac reluctantly followed Ryder to the outside waiting room. Sean and Ray motioned them over to where they stood.
“How is she?” Ray asked.
“The doctor’s with her now,” Mac said. “She’s awake and talking.”
“That’s great. Hey look, Sean and I are going to go grab a shower and change. We’ll be back up to see how she is, and if she’s up to giving us a statement.”
“Thanks for all the help,” Mac said.
Mac watched as the two men left then slumped into a nearby chair. Ryder slid into the seat next to him and heaved a big sigh. Weariness rolled off them in waves, their dirty, sweat-stained clothing just adding to the mix.
“How was she when you found her?” Ryder asked quietly.
Mac rubbed some of the crud from his eyes and noticed his hands shook. God almighty, he never again wanted to endure the kind of paralyzing fear he’d experienced tonight.
“I found her on the ground, unconscious, half-dressed, her arms tied behind her back,” he muttered.
Ryder let out a hiss of anger. “God, you don’t think he . . .”
“I don’t know, man. I don’t know!” Mac thumped his fist into his palm. “How can I ever expect her to trust me when I’ve let her down so many times?”
“You couldn’t have known what a sick fuck David was,” Ryder pointed out.
Mac closed his eyes. He was tired, so goddamn tired, and he wanted the doctor to hurry the fuck up so he could return to Kit.
“I need a cigarette,” Ryder muttered.
Mac opened one eye. “Thought you quit?”
“Yeah, I did. Bad idea.”
“Have a drink with me when this is all over instead.”
“You’re on. Getting wasted sounds like a hell of a good idea.”
Thirty minutes later, Sean and Ray walked back through the ER entrance in clean uniforms. Before they could make it across to where Mac and Ryder sat, the doctor pushed open the swinging doors to the waiting room.
Mac and Ryder both jumped up and met the doctor halfway.
“How is she?” Mac demanded.
The doctor smiled. “She’s going to be just fine. She suffered a rather nasty sprain, but her ankle isn’t broken. A few days on crutches, and she’ll be as right as rain.”
“Excuse me, doctor,” Ray cut in. “Did you do a rape kit? We’ll need to log it in as evidence.”
The doctor looked curiously at him. “There was no need. The young lady said she wasn’t assaulted.”
Mac let out his breath in a long whoosh. His legs went weak, and he stumbled slightly before he caught his balance.
“Thank God,” he whispered. He looked back up at the doctor. “Can we see her now?”
“I don’t see why not. She’s demanding to go home, and frankly, there isn’t a reason to keep her. The nurse is seeing about her discharge now.”
“Mind if we go in and ask her a few questions?” Ray asked Mac.
“If she’s up to it,” Ryder broke in.
“Of course. We won’t bother her,” Sean assured.
Mac strode toward Kit’s room, anxious to be close to her again. He knocked softly on the door before opening it a crack and peering in.
She smiled tiredly at him and motioned for him to enter.
“Hey baby,” he said huskily. He dropped a kiss on her forehead and ran his hand through her hair. “Ray and Sean want to know if you’re up to answering a few questions.”
She frowned but nodded.
“You don’t have to,” Ryder said.
Mac looked up to see a protective scowl darken Ryder’s face.
“No, it’s fine,” she said. “Have they caught him? David?”
“Yes, baby, he’s in custody. He’s not going anywhere. I promise.”
She sank back onto her pillows in relief. “You can let them come in.”
Mac went to the door and gestured for Sean and Ray. As they passed, Mac murmured in a low voice, “Don’t overdo it guys. Just the basics.”
Ryder pulled a chair up to the opposite side of Kit’s bed and plopped down unceremoniously. Mac stifled a smile at the way he glared at Ray and Sean. Ryder was fiercely protective of Kit. A feeling Mac knew all too well.
Mac settled down in the chair on the near side of Kit’s bed and took her hand. He couldn’t stop touching her. Couldn’t stop thinking about the fact he could have lost her forever. As Kit recounted her story, Mac’s chest grew tighter, his throat swelled and rage blew through his system like a Texas summer thunderstorm.
When she had finished, Mac looked over at Ryder to see the same anger brewing.
Sean stepped forward and took Kit’s hand. “We appreciate your help, Kit. We’ll make sure the son of a bitch doesn’t get away with this.”
“Thank you,” she said quietly.
When they left, Kit closed her eyes, weariness etched across her brow.
“Are you sure you shouldn’t stay the night, darlin’?” Ryder asked.
She shook her head. Then she looked at Mac. “I want to go home,” she said softly.
Mac threaded his fingers through hers and held on tight. “I’ll take you wherever you want to go, sweetheart.”
She smiled.
Ryder stood up and leaned over to kiss Kit. Mac watched idly as he gathered Kit in his arms and held her close. If any other man had touched her as intimately as Ryder was, Mac would’ve seen red, but he didn’t feel threatened by Ryder. The only thing he felt threatened by was not knowing how Kit felt about Mac.
“I love you, Kit girl. You take care of yourself.”
“Where’re you going?” Kit asked.
Ryder glanced over at Mac. “I’m going to scoot home and get cleaned up. Leave you two to sort things out.”
Mac’s brow went up and a delicate blush colored Kit’s cheeks. She was not a blusher.
“Thanks for coming for me, Ryder,” she whispered.
“Anytime, darlin’, anytime.”
Ryder held a fist out to Mac as he started to walk to the door. “Good luck, man,” Ryder said in a low voice.