A Fractured Plea
Dominic awoke to the sharp sting of antiseptic, the hospital room hollow and silent around him.
His fingers twitched toward his phone, desperate for news of Amelia's safety. But the slightest movement sent searing, bone-deep pain shooting through his left leg, forcing a gasp through clenched teeth.
The door swung open as a nurse rushed in. "Mr. Hawthorne! Thank goodness you are awake!" Her voice turned urgent. "Your left leg is in bad shape, multiple fractures. We need to operate now."
"Who brought me in?" he demanded, ignoring her medical urgency.
"A couple dropped you off hours ago. They did not stay."
His chest tightened. Amelia. As long as she was unharmed. Yet his trembling hands dialed her number anyway.
When she answered, his voice cracked. "Amelia, it is me.
