Page 45 of Clara's Secure Hideaway

Tommy stood and dipped his chin, forcing her to look at him. “Calls are already out. Deputies and policemen all over this damn county searching for them. I’m here with you in case he comes back.”

“No,” she said, the movement enough to bring back memories of a fist slamming against her face, her head being shoved against the ground. She braced her hand on Tommy’s forearm to keep herself upright. “Go find them. Please.”

A knock sounded on the front door before it swung open, and two emergency medics strode inside.

“Clara, you’re hurt,” Tommy said, “We need to make sure you don’t have to go to the hospital.”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said through gritted teeth. “Except pounding the pavement of every square inch in this town until I find my kids.”

The older of the two EMTs, a middle-aged woman with sandy blond hair pulled into a bun at the nape of her neck, gave Clara a knowing look. Her name, Maggie, was sewn onto the upper corner of her navy-blue shirt. She crossed the room and cupped her strong hand over Clara’s bicep. “Honey, I know the last thing you want to do is think about yourself right now. But trust me, that’s the best thing you can do for those kids. You can’t search for them—heck, even use that brain of yours to help find them—while you’re in this much pain. And trust me, I know you’re in a world of hurt right now. Let us help you so you can help them.”

Tears filled Clara’s eyes, but she didn’t have the energy to hold them back. She was terrified and angry and every damn bone in her body hurt.

Hurried footsteps reached her ears before she could respond, and Heath stormed into the house. His gaze found hers, and anger pinched his face as he rushed to her side and gathered her in his arms.

She melted against him, not caring that his touch set her body on fire. Sobs shook her shoulders, and she let herself fall apart for a few moments. Because Heath would put her back together. He’d let her cry and scream and shout then he’d move heaven and hell to find her kids.

“I’m so sorry,” he said, pressing his lips to the top of her head. “I should have been here. I never should have left you alone.” Emotion cut off his voice. His words barely a whisper.

“It’s not your fault. You didn’t know. Neither of us did. But now—” she couldn’t finish her statement, couldn’t do anything but drown in her misery.

“Deputy Sterling,” Maggie interrupted. “I was just telling Clara that we need to examine her now.”

Heath unwound his arms from around her back and cradled her jaw in his palm.

She winced but didn’t pull away from his touch.

His frown deepened, his gaze intense on her face. “I’ll kill him. But Maggie’s right. We need to make sure you’re all right. That bastard did a number on you.”

With a hand on her elbow, he led her to the couch then sat beside her.

Tommy hovered in the corner. “I want to join the search for Mitch, but I need to take Clara’s statement.”

“You can’t wait for that?” Heath snapped.

Clara rested a hand on his knee. “It’s fine. Let’s get this over with so he can put his time to better use.”

She sucked in a breath, grimacing at the ache in her ribs, then relayed the entire horrible experience. By the time she finished, tears ran down her face, and the faces staring back at her held every emotion from pity to sadness to rage.

“I’m so sorry, Clara,” Tommy said. “Know we’re doing everything we can to get them back.”

Maggie offered her a small smile that increased the laugh lines around her mouth. “Our turn,” she said, and hiked a thumb toward the young man waiting in the wings. “I need to check your vitals and take a look at your injuries.”

The other medic, Everett by the name on his uniform, handed her a medical bag.

Maggie searched inside and found what she needed to check Clara’s blood pressure and heart rate. “Everything’s good there,” she said as she worked. She stared into Clara’s eyes as she used her gloved hand to gently touch the back of her head.

Clara hissed in pain.

“My biggest concern as of now is a mild concussion. You have a nasty bump on your head but not much swelling. The cuts on your mouth need cleaning but no stitches. Can I check your ribs?”

Clara inched up her shirt.

“No bruising yet so that’s good, but that doesn’t mean they won’t hurt for a while. If you start experiencing shortness of breath or the pain gets worse, call your doctor. For now, I don’t see any reason why you need to go to the hospital. I’d tell you to take it easy, but I don’t see that happening.”

“No way.” Clara hiked up her chin. “No amount of pain will keep me in this house.”

“I figured, so deputy, keep an eye on her. Over the counter medication to help manage the pain, off her feet as much as possible, and stay hydrated. Your body’s been through one hell of a trauma. I understand your need to put yourself last, but if you don’t take care of you, you’re useless to your children.”

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