didn’t respond right away, he started to panic. “Talk to me, Bree. Are you hurt?”
“I’m okay.” She wheezed in a gasping breath and launched into a fit of coughing. One of the paramedics leaned through the toppled shelving and fit an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. In another moment, her breathing seemed to ease, her chest rising and falling with a natural rhythm.
Sully’s concern relaxed a little, but it didn’t last long. He’d screwed up. He should have anticipated the attack on her. Jesus. With at least one of her friends murdered—maybe two—it stood to reason she’d be on the killer’s hit list.
There was no way she had done this to herself. He’d seen the remains of accelerant-soaked towels shoved against the supply room door, her assailant’s parting gift before escaping out the back of the building. His mind also registered the empty bottles of Isopropyl Alcohol tossed in a corner, confirming the prick had used her own antiseptic supplies to try and burn her alive. She’d been lucky, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Curse words threatened to spill out of his mouth. He clamped his teeth together and swallowed hard. Swearing wouldn’t catch the psychopath. Only a full-scale police investigation would hunt the bastard down.
As soon as the power was back on, firemen helped Sully drag the mangled shelving to the side. “Be careful,” he cautioned. “I have criminalists on the way to take evidence.”
Breeana fell into his arms as he scooped her up and carried her to the reception area. EMTs examined her there, closing the cuts on her hands with butterfly bandages. It was a miracle she wasn’t burned, or suffering from serious smoke inhalation.
Sully kept a hand on her shoulder to forge a connection. He doubted she would ever think of the clinic as a safe haven again. She glanced around the room while breathing in fresh, clean air. He could see terror reflected in her gaze. “How are you doing?”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a semi,” she rasped. “But all things considered, I’m okay. My throat hurts but the EMTs said they’re satisfied I haven’t inhaled dangerous levels of smoke. At least I don’t have to go to the emergency room.”
He steadied her when she stood, placing an arm around her waist. “Are you sure you didn’t get burned anywhere?”
“The flames never reached me.” Breeana took a faltering step then straightened, visibly pulling herself together. “How did you get here so fast?”
“Cody called me.” He held her against him and brushed the hair back from her face. Another few minutes and she wouldn’t have made it out alive. He didn’t want to think about it.
“Good thing he found my business card and has a hell of a lot more sense than you do. He heard you drive off, saw the note on the fridge, and couldn’t raise you on the cell phone. With Rainey Dubé and possibly Miranda Greene murdered, he had good cause to be alarmed. I put out an APB on your vehicle, and was on my way to your place, when the fire call came through on the scanner. I recognized the address.”
“I’d better call him, Sully. I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
“We’ll call from the car. I’m taking you home. This time you’re going to stay there.”
The storm had tapered off when he handed Breeana into his unmarked and buckled her seatbelt.
A second later, a sedan swerved to the curb right in front of them. Breeana held a hand in front of her face to shield her eyes from the glare of headlights, and peered at the driver. “It’s my dad.”
“Okay. Stay put and let me talk to him for a minute.” Breeana’s father angled out from behind the steering wheel. Sully crossed the grass to meet him. He’d been in such a hurry to get inside earlier, he’d parked on the lawn. Forest noticed the badge clipped on his belt. “Are you the police lieutenant my grandson called?”
“Yes, sir. The name’s Sullivan Sauvage. And before you ask, your
“I’m okay.” She wheezed in a gasping breath and launched into a fit of coughing. One of the paramedics leaned through the toppled shelving and fit an oxygen mask over her nose and mouth. In another moment, her breathing seemed to ease, her chest rising and falling with a natural rhythm.
Sully’s concern relaxed a little, but it didn’t last long. He’d screwed up. He should have anticipated the attack on her. Jesus. With at least one of her friends murdered—maybe two—it stood to reason she’d be on the killer’s hit list.
There was no way she had done this to herself. He’d seen the remains of accelerant-soaked towels shoved against the supply room door, her assailant’s parting gift before escaping out the back of the building. His mind also registered the empty bottles of Isopropyl Alcohol tossed in a corner, confirming the prick had used her own antiseptic supplies to try and burn her alive. She’d been lucky, but it didn’t make him feel any better. Curse words threatened to spill out of his mouth. He clamped his teeth together and swallowed hard. Swearing wouldn’t catch the psychopath. Only a full-scale police investigation would hunt the bastard down.
As soon as the power was back on, firemen helped Sully drag the mangled shelving to the side. “Be careful,” he cautioned. “I have criminalists on the way to take evidence.”
Breeana fell into his arms as he scooped her up and carried her to the reception area. EMTs examined her there, closing the cuts on her hands with butterfly bandages. It was a miracle she wasn’t burned, or suffering from serious smoke inhalation.
Sully kept a hand on her shoulder to forge a connection. He doubted she would ever think of the clinic as a safe haven again. She glanced around the room while breathing in fresh, clean air. He could see terror reflected in her gaze. “How are you doing?”
“I feel like I’ve been hit by a semi,” she rasped. “But all things considered, I’m okay. My throat hurts but the EMTs said they’re satisfied I haven’t inhaled dangerous levels of smoke. At least I don’t have to go to the emergency room.”
He steadied her when she stood, placing an arm around her waist. “Are you sure you didn’t get burned anywhere?”
“The flames never reached me.” Breeana took a faltering step then straightened, visibly pulling herself together. “How did you get here so fast?”
“Cody called me.” He held her against him and brushed the hair back from her face. Another few minutes and she wouldn’t have made it out alive. He didn’t want to think about it.
“Good thing he found my business card and has a hell of a lot more sense than you do. He heard you drive off, saw the note on the fridge, and couldn’t raise you on the cell phone. With Rainey Dubé and possibly Miranda Greene murdered, he had good cause to be alarmed. I put out an APB on your vehicle, and was on my way to your place, when the fire call came through on the scanner. I recognized the address.”
“I’d better call him, Sully. I can’t believe I was so stupid.”
“We’ll call from the car. I’m taking you home. This time you’re going to stay there.”
The storm had tapered off when he handed Breeana into his unmarked and buckled her seatbelt.
A second later, a sedan swerved to the curb right in front of them. Breeana held a hand in front of her face to shield her eyes from the glare of headlights, and peered at the driver. “It’s my dad.”
“Okay. Stay put and let me talk to him for a minute.” Breeana’s father angled out from behind the steering wheel. Sully crossed the grass to meet him. He’d been in such a hurry to get inside earlier, he’d parked on the lawn. Forest noticed the badge clipped on his belt. “Are you the police lieutenant my grandson called?”
“Yes, sir. The name’s Sullivan Sauvage. And before you ask, your
Similar Books
