Damn the consequences.
He was about to teleport them out of this right when the car that had hit them ran him over. Ash bellowed in pain as the front then rear tires crushed his legs. Unable to focus on anything but the agony, he dropped the shield around Tory at the same time she went slamming into a set of garbage cans that were lined around a pole.
Tears of pain filled his eyes as he struggled to breathe. He replaced the shield around Tory to protect her from any more harm and to knock her out as he rose to his feet.
Pain hit him hard. He might be a god, but he wasn't immune to damage. It wouldn't kill him. It just hurt like hell.
The men opened fire on him.
Ash slung his hand out and turned the bullets back on them. Fury rode him hard as he killed them as mercilessly as they'd tried to kill Tory.
All except one . . .
A small, wiry man, he was cowering beside the brown Audi sedan that had run him over.
"Who the fuck are you?" Ash snarled angrily.
The man didn't answer.
Ash grabbed him up by his throat and slammed him against the trunk of the car. "Answer me!"
But then he didn't have to . . . In that instant, Ash saw everything about him and the organization he served. Don't kill me please . . .
He heard the voices from the man's past. Voices of people who'd begged for their lives and this prick had killed them without caring.
So be it.
Ash crushed his windpipe and left him sprawled dead on the trunk of the car not caring who saw what he was doing. Still not satisfied, he looked at Tory who lay unmoving.
As he started toward her, he realized his legs were torn open and most of his body was covered with road rash because she'd been wearing his protective jacket. But none of that mattered as he knelt down on the ground beside her. Carefully, he pulled her helmet off to see the bruises on the side of her pale face and the blood on her lips.
He threw his own helmet aside. Fear and grief racked him as he felt for her pulse. She had to be okay. She had to be . . . His stomach knotted until he touched the faint beat.
He wanted to cry in relief. She was still alive, but she was weak from internal injuries.
Ash held his hand out for his backpack which flashed into his grip. Slinging it over his back, he picked Tory up and teleported them to Tulane Hospital. He cradled her against him as he limped painfully into the emergency room entrance.
Luckily it was someone he knew, Wanda, at the front desk.
A heavyset African-American woman, she gaped as she saw him walking toward her. His leg buckled from the pain and he almost fell. But he wouldn't do that. Not while he held Tory. He had to get her help.
"Oh my God, Ash! What happened?"
He couldn't speak as he felt Tory expel one last shallow breath before she died in his arms.
CHAPTER TEN
Ash sank to his knees in the middle of the ER as the pain from his injuries and an overwhelming, unbelievable wave of grief and anger assailed him. He didn't understand why, but he couldn't even breathe at the thought of Tory not being here.
"Tory," he snarled, holding her against his shoulder as he cupped her cold face in his hand and gently shook her body. "Don't you dare fucking die on me. Tory!"
Wanda was there with a doctor and orderlies. Standing behind him, she took his shoulders as the doctor pulled Tory out of his arms.
Ash wanted to fight them and yet he knew he couldn't. They had to save her. Don't interfere. Don't. Interfere.
Wanda's touch was gentle, but it wasn't the touch he wanted to feel. "Ash?" she said, her voice breaking.
He couldn't respond as he heard them calling for a Code Blue. They ripped Tory out of his arms and put her on a gurney before they whisked her away.
Ash knelt there on the floor, his bloodied coat fanned out, watching them run with her through the hallway while his soul screamed out for vengeance against those who'd hurt her.
"I think he's in shock."
Someone touched him. Ash growled, shoving the intern back as he came to his feet and stood there with his legs wide apart. "I'm not in shock. I'm fine."
The intern passed a wide-eyed stare to Wanda.
"Sweetie," Wanda said, touching him lightly on the arm. "You're not all right." Her gaze skimmed down his ravaged body. "You are very hurt and you need to let the nice doctor look at you."
Ash wiped at something warm that was running down his face. Thinking it was sweat, he glanced down to see his hand covered in blood that was pouring out of his temple. How could he explain to them that he'd heal? If they weren't staring at him, he'd make all the injuries vanish . . .
The one who couldn't heal herself was Tory. She was the one who was dead.
"I'm fine. I swear. I just need to go to the bathroom."