Caged Heat(22)

Stunned, she glanced to her left. Riel rushed toward her. He grabbed the metal and flung it off her with the flick of a wrist. Troy joined him a moment later.

Troy used a fire extinguisher to fight the flames eating the backdoor of her house. She groaned and winced with each slight move. The ponytail she’d donned after leaving Riel’s house hung in a mess to her side. Riel picked her up in his arms and carried her across his yard to lay her on a lounger.

“Are you OK? Tell me what hurts.” His gaze roamed her face and body.

She moved her arms and legs, searching for injuries. “My shoulder hurts like hell and so does my thigh, but other than that I’m fine I think.”

“Your face is bleeding.” He touched her chin with the tip of a finger. “Stay here. I’m going to help Troy, and then I’ll check out your shoulder.”

The fire tried to spread over the back of her house. Troy used an extinguisher to fight the bright heat. A few moments later Riel joined him with his water hose. The water quickly drowned out the flames, and the charred door fell off the hinges. She fixed her hair and sighed in happiness that they’d been able to stop the fire from spreading into the house. Both men turned back toward her. Riel headed into his house while Troy sat in a chair near her.

Troy’s frown was fierce. “Someone is trying to hurt you, Sam.”

The words turned her blood to ice. Could one of her relatives really stoop that low? She almost snorted. What kind of stupid question was that? Claro. Of course they would. If they killed her, they’d be able to split the money amongst themselves, no need to worry about Sam. It made sense to try to get her out of the way.

Riel marched back outside with a first aid kit. He sat down next to her and pulled out gauze and alcohol pads. While he cleaned her chin, she wondered about Juan Junior. He hated her enough to shoot her, of that she had no doubt. She just hadn’t thought he’d go this far.

“Sam, we need to know more about your relatives,” Troy said, while Riel swiped the alcohol pad over her shoulder.

The bruise hurt, but she was too shocked that someone had actually tried to kill her to feel much of the pain.

Riel shook his head. “First I need to take her to the clinic. I need to make sure she doesn’t have any other injuries.”

“But I feel fine.”

He scowled.

“OK, other than my shoulder, I don’t feel like anything’s broken.”

He cupped her jaw. “I’m not taking any chances. You could have internal bleeding. You can agree or disagree, but we’re going.” His tone left no room for argument.

“I’ll come with you guys. I’ll drive, and you both sit in the back,” Troy headed to the navy SUV.

Riel picked her up and carried her to the vehicle. Once they reached the clinic, the pack doctor sat her on a bed. After introducing herself as Raven, she looked Sam over. The doctor was young.

“We’re going to do a CT scan, an MRI, and we’re going to take some blood just to be sure all is as it should be OK, Samira?” Raven smiled and patted her hand.

“That’s fine. Thanks, and please, call me Sam.”

“Don’t worry, Sam. Nothing we do will add to your discomfort.”

Raven was short, like Sam. Knowing shifters tended to be taller, Sam asked the question burning at her tongue. “Are you a shifter too?”

The doctor placed a stethoscope to Sam’s chest, and listened. “No. I’m just a human girl.”

Raven also had the most amazing amethyst-colored eyes. If they were contacts, they looked great on the doctor.

“Me too.”

“Let’s get you some tests now, OK?”

She nodded and allowed them to do the multitude of tests without argument. She wanted to pacify him and let him see she was fine. Why that was important, she didn’t know. All she knew was that he’d been so considerate with her, she wanted him to stop worrying over the minor injuries she’d suffered.

The doctor gave her strong painkillers for the bruises on her body. Unfortunately, her shoulder hadn’t been the only area hurt in the explosion. Raven had discovered other, bigger, bruises.

They left after a few hours with Troy acting as chauffeur again. The heavy painkillers had started to take effect. She lay on Riel’s lap. She was relaxed to the point where she wanted to just lay in his arms forever.

She snuggled into his arms and sniffed his neck. “You smell good,” she murmured softly.

“I do?” He sounded shocked.

She flicked her tongue over his throat. “Mmm-hmm. Delicious. Like nature, earth, and something else that’s driving me crazy. It makes me want to strip you down and eat you.”