Page 61 of Mistaken Intention

Who the hell is Mac? Hunter doesn’t explain and Josie doesn’t ask, which I guess means he’s significant to me andthey’re not about to give away his identity. I want to turn over and look at the guy, in case he rings any bells… but I can’t. The pain is getting worse.

“Hi,” Josie says.

“Hello.” The man has a deep voice, but he doesn’t sound familiar to me, although I guess that’s not unusual.

“Mind the broken glass.” What broken glass? What’s she talking about? “Drew must have been looking at the photograph, and it broke when he fell.”

“I’ll get a new frame,” Hunter says, and I wonder if maybe he gave it to me in the first place. The photograph inside is of his daughter, so that would make sense.

“How are we gonna do this?” Mac asks, and I notice his strange accent, which I can’t place.

“The easiest thing is to put him on a chair, and lift the chair,” Josie says.

“Okay.” That’s Hunter’s voice. “I’ll fetch one from the kitchen.”

I hear him move away, then feel Josie kneel beside me again. “Broken glass,” I mutter. “Be careful.”

“It’s okay. I’m fine. Hunter and Mac are going to lift you onto a chair and carry you upstairs.”

“Okay.”

I feel too weak to argue, or to help myself, and she stands up again.

I’m aware of someone taking her place, although whether it’s Mac or Hunter, I couldn’t say.

“Josie…” That’s Mac, not Hunter, but his voice sounds like it’s coming from behind me, not in front. “Can you pass me that throw from the couch? If we lay it down behind him, we can roll him onto his back without worrying about the glass. It should be easier to lift him from that position.”

I feel someone pushing something soft against my back, and then the man in front of me leans closer. “Drew?” It’s Hunter, and although his presence has made me feel uneasy every other time we’ve met, I suddenly feel quite safe… probably because he’s my only hope of getting out of my current predicament. “We’re gonna roll you onto your back, okay?”

“Fine.” He eases me over, and I let out a slight groan, the pain shooting through my head.

They don’t leave me lying here for long, though, and with one of them on either side, they pull me upright, into a sitting position. My head feels like it’s going to explode, and I daren’t open my eyes, although I’m surprised I don’t feel dizzy.

“Let me just check his arm and side for cuts,” Josie says. “He fell on the broken glass.” She moves in, taking Hunter’s place on my left side, and I feel her raise my t-shirt, her fingers brushing over my skin as she examines me. “He seems okay. You need to get him on the chair,” she says, moving away again. “If I hold it, can you lift him?”

“Sure,” Hunter says, sounding confident, even if I’m not so certain myself. I feel him lift my left arm, and then Mac raises my right. “We’re just putting your arms around our shoulders, Drew, then we’re gonna stand you up. We’ll keep a hold of you, so don’t worry.”

That’s easy for him to say.

“Okay?” Mac says, and although Hunter doesn’t reply, I guess he must have given some kind of signal, because the next thing I hear is Mac giving them a 3-2-1 countdown, and then I’m being lifted onto my feet, like I weigh nothing. They pull me backwards, and then lower me again almost immediately onto a chair, and I let out a breath.

I take my courage in both hands and open my eyes. The pain is still intense, but I keep them open long enough to see my brother standing right in front of me, worry written all over hisface as he pushes his fingers back through his hair. To his right is a dark-haired man, who I’m guessing is Mac. I don’t recognize him at all, but he’s handsome, despite the worried look in his eyes, and muscular enough that he seems like a useful guy to have around in the circumstances. Josie is standing off to one side, slightly behind the two of them. She looks scared, and I wish she’d come nearer. I need to hold her…

Mac steps forward. “Whichever one of us takes his feet is gonna be carrying the bulk of his weight once we start up the stairs.”

Hunter turns to him. “In that case, I’m volunteering you for the job.”

“Thanks,” Mac says, smiling, and Hunter moves around behind me, while Mac steps up in front. “I suggest you close your eyes again, Drew. We’re gonna tip you backwards, and it’s likely to make you feel dizzy again.”

I do as he suggests, tucking my arms in, because that makes sense to me. Moments later, I feel the chair falling backwards, resisting the instinct to reach out or lean forward, knowing they won’t let it drop. Sure enough, it comes to a steady stop at around forty-five degrees and then Mac counts down again, and on one, I feel them lift the chair.

It’s a strange sensation of being jostled, and part of me wants to open my eyes… but I decide against it and concentrate on sitting still instead.

Neither man says a word, and before long, they set me down again.

We’re upstairs already?

“I’ll just straighten the bed.” Josie must have come up with us, and I feel guilty now for not tidying up earlier.

---