Page 2 of I've Got You

Looking down at myself, I realize that my clothes are torn and dirty. My blouse hanging open. I grasp the edges and pull them together. Was I?

No, my mind won’t go there. I wasn’t attacked sexually. It didn’t happen. I’d feel it.

But someone really tore into me. One of my hands reaches for my bra and I clutch it, turning white.My phone!

They got my phone. Which means they have all my evidence. Along with possibly being able to figure out my name and how to find me to finish the damn job.

I curse under my breath and stumble out of the alley. Right into bright sunlight and a bunch of people. Ridge City is awake now.

People stare at me and a man stops and says, “Do you need help? Are you alright?”

I hold my shirt together with one hand and my other touches my bleeding head. “I don’t know.”

Then it all fades to black again.

JUDD

Sighing, I look over at my partner. “Jess. Seriously, stop snarking about the dang night shift. You asked to be moved to days. You’re gonna have to get over being pissed off about being moved when you asked for it.!”

“I know. But I just wanted it to be temporary. Just until my sister goes back home to our parents. I wasn’t asking for it to be permanent.”

I chuckle. “Sadly, they needed someone for days and you opened the door. Trust me, you’ll be plenty busy. There’s a lot of traffic in the daytime.”

“Yeah. But you know I’m a night owl. Early mornings, ugh!” She shudders and I laugh.

“What’s wrong with greeting a new day when the sun comes up? I love seeing the new day as soon as I can.”

She shoots me a frustrated glare. “You’re sick in the head.”

I shrug. “You asked for it. You’re gonna have to learn to deal with it until another night shift spot opens up.”

“They didn’t have to fill it so fast,” she grumbles, her blue eyes narrowing.

“Seriously. I want to have a more scintillating conversation than you bitching every day about hating days. Got anything else to talk about?”

The dispatch calls. I answer.

“Yeah. Med 4 here.”

“Got a live one out on Fortieth. Near the old brewery district.”

“Got it.” I let go of the radio and hit the siren. “Let’s go, Jess.”

She nods, her jaw clenched. Taking the corners quickly, with no wasted movements. She’s a great driver and I’m happy that I got her when she had to move. Even if she’s gonna be pissed every day.

Ten minutes later, we pull up to where there’s a crowd gathered around the mouth of an alley. Both of us get out and slip on gloves. I grab a bag and head over to where everyone seems to be congregated.

“Excuse me, people. Could y’all please move aside? I need to get through,” I ask, my voice calm.

The crowd parts and my heart stops in my chest. “Oh my god!” I whisper under my breath.

A young woman is lying unconscious on the ground surrounded by people. A man is holding her hand and I want to pull him away from her. I want to break his hand just for touching her.

I shove that shit down.

Clearing my throat, I kneel beside her slim yet lush figure. I look over at the man and deliberately pull her hand away from him, ostensibly to place a monitor on her finger to check her pulse and oxygen.

“Hello. What happened?” I ask the man with her but I never take my eyes off the woman lying on the cold dirt.

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