Hours later, when the second hand of her wall clock ticked over to five p.m., she tucked her pen into a drawer and pushed away from her desk. She'd glanced at the clock more than a few times in the past hour. Once or twice, she'd sworn it was broken.
Slipping the Bates file into her folder, she grabbed her phone and pushed Ryan's call icon as she walked into the hall. He answered after the first ring. Had he been watching the clock, too?
"Hey," he said, his voice soft. "You ready to go?"
"I'm heading for the elevator now."
"I'll be there in ten. Stay inside until you see my car."
"Okay." She swallowed. "See you soon, Ryan."
"Yeah. You will." His voice had dropped into the throaty rasp that made her skin prickle.
"'Bye," she murmured as she pressed the off icon.
The elevators were always slow at five in the afternoon, so it took several minutes for one to stop. When she made it to the first floor, she moved to a window to watch for Ryan.
There he was. Just east of Daley Plaza, stopped at the light on Randolph. First in a long row of cars.
Her heart pounding, she stepped out of the building and started across the wide pedestrian plaza toward the street. It was a no-parking zone, so Ryan could pull over, she'd jump into the car, and they'd be off.
The temperature had dropped since the morning, and a wet mixture of sleet and rain dampened her hair and coat. The cement was slippery beneath her feet, slick with the slushy mixture.
As she stepped away from the shelter of the building, the wind howled around the corner, smacking her in the face with icy sleet pellets. Hunching her shoulders, she raised the collar of her coat to protect her neck from the weather. Her hands were already cold, so she shoved them into her pockets.
She glanced up for Ryan's car. The light hadn't yet turned. She should have waited a minute longer to leave the building, but she was eager to see him. Slide into his car and greet him.
Not with a kiss in front of so many eyes. But she could twine her fingers with his, press a kiss to his knuckles. Not nearly as satisfying, but it would have to do until they got to her place. Or his.
Maybe there was something to be said for sneaking around. It certainly built anticipation. Smiling, she looked up again to see his car inching through the intersection. Edging toward the curb in front of her.
She walked as quickly as she could toward him, startled when he leaped out of his car before he reached her, his door hanging open. Car horns blared and brakes shrieked as he sprinted toward her.
Someone to her right screamed. She turned to see a car jump the curb from Dearborn and race across the plaza, aimed straight at her in a blur of silver.
She froze for an instant, unable to comprehend what she saw, then she began to run. She'd chosen the wrong shoes for the weather, because the leather-soled pumps slid on the slick cement, not allowing her to get a good grip and take off.
The silver car veered toward her like a missile locked onto its target. It skidded, and Livvy took a deep breath. But the car's tires caught and it sped up again.
She wasn't going to make it to the car. The silver car was too close. She was too far from Ryan. She put her head down and ran. The engine revved. The tires growled against the pavement. Too close.
The heavy vibrations traveled up her legs through the pavement. She tried to run faster, knowing she wasn't going to make it. Determined to try anyway.
Exhaust fumes filled the air, and the roar of the engine was all she heard as she suddenly went flying through the air.
Chapter 10
Skidding on the slippery pavement, his heart in his throat, Ryan grabbed Livvy's wrist hand and yanked her toward him as the car sped toward them. As his feet flew out from beneath him on the icy surface, he wrapped one arm around Livvy and used his other hand to protect her face.
He twisted as they toppled to the pavement, trying to cushion her impact with the hard cement. The back of his hand scraped over the icy slush and rough concrete, but Livvy's cheek and head were spared. Except for her chin. It hit the pavement with a dull thud as he tightened his hold on her.
The silver car flew past, so close he saw each individual splatter of ice on the sides. The icy, dirty slush that sprayed from its tires dripped into his eyes. His mouth. Over his scalp. Down the collar of his jacket.
People shouted in the distance. An approaching siren wailed. Livvy was motionless beneath him.
"Livvy." Ryan slid clumsily off her, knelt in the slush beside her. "Can you hear me, Liv?" He ran his hands over her back. Her arms. Touched her head. Froze when he saw the blood in front of her face, turning the slush on the pavement a dirty pink.
"Livvy! Are you okay?" Knowing the frantic fear in his voice would panic her, he tamped down the dread rushing through him. "Can you open your eyes, babe?"
Her eyes fluttered open. She stared at him, blinking. Confused. "Ryan?
Did that car hit you, too?"
"No. It didn’t hit either of us." He tucked a strand of wet, dirty hair out of her face. "An ambulance is on its way," he said, stroking her head. "Don't move, Liv. Lie still. Wait for the EMTs."
She frowned, studying his face. "Are you sure that car didn't hit me? I knew I wasn't going to make it."
"I got to you in time. Yanked you out of his way." He brushed his fingers along her forehead. Her nose. No bleeding there. "I thought I cushioned your head, but you hit somewhere. You're bleeding."
"I am?" She reached up to touch her face, and he tugged her hand down.
"Don't move. Please, babe." He curled his fingers around hers. "People are calling 911. An ambulance is on its way."
"Mouth hurts," she said, her tongue sliding along her lips. "Taste blood."
He leaned around her and saw the trickle of blood coming out of her mouth. "Yeah, your mouth is bleeding." He tightened the grip on her hand. "God, I'm so sorry, Liv. So sorry I hurt you."
She frowned at him, as if he was speaking a foreign language she didn't understand. "Didn't hurt me. Saved me."
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Hurt you in the process."
"So what?" She turned her palm and slid her fingers through his. Gripped tightly. "I'm alive, aren't I?"
"Yeah, you're alive." He exhaled, relief and adrenaline washing through him, making him tremble. "Thank God."
"Want to see you," she said, trying to move her head.
Ryan held her gently in place. "Don't move. Wait for the ambulance."
"What happened to the car?"
"Disappeared." Rage flashed through him. Followed by helplessness. He wasn't used to crouching on the ground beside a victim. He was used to chasing down the bad guy.
Today, he wasn't budging from Livvy's side.
"Silver," she said. "It was silver."
"Yeah, it was." He swallowed, squeezing her hand more tightly. She was lying on the cold, hard, wet cement, and she'd remembered the car. She was so damn tough. "A lot of people were around. Maybe they got the license. Told the dispatchers where it went."
Livvy jumped at the sudden burp of a siren. Ryan put his hand on her back, holding her in place. "Don't move, okay? Stay as still as you can." The siren cut out and he spotted the flashing lights of an ambulance rounding the corner. "Bus is here."
A man stopped in front of them. Squatted down. "She okay?"
His black wingtips were covered in slush. The hems of his dark gray suit pants trailed in the icy mix, turning the fabric even darker. Gus Swenson.
Ryan tightened his grip on her hand. "Swenson. I think so. Car didn't hit her. I knocked her down."
Silence. "Good job, Ward," Swenson finally said. "Thanks. Olivia means a lot to all of us."
"No thanks necessary." Ryan's voice was cool. "Glad I was here."
"Let me know how she's doing."
"Will do, sir."
Swenson touched her head lightly, then stood and kept walking.
The bus stopped fifteen feet away. The doors flew open, and a female E
MT grabbed a bag from the back of the bus and ran over. She squatted next to Livvy. "Call said she was hit by a car."
"No, thank God. I snatched her out of the way. But we hit the ground hard. Her mouth's bleeding. She said it hurt."
"She hit her head when you knocked her down her?"
"I don't think so. I tried to protect her head and face with my hand." He wiped a trickle of blood away from her mouth. "Obviously not completely, though."
"Sir! Don't touch her blood!" the EMT said sharply.
"It's okay," Ryan said, wiping another trickle from her chin. "She's my…I know her."
"We've got this," the EMT said. She didn't move. Neither did Ryan.
Finally, the woman touched his arm. "I know you're scared and upset, but you need to step back and let me assess her. The sooner we get her in the bus, the sooner she's on her way to the ER."
Ryan squeezed Livvy's hand. Lingered. He let her go, letting his fingers trail over her palm until they hit the cold sleet on the ground.
"Ryan?" Livvy's voice wavered.
He stepped around and squatted in front of her. Where she could see him. Some of the anxiety in her eyes dissipated. "I'm right here, Liv. Just giving the EMTs room to work."
Ten minutes later, they had her strapped to a back board, her neck in a brace. He squeezed her hand, then let her go as they boosted the gurney onto its wheels. The EMTs slid the gurney into the back of the ambulance and secured it. Before they could close the door, Ryan jumped inside.
"Sorry, sir. Only family can ride with us." The woman EMT's expression softened. She put her hand on Ryan's arm. "We're going to Northwestern, and you have to move your car. You're causing a huge back up. Why don't you meet us there?"
"I'm coming into the ER." Ryan wasn't asking, and the EMT knew it.
After a long moment, the woman nodded. "I'll tell the nurses to watch for you. What's your name?"
"Ryan Ward." He glanced at her name tag. S. Ketchum. "Thank you, Ms. Ketchum."
"We'll see you there, Mr. Ward."
He bent down and brushed a kiss to Livvy's forehead. Squeezed her hand one more time. "I'm right behind you, babe."
"Promise?" Livvy clung to him for a moment, then let him go when he nodded. "Okay. Thanks."
The doors slammed, and Ryan stood in the sleet and watched the bus begin to move. It bumped over the curb, sirens wailing, and wove in and out of the cars.
Livvy was in there, immobilized by the backboard and neck brace. Worrying about possible injuries. Disoriented because she couldn't move, couldn't see anything but the ceiling of the bus. She'd slide a little from side to side as the ambulance turned, but she'd have no warning.
He watched until the bus disappeared, then raced for his car. He threw up the gumball and lit it up. Began weaving between cars and taxis and buses. He was damn well going to make it to that hospital as fast as he could. He'd promised Livvy. She needed him.
Ten minutes later, he stood in front of the triage nurse at Northwestern's emergency room. "Olivia Marini. She was just brought in."
"Have a seat, sir," the nurse said, her eyes weary. "We'll let you know when you can go in."
Ryan unclipped his badge from his belt and held it up. "Chicago PD. I need to get back there. I followed the ambulance in."
Pursing her lips, the nurse pulled up a screen on the computer. Studied it for what seemed like hours. Finally she nodded. "Ms. Marini is in room R. Through those doors and to your left."
Ryan glanced at her name tag. "Thank you, Ms. Evans."
"Hope she's okay," the nurse said as she pushed a button to open the ER door.
Ryan nodded. "Thanks."
He strode down the hall of the emergency room, ignoring the beeping machines, the crying people, the soothing voices of the nurses. When he arrived at Room R, the curtain was pulled in front of the door. He reached to pull it aside. Stopped when he heard Livvy's voice.
"Hey! Why did you cut off my pants? I hurt my head, not my legs."
Ryan's hand on the curtain relaxed. If she was complaining about losing her clothes, she couldn't be too badly hurt.
"We need to check you out," a kind voice said. "Standard procedure in an ER starts with getting rid of the clothes."
"Those were my favorite pants," Livvy said, her voice sulky.
He'd buy her a new pair. As soon as she was out of here.
He knocked on the glass window in front of the curtain, and a nurse stuck her head out. "Who are you?"
"Ryan Ward. I'm with Ms. Marini."
She studied him for a long moment, then glanced over her shoulder. "They're getting her into a gown and starting her IV," she said to him. "I'll let you know when you can come in."
He stood in the hall, his hands shoved into his pockets, his toe tapping the floor. It felt like hours, but it was probably only minutes before the nurse eased the curtain to the side for him.
"Stay out of our way," she ordered. "Let her know you're here, then stand in the corner. If you don't cooperate, you're out of here."
"Got it," he said. "Will do. And thank you. I know you don't have to do this."
Her fierce expression eased. "She's waiting for you, too."
The nurse stepped aside, and Ryan spotted Livvy, lying in the bed, covered with a blanket. Wires and tubes snaked out from beneath it, attached to machines and bags of liquids. Livvy's face was pale against the white pillow, and her eyes were closed.
"Hey, Liv," he said, stepping close to her head.
Her eyes fluttered open. "Ryan?"
"Yeah. I'm here." He reached under the blanket until he found her hand, then carefully slid his palm beneath hers. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine. I feel goood." She blinked at him, her eyes drifting in and out of focus. "Are you fine, too?"
"I am. Looks like they gave you the good drugs, and I'm guessing your head doesn't hurt anymore," he said, the corners of his mouth fighting a smile. "So I have no complaints."
"I have a complaint." She scowled. "They cut off my clothes. All of them. Including my favorite work pants. So no peeking."
"Not even a little?" He tickled her palm with his fingers. "How about your legs? Can I peek at those? Or your arms?"
She frowned, her eyebrows squinching together. "No! You can peek later. When we're at home."
At home. A week ago, those words would have sent him running. Scrambling to get as far away as possible.
Now? A tiny tremor vibrated in his chest. He refused to call it want. Anticipation, maybe. Eagerness.
Not want.
"You're right," he said, trying to keep his voice light. "I don't want anyone else around the first time I see you naked."
A nurse nudged him aside. "You need to step out of the room," she said briskly. "We're going to take some x-rays."
Ryan started to move away, and Livvy grabbed for his hand. "Don't go."
"It's just for a few minutes, Liv. I'll be right outside the door. And as soon as it's safe, I'll be back in." He watched as a tech rolled a lumbering x-ray machine into place. "You want me to call your sister?"
Livvy mumbled a string of numbers. "Tell her I'm okay. Not to come to the hospital. Then you'll come back?"
"I will."
"Promise?" Her hand tightened on his as he gently tugged his fingers away.
"I promise. I'm not leaving."
"Good," she breathed, staring up at him.
"I won't leave your side as long as you're in the hospital. Okay?"
"Okay," she said, letting her eyes drift closed.
* * *
Livvy leaned heavily against him as they walked up the stairs to her apartment. She stumbled frequently, but he'd been prepared and held her steady. The doctor had warned him the painkillers would take several hours to dissipate.
The smell of the mac and cheese he'd picked up from Oscar's swirled around them, reminding him how hungry he was. She'd said she wanted to eat, but she'd said a lot of stuff on the way home. Most of which had made him blush. And turned him on.
He'd had to pull his shirt out of his jeans when he walked into Oscars. Like he was nineteen damn years old and unable to control himself.
He fumbled in her briefcase for her keys, unlocked the door, and helped her inside. "You want to sit on the couch? I'll serve up the mac and cheese."
"Couch is good." She stared up at him, her eyes bleary. "Good memories on this couch."
"Yeah? What would those be?"
She nudged his shoulder. "You were there. You forgot already?"
Memories of that evening had scrolled through his head ever since. "Haven't forgotten anything." He touched her cheek. "Those are good memories."
He eased her onto the couch and put a throw pillow behind her head. "I'll be right back," he said. "Close your eyes and relax. Okay?"
"Okay." She nodded, her head bouncing gently up and down. She looked like one of those bobble-head dolls they passed out at Blackhawk's games.
He arranged her head on the pillow. "We'll have some food, then you can lie down."
When he returned with two plates and a glass of water for her, Livvy's eyes were closed. He sat next to her, and the movement of the cushion had her opening her eyes and gazing at him.
"You're still here." She gave him a brilliant, tipsy smile.
"With food," he said, handing her a plate.
The macaroni and cheese with bacon and spinach was delicious. Exactly what he needed – comfort food to the max. Livvy ate most of hers, but after a while her hand began to tremble, the tines of the fork clinking on the plate.
"Had enough?" he asked, taking it away from her.
"S'good," she managed to say. She swayed a little when she turned to look at him. "I'll call you tomorrow. 'Kay?"
"Hey." The couch dipped as he slid closer. "I'm not going anywhere. If you have a spare bedroom, I'll sleep in there. Otherwise, the couch is fine."
She blinked, forcing her eyes open. "You'll stay?"
He narrowed his eyes. "Of course I'll stay. Unless you'd rather have someone else," he said, ignoring the disappointment churning through him. "Your sister said she'd come over and stay with you."
Save Me Page 9
