Page 8 of Hooked on Marshall

The guy starts running his mouth again and Ryland just smiles while he explains that they’re all going to take a ride to the station to sort things out. A third officer arrives and helps with the handcuffs, so I immediately walk over to Lana. Her arms are crossed over her stomach and she’s shivering. I grip her upper arms and lean down into her line of sight. The fear in her eyes pains me.

“Lana?”

Her eyes meet mine. Then she loses it. Without thinking, I scoop her into my arms and carry her toward the back of the restaurant. There’s no need for everyone to see her like this. I’m vaguely aware of someone walking with me and smile when Jace steps forward to open the way. I walk straight into the office and settle her on the loveseat. She’s still shivering, so I root around in the closet and happen upon a blanket. I yank it out and pull it over her shivering form as she curls into a fetal position. I’m rubbing her arm when Jace walks back in with a mug of coffee.

“Thanks, man,” I tell him. “Let the police know we’re in here. I’m sure they’ll need to talk to us.”

“You got it, boss.”

He nods. Throws a concerned glance at Lana, then leaves. Softly closing the door behind him. I settle on the edge of the loveseat and try to get as close to her as I can without making her uncomfortable. After a hard shudder, she inhales deeply through her nose, holds it for a moment, then exhales slowly through pursed lips. She does this two more times before she pulls her hands down from covering her face. When she finally turns to look at me, I curse.

“Shit,” I hiss. “You’re bleeding. Stay right there.”

I rush into the bathroom and pull out the first aid kit. When I get back to Lana, she’s sitting up, staring down at her blood-stained hands. I settle beside her and do what’s necessary to clean her up. She says nothing, which I both love and despise. After she flinches for the half dozenth time, I sigh and shake my head.

“I think we need to get you to the ER.”

“Okay,” she nods.

Her instant acquiescence, given her coldness toward me as of late, worries me. Very gently, I touch my fingertips to her cheek and tilt her face toward mine. Once again, I hate the look I see in her eyes. There are a myriad of emotions swirling in them, but the most prominent is fear.

“You’re going to be okay,” I tell her. “I’m going to stay with you until I know you’re okay.”

She nods. Then there’s a knock on the door.

“Come in,” I say.

Jace pushes the door open and Ryland walks in. I rise and shake his hand. Lana simply pulls the blanket tighter around her. Ryland glances her way and sighs.

“So, all four of the men are on their way to the station for questioning,” he explains. “They’ll all be charged with disorderly conduct.”

“What about the man who tried to run off with Lana?” I snap.

“I’ll have to talk to my supervisor,” he sighs. “Kidnapping seems like a bit of a stretch. But depending on the extent of her injuries, we can possibly hit him with aggravated assault.”

I grit my teeth. Then Lana sniffs. I’m kneeling in front of her in the next second. Slowly and gently, I place my hands on the outside of her knees and wait for her to look at me.

“I’m sorry,” she whispers. “You don’t have to-”

“Yes,” I snap. “I do.”

Her eyes fill with tears. I almost lift my hand to caress her face, but I restrain myself. Even if I’m ready for that, I know she’s not. Especially not after what just happened to her.

“The ambulance is here,” Ryland says. “I can take your statements after she’s been treated.”

I rise and pull Lana up with me. When she sways on her feet, I tuck her into my side and follow Ryland out the back door. She stiffens when she sees that the stretcher has been pulled out. But she barely resists when I walk her to it and help her get settled. The paramedics lift her inside and Ryland gestures for me to follow.

I sit on her right side close to her head. My eyes ping pong all over the place as the paramedics do what they need to do to check her out. She already has some bruises on her arms in addition to the gash over her left eye. When they tend to that, she tenses and sucks in a sharp breath. I close my eyes and lower my head, hating that she’s in pain right now and there’s nothing I can do to help.

Then, for the first time since I met her, she says my name.

“Marshall.”

Slowly, I lift my head. When our eyes meet, I lose my breath. Then she lifts her hand toward me. As quickly and gently as I can, I take it in both of mine. Delighting in the fact that her body instantly relaxes.

In that moment, I know that I’m going to do whatever I can for her. Tonight, and for as long as she’ll let me.

Eight

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