Tangled Bliss by Rebecca Airies Page A

went down. She ducked down in
the seat. With one hand, she grabbed her shoulder bag and the other pulled the
door handle. She had to check on Alex.
    What the fuck hit him? How badly was he hurt? She
didn’t know and had to get to him.
    Nothing except the sound of her racing heart reached her
ears. She couldn’t chance looking out the window. Her throat tightened. Tears
pricked the back of her eyes as the possibilities bombarded her.
    She eased the door open and slipped out of the car. When a
hand grabbed her leg, she almost screamed. She looked down. Alex had crawled
over to the door. She eased out knelt beside him.
    An arrow shaft stuck in his arm. A red stain oozed out
around the shaft of the arrow. Her throat tightened and her stomach
constricted, as if a fist had knotted around it.
    “Get your phone and call for help. Mine’s on the damn stand
in the car.” Alex braced his back against the car.
    She reached in her bag and fished out her phone. Her hands
shook as she pressed 911 and waited. She explained what had happened and that
Alex was injured. Her muscles tightened as she looked around. Will the
stalker come find us and try again?
    Alex had his gun drawn. He knelt and kept looking to each
end of the car. It didn’t take a genius to know he stayed on guard, protecting
them both. Her mouth dried as fear swelled. She didn’t want the man to sneak up
on them either.
    The whoop of sirens reached them. She rested her head back
against the car door. Just the sound boosted Chelsea’s spirits. Help would be
here soon. She reached out and ran her hand over Alex’s leg, seeking a little
reassurance.
    “Are you all right?” She looked up at him.
    He didn’t glance at her. His eyes still swept from the front
of the car to the back. His lips compressed. The edges had turned white from
the pressure. She wanted to take away his pain. For the first time, she wished
her talent encompassed something other than plants.
    “It hurts like a bitch, but I don’t think it hit anything
except muscle.” Alex’s voice was tight.
    “The sirens are getting loud.” She didn’t know if it
comforted him, but it helped her.
    “It won’t be long. The man who shot me is probably gone, but
I won’t relax until they arrive.” Alex did glance at her, but his attention
turned back to his search of the yard.
    Police cars pulled into the driveway. Officers cautiously
got out of the squad cars, using the car and doors as shields at first. Most of
them fanned out, searching. One officer came over to Alex and Chelsea. Chelsea
had never been so relieved in her life.
    Alex handed over his gun so that they could finish securing
the area. Now that others had come to help, Chelsea turned her attention to the
wound. She could check it without fearing someone would attack them.
    The arrow entered on the fleshy part of his arm. It hadn’t
gone through. Had it hit bone?
    She bit her lip. This shouldn’t have happened to him. She
ran her hands through her hair. Her eyes cut to him and she shook her head.
What if they had to keep him in the hospital because of this?
    “Do not go crazy on me, Chelsea.” Alex squeezed her
shoulder. “This will be fine after they get the bolt out and stitch me up.”
    “I think you’re minimizing matters too much. You just got shot
with an arrow.” She blinked to fight back tears.
    “It could be worse. He could have better aim or used a
higher powered bow.” Alex grinned.
    “You’re not funny. That could have killed you.” She scowled
at him.
    “No, ma’am, he isn’t funny. He has a definitely skewed sense
of humor. Can you move back so I can see the wound? The ambulance is almost
here. The healers at the hospital are ready and waiting for him.” An officer
stopped beside them.
    Chelsea moved away. Alden Glen’s hospital wasn’t simply a
show of normalcy for humans. At times, wounds or sickness required medical
intervention beyond the work of the healers. The occasional human also
sometimes needed