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My gaze falls to her face. I’m so not on the outside. Couldn’t leave her if I tried. I brush her hair away from her face.

“Yeah, sunshine?”

“I need my mom.” She trembles in my arms, and her tears soak my dress shirt.

“I know. I’m taking you to her. We’ll be there soon.” I rub her back and meet Kenz’s eyes in the rearview mirror. She accelerates as we get near the edge of town where the hospital is.

She doesn’t slow down when she pulls into the ambulance bay until she brakes hard, skidding the tires. She puts it in park and opens her door and then mine. Then she turns and heads for the wheelchairs sitting outside the door.

Harper wraps around me when I try to move her to the seat beside me. Her head buries into my shoulder, and she shudders.

“Angela, make yourself useful. Help Will.” Kenz grabs another wheelchair and comes around to my side. Her tone is a lot softer when she says, “Okay, let’s take this easy, H.”

Kenz helps me slide to the side so my braced knee is outside the car.

“You can’t park there!” someone yells.

“This is Jennifer Davidson’s daughter!” Kenz yells back. “Ask her if I can park here.”

Kenz mumbles something about assholes. She bends to help support my weight as I lift both myself and Harper. I turn and she makes sure the chair stays in place as I lower with Harper clinging to me. Then she puts my braced leg up on the footrest before wheeling us inside.

Jennifer rushes toward us. “What happened?”

“So fucking much. Drugged, kidnapped, attempted murder.” Kenz’s cool reserve breaks and tears stream down her face. “Harper’s been drugged with fuck knows what. Will died. He died, and I inhaled his medicine to bring him back, but he needs to be seen.”

Jennifer pulls Kenz in and hugs her close for a second.

“You got here, Kenz. You did a great job.” Jennifer motions to a few other nurses as Angela wheels in Will. She makes quick work of divvying us up between nurses. Kenz and Angela are taken with Will, while Jennifer wheels me and Harper into a room.

“How did she take the drugs?”

“Mom?” Harper lifts her head and smiles.

Jennifer takes out a flashlight and shines it into Harper’s eyes. “How did they drug you, sweetie?”

Harper touches her arm. There are two red dots beginning to bruise there.

Jennifer cups Harper’s face and smiles at her. “Okay, I’m going to take care of you now. Can you come lie down on the bed?”

Harper squeezes me once. When she stands, she winces and then goes to the gurney and lies down. The skin on her feet is torn and bloody from running barefoot. I drag in a rough breath. I’m sure those aren’t the only scars she’ll have from tonight.

“You okay, Nico?” Jennifer starts prepping the room.

“I didn’t get hurt besides being shoved out of the way of a moving car.” I shrug like it’s no big deal.

Jennifer takes a breath. “Okay, x-ray, possible CT or MRI.”

At that point, the doctor comes in, and Jennifer tells her what’s going on. She orders what she needs to, then turns to Jennifer.

“Are you okay to be in here?” Her hand touches Jennifer’s arm.

“Yeah, I’m good. They already called in another nurse to help L&D.”

A nurse takes control of my wheelchair. I start to panic and reach for the gurney.

“You need tests.” Jennifer gives me a reassuring look, while she holds her daughter’s hand. “I’ve got her, Nico. She’s safe, and when she comes out of this, she’s going to want to know that you’re safe too.”

I hold up my hand to the nurse to wait a moment and move closer to Jennifer.