Page 115 of Temptation
And then so did electricity. Even as he tried to touch Sloane, Frankie felt like he’d just been hit with a bolt of lightning. He opened his mouth to cry out, but he couldn’t make a sound. Every muscle seemed to be seizing. Every part of him burning out of control. He hit the pavement, hard, and his body kept twitching and jerking.
Lightning—electricity—hit him again. Again.
It kept hitting him even as his eyes began to sag closed.
“Good!” A man’s voice. The EMT’s? “Thanks for taking out that big bastard. Now let’s go! I want her in the ground. I want her buried so deep that no one will ever find?—”
Lightning hit him again.
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Noble rushed to meet him when Preston exited the ER. The guy had been standing near the nurses’ station, but when he saw Preston, he bolted forward. “How is the sheriff?”
Preston scraped a hand over his jaw. Stubble raked against his palm. When was the last time that he’d shaved? He had no clue, but he’d have to shave soon because he couldn’t risk hurting Sloane’s delicate skin when he was near her. “She’s going to be all right. Doctors have her stable.” But she’d scared him for a while there. Debra had been helpless. He wasn’t used to her being that way. “She’s not leaving this hospital anytime soon.”
“Preston! Preston! Mr. Byron! Boss!” Joshua bobbed and weaved through the packed waiting area. “What’s happening with my aunt?” He reached Preston, chest heaving, shoulders shaking. “What’s going on?” Fear had his eyes flaring wide.
“Go on back.” Preston pointed to the ER doors. “She’s awake and talking, and she’ll want to see you. She had a brain bleed.” The doctors had said plenty more about her condition, but the important point was that she was stable. Now.
“Brain bleed? What the hell? Is she dying?” Joshua’s voice trembled.
“No, she’s stable. Stable. Go on back.”
Joshua raced toward the double doors.
Preston rolled his neck. He’d been back there with Debra for nearly an hour. The doctors and nurses had tried to push him to the side, but Debra had held tightly to his hand. “Where is Sloane?” He needed to see her. He’d expected her to be waiting with Noble.
But Noble blinked. Then peered toward the double doors. Then back at Preston. “I thought she was back there with you?”
His veins seemed to ice. “You’re supposed to guard her.”
“Frankie texted me that she came inside to be with you! He was gonna park the ride in the back.” A shake of Noble’s head. “The nurse at the station said you were in the ER. I figured Sloane was in there with you.” But his brow scrunched. “Frankie didn’t come in after he parked the Range Rover…”
“Help!” A quick cry as a woman in pink scrubs ran toward the nurse’s desk. “I need a gurney! I need a team! Outside, now! Back of the hospital!”
Preston lurched toward her.
“I was throwing away some trash—there’s a man outside behind the dumpster. He’s unresponsive. Hurry, hurry!” she urged.
A lot happened then. Fast. Nurses and a doctor and a security guard ran outside. Preston went with them. So did Noble. They headed for the back of the hospital. Preston caught sight of the Range Rover in the back lot. A line of ambulances. And…
Behind the dumpster. The man who was unresponsive…
Frankie.
“Oh, fuck,” Noble swore.
Someone called out, “Got a pulse!”
Then, another voice, “Let’s get him in the ER!”
Preston tried to reach Frankie, but he was pushed back. So he pushed harder. Then people were trying to lift Frankie on a gurney, and he helped, heaving up his driver. His…
Friend?
Noble was there, too, lifting Frankie. Swearing more.
Frankie’s eyes cracked open. “Am…”
