Page 73 of Captive Hearts
Twenty-Eight
The young officer, somewhat abashed from his dressing down, led them off to an ambulance, two paramedics on them immediately. ‘We’re fine, calm down,’ Ashley told her.
‘Just let them check us,’ Gina said.
‘God, fine,’ Ashley said, sitting down on a gurney and rolling her eyes as a paramedic started shining a light in her eyes. ‘Warn a girl before you blind her!’ Ashley complained. Gina chuckled.
‘Gina! Ashley!’ cried a voice, and they turned to see Sam, Tina, Greg, and Leanne standing at another ambulance across the road. ‘They’re OK!’ Tina cried, delighted. All of them ditched their paramedics and came running over.
Ashley stood to greet them, shaking off her paramedic. ‘Hey, guys. How you doing?’
Tina was the first to grab ahold of Ashley. It was a hug of such deep emotion that Ashley, never really a big hugger, had to let it happen. Then more arms grabbed on. Greg, he dragged Gina in, then Sam. Leanne didn’t move. She just watched the group hug, her arms folded.
The hug eventually broke. ‘You did it. You got us out,’ Greg said. ‘You’re both my heroes.’
‘Yes, likeactualMarvel heroes,’ Sam added.
‘Wonder women,’ Tina said, her eyes shining.
Ashley had no response to any of this. Gina appeared equally thrown. ‘Look, it’s… Don’t… I didn’t do it for thanks, so…’ Ashley muttered.
‘This worked out pretty well for you, didn’t it? Got a great story out of it,’ Leanne suddenly said.
Everyone eyeballed her. Ashley was past caring because she meant what she’d just said. She’d done this because she’d done it. Not for praise. Just because. But Greg, Sam, and Tina looked appalled. ‘What the actualfuckis wrong with you?’ Sam asked her.
‘What, because I’m not licking their arses? You know what, you lot need to grow a fucking brain. She basically talked herself inside so she could get an interview with that dickhead. And then, when he didn’t let her go, she was just trying to get her and the camerawoman out. We were just lucky to get out in the-’
SMACK.
Leanne, surprised to find herself on the floor, looked up in shock at the person who’d finally snapped. Tina. She was rubbing her hand. ‘Shut up, Leanne. Just for once,shut up.’
Leanne got up off her arse. She gave Tina a long, angry glare and Ashley thought she was just getting started. But instead, she rubbed her cheek and walked off back to the ambulance. Ashley distantly heard her say to a paramedic, ‘You need to check me for concussion. I was just savagely beaten. On mybirthday.’
‘Happy birthday,’ the paramedic said dryly.
‘Oh, shit, I probably shouldn’t have done that,’ Tina said, turning back to the group.
Gina touched her on the shoulder and smiled. ‘If it hadn’t been you, it would have been me.’
‘Maybe me,’ Ashley added.
‘God, when I tell Polly, she’s gonna lose her mind,’ Tina said, wondrously.
‘Where’s everyone else?’ Gina asked suddenly. ‘The chefs, the waiter, Lily, that lot?’
‘They were all moved somewhere else, some police station to get debriefed. We’re all going there after we’re checked out, they said. Oh, and apparently, all our family and friends, practically everyone we know is at the end of the road. They’re holding them off for the moment,’ Greg said.
‘I can’t deal with anyone else right now.’
‘Not even your dad?’ Gina asked.
‘No. Lethimwait in the cold and the dark for a change,’ Ashley said without thinking. And then she added. ‘You know what? Maybe Idohave an issue with him.’
Gina nodded. ‘I would if I were you.’
‘I think I might leave that one for another day, anyway. I’m too tired to dissect my childhood,’ Ashley said, shaking her head.
‘God, yeah,’ Sam agreed. ‘I’ve never been this tired, even after powerlifting.’
