Page 39 of Blackmail of a Billionaire

“It’s Julia!”

His heart skipped a beat and he sat up straighter. Had Sierra caught her with the other man? “What about Julia?”

“She was hit by a car.”

Grant’s heart seized, the words echoing in a hollow chamber of disbelief. His grip tightened on the phone, a lifeline in the sudden storm. “What?” he choked out, his voice barely above a whisper as he struggled to silence the tide of panic rising within him.

“We’re at St. Mary’s Memorial. Just get here.” The line went dead, cutting him off from any new information. A profound sense of helplessness washed over him as the walls of certainty he’d built around himself crumbled.

CHAPTER 12

JULIA

The tires squealing twisted her stomach as she stared at the oncoming vehicle. Bright headlights seared into her eyes as she froze for an instant. Horns blared as the car continued to barrel toward her despite the red light facing it.

At the last minute, she dove for the pavement, landing hard and sliding across it as the car’s wheels missed her by mere inches. The car skidded into the street amidst a cacophony of horns, weaving its way through traffic to disappear. Another car swerved to avoid it, smashing into an SUV. Traffic snarled to a halt with a few more fender benders.

She lay sprawled on the pavement, the world spinning in a dizzying blur. The blare of horns and distant voices sounded miles away, but the scent of burning rubber filled her nostrils. Her heart pounded against her ribs, each beat echoing in her eyes, and she worried her hot chocolate may wind up on the street rather than remain in her stomach.

Her mind raced, a jumble of fear and shock. The closeness of the car, the screech of the tires, the glare of the headlights were all too surreal. A cold shiver ran down her spine and her body trembled as the reality of her near-death experience sank in.

She tried to push up to sit, but her arms felt like rubber, and pain shot through her arm as she bore weight on it. The rough pavement stung the scratches on her skin. Her head pounded, adding to her disorientation and scrambled thoughts.

“Julia!” a familiar voice shouted. “Julia? OMG!”

She twisted to find Sierra toddling toward her on her spiked heels, her usual poise shattered by what appeared to be genuine fear flickering in her eyes. Her voice trembled, revealing a rare glimpse of vulnerability before she composed herself, her commanding demeanor returning. “OMG, don’t move. I’m calling nine-one-one.”

“I-I’m okay,” she murmured, but Sierra already had the phone pressed to her ear. A small crowd had gathered around her, a mix of concerned faces and murmurs of shock. One woman frantically gave instructions to someone over the phone while someone else directed traffic, his arms flailing.

Sierra glanced down at her with worry creasing her normally confident face. “Julia, stay with me, okay?”

“I’m fine.”

A man pushed forward through the throng of people, his demeanor calm yet commanding. “Excuse me. I’m a doctor, excuse me.”

He crouched next to Julia, studying her eyes for a moment before he slid two fingers onto the inside of her wrist. “Ma’am, don’t move. I’m a doctor.”

“I’m okay,” Julia insisted.

“I’ll be the judge of that.” He flicked his piercing light blue eyes up as he grinned at her. The act reminded her of someone, but she couldn’t place it.

She offered him an uncertain smile as he assessed the scratches and bruises on her arms.

“Did you hit your head?” He spoke with confidence, attesting to his excellent bedside manner.

“Uh, no, no, I didn’t. I broke my fall with my arms.” She rolled her shoulders as the brunt of the impact set in, making her sore all over.

He maneuvered her wrist, his touch gentle. She winced and yanked it away. “Ouch.”

“Sorry. You may have a sprain, but I don’t think it’s broken. Did you get the license plate of the car?”

She knitted her brows as she shook her head. “No. Sorry, I didn’t get the license plate when the car nearly ran me over.”

The man chuckled at the joke. “Maybe someone here did. He came right at you. And you had the right of way.”

“I know,” Julia said, her forehead creasing. She’d been lost in thought, but certain she hadn’t tried to cross on the wrong signal.

Next to her Sierra stamped a high heel. “There isn’t anyone here yet. Do you know who I am? Do you know who my daddy is? My stepmother is lying almost dead in the streets and there isn’t an ambulance in sight.”

---