Chapter 45
She knew he’d come. Laying on the gurney, Jayna couldn’t breathe, couldn’t swallow. She couldn’t pull her gaze off Derek. She’d felt fear before, but nothing like this. This was crippling. She was terrified that she was dreaming and was still locked in that dungeon of horror.
“Ouch.” That worked to pull her back to the present. Her eyes moved to the young paramedic student who was attempting to start an IV.
“Stick me one more time. I dare you!” she hissed and pulled her left arm free. “I’m fine. I don’t need an IV.”
“It’s procedure,” the paramedic stated. This was the newbie she’d beaten at pool a couple of months back. Apparently, playing pool wasn’t the only thing he sucked at.
“I’m fine,” she repeated. She wasn’t fine. Far from it. But she needed to keep her composure, otherwise she’d completely lose it.
Someone grabbed her right hand. She turned. Derek. The expression on his face was grim. He had a scratch across his cheek, probably from the scuffle with Sonny.
She tugged her hand free from his grasp because it felt too damn good. He was making her feel safe and wanted. He had come for her, like she knew he would. The thought absolutely terrified her, almost as much as realizing that Sonny was a monster.
“Can you both stop fussing? I’m fine!” she snapped. She didn’t want to be fussed over. If she focused on being pissed off that people were fussing over her, then she wouldn’t focus on the fact that she’d almost…no, she wasn’t going to go there .
“The patient is being uncooperative,” the baby paramedic tattled.
Lance appeared at his side. Great! Lance was here, too.
“I’ll show you uncooperative.” She glared at the snitch.
Burke appeared next to Lance. “I know that you’ve been through an ordeal, Jayna, but I can’t have you threatening the paramedics. They’re just trying to do their job.”
“Whatever,” she muttered and pulled her hand free from Derek’s grasp yet again. “Stop mauling me!” What she wanted was for him to wrap his arms around her again and hold her forever. But he didn’t do forever. Neither did she. And if she gave in, she would most definitely fall apart. She didn’t want to fall apart in front of Derek.
“Well, stop making me worry,” Derek snapped back.
“I didn’t do it on purpose.”
“Right!” That cocky left eyebrow lifted.
“What do you mean, RIGHT?” She tried to sit up on the gurney. Mr. Terrible at IVs and shooting pool pushed her back down. She glared up at him. Rob, according to his name tag. Rob the Knob.
“You probably got yourself kidnapped on purpose, so I’d have to come to your rescue.” Derek took her hand in his, squeezing.
She yanked it free.
“Wow! Your ego is almost as big as your head, which is pretty damn big. I have no idea how that scrawny neck of yours holds it up.”
“It’s so obvious now,” he ignored the insult and continued speaking.
She blinked. “What’s so obvious?”
“The entire ‘oh let’s pretend to be boyfriend and girlfriend so I can get with Lance,’” he said in a higher pitched voice. Was he trying to mimic her?
“What now?” Lance looked from Derek to Jayna. “What’s he talking about?”
Jayna narrowed her eyes on Derek. “Don’t pay any attention to him. He’s a drunk and tends to tell tales when he’s been drinking. ”
“I am not a drunk! I quit drinking.” Derek shook his head. “Just admit it. You pretended to pretend to make me fall for you.”
“I didn’t pretend to pretend. See, he’s talking nonsense right now. Burke, you should give him a sobriety test before he gets behind the wheel,” she told the cop who still stood next to Lance. Then her head snapped back to Derek. “You fell for me?”
“Nope.” Derek’s lips clamped shut.
“You just said you did.”
“Now who’s talking nonsense?”
Lance grabbed one end of the gurney and Knob took the other end, lifting her into the back of the ambulance.
“I heard you say it,” Jayna tried to sit up again, glancing past Nob, who also had an exceptionally large head.
Lance put a firm hand on her shoulder, forcing her back down.
“Why did you break up with Lance after you worked so hard to be with him?” Derek asked, standing at the back of the ambulance.
“I’m standing right here,” Lance reminded her.
She heaved a long sigh. Maybe it was the near-death experience or the fact that Derek had apparently moved Heaven and Earth to find her that caused her to blurt out the truth.
“Because he wasn’t you.”