Page 128 of Carbon

“You fainted,” Roxy said. “You’ve got a deep cut on your left leg, and you’ve lost some blood.”

“Really?” I tried to see.

My black trousers were rolled up to my knee, but they just looked wet.

“Gideon had a first aid kit, so I’ve bandaged it. Please keep still.”

“Leroux?”

Sofia’s lips formed a thin line. “Alive. You took priority.”

Dammit.

Branches cracked, and several overexcited paramedics ran into view. Sofia made the mistake of mentioning a stiff neck, and they strapped her onto a spinal board despite her protests. Then they tried to uncuff Leroux and do the same to him, but thankfully Emmy and Black arrived and took over the scene while Gideon ran crowd control. For once, I was glad about Black’s imposing personality. He ordered everyone to stay back while he ensured Leroux was well and truly incapacitated.

Meanwhile, Emmy waved off the paramedic Sofia was arguing with.

“She doesn’t need a bloody ECG.”

“But—”

Emmy glared at him until he backed away, then wrapped her arms around Sofia, kissing her tenderly on the cheek. Odd. I’d never seen Emmy be quite so sweet. And with Emmy otherwise engaged, I attracted Black’s attention once he’d finished with Leroux.

“You need to get to the hospital.”

“I didn’t even realise I was hurt so badly.”

“That’s the adrenaline talking. Once it wears off, you’ll be sore as hell.”

He held his hand out and someone placed a blanket in it, which he draped over my shoulders along with his arm. The paramedics wheeled Leroux past on a gurney, and even though his hands were now cuffed to the rails on the sides, I couldn’t help shuddering.

“He touched me,” I whispered. “While we were driving.”

“I know. Fia turned the dash-cams on the second he stepped out into the road. We’ve got everything on tape, including his confession.”

I sagged in Black’s arms, and rather than lower me to the ground again, he picked me up bridal-style and carried me towards a waiting stretcher.

“Does that mean they’ll stop looking for Ben?” I asked.

Black smiled, and it changed his face from dark and brooding to drool-worthy. I kept my lips firmly pressed together.

“Our legal team’s working on it as we speak. He should be a free man by tomorrow.”

It was over. It was finally over. We had Leroux, and Ben and I could be together out in the open. We’d have our future.

A faint “shit” escaped Black’s lips.

“What?”

“Don’t look now, but here comes your mother.”

“Is it too late to wish I was unconscious?”

Apparently yes. She screeched even louder than the siren on the ambulance as she wobbled over on heels better suited to a sober person. Father stood behind, seemingly unsure whether to back her up or die of embarrassment.

“What are you doing with my daughter?” she demanded.

Black’s grip on me tightened a smidgen. “She was in a car accident.”

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