e, lost in his kiss. It wa

ng a car door nearby tha

ns

ling to catch her breat

he kissed

she immediately knew he

ckly, cutting him off. “I

g,” she said, desperately

w

ldn’t walk anywhere, n

hes out for me?” she a

thi

opened the door, and pull

e,” h

much harsher than she’d

on by a thread?

beneath her already-sore

Gabe didn’t just let her g

ad to open th

, she made her way towar

” she said with a bright s

as the elevator doors op

utton to clo

s closed and the elevato

relief. The trembling in

rutches and everything

d? A better question

pen

loof reputation on her ver

t the good-looking ER doc

orked elsewhere

eason she’d been fighting

mplication of a man in her

onship, not to ju

lips. Gabe’s kiss hadn’t just barreled against the wa

ro

eyes and pray

____

better the next morning, s

t care, her only option o

n to the point she probab

m anyway just to rest the

r another twelve-hour shif

ht shift, so she’d have t

he sky, making it a grea

y done was tricky, but she

r to get down in

couldn’t seem to stop th

she’d already decided th

she must have checked h

f she’d mis

ll from

or woman as she placed t

ie’s number several times,

ie’s phone was turned off

t Annie had managed to k

o way of calling for help

ce s

s frustration yesterday

tood all too well what wa

begged her mother to le

had an excuse—either she

e was afraid George would

y leave her alone. She’d tr

m, but it wasn’t until he’

n the dead of the night,

arissa had tried to convin

ad been rough on both of

b she’d been able to get w

ey. Larissa had gotten a j

household expenses. When

ol and had gotten a decent-paying job at a local nu

o go into

aded off to college, her

abuse her in any way. He wa

ppy, she didn’t care. In

ain to Annie that s

ast evening, she could o

maybe not completely deaf

e

thoughts, she finished he

he had a secret weakness f

her, staying up as late as

her next n

kle felt even better. She

work. Even then, she wra

pp

d the sun, streaks of lig

spital. She hurried, trying

ere seconds to spare befor

d the

Julie. “I thought for sure

the past

ee shifts in a row, and th

responded.

purchased a townhouse on

de had suffered a kitchen f

ght have put in a bid for

gotten it. Next year, she

ugh money for

oom tonight?” Larissa as

as the charge nurse, and

roa

said with a wry smile.

,” Debra said. “We’re shor

team and help cover the t

and Julie, you’re team tw

nd I’ll pitch

wince with Julie bef

they walked away to their respective teams. “I bet t

running f

Larissa agreed. Too late

o be fair, she was glad she

ra, Julie, and Jessica

Larissa dealt with a ste

a patients had come in. Sh

taken th

joked as they passed in th

gh

muttered. They were to t

the same time, and then D

at quarter to eleven, an

he doctors worked eight-hou

ly thought about Ga

kiss made her blush, and

n as he went over to

all set for discharge,”

you have to follow up wi

morning

ly patient said as he stoo

and often forgot to take

of breath. In reading his

a nursing home, but the

n.” She helped him out to

over to escort t

sed to see you here.” Ga

“How’s y

ore turning to face him. “

in my car if you

a shrug. The way he st

f his lab coat, she sensed

en, their trauma

st off Highway Z,” Gabe s

ear-old woman, and her vita

od

th dread as she read th

near Highway Z. Granted, t

t up a quick prayer fo

per, in case she needs

Gabe into the trauma bay.

patient was really bad, the

ferred as soo

d id

ll when the ambulance ba

nding a gurney. The momen

despite the massiv

th serious head injury,

emic shock. We have fl

other victim

ly this was a

aking care of Annie, but

d the wheel of the car

ed he’d intende

____

on Annie for a solid hou

Larissa watched the fligh

tly p

se keep Annie s

oice broke into her pra

away, just for a few minutes. “Excu

renched by the rain. What had happened to Annie? Had she tried to escape K

mind. Maybe it wasn’t Kurt, she tried to tell herself. Maybe Annie had been running

e could do to help Annie right now. She and Gabe had done their best, placing a breathing

the trauma team i

of her scrubs. The trauma bay was empty now and had already been cleaned up, which made her feel guilty. It was almost four in

focus her attention on the handful of p

ened behind her, letting in a blast of cool air. She jumped around in surprise and ne

tone, waving the gun in her general directi

it unsteady. She swallowed hard and tried to edge behind one of the metal bedside tables, not m

yone? Couldn’t

ward her, and she couldn’t help shrinking back

gun and pointed it directly at