Page 14 of Liam
Fuck, where was she?
A paramedic was climbing into the vehicle. Liam jogged over and grabbed the door before it could close. “Hey. Do you know where Nylah went? The woman you were looking after?”
“Not sure. I cleared her to go home.”
“You cleared her to go home? She took a hit to the head and has a bruised knee. Is she even okay to drive?” The words came out too damn harshly, but fuck, he couldn’t control his emotions right now. Even if she hadn’t been hurt, after what happened tonight, she shouldn’t be alone.
The guy frowned. “I thought she was with you, or part of your team, and assumed someone would take her home.”
Goddammit.
He let go of the door and jogged around to the employee parking lot. He didn’t even know what kind of car she drove. When he didn’t spot her, he pulled out his phone and searched for the new name in his contacts. The second he called it, it went to voicemail.
“This is Nylah. Leave a message. Unless it’s Cody. Cody, stop bugging me.”
Was her phone turned off?
Instead of leaving a message, he hung up and sent a text.
Liam: Hey. It’s Liam. I wanted to drive you home, but I can’t find you. Are you okay?
God, he was an asshole. He should have stayed with her. She’d already told him she was new in town and had no family here. After getting caught up in a fucking gunfight, getting hurt and a hit to the head, she shouldn’t be alone.
He waited for a minute, but when no response came through, he cursed and shoved his phone into his pocket as he made his way back to the team.
CHAPTER5
Nylah cringed as she looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror. God, the black eye looked even worse this morning. To be fair, her sleep had been rocky as hell, so the deep bags under her eyes probably weren’t helping, but still…
She prodded at the bruise, flinching at the shot of pain that coursed through her face.
Argh. That was going to take a while to heal.
When memories started slipping back in of being in that room with the man, of the fear that she couldn’t protect herself, panic pressed at her chest. She closed her eyes and took a moment to breathe. To allow the air to flow in and out of her lungs without it becoming stuck.
When the memory no longer sat on her chest like a million rocks, she opened her eyes, forcing her gaze away from her reflection.
After peeling off the tank top and shorts she’d slept in, she limped over to the shower. Her knee was killing her. It was worse when she walked, but even while in bed, the second the pain medication had worn off, the deep ache had woken her from a fitful sleep.
She stepped under the stream of water, letting the warmth wash over her cool skin.
Earning money was priority number one. There was no way she’d be able to return to the job at the event center. The mere thought of stepping foot inside that place again made her break out in a cold sweat.
Today she’d search for a new job…if her knee allowed it and she could layer on enough makeup that she didn’t look like such a mess, that was.
She closed her eyes as the warm water hit her shoulders.
She still hadn’t charged her phone. The second she’d returned to the condo, all she wanted to do was scrub her skin clean, slide into bed, and wish the horrible night away.
Well, not completely horrible. There had been one part of last night that was worth remembering.
Those beautiful, intense gray eyes.
She absently touched her cheek again, right where he’d grazed the skin. His fingers had been so gentle. Feather-soft.
She hoped he and his team figured out who was behind last night, not only so they stayed safe but so their families did, too. So that little girl, Mila, was safe.
Her attacker’s dark eyes flashed in her head for what had to be the hundredth time since last night, making her shudder. The only thing that kept her calm was Officer Carlson’s assurance that he was dead. She’d never see him again.
