Her Cowboy (Book One Of The Brave Series)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter 18

A.

I was still baffled by what I'd just seen. She was like a cheetah, fast and graceful as she caught the woman who tried to escape. The viciousness in her eyes as she dragged the woman by her hair back into the room wasn't frightening. It was sexy. I felt like pulling her into a room and....whoa there buddy, slow down, where'd that come from? I shook my head at my own wayward thoughts. This girl was seriously getting to me and I still needed to clear what had happened earlier today up.

It didn't take long for the paramedics to arrive and when they did they hooked Madeline's mom onto a gurney and rolled her into the back of the ambulance. She was still unconscious as the EMT checked her vitals. The woman Madeline caught did as she was told and told the honest story of what had happened to the officers who had arrive moment before.

"The paramedics won't let me ride with her, says the ambulance is too small, so I'll be riding behind her. Let Axel know that I appreciate him letting me use his truck and I'll be giving him the gas money." She said as she walked past me and hopped into the driver's side of truck. As she tried to close the door I grabbed it. She let out a frustrated sigh.

"What?" She snapped.

"I'm going with you." I replied.

"No, I can go fine by myself." I wasn't going to let her go that easily.

"And what happens if you lose the ambulance in the storm, you don't know your way around and GPS ain't gunna help for nothin'." I argued back. She quieted down and then scooted over to the passenger's side.

"Hurry up." She snipped. I smiled and hopped into the driver's side. The ambulance had already taken off, but I knew where they were headed.

Turning onto the main road I headed the direction we were meant to go, thinking of something to say in the silent cab of the truck. Just as I was about to open my mouth I saw her body tremble. There was no heater in the truck, it was in the process of being fixed, and then I noticed that she simply wore only a short sleeve t-shirt. I realized then that when her mother was entering the ambulance on the gurney, Madeline's jacket was on top of her, keeping her warm.

I thought to offer her my arm but with how much space she purposefully put between us the answer would be obvious.

M.

We arrived at the hospital as the doctor was viewing Mom, so I sat in the waiting room. Asher sat beside me, but we spoke no words. I was still so angry about what happened earlier that day. Was it just a few hours ago that I was basically heartbroken? Two hours ago, that I was enjoying a good time with friends at a bonfire?

And where was I now? In a hospital with my mother in the other room, unconscious because of a man I called 'Dad'. Talk about life being unpredictable.

"Ms. Reed?" I looked up to find two police officer's standing in front of me. One was tall and lanky, maybe mid-thirties with a peppered beard. The other was older, his body more shaped like an 'O' than anything and half the height of Pepper Beard.

"Yes?" I asked.

"My name is Detective Warner, and this is Detective Stail, we'd like to ask you and your friend a little bit more of what had happened in your home." Warner, Peppered Beard, asked. I nodded and followed up with them of everything that had happened, play by play.

"So, he ran off in the family vehicle?" I nodded, and Asher confirmed my statement.

"Okay, when your mother if feeling up to it please let us know," he handed me a card, "We'd like to speak with her to get her side of the story, until then we'll search for Mr. Reed and if we find him we'll put him under lock."