Read Online Aftermath by Rachel Trautmiller - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rachel Trautmiller
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whoever he wanted inside the ER.
“Agent Robinson, FBI.”
A loud buzz sounded and the latch on the door opened. He pulled it toward himself and let Lilly pass through first. Ariana’s room was the first one on the right. The door was cracked and revealed Amanda kneeling in front of his niece, who sat on the bed. Her arm was in a sling. Her cheek bandaged. The hospital gown was gone, dirty street clothes back in place.
Robinson rubbed a hand over his jaw. He hadn’t even thought to grab her another set. His focus had been on getting Lilly and returning to the most important little girl in his life.
Some pseudo guardian he made.
The low murmur of Amanda’s voice carried to the doorway as he pushed inside, the words indiscernible.
Her gaze flashed to the spot they stood. One hand reached toward her service revolver. The stark anger there cut through him. Stole his breath and mingled with the craziness swirling in his veins.
Even when her own life had been on the line, he’d never seen so much of the visceral emotion. It settled his tilted axis. Set him on the same even ground.
For this second, he wasn’t alone. Wasn’t trapped making parental decisions with ramifications he couldn’t see, by himself.
Right from the time Ariana had called, Amanda had picked up as if the teen were her flesh and blood. Kept herself calm while doing the same for Ariana. And him.
The drive over was a blur of reckless maneuvers.
If he asked her to start over would she accept his offer? Would she stay despite his sister’s off-putting attitude?
Amanda stood. Squeezed Ariana’s non-injured shoulder and nodded toward them.
Ariana’s gaze touched on him, then shifted to Lilly, shock rolling over her features. “Mom?” The syllable was quiet and filled with barely concealed panic. As if she might break into tears any second.
“Oh, honey.” Lilly rushed to her child’s side, taking the place the other woman had vacated. Worry filled her face as she hugged the teen. Ariana hesitated a moment and then wrapped her free arm around her mom.
A tear ran down Lilly’s cheek, the only emotion he’d seen from her since the wedding.
Amanda reached his side, in hesitant, heavy steps. She blew out a shuttered breath of air and faced him. “Her shoulder was dislocated. And the plastic surgeon said the cut on her face shouldn’t scar too badly.” She reach toward him, but stopped, mid-air. Her hand balled into a loose fist and dropped to her side. A trace of Ariana’s blood tracked across her collarbone.
“Come here.” He grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser next to them and tugged her with him, to the sink inches beyond it. “You’ve got blood on you.” He wet the towel and dabbed the reddened area. Her skin was warm against his fingertips.
She followed his gaze. Didn’t move as he rubbed the tissue across her skin. Gave a harsh swallow and refocused on him. “There’s a prescription for pain meds. The doctor already discharged her. I’m gonna head upstairs and check on our vic. The nurses told me Jonas got out of surgery fifty minutes ago. Should be in ICU shortly.”
The ringing in his ears blotted out her words. He paused. He’d heard wrong. “Jonas?”
Her lips pressed together. Sadness gathered in those amber eyes. Right behind the still-blazing fire.
Robinson dropped his hand, the towel clenched in his grasp. He’d been so focused on Ariana, he hadn’t paid much attention to the identity of the man paramedics had worked to revive. “Jonas is our vic?”
No. This wasn’t right.
She flicked a glance at Ariana and Lilly. Placed a hand on his upper arm and shifted them closer to the door. “They carved permanent slang into his flesh,” she whispered. “Before they beat him. There are bruises on his arms, shoulders and thighs from where he was held in place.
“The doctors aren’t sure if he fell and hit his head or took a blunt object to the skull, but there’s some swelling. According to what Ariana
“Agent Robinson, FBI.”
A loud buzz sounded and the latch on the door opened. He pulled it toward himself and let Lilly pass through first. Ariana’s room was the first one on the right. The door was cracked and revealed Amanda kneeling in front of his niece, who sat on the bed. Her arm was in a sling. Her cheek bandaged. The hospital gown was gone, dirty street clothes back in place.
Robinson rubbed a hand over his jaw. He hadn’t even thought to grab her another set. His focus had been on getting Lilly and returning to the most important little girl in his life.
Some pseudo guardian he made.
The low murmur of Amanda’s voice carried to the doorway as he pushed inside, the words indiscernible.
Her gaze flashed to the spot they stood. One hand reached toward her service revolver. The stark anger there cut through him. Stole his breath and mingled with the craziness swirling in his veins.
Even when her own life had been on the line, he’d never seen so much of the visceral emotion. It settled his tilted axis. Set him on the same even ground.
For this second, he wasn’t alone. Wasn’t trapped making parental decisions with ramifications he couldn’t see, by himself.
Right from the time Ariana had called, Amanda had picked up as if the teen were her flesh and blood. Kept herself calm while doing the same for Ariana. And him.
The drive over was a blur of reckless maneuvers.
If he asked her to start over would she accept his offer? Would she stay despite his sister’s off-putting attitude?
Amanda stood. Squeezed Ariana’s non-injured shoulder and nodded toward them.
Ariana’s gaze touched on him, then shifted to Lilly, shock rolling over her features. “Mom?” The syllable was quiet and filled with barely concealed panic. As if she might break into tears any second.
“Oh, honey.” Lilly rushed to her child’s side, taking the place the other woman had vacated. Worry filled her face as she hugged the teen. Ariana hesitated a moment and then wrapped her free arm around her mom.
A tear ran down Lilly’s cheek, the only emotion he’d seen from her since the wedding.
Amanda reached his side, in hesitant, heavy steps. She blew out a shuttered breath of air and faced him. “Her shoulder was dislocated. And the plastic surgeon said the cut on her face shouldn’t scar too badly.” She reach toward him, but stopped, mid-air. Her hand balled into a loose fist and dropped to her side. A trace of Ariana’s blood tracked across her collarbone.
“Come here.” He grabbed a paper towel from the dispenser next to them and tugged her with him, to the sink inches beyond it. “You’ve got blood on you.” He wet the towel and dabbed the reddened area. Her skin was warm against his fingertips.
She followed his gaze. Didn’t move as he rubbed the tissue across her skin. Gave a harsh swallow and refocused on him. “There’s a prescription for pain meds. The doctor already discharged her. I’m gonna head upstairs and check on our vic. The nurses told me Jonas got out of surgery fifty minutes ago. Should be in ICU shortly.”
The ringing in his ears blotted out her words. He paused. He’d heard wrong. “Jonas?”
Her lips pressed together. Sadness gathered in those amber eyes. Right behind the still-blazing fire.
Robinson dropped his hand, the towel clenched in his grasp. He’d been so focused on Ariana, he hadn’t paid much attention to the identity of the man paramedics had worked to revive. “Jonas is our vic?”
No. This wasn’t right.
She flicked a glance at Ariana and Lilly. Placed a hand on his upper arm and shifted them closer to the door. “They carved permanent slang into his flesh,” she whispered. “Before they beat him. There are bruises on his arms, shoulders and thighs from where he was held in place.
“The doctors aren’t sure if he fell and hit his head or took a blunt object to the skull, but there’s some swelling. According to what Ariana
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