Sweet Temptation

No doubt in Chad’s fractured mind he wasn’t capable of doing her harm either, and all he did he did out of love.

Nausea boiled like acid in her stomach.

“Miss? Are you still awake?”

The stranger’s worried voice seeped into the cab.

“There’s a helicopter landing. I think they’ve come for you. Thing’s landing in the road. Damndest thing I ever saw. Someone’s coming up the other way too. Guess the rescue is finally here.”

She closed her eyes in relief and shivered despite the stifling heat inside the truck. Again she drifted. What seemed only a few seconds later, she heard the door wrench open. A breeze ruffled her hair and then a hand touched her cheek, smoothing tenderly over the skin.

She roused, her eyes fluttering open. Micah’s face was close to hers, concern burning brightly in his eyes.

“Hi,” he said softly.

She tried to smile, but it just took too much effort. Instead, she let go and stopped fighting the darkness that threatened. Micah was here now. He wouldn’t let anything happen to her.

Micah watched her eyes close and a surge of panic nearly crippled him. He jammed his fingers to her neck, seeking a pulse. When he felt the faint pitter-patter, he nearly melted in relief.

He leaned out of the truck and waved frantically at the medic getting out of the helicopter. As he stared back at Angelina, he took in for the first time just how bad it seemed.

Her shirt was bathed in blood, though most looked to be dried. That was a good thing, right? Her mouth was swollen, and he ran a thumb over the raw-looking cut. Bastard had hit her. Hard.

He tried to pull her shirt away from her shoulder so he could see her wound, but it stuck to her skin via the dried blood, and the last thing he wanted to do was cause it to start bleeding again.

“What have we got?” the medic shouted behind him.

Micah moved back out of his way, though he hovered just a footstep away.

“She told me he shot her in the shoulder. Looks like he roughed her up pretty good.”

“We need to get her out of the truck and over to the chopper,” the medic said. “I’m light on equipment. This isn’t my usual ride, but Mr. Roche needed me fast so I grabbed my jump bag and hopped aboard.”

“I appreciate you coming so quickly,” Micah said. “I’ll help you get her to the chopper.”

“I’ll hook under her shoulders and pull. You get her feet when you can and make sure you don’t jostle her. Since I’m not sure what we’re dealing with, I don’t want to chance aggravating any injuries we don’t know about.”

Micah nodded and then he swallowed. “Look, you need to know ... She’s pregnant.”

The medic grimaced. “How far along, do you know?”

Micah mentally calculated the possibilities. It had to have been that first time. The night at The House when he’d all but raped her. He wanted to puke. “Can’t be more than a few weeks at most.”

“Okay, I’ll be sure to put it in my report so the hospital knows. Let’s get her out of here.”

The medic reached under her shoulders and gently pulled her out. Micah moved forward and hooked his arms under her knees, and the two maneuvered her out of the truck.

Connor was standing by the old man who’d stopped for Angelina, and the two were deep in conversation.

“Is there room for me to ride along?” Micah hollered as they neared the waiting helicopter.

“It’ll be tight but you should fit.”

“Let me tell my buddy I’m going. Don’t leave without me. I’ll be right back.”

The medic nodded as he and Micah placed Angelina flat on her back on the floor of the helicopter. The medic hopped in beside her and reached for his bag as Micah turned back toward Connor.

He jogged over to where Connor stood talking to the man, both silhouetted in the beam of Connor’s headlights.

“I’m riding along with her,” he told Connor. Then he turned to the old man. “I can’t thank you enough, sir.”

The man nodded and ducked a little self-consciously. “I couldn’t very well drive on with that little girl needing help so badly. I hope she turns out okay.”

Micah extended his hand to shake the man’s, then he nodded at Connor and started to leave.

“What hospital?” Connor asked.

“I’m not even sure. Holler at Damon. He’ll know.”

“Okay, meet you there.”

Micah nodded and ran back over to the helicopter. The pilot motioned for him to get up front. Reluctantly, Micah left Angelina in the care of the medic and climbed aboard.

Angelina woke to instant disorientation. White. Everything was white and harsh. It hurt her eyes and she quickly snapped them shut again.

The second thing she registered was the smell. And then pain. Dull, not completely overwhelming, but nagging, distant.

Relief. If she hurt, she couldn’t very well be dead. Now that she was certain she was alive, the pain could go away, thank you very much.

She opened her mouth to ask that the pain go away, but her voice didn’t cooperate. She coughed. Big mistake. A groan escaped. A pitiful-sounding groan, but at least she hadn’t lost all her vocal capabilities.

“Angel? Baby, you awake?”