Chapter 3

The wail of sirens in the distance caused Rachel to start pacing. He had found something he never thought he’d have again: hope.

And he’d be damned if he let her slip through his fingers.

“You’re safe now,” he whispered, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. “I won’t leave you, sweetheart. I promise.”

Her lips curved into the faintest of smiles. “You saved my life.”

The words were barely audible, but they echoed in his heart like a vow. She was his to cherish and protect, always. Fate had brought them together for a reason, and he wasn’t about to question destiny.

The chaos of the crash scene started to fade as emergency responders arrived. Flashing red and blue lights illuminated the dark road. Jaxon held Rachel’s hand tightly as paramedics checked her for injuries.

“Can you tell me your name, miss?” one paramedic asked.

“Rachel,” she replied. “Rachel Lewis.”

“Okay, Rachel. Do you know what day it is?”

She blinked, gaze drifting to Jaxon for reassurance. He gave her hand a comforting squeeze. “It’s Friday,” she said.

The paramedic nodded, shining a light in her eyes. “Pupils look normal. Can you move your arms and legs, okay?”

Rachel winced as she slowly flexed her fingers and toes. “Nothing seems broken. Just some bruises and cuts.”

Jaxon’s chest tightened at the sight of her in pain. If he ever found the bastard who ran her off the road, he’d rip the bastard apart limb from limb.

“We’ll get you to the hospital to be safe,” the paramedic said. “Do you have any allergies or medical conditions we should know about?”

Rachel shook her head. Her eyes met Jaxon’s again, a silent question in their depths. He knew what she was asking, and there was only one answer.

“I’ll meet you,” he said.

She blinked in surprise, a blush creeping into her pale cheeks. “Oh, but you don’t have to—”

“I’m not leaving you alone.” His tone brooked no argument. Rachel’s safety and well-being were his top priority now, and he’d be damned if he handed her over to strangers.

She stared at him for a long moment before relenting with a sigh. “Okay.”

Satisfaction hummed in his veins. He’d already claimed her, whether she realized it or not. And he wasn’t letting go.

The ambulance doors slammed shut, sirens blaring as it sped off into the night.

Jaxon strode over to his motorcycle, helmet in hand, his mind racing.

A glimpse of movement caught his eye. Rachel’s nurse ID badge lay discarded on the ground, the lanyard tangled in the wreckage of her car. He picked it up, the plastic card warm in his palm.

His bike rumbled to life beneath him as he secured the ID in his pocket like a promise. She would need that for work, and he aimed to return it to her in person.

The hospital lobby was chaos when he walked in, smelling of antiseptic and anxiety. A nurse at the front desk looked up as he approached. “Can I help you?”

“I’m looking for Rachel Lewis. She was just brought in by ambulance.”

The nurse’s fingers flew over a keyboard. “I’m sorry, but I can’t give out information about patients.”

Jaxon leaned over the counter, lowering his voice. “I was with her at the scene of the accident. I’m not leaving until I see her.”

Her eyes widened, but she stood firm. “Only family members are allowed in to visit.”

Family. The word reverberated through him as he gazed unseeing at the wall.

Jaxon looked back at the nurse, a wolfish grin slowly curving his mouth. “Then you can tell her that her husband is here.”