Page 42 of Until Easton

Her hand slowly lifts, and she touches her head. "My head."

I look around for Jax, finding him standing by the wreckage. "Becca needs to go to the hospital and get checked out."

"I'm okay," Becca groans.

"You're bleeding," I inform her.

"Mallory—she hit me good on the side of my head," Becca states.

"Then you're going to the hospital and letting a doctor look you over. You may have a concussion," Arthur tells his granddaughter.

"Where's Mallory?" Becca clutches my arm with one hand and I notice her nursing her other, holding it close to her chest. Her wrist looks swollen.

I look around for Jax, finding him reaching through the driver's side window. When he emerges, there's a gun in his hand. Jax looks at me. "She's alive."

"Easton." Becca looks at me. "Mallory mentioned something about Miles. I think she may have hurt him too."

"Shit." I fumble to dig my phone out of my pocket and pull up Miles' number. The phone rings a few times before his voice fills my ear. "Are you okay?" I rush my words.

"Don't worry about me. Easton, it's Mallory. She's the stalker," he says.

"I know. Mallory found me."

"Dammit. Are you okay?" he asks.

"Mallory went after Becca."

Miles spits out a few more curse words.

"She's alright, and Mallory is in custody," I finish telling him.

"Thank God. And I'll relay all this to the authorities."

"Are you hurt?" I ask again.

"Got a knot the size of a golf ball on the back of my head. Her crazy ass cracked me over the noggin with a baseball bat. When I came to, I was lying on the garage floor next to my car." He pauses a minute. "Listen, I'm still dealing with the police and detective Wilkerson. Keep me updated." The call ends.

Flashing lights surround us as three police cars roll up on the scene. Soon after, an ambulance arrives, and Becca is loaded onto a stretcher into the back of the vehicle. While they assess her injuries and the paramedic starts an IV line, her grandfather sits with her. I keep my eyes trained on my woman from a few feet away while answering questions. Finally, I peel my eyes off Becca long enough to watch an officer lead a defiant Mallory to a waiting patrol car, with her hands cuffed behind her back. She suffered no injuries from my truck ramming into the side of her car but will be taken to the hospital for a psychiatric evaluation before taking a trip to jail.

"Let me go!" Mallory screams, flailing her legs and trying to break free. "He loves me—not her." She looks at me. "Easton, tell them. Tell them you love me—tell them!" Mallory continues to wail as they place her in the backseat of the patrol car. I say nothing in return and feel nothing while the vehicle drives away from the scene.

A couple of hours later, I'm sitting beside Becca while we wait for her discharge papers and for her grandfather to return with transportation home. The blow Becca suffered to the side of her head gave her a mild concussion and required eight stitches and she has a sprained wrist. I stare at her bruised cheek, and guilt eats at my insides. This should have never happened to her. It's my fault.

"I'm sorry about your truck," Becca gives me a half-smile.

"My truck is replaceable—you are not." I stroke the back of her hand.

"She wanted to kill me." Becca's words cut deep, and I hang my head.

"I'm so fucking sorry for putting you in harm's way."

Becca touches my cheek. "You didn't do this, Easton. Mallory's choices belong to her alone."

"Her choices were directly affected by the obsession she has for me." I close my eyes, trying to push away thoughts of what could have happened. The situation could have taken a far worse turn. Becca could have died tonight, and her death would…"Stop," Becca says. "You are not to blame."

"You could have died." My voice breaks. I take her hand in mine and kiss her knuckle. "I just found you, and I'm not ready for what we have to be taken away from me. I'll never be ready," I confess.

Becca tilts her head, and her fingers brush across my forehead. Becca takes my hand and places it over her heart. "You feel that? Because of you, it still beats."