Timothy Rutherford answered his cell phone less than half an hour after his daughter left the club, listened to his chauffeur’s frantic report, and his gaze met Chase’s, terror streaking through his mind.
“Timothy, what’s wrong?” Cecilia, always attuned to him, gripped his arm as he continued to listen.
“Stay with her,” he ordered. “We’re on our way.”
“Kia?” Celia’s tone was frightened as Chase rose quickly to his feet.
“She was attacked outside her apartment building. Ambulance is on its way. She’s unconscious, bleeding from a head wound.”
“My limo is just outside.” Ian was on his feet, as were the others.
Chase didn’t wait for them. He tore out of the club, racing out the door and rushing past the valet area to where he’d parked his car.
He was streaking out of the parking lot, tires screaming, gears grinding as he glimpsed the Sinclair limo pulling away from the club.
Km. He knew he should have followed her. Something had told him to follow her, to stay as close to her as possible. This wouldn’t have happened if he had been there. If he had taken her home himself. No one would have had a chance to touch her, to hurt her.
She wouldn’t be lying on a sidewalk, unconscious, bleeding, if he had been there.
He maneuvered through the congested traffic, cursing, horn blowing. It was a damned wonder he didn’t have a cop on his ass when he swung into a parking slot in front of her apartment and jumped from the car.
The ambulance was there, lights flashing. Chase saw blood on the sidewalk and glimpsed the paramedics inside the lobby.
He pushed inside, slamming the doors open, rage and violence coursing through him until he heard her voice.
“I said I’m okay,” she snapped. “I swear to God, Drew, if you don’t get your hands off me, I’m going to break them.”
Drew!
Chase snarled as he pushed past the small crowd that had gathered and saw her pushing Drew away. An animal force of sheer raw fury overcame him.
“Get the hell away from her!” He grabbed the other man’s arm, swung him back, and stared at Kia.
“Let me go, bastard.” Drew jerked his arm back. “You don’t have the right be here.”
Chase swung back to Drew furiously. “Don’t make me kill you.” Then he turned to look at Kia and felt the blood drain from his face.
A paramedic knelt in front of her, a small light trained on her eyes as she batted at him. Behind her, another was trying to check the gash in her head. She had blood on her forehead, her cheek. It stained her blouse. Chase’s knees began to cave.
“Don’t tell me to get away from her, Falladay!” Drew exclaimed. “You weren’t here. You didn’t see her lying on that damned sidewalk.”
Chase gripped the lapels of Drew’s jacket, nearly jerking him off his feet. He felt like ramming his fist into his jaw. “Out of my face, out of her life, or I’ll make damned sure you regret it.”
He thrust Drew back. ,
“Get away from me,” Kia ordered, fear in her voice, as the paramedic probed at her head.
“Ms. Rutherford, you need to let us transport you to the hospital,” the female tech kneeling in front of her ordered in a firm voice. “You could have a concussion. That’s nothing to play with and that head wound is going to need stitches.”
“I’m fine.” Her voice trembled as Chase rushed to her.
“Kia. Baby.”
Her head turned and a little cry passed her pale lips as she seemed to sway where she had forced the paramedics to allow her to sit instead of lie down.
“Chase.” Her eyes looked dilated, dazed. “Make them leave me alone.”
He knelt beside her, wondering that he had the strength in his legs to keep from falling at her feet in complete terror.
“It’s okay, baby.” He touched her face with fingers that shook from his utter terror even as they smeared through her blood. “It’s okay. I promise.”
“They won’t leave me alone.” Tears welled in her eyes. “Tell them I’m fine. Please. I don’t want to go to the hospital.”
He saw the concern on the paramedics’ faces. From Kia’s dilated eyes and paper-white face, he knew she wasn’t going anywhere but the hospital. Her eyes looked like bruises in white flesh.
“Baby, I’ll go with you,” he promised. “I’ll ride with you, right beside you. We’ll get you fixed right up, and I’ll take care of everything.”
“I don’t want to go,” she whispered. “They don’t let you leave.”
Her voice was now edged with panic. He didn’t understand it, and he didn’t give a damn what he had to promise her.
“It’s okay. Trust me, Kia. I won’t leave you.” He nodded to the techs as they moved back for the stretcher. “Let’s get you taken of Everything else is going to be okay. I promise.”
“You have to make them let me come home.” He saw the first tear slide down her cheek as the techs helped her onto the stretcher. “Promise me.”
“On my life, Kia. I swear.” He followed the paramedics, ignoring Drew as he passed him. “Come on. Just a quick trip. Okay?”
“You won’t leave me?”
He stepped into the back of the ambulance with her as the tech strapped her in.
Her eyes were so large, so filled with fear, he swore he was going to become violent.
“They don’t let you go once they get you there.” Her voice sounded dazed as she stared at him, those fucking tears dampening her cheeks, sliding through the stain of blood.
“I won’t let you go.” He leaned forward as the tech moved behind her and called the information in to the hospital. “I’ll be right beside you. I promise.”
He would keep that promise.
“Your father’s right behind us. No one’s going to hurt you again, Kia. I swear.”
“My purse is gone.” Her lips trembled. “It was one of my favorites.”
“She’s dazed,” the tech murmured to him. “Chauffeur reported a mugging, said the guy took her purse as he hit her. She’s possibly concussed, definitely dazed.”
“We’ll find your purse,” he promised. “I want you to rest, Kia. Do that for me, baby?”
He ignored the tech and leaned closer. He cupped her face and held her cheek against his. She was so cool. Her skin was like ice, and her gaze burned into his.
“I’m scared,” she whispered. “My head hurts, Chase. Like it did when I was a child. Mom and Dad would make me stay in the hospital, and I hated it.”
“I won’t let them,” he promised. He would promise her anything, do anything, to take that fear out of her eyes. “Do you hear me, baby? They’re going to patch your head up and I’m calling Ian’s doctor. We’ll take you out of there and take you home. There’s a spare bedroom. The doctor can sleep there.”
She frowned at him. “I don’t have a spare room.”
“You do now.” He pressed his lips to hers. “Trust me, Kia. Let me take care of you.”
She stared up at him. “I’m not a doll.”
“Never.” He brushed his thumb over her cheek. “Never again. Just this one time, please, baby. I won’t let them make you stay.”
If he didn’t get that fear out of her eyes, he was going to commit murder. She stared back at him, and it eased, slowly. Pain still filled her eyes, though, and the grip of her hand on his was fierce, determined.
“I want a call put in to Dr. Sanjer. Radio the hospital now. Tell him Ian Sinclair requests his immediate presence at the hospital.”
Ian Sinclair’s name opened doors. The tech made the call as the ambulance maneuvered through the city streets. Chase looked behind the ambulance and saw Ian’s limo behind them. Her parents would be there, and they would try to take her from him, take her home.
The hell they would. He had backed off earlier because of Timothy Rutherford; he wouldn’t make that mistake again. As the ambulance pulled into the hospital emergency entrance, he took her hand and lifted it to his lips.
“I’ll be right behind you,” he promised.