Page 81 of Crash and Burn

As he assessed what he could do, he saw that her movements weren’t random. She’d been trying to get her knees up and leverage Geller’s weight off of her. She clawed at his hands but then pulled them away toward her own torso.

Maggie’s move was enough, and it sent Sebastian bolting forward. He could only hope he was fast enough, and he could kick the man off of her or tackle him—or who knew what? He didn't have a plan other than the pounding thought that looped through his brain,Save Maggie.

As he watched, she rammed her fists upward, taking advantage of Geller’s distraction. But Maggie’s hands burst apart from where she’d wedged them between Geller’s arms, breaking his hold on her neck. Sebastian had been counting on that. It bought him the three seconds he needed to get to her.

She gasped for breath as Geller faltered, and Sebastian felt as though he were taking his own breath after being choked.

But he didn’t get to revel in it. Something glinted in her fist, and with a furious jab, she aimed for Geller’s neck. Though she hadn’t breathed much at all in the last few minutes, the fury on her face told him she knew exactly what she was doing as she pulled her hand back and blood spurted from Geller’s neck.

Even over her assailant’s angry shout, Sebastian could hear Maggie breathing freely for the first time. He finally closed the distance as Geller’s neck began spurting blood.

Maggie pushed him then, and he rolled easily this time. Her cut had him reaching for his neck. He could no longer try to kill her, his instinct to save himself would save Maggie. As he reached to staunch the gush, he collapsed and fell on top of her.

Even as she went to stab him again, Sebastian was finally close enough to do something. He grabbed Geller’s shirt and yanked the man with all his force. He hoped the fabric strangled him and that it made the cut worse.

He hauled Geller backward, tossing him blindly aside like the trash he was as Sebastian dove for Maggie. Her hand was bloody and slipped away as Sebastian tried to hold onto her.

He’d seen the gash she’d somehow made in her attacker’s throat. Good for her. Geller wouldn’t likely survive it. But Maggie would.

“Maggie!’he shouted her name like a prayer and a relief even as he used his foot to push the gurgling man backward.

He took Maggie in his arms and listened to the heavenly sound of her labored breathing. She was breathing. She would be okay. But even as he told himself that his brain snapped back with a deep fear.

Next to him, Decker and Watson grabbed hold of Geller and yanked his arms behind him as they tried to help him to his feet. They tried to staunch the flow of blood, even as they arrested him.

But Sebastian didn’t care. His hands roamed her body, checking for broken bones, wounds, blood. There was so much of it. What if some of it was hers?

He grabbed her face, his own hand bloody now, but he had to see her eyes. He’d checked the Miller boy! Thought he was safe. The kid was breathing when Sebastian pulled him out. Until this moment, he’d thought getting here too late was his biggest fear.

“Are you hurt?” There were so many possible answers to that question, and he dreaded most of the answers. But he didn’t let her answer. Turning to find other agents rushing toward the scene, he yelled at them. “Check her! Make sure she’s okay!Now!”

“I’m fine, Sebastian!” Her voice was scratchy but the sound was beautiful. His head snapped back and he watched her eyes focus on him. “I'm okay.”

She reached up to hold on to him, but Sebastian realized the blood on her hands was her own.

Chapter Sixty-Four

Sebastian watched, helpless as the agents crowded around Maggie.

“I’m fine!” She insisted, but it wasn’t good enough.

“Maggie!” He almost yelled it at her and watched as her head snapped back at the command. But he couldn’t fix it, not yet. “Let them help you!”

“I’m fine.”

“You’re bleeding.”

The agents were trying to check her over and he wasn’t helping. But neither was she. And his heart wouldn’t stop racing.

Logically, he told himself that she was talking. She was mad at him. And that meant she was healthy enough to do those things. He told himself she really was fine.

But illogically, he was petrified. People said they were fine when they weren’t. The first thing they learned about medical cases was to look for shock. It could make people seem okay, then as the high of the fight-or-flight response wore off, their heart stopped.

Losing a child that way hadn’t made him any more rational.

He dropped to his knees with a thud that would leave a bruise. He only hoped Maggie was around to tell him what an idiot he was. He grabbed her hand, still slick with fresh blood, and pled with her. “Please, I can’t lose you! Let them be sure you’re okay.”

She sighed at him, clearly irritated, but as she agreed to his wishes, the agent pulled Maggie’s hand from his.

---