“Ava? Jesus, baby.” I’m pulled into his chest, one hand cradling the back of my head, the other wrapped around my waist to hold me tight. I want to hold him, I need to hold him, but nothing is happening when I tell it to happen. I hear Jesse’s phone ringing and he releases my head to fish around in his pocket. “John?”
Being buried under Jesse’s chin, I can hear the low rumble of John’s pissed-off voice, and I distinctly hear him asking why the fuck he has to own such a stupidly fast motherfucking car.
“Where are you?” Jesse asks, kissing my head between words.
This time I can’t hear him. All I can hear are sirens—coming from every direction are sirens. I pull out of Jesse’s chest and find a mass of police cars and two ambulances. Just for me? But then I notice a crumpled heap of a car, and it’s not mine. Neither is the one wrapped around a lamppost nearby. I search through the chaos of people and abandoned cars and spot my Mini crunched up against some railings that are separating the road from the pavement. I shudder.
“John, don’t stop until you’ve found out who’s in my fucking car.” Jesse hangs up and stuffs his phone back in his pocket. He pulls at my chin. “Look at me, baby.”
I gaze up at him. “Where’s your helmet?”
He takes a deep breath and claps my cheeks in his palms. “Fucking hell.” He kisses me hard on the lips. “Why do you refuse to play ball?” He kisses my nose, my lips, my eyes, my cheeks. “I sent John to get you, Ava. Why didn’t you let him take you to work?”
“Because I wanted to shred Matt,” I admit. “But you beat me to it.”
“I was so angry, Ava.”
“I would never have seen it through. I wouldn’t have killed our baby.” I know I need to say this, at the very least.
“Shhh.” He continues placing his lips all over my face and my arms finally lift to hold him tightly. I never want to let go.
“Excuse me, sir.” The strange voice pulls our attention to the side, where a policeman is standing. “Is the young lady okay?”
Jesse looks back at me and starts doing an all over visual assessment. “I don’t know. Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I smile awkwardly.
“You’re very lucky. Shall we get you checked over before we run through some questions?” The copper smiles and signals over to an ambulance.
I feel all dramatic and a bit of a bother. “I feel fine, honestly.”
Jesse growls and tosses me a fierce scowl. “I’m going to take that fine in my palm and slap you all over the arse with it.”
“I am fine.” My car’s not, though. It looks terrible.
Jesse makes a meal of exhaling and flopping his head back. “Ava, don’t defy me on this, please. I have no problem with pinning you down in the ambulance so they can confirm you’re okay.” His head drops back down. “Are you going the easy way, or the hard way?”
“I’ll go,” I agree quietly. I’ll do anything he says. I free myself from his chest. “My bag.”
“I’ll get it.” He sprints away.
“My phone’s on the floor!” I call after him, but he just waves his arm over his head to acknowledge that he’s heard. He’s back in seconds, and the policeman leads us to the ambulance, pushing his way through the growing crowds of pedestrians.
A paramedic on the back puts his hand out to me, but I don’t get the chance to grasp it. I’m lifted and placed in the white van. “Thank you.” I smile down at Jesse and watch as the copper gets a pad and pen from his pocket.
“Sir, while she’s being taken care of, do you mind answering a few questions?”
“Yes, I do. You’ll have to wait.”
“Sir, I’d like to ask you a few questions.” The policeman isn’t asking nicely this time.
Jesse turns his full body into him, the edge of threat clear in his stance. “My wife and child are in the back of that ambulance and the only way you’re going to stop me from seeing to them is if I’m dead.” He steps back and holds his hands out to the side. “So fucking shoot me.”
The policeman looks up at me, and I smile apologetically. The last thing I need is Jesse being arrested. I don’t know whether it’s put down to emotions running high, but the copper nods and gestures for Jesse to join me. My trampling Lord’s glower is still fixed to his face as he turns back toward me, but it soon falls away. His face is level with my stomach, but his eyes are currently dropped and looking at my bare legs.
Reaching forward, he runs his finger up the inside of my calf. “Baby, you’re cut.”