Page 68 of Ruthless Cross

He grabbed the man's arm, at the same time knocking his feet out from under him. His weapon clattered as it hit the floor. And then it was hand-to-hand combat, a fight for not only his life but also Callie's. The man was tall and stocky with a ski mask that covered his hair and face, but his eyes were dark and mean.

Blow after blow fell, as they each strove to control the situation. Their fight went into the living room, knocking over chairs and vases. Every time he thought he'd gained the advantage, the man bounced back.

And then Flynn made a critical mistake. He heard Callie moan and call his name. In that split second of distraction, his attacker knocked him against the wall.

His head bounced off the wood and he struggled to stay on his feet, but he was going down.

As soon as he hit the floor, he rolled to one side, getting ready to fight again, but his assailant was running out of the room. He staggered to his feet, then raced down the hall.

When he got to the front of the house, he was just in time to see a gray sedan speed down the street. He couldn't see the license plate, but hopefully Arthur's cameras were working in this house. If not, maybe the car would be caught by another camera in the area.

He ran back into the house to find Callie struggling to sit up, her face white, her eyes glazed with pain. "What—what happened?" She put a hand to the back of her head, then stared at her bloody fingers in horror. "Someone hit me."

He squatted down next to her, pulling out his phone. "Don't move. I'm calling an ambulance."

"I don't need an ambulance. Do I?" She paused in confusion. "Am I dying?"

"No, you are not dying," he told her firmly, praying he was telling the truth. "You can't die. You hear me?"

"My head hurts."

"Don't close your eyes."

Panic ran through him as her eyes closed in spite of his order.

He punched in 911 and told them he needed an ambulance right away. Then he put his arms around her. "You have to stay with me, Callie. I need you to be all right. You're a fighter, babe, and now's the time to fight like hell. Don't quit on me."

He wanted her to open her eyes and tell him she was going to be fine, but she didn't, and a terrifying fear ran through him.

Chapter Sixteen

Callie floatedin and out of painful consciousness on the way to the hospital. The pain in her head felt like it was ripping her in two, and when she got to the ER, she could barely speak. Thankfully, she was seen quickly and given something to take the edge off the pain. Then there were doctors and tests and waiting for results. She didn't know how much time had passed, but eventually Flynn showed up in the ER, with worry darkening his beautiful blue eyes.

He was so handsome, so sexy. She probably shouldn't be thinking about that now, but when he smiled at her and put his hand over hers, a rush of warmth ran through her.She was going to be okay. Flynn was here. But there was worry in his eyes and that bothered her.

She vaguely remembered him telling her not to die. That she needed to stay with him. That he needed her.

Did he need her?That random thought ran around her confused brain along with the idea that she might need him, too. But she didn't let herself need people, because then they usually needed her to do things for them, and she couldn't take anyone else on. Her mom's needs were consuming enough.

"How are you doing, Callie?" His hand tightened around hers. "Your skin is warmer now."

"I feel better. What happened, Flynn?"

"You were knocked out. The doctor says you have a mild concussion, but no sign of a fracture, so that's good news. Are you in pain?"

"Not as much as I was. Your eye is swollen."

He put a hand to his face. "It's fine."

"You were fighting. I wanted to help you, but I couldn’t get up. I'm sorry."

He perched on the side of her bed. "The last thing you need to do is apologize to me. I never should have let you come with me. That was a big mistake."

"I insisted. I wouldn't tell you the address or the code if you didn't let me come."

"I should have figured it out another way."

She could see the guilt in his eyes. "You said I'm going to be okay, so let's not fight about it."

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