Her Guardian Angel (Fire and Snow)(56)

He felt a firm grip under his elbow and Xander spoke softly in his ear as he helped him to his feet.

"All hands on deck, Boss. You're needed. Push it aside to deal with later, just push it aside."

Jake turned to look at Xander.

"When this is over, I need you to bring a team back and burn this place down. We need to cover up the way that bastard died."

"Was already planning on it, Boss," was Xander's calm response.

A noise from the house brought his gaze back in that direction, and he froze anew as he watched Conner come into view with Adele cradled against his bare chest. Oh hell no. He took in her injuries as he looked her over from head to toe. No wonder the poor woman was out like a light. She had to be in agony.

Jake took a couple of deep breaths and did his best to push past all the pain and emotions that were currently bombarding him--both his own and the ones from everyone else. As Conner laid her out on another blanket, he opened his first aid kit to take out what he needed. He gently took one of Adele's arms and laid it out flat so he could begin cleaning and bandaging her wounds. All the while praying hard that his son's mate would survive this.

He glanced up as Kit walked through the door carrying Kelly. Damn, Conner was right. The poor girl wasn't with them any more. He concentrated briefly on her emotions but couldn't get a read at all--and didn't that just say it all? It was going to be a long road back for that young lady. As he turned his attention to Adele's injured wrist, he heard the first ambulance pull up and foot steps racing across the gravel toward them.





Chapter Fourteen

Adele resurfaced to reality in a rush. One minute she was floating peacefully in the pitch-black cocoon that held her safe and free from pain, the next she was blinded by the bright sunshine and her body felt like it was on fire. The level of pain rolling through her body overwhelmed her and held her paralyzed as she attempted to push past it; breathe through it. She decided unconsciousness had its benefits. She closed her eyes and inhaled deep breaths. Starting at her feet she began to take a mental catalogue of her injuries; as she did, her mind flashed back to how she earned each wound.

Her right ankle ached and a strip across the front stung: thank you trip wire.

Her legs felt okay, no pain just a bit achy.

She felt a low burn radiating from her left hip: thank you bullet. She hoped the burn was healing and not an infection taking root, that was all she needed.

Her abdomen and chest felt fine.

Her shoulders were stiff and achy, must be from all the thrashing about she did trying to get to Kelly.

She tried to move her fingers and clenched her jaw when she couldn't. Dizziness forced her to clench her eyes as pain shot from both wrists up her arms: thank you slamming into the stairs.

Her right hand throbbed in time with her heartbeat: punching him in the face. She smiled a little at that memory; damn it had felt good to get a shot in.

As she smiled, she felt pain over her cheek and it felt swollen: thank you back-hand number one.

Her split lip was also hurting: thank you back-hand number two.

Her head pounded and her brain felt a little foggy. It probably didn't really appreciate being rattled around so much.

She reopened her eyes and squinted through the bright sunlight at her body that simply refused to follow any command she tried to give it. Her eyes zoned in on her arms and stayed there. Her right was encased in a hot-pink fiber-glass cast from just below her finger tips to half way up her forearm; the left had a splint and bandages from her elbow all the way down. No bloody wonder she couldn't get them to move and they hurt so much. She idly wondered how many bones she'd actually broken...

A noise to her left shifted her attention in that direction. Kit was there, watching her carefully, almost clinically, as if she wasn't sure if she'd be welcomed or kicked out. Adele tried to talk but her mouth was so dry nothing came out. Kit was on it in a heartbeat, jumping up and bringing a cup with a straw in it then lifting it to her mouth.

"Small sips, doll, that's it." Her friend's soft voice was soothing and helped her focus.

"How long?" she whispered hoarsely. She wanted to say so much more but couldn't get her dry throat to cooperate; hopefully Kit would work out what she meant.

"Today's your fifth day in the hospital. Do you remember what happened? How you got here?"

Whoa, she'd been out for nearly five whole days? Damn, she must have been more injured than she'd thought. Such a silly question; did she remember? She didn't think she would ever forget anything about that day, however there were parts that were a bit hazy.

"I remember. Kelly? She okay?" Her voice still hoarse, she pleaded with her eyes, hoping Kit would continue to understand what she needed.