Page 73 of Heart Thief

My dreams, my life, everything is disappearing in one blinding moment. One small action that will change my world in huge ways.

Anguished cries are forced from my body, sounds I’ve never heard myself make. The pain is unbearable.

But the ramifications are excruciating.

A wave of dizziness makes me fall to the floor. I’m crying uncontrollably, writhing in pain. I can hardly catch my breath as waves of agony course through me.

The blackness is again at the edges of my vision and I feel myself going numb, slipping away. The pain is too much.

I open my eyes, tears blurring my view. Zane is above me, kneeling next to me. His lips are moving, but I can’t hear a word he’s saying above the ringing in my ears. He’s holding my hand, gently cradling it in his own.

Ryker is standing there looking stunned, doing nothing.

Zane turns and yells at him. “Get ice! Now!”

I hear that loud and clear.

Ryker finally acts, leaving my line of sight.

The next thing I know Zane has gently placed a bag of ice on top of my hand. The cold makes me gasp as it invades me, conquers me.

Zane carefully wraps a towel around the ice and my hand, securing it in place. He positions my hand on my stomach and picks me up in his arms, cradling me like a baby. I bury my face in his chest, squishing my eyes closed and gritting my teeth against the waves of agony.

“Help me get her to your car!” he yells to Ryker.

He sounds frantic, yet determined.

There’s several minutes of jostling while Zane gets me to Ryker’s car at record speed. My hand remains cocooned on my belly, the cold ice causing sparks of pain to wander up my arm clear to my shoulder.

A sudden change of temperature tells me we’ve entered the parking garage in the basement. The strange echo of tires rolling against the pavement hits my ears.

More jostling, this time rougher as Zane begins to run to Ryker’s car. I want to cry out, but I can barely remain conscious, much less utter a single word.

But I’m in Zane’s arms. He’s taking care of me. I’m leaving it up to him to get me the help I need.

When the manhandling stops, and the slamming of car doors stops bouncing through my head, I peek at the world around me. I’m still in Zane’s arms, nestled against his chest, sitting on his lap. A seatbelt is awkwardly wrapped around us, cutting into my skin in various places. The tires are screeching as Ryker drives like a wild man to get me to the hospital.

Zane is holding me tightly, so tight I hardly sway with the motion of the car. He’s looking down on me with fierce eyes.

“Everything will be all right,” he says, his voice gritty. He presses his lips to my forehead.

I appreciate his words. I do. So much. But I know the truth. It’s staring me in the face.

My days as a professional pianist are over.

And there’s nothing anyone can say or do to change that fact.

chapter twenty-seven

~

WHEN I NEXTawaken, I’m lying in a hospital bed, my mind foggy. I’m dizzy and my mouth feels like cotton.

As I attempt to open my eyes and keep them open, I find Ryker and Zane sitting in my room. Zane looks ravaged with emotion and Ryker looks sheepish. A new look for him.

“Hey, sweetheart,” Zane says softly.

Ryker winces, like Zane’s words disturb him.

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