Page 125 of Ruthless Ambition
“Aren’t you the help?” I asked him, but my throat was scratchy, my body weak, and I don’t think he understood me.
“You can’t pass out again,” he told me, and I felt my body move. “I’ve got you, but you need to talk.”
“Sleep first,” I mumbled as I grabbed for him. “Stay.”
“I’m here. Don’t sleep, Angel.” Fingers curled around mine. “Cooper? I need that fucking ambulance!”
“Get car,” I mumbled. “Don’t need . . . ambulance.”
“How’s she doing?”
“Cooper,” I groaned. “I need to sleep.”
“Not yet, babe, soon.” I felt movement, and a different pair of hands held me, Cooper’s, I think. “I called them, Onyx. You’ve got some time, so make it count.” As Cooper tried to keep me awake, I heard grunts coming from beside me. Voices were raised, but the words were jumbled. I tried to turn, but Cooper told me I had to keep my head steady. When I thought sleep was coming, he poked me awake. “That’s enough,” I heard Cooper call. “Stop. I saidstop!”
“What is it?” I started to cough, and I heard Cooper cursing above me.
“I hear them. Do the car,” Cooper bit out instructions, and nothing made sense.
“So tired,” I groaned.
“I know, babe, but just a little bit longer. You’re tough, hang on.”
I didn’t think I was tough because I woke up in the back of an ambulance, a young medic looking at me, who gave me a smile. “Hey there.”
I tried to speak, but he shook his head.
“Not yet, miss. Once we’re at the ER, okay? Your boyfriend’s behind us.”
He was? I clutched the paramedic’s hand. I had no idea who he thought my boyfriend was, and I prayed it was Onyx who was following us.
“It’s okay, you’re safe,” he soothed me. “The police took the guy. Let them worry about him, and let’s focus on you, okay?”
I nodded, but I kept hold of his hand, and he let me. Dizziness swept over me again.
“Try to stay with me, Angel,” he said. “Can you do that?”
I nodded. I think I nodded, but the pain was excruciating.
“Don’t do that again,” he scolded me gently. “It’s going to hurt,” he said with a sympathetic smile, and I huffed out a laugh, but that hurt too.
The ambulance jerked to a halt, and the doors were flung open. Bright light assaulted my eyes as I was transitioned from the back of an ambulance to a hospital in what felt like one move.
My head turned, looking for Onyx, searching for him, and finally I saw him, his face white, whiter than mine even. His cheek was marked. Cooper stood beside him, his hand on his shoulder, like he was holding him back. Two policemen were with them. My attention was snagged on what Onyx had wrapped around his hand. Was he holding a scarf? Why was he holding a scarf?
A cacophony of voices erupted above me, and someone mentioned a chest tube. The lights were blinding, and I suddenly felt something sharp and probing at my side.
They spoke above me, and I felt everything moving again.
“She’s going to pass out,” someone said, and I realized I was thesheand that I was.
As I fell down the hole, I realized he hadn’t been holding a scarf. It had been my hair.
* * *
“How you feeling?” my nurse Brenna asked me as she checked my vitals.
“Well, I was okay and thought the concussion was over, but then the big scary clown came in and told the Easter bunny he had to go home because Santa had an elf up his butt.”
