“Yeah.” She set her jaw. Well, she would be once she got herself away from him.
“Can we go somewhere and talk?” Mike asked.
She looked at him in shock. “Seriously?”
After the way he’d sidled up to her on the dance floor, she doubted he had talking in mind. “Let’s get something straight. I don’t know why you’re here or for how long, and I don’t care. But I will not be your booty call every time you come back to town.”
“That’s not what I meant. Just give me a chance to explain,” he said, reaching for her.
“No.” She shoved at his shoulder and stepped out of reach.
The pain in his eyes reached into her soul, and it took all her restraint not to let him back in.
Alexa moved closer to Cara’s side. “Let’s go,” she whispered in her ear. “I’m going to the ladies’ room,” she said next, loud enough for Mike to hear. She tipped her head toward the back of the bar.
Mike stepped closer to Cara.
“Stay,” his voice rumbled in her ear.
Cara shook her head, and before he could ask again, she turned away and followed Alexa across the room, feeling the heat of his gaze on her back as she walked away.
“God.” Cara realized she was trembling and wrapped her arms around herself, waiting for the small powder room area to clear.
Once they had the room to themselves, Alexa touched her shoulder. “Are you okay?”
Cara swallowed hard, shaking her head. She wasn’t okay. Not by a long shot. “I can’t talk about this without falling apart. So let’s discuss you. What was that dancing all about?”
Alexa, cheeks flushed, shrugged and glanced away. “I don’t know.”
“You don’t know?” Cara asked incredulously. “This is you. And some stranger. Bodies a little too close, you know?”
Alexa glanced in the mirror and swiped at some liner that had smudged beneath her eyes. “It’s just flirting.” She bit her bottom lip, unwilling to meet Cara’s gaze because they both knew it had looked like more.
“Do you like this guy? I mean that way?”
Alexa shook her head. “I don’t know him. But he’s sexy.” She managed a shrug.
“I get that, but are you leading him on? Because a lot of guys don’t like that,” Cara said pointedly.
“I’m lonely, okay?” Alexa gripped the counter with one hand, her knuckles turning white. “He’s cute. He’s attentive. When was the last time I took something just for me?”
Cara covered her friend’s hand with her own. She couldn’t ever remember seeing Dr. Alexa Collins looking vulnerable, and Cara hurt for her. “You know I understand. But he’s a stranger, and I can’t help worrying.”
Alexa’s normally bright eyes weren’t sparkling. “I know. But I don’t have time for a relationship. All I do is work and go home to an empty bed. I can’t keep this up. I don’t know whether I’m exhausted or in need of companionship or both.”
Cara sighed, feeling her friend’s pain. She met Alexa’s gaze. “It’s time to change something in your life.”
Alexa’s shoulders deflated. “You’re right. Something needs to give.” She sniffed and reached for a paper towel to blot her eyes. “I just need time to think.”
Cara nodded. “Fair enough.” She kissed her friend’s cheek. “You okay?”
“Yeah. Pathetic but okay.”
“You’re normal. If anyone’s pathetic, it’s me.” Cara glanced in the mirror and made a face.
Alexa shook her head. “You handled him well. You stood up for yourself, and I was proud of you.”
“Thanks.” Cara didn’t feel all that proud. As much as she’d turned him away, she still wanted him. Not that she’d let herself give in, but she hated the weakness those feelings inspired.
“Are you ready to go back in there?” Alexa asked.
Cara straightened her shoulders. “No, but I’m not going to let him run me off, either.” She studied her reflection and sighed. “I would like some lip gloss, first.”
“Body armor. I like it,” Alexa said with a grin.
“Yeah, but I left my purse in the car. I’ll run out and be back in a few minutes. I’ll meet you back out by the bar.”
“Want me to go with you?” Alexa offered.
“Nah. Why should both of us freeze?” They’d parked their cars out back and left their coats to make things easier once inside the bar.
A group of women practically fell into the ladies’ room, giggling and laughing loudly.
Cara and Alexa stepped toward the door. “I’ll be back in a few minutes,” Cara promised, and headed outside.
The freezing cold air rushed over her skin and chilled her to her bones. Still, she appreciated the reprieve, not ready to deal with Mike again so soon. Shivering, she rushed past the brick wall behind the bar, her car a few feet away, when someone grabbed her around the neck.
“What the hell?”
Cara attempted to pivot, but the big body and surprise attack prevented her from using any means of self-defense, leaving her with one alternative. She screamed loudly before the arm strengthened, cutting off her air.
“Shut up, bitch,” a deep male baritone said, too close to her ear.
Cara recognized the voice. Bob Francone, Daniella’s ex. Shit. Before she could act, Bob yanked her against him, his beefy arm strong and thick around her neck. The harder she struggled, the tighter he held on.
She coughed and would have driven her fingernails into his arms, but the heavy jacket he wore prevented her from hitting skin. And her gun was in her ankle holster, out of reach.
“You convinced my woman to leave me,” he raged, and though Cara couldn’t see his face, she’d bet it was red with anger.
He squeezed her neck harder, and Cara desperately pulled at his arm. “Can’t breathe.” She didn’t know if the words came out of her mouth or were merely inside her head. White spots floated in front of her eyes from lack of air.
He eased his hold on her throat, but the pain that remained was excruciating and she hacked out a cough.
“Are you insane, attacking a cop?” she asked.
“You convinced her to leave me. Both times. You screwed up my life, and now you’re going to fix it,” Bob demanded.
Cara concentrated on inhaling gulps of air and planning on how to reach for her gun.
“Well? Do you hear me?”
She didn’t answer. She couldn’t.
So he slammed her against the wall, his hands at her throat.
Jesus, could the man not find another way to subdue women? “What do you want?” Again, Cara wasn’t sure whether her words came out.
He’d cut off her breath and her ears had begun to ring.
Bob got up close, his cigarette-tinged breath in her face. “You’re going to tell Daniella to come home.” He enunciated each word as if she were a moron. “Got it?” He loosened his grip so she could answer.
“When should I do that? While she’s looking at the bruises on my throat?” Cara asked, her voice gravelly and painful.
Bob slapped her across the face and she blinked hard, her vision fading. Dizziness assaulted her, and she had very little time to break his grip before she blacked out.
Grasping at a last-ditch effort, she rammed her knee into his groin.
“You bitch!” he yelled, releasing her as he doubled over, clutching the family jewels.
Cara fell forward, her head hitting the pavement as she landed.
“What the fuck?” Mike’s voice drifted toward her.
Gentle hands turned her face up. “Cara?” Mike sounded hoarse and petrified.
She’d have liked to reassure him, but she was barely breathing, the spots in her vision rushing at her from all sides.
“Cara?”
Alexa’s voice, this time. And Alexa’s soft hands on her face. Peeling back her eyelids.
The wailing of a siren.
“I hurt.” Cara reached for her neck as everything around her went black.
Eighteen
Cara awoke to the sound of Mike’s voice and an aching, throbbing pain in her throat and head. She hurt; she was woozy and disoriented.
“Alexa said she’s okay,” Mike said. “Bruised windpipe, which is going to hurt like hell, and a mild concussion.” He paused. “No. They sedated her. Apparently, she attempted to climb off the stretcher to get to Daniella. She was damned near hysterical, not hearing that Francone was in custody. Alexa finally gave her something to knock her out so she wouldn’t hurt her throat even more.”
Yeah, Cara remembered that now.
Once they’d brought her to the hospital, all she could think about was Bob’s big hands around her neck, trying to choke the life out of her. She couldn’t let him do the same to Daniella. Dizzy and still in pain, Cara shut her eyes again, thinking jail was a good place for the bastard. She hoped they kept him there this time.
“Can you get word to Daniella for me?” Mike asked. “Let her know what’s going on? Cara would want that.”
The man was a keeper, she thought, before remembering he didn’t want to be kept.
“Thanks, Sam,” Mike said.
Aah. So he was talking to his brother.
A sudden spasm hit Cara in the chest and she coughed—or tried to. The pain in her head and throat blindsided her, and she moaned.
“Gotta go.” Mike spun around and was by her side in an instant. “You’re awake.”
“I—”
“Don’t talk. Alexa said it’ll hurt if you try. They’re going to keep you overnight to observe your breathing, and they’ll let you go home in the morning. Okay?”
She nodded.
He brushed her hair off her face, his eyes warm and full of emotion. “Cara, baby—”
She turned her head, a tear leaking from the corner of her eye. She didn’t want his sympathy or pity any more than she wanted to hear whatever he was going to say. Anything sweet and caring would unravel her. She still wasn’t over him and probably never would be. The physical ache in her throat now was bad enough. Adding the emotion of wanting to cry had the pain increasing tenfold. He needed to leave.
Instead his big hand covered hers. “You scared me,” he said, so softly she could barely hear. “Thank God you’re okay. I don’t know what I’d do if I lost you.”
Nice words that he couldn’t possibly mean. He was merely feeling the shock of her attack, she thought, keeping her head averted and her eyes closed tight. She kept her focus on breathing through her nose.
Soon her limbs grew heavy, and behind her eyelids things began to spin. Maybe she still had the sedative in her system. Or maybe she was on painkillers. Something was making her dizzy.
“Sleep, baby,” Mike whispered, his voice gruff. “I’ll be here when you wake up.”
Mike didn’t know how long he’d slept, but a hand shaking his shoulder woke him, and he bolted up from his half-prone position on Cara’s bed where he’d laid his head. He rose from the chair, every muscle in his body protesting the night he’d spent there.
“I brought you some coffee,” Sam said softly, so as not to wake Cara.
“Thanks.” Mike gratefully accepted the cup.
Sam tipped his head, indicating they should step out of the room.
Mike paused to glance at Cara. She lay against the hospital bed, eyes closed, her face pale, and with the white sheets, the bruising on her face and neck stood out even more. It was a good thing Sam had handled booking Bob Francone, because if Mike got his hands on the man, he’d kill him and save the state the cost of a trial.
Mike followed him into the hall.
“Were you here all night?” Sam asked.
Mike nodded. They’d moved Cara to a private room, which was why the sympathetic nurse had let Mike, who wasn’t family, stay with her. Then again, Mike had towered over the male nurse, flashed his badge, and made it clear he wasn’t leaving.
“Listen,” Sam said. “I just came here, one, to check on her, and two, to apologize. If it weren’t for me, you’d have gotten to her much sooner.” Sam’s guilt was palpable.
According to Alexa, Cara had just stepped outside to her car to get her bag and when she’d taken too long to return, Mike’s gut, which never steered him wrong, told him to go check on her. But Sam had insisted Mike give her time to cool off. And he’d forced himself to wait another few minutes.
Mike knew how much his brother cared about Cara. “Don’t do that to yourself. There’s no way either of us could have anticipated she was in danger.”
Francone had gone quiet since his release and nobody suspected he’d go after Cara.
“But—” Sam geared up to argue.
“Shut up,” Mike muttered to his brother. He might be silently cursing them both for the time he’d wasted, but Sam’s guilt wouldn’t change anything. “She’s going to be fine, and that’s what matters.”
Sam nodded. “Thanks. I’ll go look for Alexa and see when she plans on signing her out.” He slapped Mike on the back and walked down the hall.
Mike leaned back and closed his eyes, the events of last night playing out in vivid detail, every second feeling like an eternity as he watched the woman he loved struggling for her life.
If anything happened to her, Mike would be lost.
He’d already taken his brother’s advice. Mike’s go big or go home plan was ready and waiting. He was amazed at how much he had accomplished in the short time since he’d left the city. He’d wanted to share his news with Cara last night, but she’d run from him. Now he had a captive audience and he’d stop at nothing to convince her that she was his home.
By the time the doctors signed Cara’s release papers and gave her instructions, she was antsy and ready to leave this place for good.
“Soft foods, lots of rest, and little talking,” the older female nurse reminded her, handing Cara the paperwork.
“Don’t worry,” Mike said, wrapping an arm around her waist. “I’ll make sure she listens to doctor’s orders.”
Cara narrowed her gaze, frowning at him. She had tried telling him to get lost, but he wasn’t listening and short spurts of sentences were all she could manage.
Alexa had left earlier, so Cara didn’t have her as a buffer with Mike. And since Cara understood that she needed someone around because of the concussion, she was stuck with him. At least until she could make other arrangements, which she intended to do, by text, as soon as possible.
The nurse looked over toward the door. “Oh! There’s the wheelchair now.”
Cara groaned.
“Hospital policy. You leave in our wheels.” The older woman patted the seat.
A few minutes later, she was settled in Mike’s truck, a place she’d never thought she’d be again. The arousing scent of his cologne permeated her pores, causing an ache in her heart she was beginning to think she’d never be rid of.
Angry at both him and the situation, she folded her arms across her chest and stared out the window, until she realized he wasn’t driving toward her house.
She prodded him in the arm and asked, “Where are you going?”
“No talking, Kermit,” he said with a laugh.
She scowled at him.
“You’ll see, so hush and enjoy the scenery.” He settled in for the ride.
Cara wasn’t so comfortable, not just because of the pain, which she could handle thanks to a generous dose of medication, but because Mike’s return unsettled her as much as the attention he insisted on lavishing on her. She didn’t want it, didn’t need it, and most of all, she couldn’t let herself enjoy it again.
She’d texted Alexa and asked her friend to meet her at Cara’s house so she could get rid of Mike, but she wasn’t answering. Neither was Sam. And now she knew they weren’t going home anyway. Out of options, Cara gave in and shut her eyes.
She didn’t realize she’d dozed off until she heard Mike calling her name. She forced her heavy eyelids open.
He cut the motor.
“Where are we?” She
pressed her hand to her throat as she tried to speak.
“Shh. Just listen, okay?” He shifted in his seat and faced her, the most serious expression she’d ever seen on his handsome face.
Uh-oh. Her insides churned from nerves, and she wished she were anywhere but here. Mike had her at a serious disadvantage, unable to speak, stuck with him in his car, God knows where, while he prepared to…what? Explain that he was back for some ridiculous reason that had nothing to do with her, she wondered, and wrapped her arms around herself for comfort.
“I made a huge mistake,” he said, his tone gruff.
She narrowed her gaze.
“I should never have left town. I should have pulled myself together and dealt with everything being thrown at me. Rex, Simon, the case, the resignation, the job offer…” He frowned, clearly disgusted with his own actions.
Amazed at his honesty, she listened, waiting to hear more.
“You were right. If I needed time, I should have just said so. And I damned sure shouldn’t have pulled away from you.” He paused before continuing. “I reverted to my old M.O. and I ran when I should have stuck around and dealt with things here.” He cleared his throat, his expression as filled with pain as Cara’s heart. “I never meant to hurt you.”
She managed to swallow before attempting to speak, the words gut-wrenching to admit. “But you did.”
He moved his hand to the back of her seat, but Mike didn’t move to touch her, for which she was grateful. A simple stroke of his hand and she’d break down.
She was proud of how well she was holding herself together and hoped she wouldn’t have to do it for much longer. “So what now? We’re friends?” she asked, wincing at the sound of her own voice.
He was right, she did sound like Kermit. What a way to have this final conversation, Cara thought. Well, at least it would be memorable for him.
Mike stared into her eyes for so long, she didn’t know what to think or feel.
Finally he answered her. “Yeah, we’re friends.”
Her stomach plummeted at his agreement. Even though he’d told her he needed time to think, Cara hadn’t believed him. She’d known then he was ending things. He’d left her just as he’d said he would, and she choked back a cry at the painful recollection.
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