Page 54 of Taking a King

I see a flashlight bobbing in the gloom and hear him scrambling through the brush toward the car.

“What happened? Where’s Claire?”

I shake my head. “I was going after her,” I say. “I was coming to explain. I wasn’t far behind her. Maybe 5 minutes. I don’t know what happened.”

“Is she okay?”

“I don’t know.”

“Damn it, Garrett!” Ronan is suddenly beside me, looking furious and terrified. “Is she breathing?”

I nod, moving back a step so he can assess his sister. “She’s breathing. She’s not waking up though. I didn’t want to move her.”

I watch as Ronan performs the same vitals checks I did. He lets out a sigh of relief once he sees for himself that she’s alive. I keep my gaze on Claire’s face, willing her to open her eyes.Please wake up. Please wake up.The words repeat themselves over and over in my head. It takes me a while to realize Ronan is talking to me. I shake myself and risk a glance in his direction.

“Are you hurt?” he asks.

I shake my head, then go back to staring at Claire. The ambulance arrives within a few minutes, and I’m pulled away from the wreck of Claire’s car. Everything seems to happen quickly once they pull her from the car. She’s wearing a plastic collar to keep her neck immobilized. She’s still unconscious and her skin is far too pale. Ronan pulls me along with him and into the passenger seat of his police cruiser. He turns on the lights and sirens and speeds along behind the ambulance.

“She’s going to be okay,” he says. “She’s tough.”

I can’t tell if he’s trying to reassure me or himself. I’m not sure it’s working for either of us. Ronan follows the ambulance all the way to the emergency room, squealing to a stop in front of the building. I can hear him on his phone with someone, probably Quinn or one of his brothers.

“We’re at the hospital now,” he says.

“She’s breathing, but she was still unconscious when they put her in the ambulance.”

“I don’t know. I’m going inside now. Drive safe. See you soon.”

I feel a hand on my shoulder, and I flinch, turning to face Ronan.

“You okay?” he asks, concern evident in his eyes.

I don’t know how to answer him. I’m not hurt. But I’m not okay. I won’t be until I know Claire’s safe. Ronan seems to understand that I don’t have an answer for him. He lets it go and pulls me along with him toward the hospital entrance. We make our way into the emergency room waiting area and Ronan speaks to someone at the desk. Someone pushes a button to open the double doors and allow us access to the back.

I follow behind him, not caring where we’re heading as long as it leads me to Claire. I want to see her sitting there, green eyes sparkling, calling me an idiot for worrying about her. Hell, I’ll settle for her yelling at me for being such a coward. Right now, I’d even settle for her dumping me all over again. I don’t care if she’s mad at me. I just want her to be okay. I need her to be okay.

We make our way down a wide hallway to a room with a glass door. There are several people inside, all hovering around the stretcher where Claire lies. They’re hooking her up to monitors and peering into her eyes with a flashlight. One nurse is starting an IV. Claire lets out a little groan when the needle pierces the skin on her arm. That small sound is such a relief I nearly drop to my knees.

“I think she’s coming around,” someone says.

“Miss King?”

“Claire, can you hear me? Can you open your eyes?”

“There you go. Open your eyes. Look at me.”

Claire groans again and tries to raise her hand toward her head. “Ow,” she says, making the medical staff smile. “Did I kill Bambi?”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” the doctor says, smiling. “But you’re at the hospital. You were in a car accident. Can you tell me your name?”

“Claire King,” she says. I can hear the pain and confusion in her voice. But it is her voice. She’s awake and talking. The relief pouring through me is so powerful it threatens to knock me over. My throat feels tight and my vision blurs. I suck in a breath and let it out. I repeat the action a few more times until the moment passes.

Someone walks over to the open door and speaks to Ronan. “I think she’s going to be okay,” she says. “We’re going to do an exam and get her over for a head CT. She’s conscious and talking and knows where she is. Her vitals are good. She’s moving her extremities. We’ll check her over fully, but overall, I think she’s going to be okay.”

“Thanks, doctor,” Ronan says.

She nods. “You two should wait out front. I’ll have someone come get you as soon as she can have visitors.”

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