With a loud groan he fell to his knees.
Flashing lights pulled up alongside the fence, and two police officers jumped out, already drawing their weapons.
“Down on the ground.Down on the ground,” she heard someone yell.Did they mean her?
She looked around and saw the two officers approach Nathan, guns unholstered, pointing them directly at him.
“You are under arrest.You have the right to remain silent.”Harper wrapped her arms tightly around her waist, shivering despite the humid air.She listened to the police officer recite the rest of Nathan’s Miranda rights.
“Do you understand these rights as I have explained them to you?”
“Fuck you and fuck that stupid bitch over there.”Nathan spat as he struggled against the officer placing cuffs on his wrists.
Harper let herself be moved out of the way.Lights flickered in her peripheral vision.Starting to sway, she grabbed for the links of the fence.She touched her shoulder.She pulled her hand away and found it covered in blood.
“Harper.”
Trent?Christ, now she was hearing things, the swaying getting worse.Her head was pounding.She closed her eyes.
“Harper, thank God.”She was being pulled into strong arms.
“Trent,” she whispered and gave herself over to the darkness.
***
The paramedic worked furiously to stabilize Harper and assess the extent of her injuries.Blood continued to pour from the knife wound on her shoulder, the white gauze the paramedic held firmly pressed against it quickly turning red.
Trent pulled out his phone and called Drea.
“Hey Trent, what’s up?”
“Drea, he found her.Nathan found Harper.We’re on our way to the hospital.Can you meet us there?”Trent flinched at the short sob from Drea.
“I’m on my way.How is she?Tell her I love her.”
“The paramedics are doing their best.Find Cujo when you get there, sweetheart.”
Hanging up the phone, he sat back in the tiny passenger seat of the ambulance and watched the beeping equipment tracking Harper’s vitals.There was nothing left to do but pray she was going to be okay.
“Reid?”she murmured.
Leaning forward, he took hold of her hand, squeezing it firmly between his.It looked so small, felt so cold in his.
“Reid isn’t here, baby.I’m not going to leave you alone for a second,” he reassured her.The paramedic was holding the gauze tight against the biggest wound on her shoulder.He reached forward and stroked her hair off her cheek.“I love you, darlin’.”His voice cracked.“Don’t get any stupid ideas about leaving me.”
What felt like hours later, Trent leaned his head back against the wall and stared at the yellowed ceiling tiles.Sitting up straight, he dragged his hands through his hair before slouching back over, elbows resting on his knees.He spun the ring on his thumb around and around.
“She’s going to be fine, dude.”Cujo sat on the floor across for him.“The nurse already told you you’ll get to see her in a few minutes.”
Pulling up to the curb and seeing Nathan being dragged away from Harper had ripped away his last ounce of control.It had taken both Dred and Cujo to hold him back from lunging at the guy and tearing his face off with his hands.
“I called the rest of the guys,” Cujo said.“Figured you’d want them to know she was okay.”
The ride to the hospital with her in the ambulance had yanked out his very soul.There had been so much blood coming out of the person he loved more than anyone else in the world.It had practically paralyzed him.
Dred reappeared with coffee, handing one to Trent before sliding down onto the floor next to Cujo.
“Cops are here, man, with a couple of guys in suits.Hooked them up with my security guys.They’ll stall them for a little while, but you’re going to need to deal with them eventually.”
