Annika felt Nilay tense beside her. She grabbed his arm, her belly in fits. “Just ignore him.”
Before Nilay had a chance to do anything, the man stepped closer, his eyes narrowed at Annika as she held the bag in front of her. “Why don’t you just take that stench and go back to where you came from?” And he spat at her, spittle hitting the precious brown bag of food and dripping down onto the ground. Before she could fully register what happened, Nilay jumped in front of her, his small fists flailing.
“Nilay!” Annika dropped the bag, trying to reach her brother and pull him back before this deviant hurt him. “Stop!No!”
She was too slow, and the man shoved her aside as if he were flicking away a bug. He landed a meaty fist to Nilay’s chest. Annika saw something on his fist catch the light and Nilay fell back, a rag doll in slow motion. Annika tried to reach him before he hit the sidewalk, but she was too far away. She grabbed at his shirt just as another pair of hands also grabbed at Nilay.
Daniel.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
DANIEL
DANIELHADN’TBOTHEREDwith a jacket; he was used to the cold. He walked out just as a man easily three times the size of Nilay landed a solid punch to the boy’s chest. Annika was screaming and reaching for her brother. In two large steps, Daniel was close enough to grab Nilay so he didn’t hit his head on the concrete. But in the second it took him to turn to the assailant, the asshole kicked Nilay in the leg, leaving it at an odd angle.
It was almost in slow motion that Daniel assessed that Annika was out of the way as he made a fist and aimed for the man’s face. A flicker of something shiny flashed in front of his face, followed by a searing pain in his arm, and Daniel’s punch never landed.
The assailant kicked the bag of food, scattering its contents all over the sidewalk, and took a few steps back, wielding the knife that had just cut Daniel.
Daniel brought himself to his full height and readied himself to face off with this animal. It was a foregone conclusion: he was going to rip this asshole’s goddamn fucking face off. He calculated in a few seconds the various ways in which he could make this idiot pay for hurting Nilay. Throat punches seemed appropriate. He hadn’t felt primal rage like this since Sara.
Annika’s screams cut through his red haze, and he flicked his gaze to her. Sensing his moment of escape, the man turned and bolted. Daniel took a few steps after him, ready to give chase, but Annika’s voice was further panicked now.
“Daniel!” she shrieked. “He’s having trouble breathing!” She looked up at him from the sidewalk, panic all over her face. “You’re bleeding! I’m calling 911.” She pulled her phone from her jacket pocket.
He glanced down the street as the man disappeared into the crowd that had accumulated. Fucking coward.
He grunted as he knelt by Nilay’s side, his own animal rage still lingering.
Daniel crouched down close to Nilay. “Can you breathe?”
Nilay nodded, but gripped his shirt. “Just barely.”
“Where did he hit you?”
Nilay motioned at his chest. Daniel opened Nilay’s sweatshirt and ripped the T-shirt. Bruises were starting to form. The bastard had worn brass knuckles. Sirens sounded in the distance. Daniel willed them to come faster.
He gingerly felt the area. Nilay flinched in pain and was clearly having trouble breathing. Damn it. He needed a stethoscope. Nilay definitely had a punctured lung, and dangerous pressure could be building up inside him as they spoke. The cops had arrived and were talking to Annika. She was trying to help them, but her attention was on her brother, and she kept eyeing Daniel’s bloody arm.
The sirens drew closer as he tried to calm Nilay, and he overheard what Annika was telling the officer.
Fury infiltrated every cell in his body as he listened to Annika’s story. “That bastardspiton you?” He stood, barely even aware that he left his patient’s side, his fists clenched. He knew he should’ve chased the bastard down.
Annika turned to him, an angry storm ready to erupt from her eyes, and nodded.
“You should’ve let me—”
“I needed you here!” She pointed her finger down at her brother, shutting Daniel down with the ferocity of her hardened eyes. “Not off somewhere playing hero.” She was shaking, and her rapid breaths fogged the cold air around her.
“Officer, can you take her inside?” Daniel didn’t take his eyes off her. “It’s freezing out here.”
“I’m not going anywhere!” she growled.
The ambulance finally pulled up with a squeak and burp, and Daniel ran to it, almost colliding head-on with the EMT.
“Andy. I need your steth.”
It was a mark of respect for Daniel that Andy handed over his stethoscope and nodded to his new partner to keep the engine running. “What’s going on? Why is your arm bleeding?” Andy grabbed some gauze and followed Daniel.
