Page 59 (1/2)

CHAPTER TWENTY

Derek was in the living roohts cut the darkness as her car tore down the driveway, taking the curves at a breakneck speed

By the ti for the side entrance Moe, Larry, and Curly were on his heels, their shrill barks telling hi

He yanked open the door The auto the darkened garage The door on the driver’s side of her car was ajar And Sloane was bending over the trash can, her shoulders heaving violently as she threw up

Derek was down the steps in an instant It wasn’t until he got closer that the sickeningly familiar smell of blood invaded his nostrils Si down Sloane’s forearers onto the concrete floor The splotches quickly increased in number

His gut clenched

He was beside Sloane in a heartbeat She looked up dazedly as he reached for her, not really seeing hi fully aware of his presence She was in shock, her face sheet white, her eyes huge and haunted

Derek knew she was going to pass out even before he caught her

When Sloane opened her eyes, she was lying supine on the sofa, her head propped up on cushions The first thing she saas the three hounds clustered around her, their expressive little faces filled with distress

Recall took an instant

Shards of pain jolted her memory

She lurched upward, her gaze darting to her right ar position

“Sh-h-h, it’s okay,” he said in as soothing a voice as he could ot it under control”

Sloane saw that he had Her ar on two sofa cushions, and Derek was using towels to apply direct pressure to the wound The bleeding had definitely slowed down There was a s on the floor The water was a nauseating shade of red

None of itSloane cared about