thunk. She wanted to do the same, to drop to the floor, huddle up and hide. Gabe had done that very thing in her office, and that was why she couldn’t stop.
Retrieving them, she climbed into her car and started the engine. She paused, needing to have someone with her while she waited at the hospital. Before she accepted what she was doing, before she could stop herself, she dialled the number of the bookstore.
It rang twice. “Asher? It’s me—Emma. I need you, will you come?”
Chapter 7
Asher
The terror in her voice had scared Asher. So much so that he didn’t think twice about closing the store and doing as she asked. He went to comfort her.
The journey took far longer than anticipated, or at least it felt like that. He wondered why she’d chosen to call him. Why not Meagan or her father? It was odd, but he’d refused to ask that question. Her being upset was enough to bury the doubt and head straight to her.
Asher hated hospitals. Just the thought of the clinical smell, the white, caustic corridors and heartbroken expressions sent a chill through his system. He could virtually taste the antiseptic as memories assaulted him, taking his breath away.
He shifted around the corner of the hospital entrance, taking deep lungfuls of air. Claws of anxiety crept along his skin, causing him to scratch at the imaginary sensation. Telling himself he could do this—he could be there for Emma—he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, mustering every ounce of courage he had. She didn’t have to know that walking into the hospital was on a par with strolling through the gates of hell for him. Emma needed a shoulder to cry on, not a man frozen in fear because he was reliving his past. The terrified child no longer ruled his actions.
Stalking through the Emergency Room door, he scanned the chairs and tried to find her. Confusion as to why she’d called him, along with why he’d acted on that request, swam around in his head as his eyes shot from one person to the next. He was greeted with a selection of broken limbs, cut foreheads and a child with a pan on his head, but there, in the very far corner hugging herself, was Emma.
There was a momentary rush of relief that had his shoulders sagging and an exhale leaving his lips. That’s when he saw the blood. It covered her top, droplets scattered across her arms, along with a smear across her cheek. Fear gripped him, nausea rising.
“Emma?” he shouted across the waiting people, astounded by how tortured his voice sounded.
Her head snapped up, her sad eyes seeking him out. Asher watched, helpless as she began to cry. The tears welled, pooling in her blue eyes before tumbling and making tracks down her cheeks.
She moved quickly forward, focused on him. She stumbled over a discarded bag but continued until she stood trembling before him. “I’m sorry I called you. I just…I needed…I—”
“What happened?” He reached out to touch her arm. “How badly are you hurt? Em, that’s a lot of blood.” His voice shook.
Her bottom lip quivered, another tear slipping free. As each one rolled down her face his chest hurt a little more. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Rubbing his sternum with one hand, he cupped her face with the other, swiping the sadness away with the pad of his thumb. “What happened, Emma?”
“The blood isn’t mine. It’s Gabe’s, he’s hurt. Someone cut him.”
He didn’t understand. He remained frozen, staring at her and wiping away her tears. His mind reeled. “Gabe?”
Emma wobbled, her body swaying. Gripping her biceps, Asher guided her to a vacant chair and lowered her onto the plastic seat. Even though panic still raced through him, he battled to keep his tone low and even. Spooking her wouldn’t help right now.
“He’s a kid. From the shelter. They hurt him really bad, Asher. How could someone do that?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed her back gently, trying to calm her. It
Retrieving them, she climbed into her car and started the engine. She paused, needing to have someone with her while she waited at the hospital. Before she accepted what she was doing, before she could stop herself, she dialled the number of the bookstore.
It rang twice. “Asher? It’s me—Emma. I need you, will you come?”
Chapter 7
Asher
The terror in her voice had scared Asher. So much so that he didn’t think twice about closing the store and doing as she asked. He went to comfort her.
The journey took far longer than anticipated, or at least it felt like that. He wondered why she’d chosen to call him. Why not Meagan or her father? It was odd, but he’d refused to ask that question. Her being upset was enough to bury the doubt and head straight to her.
Asher hated hospitals. Just the thought of the clinical smell, the white, caustic corridors and heartbroken expressions sent a chill through his system. He could virtually taste the antiseptic as memories assaulted him, taking his breath away.
He shifted around the corner of the hospital entrance, taking deep lungfuls of air. Claws of anxiety crept along his skin, causing him to scratch at the imaginary sensation. Telling himself he could do this—he could be there for Emma—he gritted his teeth and clenched his fists, mustering every ounce of courage he had. She didn’t have to know that walking into the hospital was on a par with strolling through the gates of hell for him. Emma needed a shoulder to cry on, not a man frozen in fear because he was reliving his past. The terrified child no longer ruled his actions.
Stalking through the Emergency Room door, he scanned the chairs and tried to find her. Confusion as to why she’d called him, along with why he’d acted on that request, swam around in his head as his eyes shot from one person to the next. He was greeted with a selection of broken limbs, cut foreheads and a child with a pan on his head, but there, in the very far corner hugging herself, was Emma.
There was a momentary rush of relief that had his shoulders sagging and an exhale leaving his lips. That’s when he saw the blood. It covered her top, droplets scattered across her arms, along with a smear across her cheek. Fear gripped him, nausea rising.
“Emma?” he shouted across the waiting people, astounded by how tortured his voice sounded.
Her head snapped up, her sad eyes seeking him out. Asher watched, helpless as she began to cry. The tears welled, pooling in her blue eyes before tumbling and making tracks down her cheeks.
She moved quickly forward, focused on him. She stumbled over a discarded bag but continued until she stood trembling before him. “I’m sorry I called you. I just…I needed…I—”
“What happened?” He reached out to touch her arm. “How badly are you hurt? Em, that’s a lot of blood.” His voice shook.
Her bottom lip quivered, another tear slipping free. As each one rolled down her face his chest hurt a little more. “Thank you,” she whispered.
Rubbing his sternum with one hand, he cupped her face with the other, swiping the sadness away with the pad of his thumb. “What happened, Emma?”
“The blood isn’t mine. It’s Gabe’s, he’s hurt. Someone cut him.”
He didn’t understand. He remained frozen, staring at her and wiping away her tears. His mind reeled. “Gabe?”
Emma wobbled, her body swaying. Gripping her biceps, Asher guided her to a vacant chair and lowered her onto the plastic seat. Even though panic still raced through him, he battled to keep his tone low and even. Spooking her wouldn’t help right now.
“He’s a kid. From the shelter. They hurt him really bad, Asher. How could someone do that?”
“I don’t know.” He rubbed her back gently, trying to calm her. It
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