The two men who grabbed and assaulted me as I was walking back to my car after having dinner with one of my friends.
How sick whatever they forced me to swallow made me.
The horrible things—the truck slows to a stop and there are suddenly bright lights. I hold up my hands to block the light and hear my savior’s quiet voice.
“We’re at the hospital—I’m going to get help.”
“No!” My voice is a croaked whisper and I snake out a hand to grip his forearm.
His very solid, muscular forearm.
“Hon, you need medical attention.”
“Don’t…leave.”
I can practically feel the restraint it takes for him not to move. The way his muscles twitch beneath my fingers. How still he’s sitting. How warm he is.
“Okay.” And that soft, gentle voice.
“You need help, Grim?” Someone yells from outside.
Grim? I must’ve misheard. His name can’t possibly be…Grim? What fresh hell is this?
“Where…” I have so many questions but getting my vocal chords to cooperate seems to be problematic.
“We’re at County Medical in Oceanside.” His voice is calm. Quiet.Gentle.
“You need to call—” I’m interrupted as the door opens and a guy in scrubs gives me a friendly smile.
“Can you walk?”
I shake my head.
“Okay, we’ve got you.” Next thing I know, a mountain of a man reaches in and lifts me like I don’t weigh anything. Ever so gently, he sets me on a gurney.
“Grim.” My voice is shaky but determined. I don’t know why I call to him, but I hear the mountain man chuckle.
Then, for the first time since the gas station, I look into his face.
He doesn’t look…grim.
In fact, he’s a lot more handsome than I first thought—I’d love to take pictures of him. So many magazines would want someone as handsome as he is…
Christ.
How am I thinking about work at a time like this?
“I’m right here.” Grim doesn’t smile, he just meets my gaze with a steady one of his own. Flanking the gurney as two nurses wheel me inside.
“Can you tell us your name?” one of them asks.
“A-llora.”
“Laura what?”
I shake my head. “A-llora.” Why the fuck can’t I say it all at once?
The nurse frowns. “Not Laura?”
