Breath of Scandal by Sandra Brown Page B
Authors: Sandra Brown
Tags: Fiction, General, Romance, Contemporary, Revenge, Modern & contemporary fiction (post c 1945), Modern fiction, Fiction - Romance, General & Literary Fiction, Romance - Contemporary, Romance - General, Romance: Modern, Gang rape, E Romantiek
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plunged into the ditch. There was knee-deep stagnant water in the bottom of it. It smelled foul. Cold slime oozed between her bare toes. Her fear, however, was stronger than her revulsion.
Panicked and whimpering, she thrashed her way through reeds and undergrowth that seemed to clutch at the bem Of her skirt. When she reached the barbed-wire fence, she crouched down beside a fence post, hiding, trying to be invisible.
The car slowed down and crept along the shoulder. When its headlights fell on her, it stopped.
"No, no. " She ducked her head against her shoulder and protected her middle with her crossed arms, which were bleeding from dozens of scratches left by the brambles in the ditch.
"Missy, missy, wha'chu doin' out heah this time o' evenin'T' The voice was black. So were the hands that were outstretched toward her. "Missy, you hurt?"
He touched her shoulder. She flinched. He quickly pulled back his hands. "I ain't gonna hurt you, missy. What's happened to you?"
Against the twin beams of the headlights, be was merely a silhouette, but Jade made out a pair of overalls and a slouchy felt hat. Again he extended his hands toward her. This time she didn't recoil. He placed his hands beneath her forearms and gingerly backed up, pulling her along with him, up out of the ditch.
Keeping one hand beneath her arm, the man opened the passenger side and helped her into his old pickup. The door closed with a loud clatter of rusty metal that jarred her. It
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Sandra Brown
was dry inside, but there was no heater. She began to shiver uncontrollably.
"Where you headed, missy?" he asked as he slid behind the wheel. "Do you stay 'round heah?"
"Would you take me to the hospital, please?" She didn't recognize her own voice. It was hoarse from screaming. Neal had slapped her for screaming. Hutch had covered her mouth with his large hand. Her screams had made Lamar anxious.
"The hospital? Sure thing, missy. You just rest now. Everythin's gonna be all right."
Jade did as the man suggested. She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She was safe. Warm tears seeped from her closed eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She cried silently as the ancient truck bounced along the highway.
Either she dozed or momentarily lost consciousness because, almost immediately it seemed, the truck slowed down and came to a halt. The man got out and went around to open the door for her.
"Thank you," she whispered as he helped her out. When she stepped to the ground, her lower body began to throb painfully. She swayed and had to grab a support pole. Closing her eyes, she rested her cheek against the cold metal surface until the dizziness subsided. "Thank you," she repeated.
She turned to the man who had kindly rescued her, but his truck was backing away. "No, wait." She shielded her eyes against the headlights, but couldn't make out what he or the truck looked like. There was no front license plate. When the pickup reached the main road, the forward gears were engaged and the truck lumbered off into the rainy darkness. Jade supposed that beating a hasty retreat was his only protection against those who would jump to conclusions about his involvement with a white rape victim. Unfortunately, there were still many in Palmetto who, given the situation, would act first and ask questions later.
She made hesitant progress toward the sliding glass doors where EMERGENCY was spelled out in red neon. The doors
-Breath of Scandal
49
slid open. Beyond them, the blue-white fluorescent lighting was offensive. She dreaded being exposed to it, so she hovered just inside the door, waiting for someone to notice her. Two nurses and a man who looked like a janitor were chatting and laughing together at the desk.
Jade had thought she would welcome reporting the attack, but now that it was imminent, she was filled with dread. This was only the first of many difficult steps to see that justice was done. In order to achieve her goal,
Panicked and whimpering, she thrashed her way through reeds and undergrowth that seemed to clutch at the bem Of her skirt. When she reached the barbed-wire fence, she crouched down beside a fence post, hiding, trying to be invisible.
The car slowed down and crept along the shoulder. When its headlights fell on her, it stopped.
"No, no. " She ducked her head against her shoulder and protected her middle with her crossed arms, which were bleeding from dozens of scratches left by the brambles in the ditch.
"Missy, missy, wha'chu doin' out heah this time o' evenin'T' The voice was black. So were the hands that were outstretched toward her. "Missy, you hurt?"
He touched her shoulder. She flinched. He quickly pulled back his hands. "I ain't gonna hurt you, missy. What's happened to you?"
Against the twin beams of the headlights, be was merely a silhouette, but Jade made out a pair of overalls and a slouchy felt hat. Again he extended his hands toward her. This time she didn't recoil. He placed his hands beneath her forearms and gingerly backed up, pulling her along with him, up out of the ditch.
Keeping one hand beneath her arm, the man opened the passenger side and helped her into his old pickup. The door closed with a loud clatter of rusty metal that jarred her. It
48
Sandra Brown
was dry inside, but there was no heater. She began to shiver uncontrollably.
"Where you headed, missy?" he asked as he slid behind the wheel. "Do you stay 'round heah?"
"Would you take me to the hospital, please?" She didn't recognize her own voice. It was hoarse from screaming. Neal had slapped her for screaming. Hutch had covered her mouth with his large hand. Her screams had made Lamar anxious.
"The hospital? Sure thing, missy. You just rest now. Everythin's gonna be all right."
Jade did as the man suggested. She laid her head back against the seat and closed her eyes. She was safe. Warm tears seeped from her closed eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She cried silently as the ancient truck bounced along the highway.
Either she dozed or momentarily lost consciousness because, almost immediately it seemed, the truck slowed down and came to a halt. The man got out and went around to open the door for her.
"Thank you," she whispered as he helped her out. When she stepped to the ground, her lower body began to throb painfully. She swayed and had to grab a support pole. Closing her eyes, she rested her cheek against the cold metal surface until the dizziness subsided. "Thank you," she repeated.
She turned to the man who had kindly rescued her, but his truck was backing away. "No, wait." She shielded her eyes against the headlights, but couldn't make out what he or the truck looked like. There was no front license plate. When the pickup reached the main road, the forward gears were engaged and the truck lumbered off into the rainy darkness. Jade supposed that beating a hasty retreat was his only protection against those who would jump to conclusions about his involvement with a white rape victim. Unfortunately, there were still many in Palmetto who, given the situation, would act first and ask questions later.
She made hesitant progress toward the sliding glass doors where EMERGENCY was spelled out in red neon. The doors
-Breath of Scandal
49
slid open. Beyond them, the blue-white fluorescent lighting was offensive. She dreaded being exposed to it, so she hovered just inside the door, waiting for someone to notice her. Two nurses and a man who looked like a janitor were chatting and laughing together at the desk.
Jade had thought she would welcome reporting the attack, but now that it was imminent, she was filled with dread. This was only the first of many difficult steps to see that justice was done. In order to achieve her goal,
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