Chapter 39

Luke is just running off to play chicken with a car driven by a madman, and I can't do shit about it.

My heart is in my throat, pounding away as the swirling of my gut still racks me.

I don't give permission for my body to do this. It's not cooperating right now with anything I want.

And this is definitely not the time.

The tan car launches forward, changing directions to track Luke as he runs away from me.

As far as plans go, this isn't the worst one. Marco has proven he'll drive straight into a wall if he thinks he can hit one or both of us.

That other building is made of concrete bricks, not the shitty wood siding like the office behind me, which is thoroughly destroyed on this side.

But hell, Luke is already bleeding so much. The fact that he's conscious is a damn miracle.

"Luke!"

He doesn't look back, and I pull myself up as the car heads in his direction. I'm too far behind him at this point, but I still run.

I run toward Luke with everything I have because I won't leave him alone.

He has to make it.

My breaths heaving, I fly forward a handful of seconds behind the vehicle that's aimed at the man I freaking love.

Because I do.

I should be sobbing and screaming right now, but the adrenaline is too high. So, with an odd clarity, I just accept the truth that's been building in my chest since the moment I laid eyes on Luke.

I love Luke. I love him with everything I have, and if this fucker takes him away from me now, I…

No, absolutely not. It's not happening.

I've never pushed my body like this before; I've never run for my life or someone else's.

But I do, I sprint to him.

Marco is just feet away from clipping Luke's legs as he dashes closer to that wall. They have to turn to face it head-on.

Luke skids to a stop, shifting himself so the cement blocks are at his back.

Turning the car, Marco adjusts, continuing his path straight for Luke.

I can hear him screaming through the windows, even against the roaring engine and the blood rushing in my ears.

"Die, Shaw!"

No. Luke isn't dying on my watch. And this asshole isn't going to lay a finger on him.

Still, Luke's standing in front of that wall, playing the perfect part as he fakes not knowing where to turn.

He has to cut it close, though. If he moves too soon, Marco will just turn the wheel again.

Inches and inches. The car zooms closer. My body is a live wire as I see it get ever closer to Luke, and then it's right fucking there.

"Luke!"

Please don't leave me.

I run up behind the car just in time to see Luke dive out of the way. The coupe doesn't have time to slow down now.

Red brake lights flare to life as Marco tries to stop. He screams out the windows now.

This time in fear.

The tires screech against the asphalt and then a crash sounding similar to an explosion rocks the entire area.

The dilapidated car has just plowed dead center into a wall, and the crunching metal whines loudly as it comes to an abrupt halt.

I don't care about the car, though. Not right now.

Hurrying to Luke's side, I fall down onto my knees. He's bleeding from the scrapes on his arms and face where he collided with the ground, and his leg is seeping steadily.

"Luke! Luke, talk to me!"

A second passes. And another.

Then, a low grumble escapes his lips, and he starts to crack his eyelids.

"Fuuuck. That sucked."

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I squeeze him into a hug.

"Oh my God, you're okay. I thought…" My words die off, and the sobs I've been holding in tear free.

"Yeah, I'm alive, doc." Luke hisses, and I immediately pull back. "Okay, that's subjective."

Luke looks over at the demolished car. "Marco?"

"I'll check. Don't move." I glare at Luke, daring him to do something stupid again.

He holds up a hand in surrender. "Couldn't even if I wanted to."

I tenuously get up and walk toward the car. The engine block is hissing and steaming.

For a minute, I worry it's going to explode, like in the movies, but there's no smell of gas or any visible sparks.

As I reach the driver's side window, I look in. Marco is unconscious, lying on the airbag that saved his life.

If he is, in fact, still alive.

Creeping forward, I pry the crushed door open, which takes a lot more work than I thought, and check Marco's pulse.

His head is covered in blood, but I get a rhythm beneath my fingers. Alive. Okay.

Ignoring my instincts to take care of the unconscious person first, I pat around on his pockets for a phone.

"Bingo."

It's odd to not be helping this guy immediately, but he did just try to kill me, so I'm not about to feel guilty about it.

Taking the phone back over toward Luke, I dial 911.

When they answer, I report our situation as best I can.

"Two injured at the old Pelican Trails shipping warehouse. Car crash victim with a head injury. Unconscious but breathing. Another suffering from multiple lacerations and a head contusion."

Luke puts a shaky hand on my arm, and I look down at him where he's lying on the asphalt.

"Don't forget yourself, doc."

I shake my head, laughing once at him. "And myself. I've got some contusions and lacerations. Not nearly as severe. I'm really fine."

Setting the phone down now that I know both EMTs and the police are on their way, I leave the line open and go back to taking care of Luke.

The poor excuse for a bandage on his leg is soaked through, so I hurry to the car and check if there's anything else I can use.

I find a jacket and rush back to Luke, wrapping it around his leg. When I tie it tight, he hisses.

"How's your head? Blurred vision? Nausea?"

He just smiles up at me. "Um, a bit. A concussion seems likely."

Shaking my head, I smack him gently on the arm. "I can't believe you did that."

He shrugs, but he's having trouble keeping his eyes open, and that dread starts to kick back in, tightening my chest.

"Hey, stay awake. Talk to me." I pat him on the chest gently.

Luke shakes his head, trying to clear it. "Sorry, doc, but I'll be fine. You're here. And people are coming."

I put my hands on either side of his face, making him look right at me.

"Don't you ever do that to me again, Luke Shaw. I'll never forgive you."

He smiles, putting a hand on top of mine.

"Never, darlin'. I'm nowhere near done driving you crazy."

With a laugh, I kiss him lightly. It's odd, the newness in my chest again. It's like I'm meeting him all over again—after what just happened.

"Okay, let's scoot you back toward this wall."

I help get Luke seated near the wide cement block structure that withstood a car's impact just fine.

The sound of sirens comes a minute or two later, and I've procured another random bit of clothing from the car to stuff under Luke's knee.

"All right, good. They'll be here any second. Just stay with me, all right? I can't have you passing out on me."

Not liking the combination of head injury and leg bleed he has going on, my chest relaxes a little bit, knowing the EMTs are almost here.

"I'm doin' my best, darlin'." Luke smiles weakly. "I…I'm so fucking glad you're okay. If anything happened to you…"

My eyes start to burn, and I put my forehead to his. "I know. I really just wanted to stay mad at you. But you had to go and be a hero, huh?"

Shaking his head against mine, Luke sighs. "I'm no hero, doc. But I am yours. If you'll have me."

Before I can answer, the area is swarmed with medical professionals and authorities combing the expansive lot that makes up the Pelican Trails shipping hub.

"Over here!"

I hear a voice call out behind me, and I look back to see the swarm of people running toward us. Suddenly, Luke is swept up in the commotion of healers doing their jobs, and I'm pulled away to give them space to work.

Cops rush over soon after, and that"s when Marco starts to wake up from his unconscious state behind the wheel.

He starts to push away the responders trying to help him, and a few detectives hurry over to help them control him.

"Miss? Can you focus on me?"

I look over to my left where there's a medic crouching beside me as I sit in the back of one of the ambulances.

"Oh, sorry. Yes."

"Can you tell me what happened?" Her soft brown eyes are kind, and I release a shaky breath, laughing humorlessly.

"Long story, I'm afraid. He, um—" I look over at Marco being dragged from the car and guided toward a separate ambulance "—tried to kill us. Run us down with a car."

"That's horrible." I look back at the EMT, and she squeezes my forearm. "What happened to you, though? Did you fall? It sounded like you have a bit of medical experience, yeah?"

I nod. "Yeah. Sorry. Dr. Stewart. I'm a surgical resident at Lakeshore Valley. I hit my head on the ground. When we dove out of the way. No loss of consciousness or blurred vision, though."

Looking down at my wrists, which steadily throb with each heartbeat, all I can do is keep nodding. It's the shock, Clara. You're in shock.

"This was from the rope."

I hear gloves snapping and look up.

"Okay, hon. We'll get you all cleaned up. Anything else I should know about your condition?"

My heart surges as memory and reality come back in an instant. "I'm…I'm pregnant."

"What?"

Luke's voice cuts through the haze clouding me, and I look up to see him being wheeled closer to the ambulance on a low stretcher.

Well, that's one way to tell him.