“I’m so scared.”
Mac’s gaze flashed to her. “So am I, but I know we can get out of this. We just have to be smart and not expose ourselves.” Mac glanced under the truck and then pushed her to move again.
As they moved, April spied the woman over by the front of Mac’s truck. She and Mack had almost made it to the woman’s car when the police arrived, their blue and red lights strobing over the white walls of the two houses behind them. The woman rushed around the back of the truck. Her eyes had a wild look that made April think they wouldn’t make it out of this.
Mac pushed April back as he lunged at the woman. For a second, April felt like her heart had stopped. She gasped for air as her hands clutched at Mac but fell empty to her sides. Mac had her arms pinned above her head, and then the police were there, their guns pointed at the woman and Mac.
April heard them shouting, but she couldn’t decipher the words from all the ringing and pounding in her head. She was pulled up and led over to the sidewalk, where she dropped to the pavement, unsure exactly what had just happened.
Then Mac sat beside her and pulled her onto his lap, holding her close. Neither of them said a word as the paramedic arrived, along with a load of other people.
The incident had probably only taken a minute, but it had felt like a year. Maybe not that long, but she’d sworn while they were in the heat of it, more than thirty minutes had passed, but when she checked her phone, the time said it was only fifteen minutes since they’d stepped out of her house and set the alarm.
“Hey, can you tell me your name?” The paramedic was standing right in front of her, his eyes on her face.
She watched as another paramedic led Mac away. Panic flared. She wanted to get up and stay by his side because she feared something else bad would happen.
“Your name?” the person asked, and she turned her focus back to him.
“Oh, it’s April Hampton.”
“Okay, April, I need you to tell me where it hurts.”
She shook her head. “I don’t know.”
“I think you’re in a bit of shock. Getting fired on is disturbing. I’m just going to take a few readings, and we’ll see how you feel in a few.”
She met the paramedic’s gaze and nodded. “Is Mac okay?”
The guy glanced over his shoulder where Mac was on the stretcher. “They’re going to take him in. He has a nasty gash on the side of his head.”
Tears filled her eyes. She was about to say something when Lilly rushed over, concern shining in her eyes.
“April, are you okay?” She nodded as the tears slipped down her cheeks.
“I’ll be fine.”
“How is Mac?” Lilly asked.
She shrugged. “They’re taking him to the hospital.”
“Okay.” Lilly turned to the paramedic. “Is she okay to go with me?”
The guy’s lips twisted up on one side. “I think so. As long as you watch her. She needs food and water. She needs to see a doctor if she gets dizzy or has blurred vision. Her vitals are okay but watch her closely. We’re taking him to the hospital in Roanoke.”
April met Lilly’s gaze. “I need to be there for him.”
“Sure. I’ll call Ethan and see if he wants to go with us.”
April nodded, relieved Lilly was willing to take her. After she spoke again to the police and they swung by Lilly’s place to pick up Ethan, they were on the road to Roanoke. It took them a little over an hour and a half. April ate a sandwich Ethan had prepared for her before they arrived to pick him up.
She drifted off to sleep a few times but was woken up by either road noise or Ethan and Lilly talking. When they pulled up outside the hospital, tears burned her eyes. She didn’t know what kind of condition Ethan would be in.
Lilly pulled her into a hug when they stepped out of the car. She held on, wishing she knew why they had been attacked. She’d thought the person was her stalker, but Mac had been the one the woman was after.
“Let’s go in,” Ethan said.
April followed Ethan inside as she held onto Lilly. It took about twenty minutes for them to get back to see Mac. He’d had a scan, and they were waiting on the results. His head had been cleaned up a bit, but he had a hellacious bruise.
“Hey, man, how are you?” Ethan asked.
Mac reached out his hand for April, and she moved to him. “Better knowing April is okay.”
“Do you know who that was?” Lilly asked.
Mac gave his head a short shake and then moaned. “Sorry, I’m still in pain. They won’t give me anything until they figure out how bad it is.”
“Make sense,” Ethan said.
“I don’t know who that was or what they wanted.” Mac met April’s gaze. “I was so scared they were going to shoot you.”
“I felt the same way about you. When you rushed them, I wanted to curse you out.”
Mac’s lips twitched up for a second before another moan followed. She hated that he was in pain, but she was glad it was only pain, not death.
Ethan moved to the other side of the bed. “The police are holding her. I heard from a buddy that they aren’t going to allow bail. Once they know more, I’ll tell you, but I’m glad you’re okay. I’m going to go out and sit in the lobby so you and April have some time.” Mac nodded and the door opened before Ethan and Lilly could leave.
“Ah, I see you have visitors. Good news, you don’t need surgery. Your skull isn’t cracked, which is very good. You have a mild concussion, so we’ll get you out of here. If your symptoms worsen, go see a doctor, but I think you’ll be fine if you follow a few precautions.”
“Thank you, Doctor,” Mac said.
“That’s great news,” Lilly added.
April wiped the tears from her eyes. She was happy Mac didn’t need surgery. He should recover fairly quickly, which was great.
“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked.
April’s head jerked up, and her eyes went wide. “Are you asking me?”
The doctor nodded. “You have a lump on the opposite side of your head. It’s not bad, but I just wanted to make sure you are okay.”
“I’m fine. It hurts, but it’s not bad. Not as bad as his injuries are.”
The doctor moved closer. “Mind if I look?”
April shook her head. “No, that’s fine.”
It only took a short moment for the doctor to probe and make sure April’s eyes could follow the light the doctor pulled from her pocket.
“Okay, same goes for you. If you start feeling worse, go see a doctor. You should take it easy for a few days, and I hope I don’t have to see either of you this summer. The police stopped by. I’m glad mild concussions are the extent of your injuries.”
The doctor left, and April wanted to stay in bed with Mac and hold him. They still had more than an hour’s drive to get home.
“Sounds like they’re going to set you free,” Ethan said. “We’ll be out in the lobby. I’m glad you both are okay.”
“Thank you both for bringing April and for sticking around to help us get home,” Mac said.
“Sure, man,” Ethan said. “Oh, and your truck is fairly trashed. Brock took a look, and it was not great. He has an SUV he says you can borrow until you can get something done about the truck.”