Night Is Darkest by Jayne Rylon (books recommended by bts .TXT) 📕

shirt trying to shove her ear against the other side of the phone. Then she jumped into the conversation. “We’re turning onto Johnstown Road now. We can be there faster than an ambulance. I can work on her.”

Mason didn’t need the details to put the pedal to the floor.

Chapter Twenty-One

Lacey flew from the truck before it had lurched to a stop between a cruiser and an unmarked sedan that screamed copmobile parked in Rob’s usual spot in their driveway. She bolted up the stairs toward her house. Ty and Mason followed on her heels. Bright crimson splatters of blood stained the whitewashed boards in a thin but steady trail along the way.

Lights sparkled from within but the cracked open door hinted at something amiss. She shoved inside then followed the sound of faint arguing to the kitchen. “Please, it’s not necessary. I’ve had far worse. I just have to talk to Lacey. I need to warn her.”

The shaky feminine plea had her stumbling to a halt in the hallway. What if Jackson had been telling the truth? The guys stole her chance to consider when they steamrolled her, sweeping her into the midst of the commotion. Jeremy, Razor and Gina turned as one to face the clamor.

She gasped when the gesture revealed the cause of the young cops’ concern. Gina’s left eye had swollen shut, blood dripped from her broken nose and sick bruises covered her from forehead to split lip.

“Oh, Jesus,” Tyler whispered.

“That bad?” The half-smile, half-grimace Gina managed didn’t upgrade their opinion of her condition. Her muscles drooped in contrast to the puffy injuries.

Lacey ignored the four men on high alert ringing them as she approached Gina where she perched, shaking, on one of the stools at the island. Her nursing training rose to the surface. The truth could wait one damn minute. This battered woman needed immediate assistance. Gina gripped the butcher block surface in front of her.

“You’re dizzy.” Lacey didn’t have to ask. “How long did you lose consciousness for?”

“I need to tell you…”

She cut the woman off by raising her hand, palm out. “If it doesn’t mean life or death in the next ten minutes, you’ll have to wait until I’m finished.”

“You’re as stubborn as Rob is.” A single tear squeezed from her battered eye to paint another grotesque track across her cheek. “Was.”

“How long? Do you even remember?” Lacey ignored the pain impaling her heart at the thought of her lost brother and what it would do to him to see his delicate girlfriend in this condition. The guys had been right, Jackson warped her perspective until she lost sight of the truth. She angled Gina’s chin with careful precision to examine her injuries in better light.

“Not really.” Gina sighed. “I think just a minute or two at my apartment then I sort of fell asleep outside while I waited for you to come home.”

“You drove here in this condition?” Razor choked on his outrage. He vibrated with tension Lacey had never witnessed in the fun-loving rookie. He’d been the life of several parties she’d attended. In fact, she’d even flirted with him a bit until Mason had chased him away. She’d misjudged his carefree attitude while off duty but now she understood what made him so well regarded on the force. The familiar combination of attention to detail, righteousness and protective instincts she’d witnessed in Rob, Ty and Mason oozed from his bunched muscles.

“Help her to the living room while I grab a few things from upstairs. Settle her on the couch but stack lots of pillows behind her.” Though ugly, Gina’s injuries could be treated at home for now.

She bolted upstairs while the testosterone entourage attended to the wounded woman. A mental checklist formed as she rummaged through the medicine cabinet. Gloves, gauze, ibuprofen, butterfly bandages, lip balm, Q-tips, peroxide, tweezers, an empty glass jar and an ice pack rounded out the selection.

Lacey tugged on the hem of her shirt. She used the pouch it formed as it lifted above her navel to store her supplies. Things rattled and sloshed as she rushed to rejoin the concerned gang.

Razor hovered over Gina’s prone form like a concerned mother hen just as he had at Rob’s going away party. Lacey dumped her cache on the coffee table then dragged it near the couch. “Ty, grab my bag from the truck, please?”

He raced to do her bidding as she arranged the supplies into neat rows.

“Jeremy, please bring me a bowl of lukewarm water, a can of soda and the bottle of brandy. Could you also fill this with ice?” She tossed him the waterproof bag.

He nodded then disappeared into the kitchen where the distant clunk of slamming cabinets tracked his progress. Mason stood, feet braced shoulder-width apart, wrists crossed at the base of his spine. His eagle eyes never once strayed from where she knelt beside Gina.

“Did anyone check her for weapons?” He addressed Razor.

“Stand down, Clark.” He shot an incredulous look over his shoulder. “Can’t you see she’s the victim here?”

“I don’t take chances.” He made no apology for the implication of his question.

Jeremy’s quick stride faltered at the tension radiating from the two men when he returned. He must have caught the gist of the conversation as he neared. “I don’t either, Mason. I patted her when we hauled her inside. She’s clean.”

When Razor turned to him with raised eyebrows, he shrugged. “I’ve seen a lot of fucked-up shit on the job. No offense intended, Gina.”

“None taken.” She sighed. “Please, just let me explain.”

“When I’m through here.” Lacey refused to let her sidetrack them until she’d done what she could to alleviate the woman’s suffering. She drew on the latex gloves with a snap then nudged Razor’s bunched thigh with her shoulder. He never let his grip on Gina’s trembling hand slip though he positioned himself behind the couch to give Lacey room to maneuver. His other hand rested on Gina’s shoulder.

“I’m going to do a quick manual exam. I’m pretty