Guarding Aurora

by Lynne St. James

“Easy, angel. It’ll be okay. Do you trust me?” She was afraid to look away from the road in front of her, terrified that someone would step into the street and she’d hit them. She’d just had the van checked a week ago, and everything was fine. How could this be happening?

  “It was done deliberately.”

  “What?” She hadn’t realized she’d spoken out loud, but he only cemented the answer that had been running around in her head. Who could hate her so much that they were trying to hurt or worse kill her?

  “Stay calm, watch the road, baby. Do you trust me?”

  “Yes, of course.”

  “Good then when I tell you to turn right, don’t think just do it. Okay?”

  “Okay.” Her hands gripped the wheel so hard they started to cramp, but she was afraid to ease up. It’s when she realized that she was still almost standing on the brake pedal.

  “Now. Turn now, angel.” She turned, the tires squealed on the pavement as the van took the turn going much faster than was safe, and then slammed head on into a huge steel dumpster.

  The airbag went off, and she slammed her head into the side window. She couldn’t move, and everything seemed fuzzy, but she was still alive.

  “Raptor?”

  “I’m here, angel.” His voice sounded so far away, and the throbbing in her head felt like it was being pounded with a sledgehammer. “I’m here. Can you turn your head away from the window?”

  She was able to shift over just enough so she wasn’t leaning on the door. Raptor pulled open the driver's door and reached for her. But she was still pinned behind the airbag which wouldn’t deflate. “This day is messed up. Is the cake okay?”

  “Don’t worry about the cake. I need to make sure you’re okay.”

  “I’m fine, but Mrs. Evanston…”

  “Shh, angel. Let me get you out of there, and we’ll worry about the cake later.” Sliding his arms around her, he gently pulled her from the seat. She didn’t think anything was hurt except her head, and could already feel the knot forming, no doubt it would leave a bruise. The impact of her head against the window had been hard enough to shatter it.

  “I think I hear sirens. Are they real?”

  “They’re real. You need to get checked out I’d bet you have a concussion. I’m so sorry, angel.”

  “I’m fine.” He grunted but didn’t put her down. Instead, he walked over to the curb and sat with her in his lap. Then he turned her face so he could look more closely at her head.

  “You’ve got a nasty bruise forming already.”

  “Yeah, well you should see the other guy.”

  “I’m glad to see you still have your sense of humor. Does anything else hurt?”

  “I don’t think so. Maybe my chest a little, but it’s probably from the airbag.”

  “Maybe. We’ll get you checked out to make sure.”

  The sirens were closer now and finally stopped. If they’d gotten any louder, she was going to scream. The pain in her head was excruciating, and her left eye refused to stay open.

  “Are you both okay?” Great, the sheriff was there. She’d seen him more than Sadie over the last week. She should get up, but it was too comfortable lying in Raptor’s arms, her head against his chest. He was warm and safe. Nope, she wasn’t moving unless they made her.

  ***

  “I’m fine, but Rori banged herself up pretty good. I think she needs to be checked out.”

  “We don’t have a hospital, but the doc can take a look at her. He has a small clinic where she can stay if she needs to.”

  Before he could say anything, Hank showed up. “What the hell happened? I thought you were supposed to be taking care of her?”

  “I am/was. I’d bet a month’s salary that someone cut her brake line.”

  “We’ll have it towed and look at it.”

  “Wait, you can’t take the cake,” Rori mumbled.

  “What is she talking about? the sheriff asked, looking at Raptor for an explanation.

  “We were delivering a wedding cake to Ruby’s for the Evanston’s vow renewal. She’s more worried about the damn cake than herself.”

  “Where is it?”

  “In the back of the van. It was secured pretty well, but I doubt it survived the collision with the dumpster.”

  Hank pulled open the back of the van and stepped back so Raptor could see. The cake’s top had slid off with the impact, but it didn’t look all that bad. He’d expected to see cake plastered all over the inside of the van. So it was a hell of a lot better than he figured.

  “Let me see,” Rori said as she squirmed to get up.

  After all she’d put in to it, he knew she’d drive herself crazy until she could see it. He helped her stand and supported her as she made her way gingerly to the van. She was one stubborn woman, he’d give her that.

  “Oh no. It’s ruined.”

  “No, angel, just a little lopsided. I bet no one will even notice.” When she turned to look at him, he winced. Anyone seeing her face would have figured she’d gone ten rounds and lost badly. Her left eye was swollen shut, but it was hard to tell where her eye began and her face ended. The whole left side of her head was twice the size it had been, and the bruising was turning her face a purple-red color. It was painful to look at, he couldn’t imagine how much she was hurting.

  “Let me try to fix it.”

  “How about you let Hank deal with getting the cake to the wedding and fixed up. You’ll take care of it, right, Hank?”

  “Sure.” But from the look on his face, it was the last thing he wanted to do. There was no way Raptor was leaving Rori’s side again. He’d had to do it in Paris, but not this time.

  “Sheriff, there was a guy hanging around the bakery earlier. He definitely didn’t look like he belonged.”

  “We don’t do that profiling stuff around here.”

  “No, that’s not what I meant. He was white but looked rough, leather jacket, tats, scruffy beard. He came into the bakery and wandered around then disappeared. It was about a half hour before we closed.”

  “Alright, I’ll keep a watch out for him, but just loitering isn’t criminal.”

  “No, but if he was the one to cut the brake line it is.”

  “Like I said, we’ll tow the truck to the garage and see what we find. Until we check we don’t even know if that’s the issue.” Hank met Raptor’s eyes over the sheriff’s shoulder and shook his head. Okay, so Hank knew something he didn’t and the quicker they got rid of the sheriff, the faster he’d find out.

  “How far is the doc’s office from here? Can I carry her there?”

  “Down one block and over two. But the first aid bus is on the way.”

  “You don’t have to carry me.”

  “Humor me, angel. You’re pretty beat up.” She tried to give him the stink eye, but with the condition of her face, it was plain pitiful. Still, they’d both survived, his ribs were sore but nothing he couldn’t handle. She’d taken the brunt of it, and he’d have given anything to prevent it. It was pure luck he saw the alley and the dumpster in time for her to take the turn. There’d been no doubt that only a collision would stop the van and this had been the best possible solution. Sometimes that’s all you got.

  By now they had attracted quite a crowd. Surveilling the area, he saw the same guy who’d been in the bakery. With a nod of his head, he got Hank’s attention and nodded again in the direction of the man. He must have realized he’d been spotted because he took off with Hank on his tail.

  Raptor would have preferred to be the one chasing the dirtbag. What he wouldn’t give to take the guy apart piece by piece, he knew in his gut he’d been the one torturing his angel. But for now, he had to take care of her and getting her to the doc was his first priority.

  The doc took one look and had Raptor carry her into the clinic and put her down on a bed. One of the nurses asked him to step outside while they examined her. He didn’t want to leave, but if she wasn’t safe there, she wouldn’t be anywhere, and he left
them to their work.

  Twenty minutes later, the doctor came out to get him. “How is she?”

  “She’s got a concussion. No broken bones, but she’s going to be hurting tomorrow,” he said as he walked Raptor back into her room.

  “He wants me to stay overnight, but I told him you’d take care of me at home.”

  Raptor looked from Rori to the doc and shrugged. He’d prefer to have her where he could watch over her, and if that’s what she wanted he was okay with it.

  “Tell me what I have to do. I’ve had some field medic training, and I’ll make sure she follows your directions.”

  The doctor didn’t look happy, but he knew a brick wall when he saw one. He wrote out a prescription for pain meds and care instructions for the next twenty-four hours for the concussion.

  “If anything changes or she begins vomiting or anything else on that list, give me a call, and we’ll admit her to the hospital in Bozeman. They’ll airlift her over. I don’t want her having to take that long drive.”

  “I’ll be fine, doc. You know me.”

  “Yes, I do, Aurora. I delivered you. Behave yourself.”

  “I’ll take good care of her.” The doc gave him one more look and then left the room. “Now I have to figure out how to get you home. I don’t think you want me carrying you through town.”

  “No, I definitely don’t want that. I can’t believe someone is really trying to hurt me.”

  “We’ve been trying to explain that to you,” Hank said from the doorway. “The doc let me in, I told him I was your ride.”

  “Perfect timing. I was trying to figure how to get her out of here. Do they even have Uber in Eagle Rock?”

  “Sadie’s bringing over some food and meeting us at your place. There was no stopping her when she found out.”

  “What about Emma?” Raptor wanted to roll his eyes. This is the second time she was in the middle of a clusterfuck, and all she ever did was worry about others.

  “Sadie’s brother is back, he’s watching her. Oh, and I got the cake to the Evanston wedding. Everyone was thrilled but worried about you. You’ll probably have all the little old ladies lining up as soon as you open the bakery again.”

  “Thank you. I worked so damn hard on that cake, I can’t believe it’s ruined. Wait, what do you mean again. I’ll open it tomorrow just like always.”

  “Why don’t you see how you feel in the morning before you decide.”

  “It was still beautiful. You should have heard all the oohs and ahhs when I carried it in.”

  “But…”

  “No buts. C’mon, angel. Let’s get you home.”

  Chapter Thirteen

  Sadie was waiting in the parking lot and ran over to help Rori, as she got out of the car. It brought tears to her eyes. She hadn’t been close to anyone when she’d returned, and Sadie’s friendship meant the world to her, she just hadn’t realized how much until that moment. As much as her life had sucked the last few years, she still had a lot to be thankful for, and the people standing around her were three of them.

  “Thank you, all of you for being here for me.”

  “Aww don’t cry, Rori. It’ll all work out, and you’re alive.”

  “I know. But for a few minutes there I didn’t think I would be. I still don’t know how you stayed so calm the entire time.”

  Raptor shrugged and looked at Hank, then back at her. “It’s years of training, angel.”

  Sadie nodded. “Hank is the same way. When I was in trouble a year or so before you came back home, it was the same thing.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah, one of these days I’ll tell you the gory details. I keep forgetting you weren’t here then.”

  “We can continue this upstairs. I’d just as soon get her off her feet and in a protected area.”

  “Yes, sir,” Sadie said with a laugh but took Rori’s hand and helped her to the door.

  Hank and Raptor held back a moment, and from the look on Raptor’s face, it wasn’t good news. Too bad she couldn’t hear them.”

  “C’mon. We’ll find out soon enough. Let’s just get you inside and cleaned up. Oh yeah, that reminds me. Hank, can you grab the casserole dishes out of the truck.”

  Rori fished the keys out of her purse, and Sadie unlocked the door, but before they could step inside, Raptor was there.

  “Let me go in first and look around. You stay with Hank. I’ll be right back.”

  Rori mumbled under her breath, “you’re kidding, right?”

  “No, I’m not, angel.” He kissed her forehead and disappeared inside the building. True to his word he was back a few minutes later, and for the first time she noticed he was favoring his side. “We’re good. Do you want me to carry you up?”

  “No, I can do it myself. You’re hurt.” Sometimes that man, but really, she couldn’t fault him. He’d saved her life. Twice. And he called her angel? He had it all wrong, he was her guardian angel.

  “I’m fine. It’s nothing.”

  Just as the doc said, she was starting to hurt in places she didn’t know existed. “Whatever. I think I need a hot shower.”

  “Are you sure? If you’re dizzy, it might not be the best idea.”

  “I’ll help her. Is that okay, Rori?” Sadie asked.

  “Thank you. That’d be great, although I’m sure I’ll be fine. I don’t feel dizzy at all.”

  “If you guys throw the casseroles in the oven on three hundred fifty, they’ll be ready to eat by the time she’s all cleaned up.”

  As soon as they got to Rori’s bedroom, Sadie was full of questions. “Angel? He calls you angel? How perfect is that? When did all of this happen? Two days ago, you were arguing with us about needing a bodyguard.”

  “Hey, my head is killing me. One question at a time. As for him calling me ‘angel,’ I don’t know, I think he’s been using it all along. I figured it was just something he said.”

  “I doubt it. Especially when you see the way he looks at you.”

  “He’s the one who saved me in Paris. Did you know that before he came?”

  “No. I don’t think Hank did either or he would have told me. Wow. What are the odds?”

  “I don’t know. But now he’s saved me twice.”

  “Yup. So maybe you need to open your eyes, err eye. I don’t think you’ll be opening that left one for a few days.”

  Rori turned to look in the mirror. “Oh my God.” No wonder her head hurt. Half her face was swollen and bruised, and her eye was swollen shut. “I’m a horror story.”

  “No, you’re not. Cut it out. You were in a car accident. You’ll be fine in a few days.”

  “Because of Raptor.” She didn’t know how she would ever thank him. He’d been there for her on two of the worst days in her life. He said he wanted her, that he wasn’t leaving. Had he really meant all the things he’d said to her last night? She needed to talk to him, but it wouldn’t happen until they were alone. For now, she needed that shower, and maybe the heat would help the swelling.

  ***

  “How come you didn’t answer Chases’ emails,” Hank demanded as soon as they were alone.

  “I didn’t have a chance to read them yet. I was going to do it as soon as we got back from the delivery.”

  “Well maybe if you’d checked them you wouldn’t have been in the accident.”

  “What did he find out and how do you know?”

  “He called me when he couldn’t get in touch with you. Alex traced the source of the calls to Cynthia Marshall in Boston. Apparently, she was Jim’s twin sister and took his death hard.”

  “But if she’s in Boston she’s not the one causing all the trouble here.”

  “We don’t know yet. Alex is trying to find any connection between Cynthia and anyone local.”

  “Maybe we’ll get lucky, and there will be a fingerprint on the brake line.”

  “Or he’ll try again. If he meant to kill her, he isn’t done.”

  “I know. My gut tells me i
t’s the guy from the bakery, or that he’s involved in some way. I haven’t had a chance to ask Rori if she’d seen him before. I wish to hell the hardware store had cameras. Then there would be irrefutable proof on video.”

  “Stuff like this doesn’t usually happen in Eagle Rock. I bet they’ll stock them now.”

  “Too little too late. I almost got her killed today.”

  “No, you didn’t. I shouldn’t have said that. There was nothing Alex turned up to indicate they’d tamper with her van. It was pure genius to have her drive into the dumpster. It could have been so much worse.”

  “I know. She was terrified when she realized she couldn’t stop, but she listened to me and stayed calm. Thank God this is a small town. Did you or Chase find out anything else?”

  “Chase thinks Cynthia is behind it all. She was in a private clinic after Jim’s death, and from the records he dug up, she doesn’t seem too stable.”

  “Alex is amazing on the computer.”

  “Yeah, it would appear that way. But I sure as hell don’t want to know how he got private medical info, but I’m glad he did. But we can’t share any of this with the sheriff.”

  “Understood.”

  They continued to discuss plans and options. Raptor was convinced it was the guy from the bakery and he was itching to get his hands on him. But he’d managed to duck Hank. He’d bet anything that he was still hiding in town, waiting for his next opportunity.

  “I think you both should come stay with us.”

  “No, we’re not going anywhere. This is my home.”

  The two men turned to see Rori and Sadie standing in the kitchen doorway. They were both ex-special teams, and the women managed to sneak up on them. Not a good sign at all. “I guess we’re slipping, Hank. They could have taken us out before we knew they were there.”

  “Don’t tempt me,” Rori said with a smile. She looked a little better after her shower, but he winced whenever he looked at her poor eye. He loved that she’d left her long brown curls loose instead of putting them up the way she usually wore her hair.

  “I agree, Hank. I think we’re better off here, besides I don’t want to bring any trouble your way.”

  “It wouldn’t be…”