His to Defend, page 6
“Dammit,” he growled, trying to stay upright while still holding on to her, but his other arm jerked, causing the knife to slide across her neck. Amina shrieked at the initial sting and the shock of being cut, but used the downward momentum to her advantage.
Her deafening scream pierced the air.
“Hey!” someone yelled in the distance, and her assailant startled, loosening his grip.
Heart racing, Amina wrestled out of his grasp. “Help!” she screamed, and took off in a sprint; adrenaline propelled her forward and she darted in between cars and headed to the building. She didn’t dare look back, just pushed herself to keep going. “Help me!”
When she got closer to the building, she spotted Dr. McPherson running toward her. More tears spilled down her cheeks as he got closer. She slammed into him, holding on as if he was a lifeline.
“What happened?” he asked in a rush, his arm around her shoulder.
“A ma-man attack—attacked me,” she said, her words strangled on a sob. The faster she wiped at her tears, the faster they fell.
Two security guards came running and Dr. McPherson directed them to the middle of the lot.
“Come on. Let’s get you inside.” He hurried her to the building. “A little help over here,” he called out once they were inside.
I could’ve been killed.
That overwhelming realization sent her mind spinning out of control. Amina covered her face with her hands when sobs engulfed her, and she dropped to her knees. Her body shook violently while chills raked over her skin and she struggled to get air into her lungs.
I could’ve been killed.
She wept uncontrollably as a flurry of activity went on around her. “Help me,” she choked out, feeling as if she was being swallowed into a deep, dark hole.
“She’s bleeding.”
“Is that Amina?”
“What happened?”
“Get her into room thirteen.”
Amina’s head spun, and she couldn’t stop the tears as everyone talked at once. It was as if her brain couldn’t completely process what was happening.
Someone squeezed her hand. “Oh, honey. You’re okay. We’ve got you.”
Chapter 6
“How do you feel?” Samantha asked when she finished taking Amina’s blood pressure again.
Propped up against pillows on the hospital bed, Amina kept her eyes closed. “I’m embarrassed, and I’m exhausted. I also feel like I sprinted the New York City Marathon in ten minutes flat.”
Samantha laughed. “Well, you have nothing to be embarrassed about.”
Amina cracked one eye open and glanced at her friend. “Seriously? I made a fool of myself downstairs. I have never cried like that in my life, and of course it had to be in front of everyone. How am I ever going to be able to face them again?”
Samantha huffed out a breath and sat on the side of the bed. “Girl, you just went through hell. All of us would’ve fallen apart had we been in your shoes. As far as embarrassment goes? Please, you had a panic attack. My butt would’ve passed out the moment that jerk showed up out of nowhere at my car. Trust me—you’re doing amazing. You’re way stronger than most of us would’ve been in that situation.”
Amina sat up straighter and linked her fingers in her lap, trying to stop her hands from shaking. Physically, she was fine, but mentally, she was still a nervous wreck.
First Jeremy. Now this. If she didn’t know better, she’d wonder if the mugging was connected to Jeremy’s death.
Amina shook the thought free, mentally chastising herself for going there. Clearly, she’d been watching too many crime shows. Her imagination was getting the best of her. Jeremy was killed in the line of duty. Of course, the attack on her had nothing to do with his murder.
“I have never been so scared in all of my life,” she said.
“Thank God you got away. I only wished Security could’ve caught the guy. But while you were being checked out, they found your bag and keys next to your car and brought them inside. Oh, and while they were questioning you, you mentioned that he had on a baseball cap. Did you see any part of his face? Anything that the rest of us should be looking out for?”
Amina shook her head but stopped when the cut on her neck started stinging. It was a superficial wound, similar to a scrape, but the prickling sensation was just enough to be irritating. It was about five inches long, and there was about a half an inch of it that was a little deeper than the rest. It would probably leave a scar, but nothing as bad as it could’ve been.
“It happened so fast, and even though the lot was pretty well lit, I didn’t see his face. All I know was that he was a little taller than me. He had on all black and smelled as if he bathed with cigarette-scented shower gel.” She pinched the bridge of her nose as she recalled the guy. “He came out of nowhere, but I fault myself for not paying attention. I’m so used to just going out there and hopping into my car. I never thought I’d get mu...” The rest of the word caught in her throat. She was beyond lucky that she’d gotten away.
There was a quick knock on the door before Dr. McPherson strolled in. “I just wanted to check on you. Are you all right?”
“Yes, I’m fine. I didn’t mean to freak you and everyone else out.”
“I’m just glad you’re okay.” He studied her in that way that he always did with his patients and their parents. Sometimes he appeared as if he was waiting for them to say more. While other times, it seemed he was debating on what other questions to ask.
“I’m ready to get out of here,” Amina said.
The emergency room doctor wanted her to stick around a little while for observation. She rarely had headaches, especially those that were as strong as a migraine. She also didn’t suffer from high blood pressure, but during her panic attack, she’d dealt with both. Her blood pressure had skyrocketed and it had taken a while for it to go back to normal.
“When was your last tetanus shot?”
That had been one of many questions the ER doctor had asked even though all of them were strongly encouraged to stay on top of their vaccinations.
“Two years ago,” she told Dr. McPherson.
He nodded slowly. “You’re shivering. Are you cold or is that nerves?”
Amina glanced down at her hands, noting that they were still shaking a little. How had he noticed that? He was on the left side of the bed, but still, there was a little distance between them.
“It’s probably just nerves. I’m sure I’ll be fine. Once I get home, shower and relax a bit, I should be back to normal.”
“I don’t think it’s a good idea for you to drive,” he said.
Amina had been thinking the same thing. She’d been there an hour. Though she felt better, he was right. Her nerves were frayed. The thought of driving home to an empty house had her wringing her hands even more. It wasn’t that she was afraid exactly, but she was definitely on edge.
God, she hoped she wouldn’t be looking over her shoulder all the time. That guy wouldn’t have caught her off guard had she been paying better attention. Besides that, she should’ve waited for Security to walk her to her car at that time of night. The chief nurse had recommended that none of them go to their cars at night by themselves. Not that they’d had many problems in the lot, but there had been enough break-ins over the years to warrant caution. Amina had never had a problem before and hadn’t thought anything of leaving the building alone.
Dr. McPherson shifted next to her, and she returned her attention to him. “I’m getting off in a few minutes. I’ll be glad to give you a ride.”
Amina could almost feel Samantha rolling her eyes. Her friend liked the doctor enough, but she had once mentioned that she didn’t like the way he eyed Amina. Like he wanted to gobble her up and go back for seconds. Back then, Amina had laughed off the comment, but she had to admit that since Samantha mentioned it, she’d noticed the looks he gave her.
“I couldn’t ask you to do that,” Amina said. “I wouldn’t want to put you out, but thank you.”
“No, I insist. You’ve been through something traumatic. Driving you home wouldn’t be a problem at all.”
“Actually, her ride should be here in a few minutes,” Samantha said, and Amina jerked her head to look at her. Her friend had been by her side the whole time and was standing to the right of the bed.
“Oh? Who’s picking you up?” Dr. McPherson asked, his gaze steady on Amina.
She was going to kill Samantha.
“Umm,” she said, trying to think of something without having to lie, but before she could respond, the door flew open. Amina’s heart slammed against her chest.
Maxwell.
He stood just inside the room looking larger than life in an untucked button-up short-sleeve white shirt. The garment emphasized his huge biceps and put the corded muscles of his arms on full display. Well-worn blue jeans covered his long legs, and the Timberland boots on his feet added to the badass aura that surrounded him.
“Dayum, girl. You’ve been holding out on me,” Samantha mumbled under her breath.
“Max?” Amina said, shocked to see him there. And like usual her body came alive the way it always did at the sight of him. Forgotten were the headache and the shivers that had consumed her for the past hour. Instead heat soared through her body at the way his gaze took her in.
“It appears your ride is here,” Samantha said, humor lacing her words.
Maxwell gave her a cursory glance, but his attention held on Dr. McPherson a little longer than necessary. Almost like he’d done the night before when he came to the hospital to tell her about Jeremy. Amina couldn’t decipher the expression, and at the moment, she didn’t care. She was just glad to see him. Not only because he’d be her excuse for not needing a ride from the doctor. But it had everything to do with how happy and safe she felt with him around.
“All right, Amina. Take care of yourself,” Dr. McPherson said on his way out the door.
“I guess I’ll be going too,” Samantha said, grinning as she backed her way toward the door and giving Amina a little wave.
“Not so fast,” Amina said, stopping her friend in her tracks. “How’d you know Max was coming?”
“I’d heard there was an incident here and I called your cell,” Maxwell said as he moved closer and took the spot next to the bed where Dr. McPherson had been standing.
“Actually, he called you three times,” Samantha added, and pointed at an upholstered chair near the window that held Amina’s oversize bag.
Amina hadn’t even thought about her cell phone or whether anything had been stolen from her bag. Not even when she was trying to figure out how she was getting home.
“Please tell me you didn’t call my family,” she said to Samantha.
She probably wouldn’t have reached her parents, but Katrina would’ve been on the next flight out. And Amina didn’t want to bother either of them.
“I didn’t, but I thought about it. Anyway, when your phone kept ringing and then stopping, I noticed the same name kept showing up on the screen. Max.”
“She answered, asked a lot of questions then told me where I could find you,” Max added. The worry lines that had creased his forehead moments ago were gone, but Amina didn’t miss the concern in his eyes as he looked at her.
“Once I found out he was a cop and a friend, I figured it would be all right.”
Amina could’ve kissed her. “Thank you.” With her family out of town, she couldn’t think of anyone else she’d want by her side.
“My pleasure,” Samantha said sweetly, and grabbed the door handle but turned back. “Oh, and you will be hearing from me tomorrow.” With that, she was gone.
Maxwell’s gaze traveled the length of Amina, before his attention settled on her neck. “How bad is it?” he asked gruffly. He sat next to her and gently touched the bandage.
“It’s a superficial cut. I might have a little scar, but it’s nothing to worry about.”
His hand moved up to her face and he cupped her cheek. “When Samantha told me you were attacked,” he said hoarsely, then cleared his throat, “I couldn’t get here fast enough. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Unable to speak with the way the pad of his thumb was brushing over her suddenly heated skin, all Amina could do was nod. She couldn’t believe he was there.
“Thank you for coming,” she said quietly. Though she would’ve wanted him there, she wouldn’t have called.
“Of course, I came. Just because I put some distance between us doesn’t mean I stopped caring.”
His admission stirred a longing inside her that she hadn’t felt in a long time. She’d never wish Jeremy dead, but if his death caused her and Maxwell to start rebuilding their friendship, she wouldn’t complain.
“I talked to Security and they filled me in, but why don’t you tell me what happened.”
For the next few minutes Amina recounted the incident. This time, though, her pulse might’ve beaten a little faster when she told him about the knife, but at least her heart didn’t feel as if it would leap out of her chest.
“So he took off without stealing anything?” Maxwell asked, a frown marring his handsome face.
Amina’s brows dipped as she let the question marinate in her mind. “I—I guess so. When someone in the parking lot shouted, it startled both of us and made the mugger loosen his hold. It was just enough for me to get away. I didn’t look back.” Her voice caught, but she pushed down the emotion swirling inside her. Repeating the story kept reminding her that she could’ve been killed.
Maxwell looked a bit pensive, but said, “I’m glad you’re all right. I think I was holding my breath during the whole ride here. Knowing that you were hurt took at least ten years off my life.”
Amina smiled and reached for his hand that was now resting on the mattress. “Sorry I worried you, but...” Now she was the one clearing her throat. She wasn’t sure why, but having him there was making her get choked up. “Are you off of work, or do you need to get back?”
He shook his head. “My boss made me take a few days off after Jer...” He stopped abruptly. “Anyway, I was picking up something at the precinct, and when I was leaving, I heard that there had been a mugging here. I wasn’t sure if you were on duty. But when I called and couldn’t reach you, all types of thoughts went through my head.”
Amina was touched. If someone would’ve told her months ago that she and Maxwell would reconnect, she wouldn’t have believed them. He’d made it clear that day at her birthday party that he wasn’t coming around anymore. He told her that it gutted him each time he saw her with Jeremy. But even after her marriage ended, he still kept his distance, which had been understandable. He hadn’t gotten over her choosing Jeremy over him.
He stood and offered her his hand. “You ready to get out of here?”
“More than ready.”
* * *
Maxwell was still coming to terms with Jeremy’s death. There was no way in hell he was taking Amina to her house. Not only because he had vowed never to step foot in the place again but also because he couldn’t leave her. He had practically lost it when he learned that she’d been the one attacked. Not knowing what to expect when he arrived at the hospital, once he saw her sitting on the bed looking alert, he’d finally been able to breathe.
But his gut was still unsettled, especially after what had happened with Jeremy. Hopefully, the two incidents weren’t connected, but the cop in him couldn’t stop his mind from going there even for a moment. Until he learned more about both cases, he wouldn’t jump to conclusions.
Besides looking a little tired in the hospital, Amina had seemed fine, except when his gaze had gone lower. The butterfly bandages on her neck that were keeping her wound closed stood out like a beacon in the night. Who could do that to a woman? Hell, to anyone? No matter how long he stayed on the police force, there were days he couldn’t wrap his brain around the foolishness of the streets. Too many people didn’t value human life, and it angered him more and more each day.
What if the knife had cut deeper into Amina’s neck? Thinking about how she could’ve died tonight had him gripping the steering wheel tighter. What he wouldn’t give to get his hands on the asshole who had attacked her and scarred her beautiful skin.
Now as he drove out of the parking lot, Maxwell thought about how they were only fifteen minutes from her house. He needed to figure out how to broach the subject of her going to his place instead.
He glanced to his right where she was sitting in the passenger seat looking straight ahead. Her hands were clasped tightly in her lap as if she was trying to hold herself together.
“Are you hungry?” he asked when he stopped at a traffic light. Moonlight spilled into the interior of the car, casting shadows across her face and letting him see how exhausted she was. Just then, she released a noisy yawn then quickly covered her mouth.
“Ah, man, excuse me,” she said sheepishly, her beautiful brown eyes staring up at him. “It’s been a long day.”
It was after midnight, and she’d been through hell fighting off an attacker. Yeah, he would say it had been a long day.
“I’m starving, but I might be more tired than hungry.” She gave a little laugh and turned more in her seat to face him. “I just want to crawl into bed and sleep for a week.” Her stomach chose that moment to growl and they both laughed.
“What would you like to eat?” Maxwell asked.
“I had a taste for Chinese food earlier, but I’m not sure if any place is open. Besides, I don’t want you going out of your way. If you drop me off at home, I’m sure I have something in my refrigerator that I can eat.”
“About that, I’m not comfortable leaving you alone tonight. I was thinking we could go back to my place instead. I promise to be a perfect gentleman.”
