Love Inspired Suspense February 2016, Box Set 1 of 2 by Terri Reed

Author:Terri Reed
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781459295971
Publisher: Harlequin
Published: 2016-12-15T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER TEN

Luke bit back the scream on the tip of his tongue, grabbing for his leg as he fell. He tucked into his right side, letting his shoulder take the brunt of the blow against the ground. He grunted as the impact knocked the air out of him.

Almost before he realized he’d hit the pavement, Mandy was there, her cool hands running along his arms and down to his knee. “Did you twist your knee? How much pain are you in?”

He sucked in two quick breaths and squeezed his eyes closed, taking an assessment of his injuries. “My shoulder hurts worse.” He squinted up at her, but she didn’t even notice, her full attention on his brace, which had kept him from twisting his knee. And had also kept him from chasing down the car that, by his count, had driven around the block at least four times.

Of course, he’d known he couldn’t outrun the vehicle, not even at his physical peak. But he’d hoped for at least a look at the license plate or a chance to make out the model of the dark sedan.

Instead he’d landed on the ground in a useless pile.

Watching out for Mandy gave him a direction, a purpose that he desperately needed. But with an unsteady leg, which still couldn’t walk more than a few minutes without aid, maybe he was more hindrance than help. Maybe at quarter speed he was just holding her back from identifying her stalker.

No.

He silenced the voice of doubt with a firm shake of his head. He couldn’t dwell on that thought. He wouldn’t. No matter if there was more than a touch of truth to the qualms ringing through his mind.

Pushing his hands against the asphalt, he sat all the way up, meeting Mandy’s frazzled stare for an instant. She tugged on his brace to make sure it was still tight around his leg, and it only pulled his pants askew.

“Did your knee buckle or just give out?”

She was in full-on doctor mode, and he managed to meet her grim expression with a half grin. Maybe if he played it off a little, she wouldn’t ask more questions, wouldn’t get the embarrassing truth out of him. “I’m okay, Doc. I didn’t twist it. There was just a bit of pain that I wasn’t expecting.”

“Was it sharp, like something tearing?”

“No.” He bent his good knee and tried to push himself up, but she kept an immovable hand on his shoulder.

Her nimble fingers traced around the opening of his brace at his kneecap. “It doesn’t feel swollen yet, but let’s get an ice bag on it just in case.”

He nodded, quick to agree to anything that would get him off the ground and out of her line of questions. “Sure. Sounds good. Let’s go inside.”

“Before we move you, when you fell, where did it hurt?”

He shrugged a shoulder and stabbed his opposite hand through his hair. “It’s fine. I’m good.”

The streetlight poured over her shoulders, turning her hair into burnished bronze and setting her face in the shadows.

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