Page 32 of My Protector Daddy

A smile spread out on my lips, and I let it linger. “Love you, Danny.”

“Love you too.”

She ended the call, I paid for items with my card, then left the store for my car. Once I started the car and bounced onto the road, I released the pent-up breath building up inside me.

Danielle coming was disaster brewing. I couldn’t let her ever find out I had … My thoughts flew out of my brain when the first thud from behind my car shoved me to the side of the road.

My eyes flew to my side mirror, and I noticed the truck coming with speed behind me, but before I could react, his front bumper rammed into my car again, and the impact side-tracked me. My tires screeched but it was too late as my car skidded off the road into the woods. I screamed as it kept bouncing. My grip on the steering remained tight, but there was no way I could control it.

I gasped for air, screamed out again when I saw the tree in view, then crashed into it before I could take another breath. The airbags pipped out, and that was the last thing before the darkness surrounding me swallowed me whole.

Tommy

Leahwaslyingonthe hospital bed when I rushed in. I got the call about the accident an hour ago and thank goodness she was conscious when I arrived. Without hesitating, I took her hands in mine held them to my cheeks, and kissed each finger.

“I’m okay, I’m all right,” she said, her cracked tone sounded even more hoarse now and the bruise on the side of her head caught my attention. “It’s just a concussion and some bruises but I’m fine.”

“Leah,” I sighed, then moved in for a hug because my heart felt like it would explode.

The numbing terror that clutched me when I received the call about her accident was still in play. My right hand quivered as I smoothed it down her back and pressed her closer to me.she’s alive … she’s alive and well and that’s what matters.

I squeezed my eyes shut and tried to still my shaking insides. I hadn’t felt fear like this in a long time. When I pulled back, her brown eyes were crystal clear as she said. “There was a truck behind me, and I didn’t make much of it at first till it rammed right into me. I was driving to Fort Close. You know it’s a lonely road leading to our avenue, and …”

“The cops are looking into this,” I said to her, then hugged her again. “They found the truck at the side of the road, but there was no driver. They asked me questions, and I told them about Trevor. There were a few witnesses on the scene. They say the driver drove off into the distance then dumped the truck and escaped.”

“You did?” Her shaky voice made me frown. “You shouldn’t have done that. I told you; Trevor is …”

“He might be the one trying to hurt you and I’m not taking any chances.” My voice boomed around the corner, and I noticed a few nurses glancing toward us. I didn’t want to draw attention to our corner, so I cleared my throat and dropped my tone a notch. “I think the cops have a better chance of protecting you if they know the full story, so I told them.”

She pressed her lips together, closed her eyes, and sank lower into the bed. The tormented look on Lea’s face proved that there was something else bothering her.

I can’t help her if she doesn’t confide in me.

It took a long moment before she opened her eyes again, and this time her gaze was softer. “The doctors need to run more scans to make sure there’s nothing else wrong before they let me go. Will you ….”

“I’m not leaving your side,” I replied before she asked the question, then took her hand again, linked our fingers, and sat on the right side of the bed.

I stayed till the nurses returned to take her out for a scan, then I dialed Peter’s contact.

“Hey man,” Peter said on the other end. “How’s it going?”

“We have a situation,” I said, then went ahead to brief him about both incidents. I already concluded that Leah had a stalker, and I was going to find out who before he did anything worse than this.

“We have a new client also,” Peter said after I ended my talk about Leah’s accident. “I’ll email you his files and the details for a meeting set-up. He asked to meet with you tomorrow. He wouldn’t give full information on what he wants to high us for, but from what I’ve read in his email, it involves finding a woman.”

“Email me the details.”

I got off the call with Peter right before a nurse rolled Leah in. “I’m clear,” Leah announced, and I rushed forward to help her to her feet.

She trembled a little, and my brows furrowed. “Are you sure you’re all right? You’re in pain, maybe we should stay the night and…”

“I’ve got meds for the pain,” she quickly said then showed me the prescription pad she held. “Now let’s get out of there…I hate the smell of hospitals; it reminds me of my mother.”

I led her out, then drove her home after picking up her prescription from the closest pharmacy. Leah snuggled close to me when I lifted her in my arms and carried her to the bedroom upstairs.

She sighed once her body touched the bed, and I only left her to make sure all doors were locked and windows were closed. When I returned, she was sleeping soundly, and seeing her small frame on the bed sparked tender feelings in me.

The thought of Leah getting hurt terrified me. I never wanted to get a call like that from the cops or anyone else ever again. It was too much for my heart.

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