Love After the Storm

lood was thick in my mouth. My arm was twisted at an unnatural angle, and a sharp pain shot through my ribs with every shallo

d barely a whisper. "Some

es by my own son. The car's emerge

house open. Chloe and Mark stepped onto the porch, Liam trailing

er this time. "Chlo

mething I couldn't hear. She laughed. It was a s

k. "Look! His car is bro

A flicker of hope ignited within me. Someo

suddenly died down, fading into

with my panic.

face, lowering his phone. He had don

almost hear him saying. "A disgruntled ex-emplo

bing despair. They weren't just going to let me

y body. My head felt like it was going to split open. The pressure from the tumor,

expression bored. "He's so dramat

"He looks funn

e painful than any of my physical injuries. These were the

rom my throat in a desperate plea. "The spi

t me like I was an animal in a cage. "Is that so? Well,

orst fears. This was a death sentence, de

g consciousness. I could feel the venom spreading, a creeping numbness w

headlights washed over the scene. A police cruiser

ary eyes. She took in the scene-the mangled car, the indiffer

ed, her voice carrying an authorit

ficer, thank you for coming, but it's a private family matter. My w

ing her flashlight inside. Her eyes widened when she saw

r a pulse. "He's barely conscious, and his puls

d with a dismissive wave. "He's

This man needs an ambulance. N

sted, stepping forward. "We'll take care of him. We

te a potential crime scene. And judging by the looks of that SUV down th

d Chloe

. looks more like a hit-and-run. Victim is trapped, requires

a former architect from my firm who was let go for erratic behavior. He has been harassing my fiancée. Fo

a crazy, obsessed ex, someone

e concern. "He needs quiet. He needs a place w

t of official hands, to take

my obvious injuries and the powerful

ng any cancellation order. A man in his late forties with a calm, no-nonsense demeanor j

ossible C-spine injury, multiple fractures, and look

rcept him. "Sir, I

et out of my way, or I'll have you arreste

He saw the truth of the s

free me, I was finally pulled from the wreckage onto a stretcher. The

ance, Chloe and Mark made one last move. T

shrieked. "He belongs with u

ut it was enough to cau

eached into the ambulance and grabbe

n up and kicked the stretch

k hard. "That's assault! Get

d on her sidearm. "Both of you, back on t

ce doors closed, the last thing I saw was Chloe's face, twisted in a sil