Page 73 of Fumbled Love

He kneeled over the top of me and brought his face close to mine. “I can see why he’d dump you. I guess your little plan to trap him didn’t work, huh? Or is he paying you off?”

“Hey!” The back door burst open. “Get away from her!” Chad’s frantic voice filled my ears as he charged toward the man. The guy cursed, and shoved me to the ground, causing my head to slam against the ice. A searing pain ripped through my scalp.

The guy stumbled to the ground before running away. Chad rushed over and kneeled in front of me. “Kinley, are you okay?” He lifted my head off the ground, supporting it in his hands.

“My head hurts.” I groaned. My limbs felt weak and my head felt fuzzy. “I feel dizzy. I need to make sure the baby is okay.”

“Shit!” He reached for my hand and pulled me up to a standing position. It felt like I was going to pass out. “Do you need an ambulance?” he asked, inspecting me from head to toe.

“I’m fine.” I flew into his arms, where I felt safe and protected. I was finally able to breathe again. “You got here just in time.”

“What the hell happened?” One of the maintenance workers came running through the door. He assessed the alley and looked at me. “Are you okay? Were you mugged?”

“No, it was just some deranged member of the paparazzi.” I shook my head and immediately rested my palm on the back of my neck. The dizziness I felt earlier was getting worse.

Chad’s eyes widened, and I followed his gaze. Blood dripped down my pants, and as soon as I noticed it, a sharp pain seared through my stomach.

Chad pulled out his cell phone. I heard him on the phone with 911. He was rattling off the address as they instructed him what to do. He was frantic and reassured me that I was okay. My only thought was that I couldn’t lose this baby. It was the only thing in the world I had left. The physical pain was nothing compared to the emotional agony of losing the last connection to Maverick I had left.

That was my last thought as my eyes drifted shut without warning, and everything went black.

CHAPTER26

MAVERICK

I was sittingin our team exit meeting, listening as our head coach went on about how we weren’t good enough to play football and explained all the reasons why we lost the playoff game, when my cell dinged with a text.

My brows pulled together as I read my sister’s message.

Rylee:Call me ASAP.

Glancing up, I noticed no one was paying attention, so I typed back.

In a meeting. Can I call you when it’s over?

Rylee:No. Call me NOW!

Well, shit. I ran a hand through my hair and stood up. “It’s my sister. There is some type of family emergency. I need to step out into the hall and take this.”

Coach signaled for me to go ahead, and I felt a few jealous gazes on my back as I bolted out of the room. This was basically like being excused from the principal’s office. Most of the players had their cars running in the parking lot, ready to get the hell out of there when it was over.

Rylee picked up on the first ring. “What’s going on?” I asked, not even giving her a chance to say hello. “Is it Mom or Dad?”

“Neither. It’s Kinley. She was accosted by some fucking paparazzi perp. Things got physical and she ended up in the hospital. She hit her head and was being treated for cramping and bleeding. That’s all I know.”

I leaned against the wall for support. “What. The. Fuck?” I growled into the phone.

“Maverick, you need to book a flight and get your ass to New York.”

“Did you talk to her? Is she okay?” I asked, taking in a huge gulp of air. It felt like someone was sitting on my damn lungs.

“No, I talked to her mom. She called me and asked me to contact you. Michelle is freaking out because she has the flu and can’t fly.”

“What about the baby?” I swallowed back the burning sensation in my throat. Someone was going to fucking pay for hurting the two most precious things in my life.

“I don’t know. She was helping out at a soup kitchen and went to take the trash out. Her friend Chad chased the guy off. I don’t know anything else other than she was brought to the hospital to get checked out.”

“Send me her mom’s number.” I gritted my teeth, and willed my heavy beating heart to slow down. “I’m on my way.”

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