Angie wasn’t dead, but her throat burned, swallowing was almost impossible, and her arms and legs were boulders anchoring her to the ground. Was she paralyzed?
She tested mobility by turning her head gingerly to the left. A sharp bolt of lightning shattered her skull.
Oh, shit. Oh, shit. A cloud of foggy panic blanketed her mind and she lost consciousness again.
She awoke later – years, days, hours? Time had no meaning in her dark tomb.
Not dead yet. He hadn’t killed her, but he’d tried damn hard, enjoyed himself, too. He’d tried to choke the life out of her with those rough hands of his. Not dead, but dying.
A tear trickled from the slit of one eye. The bastard was going to win. She’d die here in this dark, remote cave, and no one would ever know what’d happened to her.
Her breath was a sighing release, a letting go, a giving in to the inevitable.
No, no! The voice reverberating around the cave came from inside her.
Git your lazy ass up and fight, girl! You gonna die like some old ‘ho after all you been through?
No, no, she forced her cracked lips to whisper. She thought hard to bring up her killer’s face, that weaselly man with the mean face done this to her. A man supposed to protect people like her. He was a damn coward, pickin’ on someone her size.
She kept up the litany in her brain, her mouth forming wordless shapes, her strength building until she could lift one hand off the ground and place it on her chest. She felt the dampness of blood below her breast, the sharp jagged edge of bone, and knew she was seriously injured.
Gotta move, gotta git up, gotta go, don’t lay here and die like a broken, used-up ‘ho.
The passage of time was nothing but agony and release of consciousness, waking up to more pain and passing out again. It must’ve taken her hours, inch by inch, to drag herself from the interior of the cave to its mouth. She saw the faint orange and yellow wash of sky on the eastern horizon when she finally rested.
Rolling at last onto her uninjured side, she looked at the long downward slope of sagebrush and shrub and rock that stretched for what seemed forever. She lay for an hour, watching the sunrise, thinking if she died here and now, she’d have a beautiful burial site.
But pain was her savior and made her gird her last ounce of strength to roll as hard as she could down the long treacherous hill.
Chapter 56
At last Slater pulled himself out of the wing chair. “I’m heading for bed now. Thinking of a cop this corrupt – well, I can’t wrap my mind around it – but if I find solid proof, there’ll be hell to pay in the Rosedale Police Department.”
With that final comment, he left the living room and made his way to the den where he’d bunk for the night.
Cruz turned to Frankie, suddenly feeling awkward. “You and Cole will be safe here tonight, so don’t worry.”
“I won’t.” She walked into the kitchen for a glass of water and he followed her.
He stood next to her as she began to wash the dishes. “It’s been a harrowing few days for you.” Her dark brown hair had fallen out of its loose knot and strands hung across her cheeks and forehead.
“Not so bad.” She shrugged and gave a slight smile. “Although I did get a new appreciation for practicing medicine in a sterile environment.”
They finished washing up in silence, Cruz very aware of her closeness, and her apparent indifference to his presence. He grabbed his jacket and walked to the door. “If Slater asks, tell him I decided to stay at my apartment tonight.”
Frankie trailed him onto the front landing where Cruz paused to look down at her pale face. “Sorry. I’ve got to get back to business at the parole office. I’m behind on my cases.”
“I wish you didn’t have to go.”
I don’t want to,” he murmured. She stood very near, and his breathing became shallow. “Slater will look after you,” he added softly.
“Don’t worry about me.” She placed one hand on his chest. “Take care of yourself.” They stood so close he could smell the light fragrance of her soap or shampoo. He placed his hand over hers, felt his heart begin a steady thumping, wondered if she could feel it.
She smiled wryly. “Besides, I’ve got you on speed dial, remember?” She looked fresh and innocent, a fa?ade for the steely determination he knew lay beneath the surface.
“I’ll be back as soon as I can. Slater will investigate the police department.”
Moments passed before either moved. Then it seemed the most natural thing in the world when he lowered his mouth to hers for the briefest brush of his lips across hers.