As he got closer, he heard the male voice shout for someone to stop, then he heard a female scream. Terror seized him as he realized Kinsey was in trouble.
He started sprinting down the path, hoping he wasn't too late. As he rounded the corner, he saw a large man grab the back of Kinsey's hair and whip her around, then slam his hand into her face.
Austin saw red. He charged forward as Kinsey fell to the ground and the man lifted his leg as if he were going to kick her. What kind of beast would do that to a woman?
Austin dived into the guy's chest a second before his foot connected, sending the two of them flying several feet in the air before they landed on the ground with a hard thud.
Austin didn't waste any time. He slammed his fist into the guy's jaw, then his cheek. The man went still beneath him. It was only then that Austin realized it was his fired employee, Jack. He jumped off him, grabbing his phone and calling for an ambulance as he raced back to Kinsey.
He felt her pulse, breathing a sigh of relief that it was beating strong. She started to stir as he rubbed his hands along her arms and legs, checking for any other wounds.
"Ouch," she cried when his fingers brushed over her upper arm. He moved her shirt out of the way, then swore when he saw the angry red flesh. He wanted to go over and pound on Jack a few more times. The idiot deserved it.
Instead, he cradled Kinsey's head on his lap while he placed a quick call to the house and told his cousin to bring a blanket.
"Kinsey, are you okay? Can you talk?"
"My head hurts," she mumbled as her eyes opened a slit.
"I'm sorry, Kinsey. I'm so sorry. What did he do to you?"
"He was really mad at your family. He thought maybe I was a part of it. I don't know. He was very drunk," she murmured.
"It's okay, Kinsey. We'll talk later. Just close your eyes and rest. The ambulance is on the way," he reassured her.
For the first time ever, she did as he asked and closed her eyes. If he wasn't so panicked, he may have even smiled.
"What in the hell is going on?" Lucas asked as he came skidding to a stop in front of them. He quickly placed the blanket around Kinsey before looking over at Jack.
"An ex - employee, who wasn't happy about being fired, I don't know much right now. Kinsey said he was drunk and looking for a fight. I think she just happened to be in his way," Austin explained.
"You knock him out?"
"Damn right," Austin said, feeling the rage boil up again. He didn't think he'd ever get the image of her falling to the ground out of his head. Her terrified scream would surely haunt him for years to come.
"Good. You carry her up to the house. I'll stay with this piece of crap."
"Thanks, Lucas." Austin stood, easily lifting Kinsey into his arms. He walked up the hill to the gravel service road, then followed it toward the house. He could hear the sirens in the distance, so he picked up his pace.
He reached the back door at the same time they pulled into the driveway. He quickly went through the house and met them out front. The paramedics took over, getting her on the gurney and taking her vitals. He stood back watching, overwhelmed with helplessness.
"Are you allergic to anything, ma'am."
"No," she mumbled. "My head hurts. My arm does, too, but my head feels like it's going to burst, the pain is so bad."
"We can give you a shot in just a moment. I need to ask a couple more questions first," he reassured her.
When the police arrived, Austin reluctantly left Kinsey in the care of the paramedics and approached the deputy to explain where Jack was knocked out. After giving a brief statement, he went back to Kinsey to find her sleeping on the gurney as they loaded her in the ambulance.
"You can either ride with us or follow, but she won't know the difference. She'll be out for a few hours," the man said. Austin didn't want to be separated from her, but knew he'd need his car.
"I'll follow, thanks," he replied, then watched as they shut the door.
Austin didn't waste any time in jumping in his car and catching up to the emergency vehicle. He didn't want her out of his sight, not until he was assured she was okay. Especially, since it was his fault she was in that condition.
He'd never had an employee attack before. Yes, there were threats on his life, on all their lives, but never before had a disgruntled employee actually carried out one of those threats. He'd learned a valuable lesson that night, and it wasn't fair that Kinsey had to pay the price.
Anger still coursed through his veins. He tried to calm himself down as he followed behind the flashing lights, their red and blue pattern somehow soothing, at least giving him something else to focus on.
Austin sat in the waiting room for hours. Not what seemed like hours, but literally hours. He was getting ready to haul a doctor against a wall if he didn't hear anything soon. He wasn't a patient man on a normal day, and his day so far had been anything but normal.