Chapter Six
352 Words
The Land Rover slowed, sliding slightly on the wet asphalt, and came to a halt behind Kurt’s Ferrari.
Shaun and the guards jumped out instantly, sprinting toward him. Kurt was kneeling in the rain, cradling the young woman’s head in his hands. His Armani coat, now soaked, served as a cushion beneath her bruised temple.
“What happened?” Shaun demanded, his voice tight with concern. He glanced at the girl, hoping his boss hadn’t accidentally run her over.
“No time,” Kurt said sharply. “Quick—get some blankets out of the Land Rover’s trunk. The poor girl’s soaked and freezing.”
One of the bodyguards darted to the vehicle and returned moments later with a couple of thick blankets. Kurt gently wrapped them around her shivering form, then lifted her with careful strength. She was light, almost weightless in his arms, yet fragile. He eased her into the back seat of the Land Rover, laying her down gently, and climbed in beside her to make sure she wouldn’t roll off.
“Shaun, you take my car,” Kurt instructed, tossing him the keys. “Grab one of the bodyguards—Roger. Phil, you drive me in the Land Rover. We’ll meet at the hospital, understand?”
“Understood, boss,” Shaun said, pocketing the keys and glancing anxiously at Stella. “See you there.”
The engines roared to life. Both vehicles sped off into the stormy night, tires hissing on the rain-slicked road. The bright lights of the city began to pierce the darkness ahead, a beacon cutting through the haze of rain and mist.
Kurt kept one hand lightly resting on her arm, the other ready to shield or stabilize her if needed. For now, silence hung between them, broken only by the rhythmic sound of the windshield wipers and her shallow, uneven breathing.
Whatever had brought her to this road, whatever dangers she had run from—it had landed her in his hands. And for the first time in years, Kurt felt a surge of responsibility he couldn’t ignore.
She was his problem now.
- Writer
