“Holly, we need to call an ambulance,” Ethan said gently. “You could be hurt.”
By now a small crowd had assembled up and down the street. Adam heard the wail of a siren.
“I don’t want to go to the hospital,” Holly said, her eyes pleading with Adam. “Let me get up. I’m only a little banged up.”
He wavered a moment, his concern for her overriding all else. She moved against Ryan’s hand, trying to squirm her way up.
“Easy, baby,” he cautioned.
Adam reached down and lifted her easily into his arms.
“Can you stand?” he asked, unwilling to set her down yet.
“I’m fine, really. Just a little shaken.”
With great care, he set her down on her feet. Ethan’s hands came out to steady her as she wobbled the slightest bit. She rubbed her hip with her hand, her fingers catching in the torn material down her leg.
“These were my favorite pair of jeans,” she said ruefully.
Unable to stand it a moment longer, Adam crushed her to him, his arms holding her tightly against him. He drew in several steadying breaths, trying to calm the adrenaline that buzzed through his veins.
Some son of a bitch had just tried to kill her. He’d bet his entire cabin that it was her soon-to-be-ex-husband. He stared over at his brothers and saw answering rage in their eyes. He put a finger to his lips and they nodded their understanding.
A police cruiser roared up seconds later, followed quickly by an ambulance. People crowded round as the paramedics examined Holly and the cops questioned everyone.
An hour later, Holly signed no transport papers, and the crowd began to disperse. The responding officer took the last statement and climbed into his cruiser.
Holly’s eyes were etched with pain and fatigue. Adam knew she hadn’t been completely honest about the extent of her injuries, and he planned to remedy the situation immediately.
He tossed the keys to Ethan. “You drive.”
He bent and picked Holly up into his arms and cradled her gently against his chest. She didn’t protest, only expelled a weary sigh as she rested her head on his shoulder. He walked over to the Land Rover and eased into the backseat with her.
Ryan turned around in the front seat, his eyes bright with worry. “Are you all right, Holly?”
She stirred in Adam’s arms and put out her hand to touch Ryan’s arm. “I’m fine. I promise. Just a little shaky now that it’s all over with.”
But even as she offered Ryan reassurance, Adam could feel the tension in her body, see the pain in her eyes. He knew Ryan could see it too.
At the hotel, Adam carried Holly to their suite and laid her on the bed. He wanted to see her injuries, make sure she was truly all right.
Ethan and Ryan crowded in as Adam slowly pulled her tattered jeans away from her body. His hands trembled in rage as he saw the large bruise already forming on her hip and upper leg. Blood from a three-inch gash smeared her pale skin.
Holly lay still on the bed, her eyes closed as Adam took stock of her injuries. He hated to disturb her, but he needed to know if she hurt anywhere else.
“Baby,” he said softly.
She opened her eyes, her eyelashes fluttering delicately against soft skin. She looked so damned vulnerable.
“Are you hurt anywhere else?”
She shook her head slowly.
“We need to clean this up,” he said. “If I draw you a bath, can you soak for a bit and let me clean your leg?”
She nodded.
“I’ll go run the water,” Ethan said. He trailed his hand down her cheek then bent down and kissed her forehead. “Be back in a sec, doll.”
Adam watched as Ethan walked away with clenched fists. His brothers were as eaten up with worry as he was. And with anger.
“Let’s get you out of the rest of your clothes,” Adam said.
He eased the shirt over her head, careful not to move her more than necessary. Ryan sat at her head, smoothing his hand over her hair.
Adam felt her begin to tremble. At first, tiny quakes shuddered over her body, but then she began to shake in earnest. Tears leaked from beneath her eyelids, and Adam’s chest tightened.
He bent over and pulled her naked body into his arms. “You’re safe now, baby.”
She hiccupped softly, her breath snagging as she sucked in.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with me,” she said as she scrubbed at her face.
Ryan scowled. “You had a terrible fright.”
“Her bath is ready,” Ethan said from the door.
“Come on, baby. A nice, hot bath will make you feel better.”
Adam stood up and carried her into the bathroom. He set her gently down into the sudsy water. She hissed in pain as the water hit her leg.
Adam cursed under his breath. “I’m sorry.”
She slumped against the back of the tub, eyes closed. “You were right. This feels wonderful.”
“You’re going to hurt tomorrow,” Adam said as he knelt beside the tub.
“I hurt now,” she said wryly.
Adam reached down with a washcloth and gently began to clean the cut on her hip.
She turned troubled eyes on him. “You think it was him, don’t you?”
He didn’t pretend to misunderstand. “Yeah, baby, I do.”
She sank lower in the tub, her shoulders hunched in defeat. “He could have killed Ryan and Ethan.”
“He could have killed you,” Adam growled.
“I couldn’t stand for anything to happen to one of you,” she said.
“And we couldn’t stand for anything to happen to you. Now come on, I’ll dry you off and put you to bed.”
He lifted her from the tub and wrapped a big fluffy towel around her. When they left the bathroom, Ryan caught Holly in his arms and hugged her tightly.
“You scared me,” Ryan said gruffly.
Holly stretched on tiptoe and curled her arms around Ryan’s neck. She felt incredibly safe in his arms, like nothing could touch her.
“Make love to me,” she whispered.
“I don’t want to hurt you,” Ryan said against her ear.
“You’ll be gentle,” she said with absolute conviction. She knew of anyone, these men would never hurt her. “I need you.”
“Come to bed,” he said, tugging her forward.
She went willingly and allowed him to remove the towel that covered her body. He pulled back the covers and gestured for her to get in. She nearly groaned aloud as the soft linens enveloped her.
She glanced up to see Adam and Ethan standing beside Ryan. Ryan shrugged out of his shirt and climbed in beside her. Adam walked around to the other side of the bed and sank down behind her. Ethan sprawled across the end of the bed, propping himself up on his elbow.
They weren’t going to make love to her. Even as a teeny bit of disappointment tugged at her, fatigue settled in. She burrowed against Ryan’s hard chest and sighed in contentment as his strong arms curled around her.
Warm lips sent a shiver up her body as Adam gently kissed her bruised leg.
“Go to sleep, baby,” he murmured. “We’ll be right here.”
She closed her eyes, reveling in their warmth and strength. She couldn’t allow herself to think about what could have happened today. As much as she feared the decision to stay with the brothers, she knew she couldn’t live without them.
But what if her staying was what brought them harm?
Chapter Twenty
“We could have lost her today,” Adam said. Anger still surged hotly through his system. He wanted to kill someone. With his bare hands.
He turned to stare at his brothers. “We can’t stay here. We can’t protect her here in the city. It’s too open.”
“I agree,” Ryan said in a steely voice. “We should get back home.”
The three brothers paced the living room of the suite like caged predators. Holly slept a few feet away in the bedroom, the door ajar so they could hear if she wakened.