Page 102 of Deadly Attraction
“No!” Mitch hollered, firing his own weapon and hitting Brown square in the throat.
Two other shots were fired as well, Brown’s body jerking from Cooper’s and Nelson’s bullets.
She was dead before she hit the floor.
“Emma.” Mitch fell to his knees beside her.
The knife was lodged deep, up and under her left ribcage. Blood gushed down her stomach, her side.
Her eyes were wide, staring up at him as she tried to say something. He sensed Cooper and Nelson moving into the room, pulling Brown and Goodsman aside, shoving the bed out of the way. From the doorway, Will said, “I’ll get Doc Jane.”
Heavy footsteps on the stairs. Women’s voices down in the kitchen. “What’s going on? Who’s hurt?”
Nelson moved in beside Mitch. “Don’t pull the knife out. Too close to the heart. Might have nicked something.”
Above him, Mitch heard thewhompingnoise of the helo again, felt the sound vibrating inside his chest where his heart had stopped beating.
“That’s Dupé.” Cooper came out of the bathroom with towels and tossed them to Nelson. “Wrap her up and get her on that helo. I’ll radio ahead to the hospital and have them on standby.”
The voices, the helicopter noise…all of it receded as Mitch stared down into Emma’s hazel eyes, fluttering to stay open. “Hang in there, doc,” he murmured as he tucked a towel around the knife wound. His movements were stiff. Once again, the threat of slipping back into the past and the horror of the day he’d lost Mac threatened to take him under.
“I…” she said, then licked her lips and grimaced as she reached for his hand. “Don’t leave me, okay?”
Leave her? He would never leave her.
But he wasn’t the one dying.
She was.
Her body trembled, probably from shock. “I’m cold.”
Mac had left him. Their father had left them. Their mother had left Mitch emotionally a long time ago, his brother’s death only making it more pronounced.
He yanked the blanket off the bed. “Help is on the way.”
“I did…what you said…” One side of her lips lifted in a tired smile. “I aimed for the eye.” And then her face sobered. “I didn’t want to kill him, Mitch. I didn’t…but…”
“You had to. I know.” He brushed a strand of hair away from her face. “You did the right thing, Doc. He wouldn’t have stopped until he killed you.”
Her eyes closed. Her chest heaved and blood ran from the corner of her mouth. “So tired.”
“Emma.” Mitch leaned over and gave her a gentle pat on the face. “Stay with me. Keep your eyes open.”
“Come on,” Nelson said, giving Mitch’s shoulder a squeeze. “Cooper went down to tell Dupé we need the helicopter. Let’s get the good doctor here to the hospital.”
Mitch hadn’t realized it but Nelson had stripped the bed sheets and laid them on the floor. Carefully, they worked together to wrap them around Emma.
They heard more heavy footsteps on the stairs and Cooper entered with Dupé and the helicopter pilot, who was carrying a stretcher.
“What the living hell?” Dupé said, taking in the scene, his face tight with anger.
Mitch and Nelson gently loaded Emma onto the stretcher. “She’s been knifed in the chest,” Mitch said, even though it seemed obvious from the hilt still sticking out from her upper body. “She needs immediate medical attention.”
The man’s dark eyes cut to his. “You were supposed to keep her safe.”
Bile rose in his throat. Anger, hot and potent. “I…failed.”
The director shifted aside and motioned at them impatiently. “Get her into my chopper.”
