Monroe, Marla - The Edge of Night [The Protectors 3](Siren Publishing Classic) (26 page)

Morgan complied, then immediately went over to where Tyler was getting off of Amanda.

“I’ve got her. Check on Justin. He’s out cold,” Morgan said.

Tyler nodded and raced over to where Justin lay motionless.

“Baby, can you hear me? Are you hurt?” Morgan smoothed the hair from her eyes.

“I’m okay, I think. I need to sit up.”

“Easy, there. Do you hurt anywhere?” Morgan asked.

“Just my hands and my knees, I think. I scraped them on the concrete,” she said, raising her hands to look at them.

“We’ll get them cleaned up.”

“What am I going to do, Morgan? It will be all over the papers now, and Guy will get pissed and try to take my baby away from me.” Tears trailed down her cheeks.

“Easy, Amanda. Don’t worry. Dodge has something up his sleeve. Everything will be okay, I promise.” Morgan prayed he didn’t break that promise.

The police arrived and ordered everyone on the ground facedown. Jethro laid his gun down and told them he had a permit and ID in his back pocket.

“She can’t lay facedown. She’s pregnant,” Morgan told them.

“You’re not. Facedown. Now!” the officer said.

An ambulance drove up behind the two police cars. They waited for them to get the okay before climbing out with their stretcher and cases. They took in the scene and went straight to Tyler when the policeman told them the other man was dead.

Another police car pulled up, lights flashing, but without the siren. The man who got out looked older than the other two officers. He demanded to know what was going on from one of the men.

“Sir, all we know right now is that we have one dead, GSW to the head, one down with a head injury of some kind, a pregnant woman, and three guys with guns at their feet,” the young officer told him.

“Who wants to talk first?”

Morgan raised his hand. “I will.”

“Okay, come over here and tell me what the fuck went down here,” the older man said.

Morgan got up and slowly walked over to the police car, where he leaned and was carefully and thoroughly frisked.

The older man turned him around. “Now start talking.”

“Those men pulled up behind us and assaulted us. The dead man grabbed Amanda, the pregnant woman, and put a gun to her head. She pretended to pass out, and he lost his grip. Jethro, the man with the license to carry a gun, shot him before he could recover and shoot Amanda.”

“Okay, let’s say you’re telling the truth. Why?” he asked.

“She’s the ex-girlfriend of Guy Winthroup of Memphis, Tennessee. She’s carrying his baby, and the son of a bitch tried to make her have an abortion because he’s actually engaged to someone else. He’s also running for mayor of Memphis.”

“Holy hell,” the man said. “Just what I need. A freaking three-ring circus. The media will eat this up.”

“We don’t want the media if that’s any consolation to you. She’s scared he’ll sue her for custody of the baby when she has it. He’ll win, too. He has the money and who knows how many judges in his pocket,” Morgan said.

“Can’t do a damn thing about that. Go on back over to where the others are. We’ll bring you all in for questioning. You can ride your bikes and follow us. Don’t have enough room for them and you all both, but the lady comes with us. That should assure you show up. I’ll charge her with accessory to murder if you don’t show up.”

“We’ll be there,” Morgan assured him.

He walked back over to where a paramedic was fighting to keep Justin on the stretcher.

“I’m not going to the hospital. Just give me whatever papers you need me to sign, and I’ll sign them,” he said.

“How are you feeling?” Morgan asked.

“Fine. I’ve got a hell of a headache, but I’ve had worse.”

Justin grabbed the clipboard and pen. He signed the paper and shoved it back into the paramedic’s hands before climbing off the stretcher. He weaved a bit, but caught his balance and walked over to where Jethro was leaning against the truck, being questioned.

Morgan walked over to the police car where the other paramedic was treating Amanda’s hands. He squatted down and looked up at her. “How you doing?” he asked.

“I’m okay. My hands sting, but that’s all.”

“What about the baby?” He directed the question to the paramedic.

“Heartbeat sounds fine. I don’t know if she’s spotting or not since we can’t strip her down here.”

“Does she need to go to the hospital?” Morgan asked, worried now.

“It wouldn’t hurt.”

“Amanda, you go on, and I’ll come get you as soon as they finish questioning me. I’m going to make sure the police send someone with you.”

“I don’t want to leave you, Morgan. I know you’ll keep me safe,” she said, wringing her hands.

“I know, baby, but there’s nothing we can do. The police won’t let us leave without statements.”

“Is Justin okay?” she asked.

“Yeah, he’s got a hell of a bump and a headache, but he’s fine,” Morgan told her.

She nodded and let the paramedic lead her to the ambulance. Morgan followed her and made sure she was comfortable, then walked back over to the apparent leader.

“She’s got to go to the hospital. She needs a policeman with her at all times until we can be with her,” Morgan told him.

“Hell, is she okay? I thought she just had some scrapes,” the leader fussed.

“She landed on her stomach, so they want to have her checked for bleeding and all.”

“Okay, I’ll send one of the officers from the office up there. He can take her statement while he’s there.” He reached into his cruiser and pulled out his mike.

Morgan watched the ambulance pull away with a sick feeling in his stomach. He didn’t like her being out of his sight. He didn’t like her being anywhere but with him. That bit of knowledge worried him.

Chapter Twenty

Amanda trembled the entire time she sat on the stretcher in the emergency room of the local hospital. They’d checked her hands and knees and listened to her baby’s heartbeat. They’d even let her hear it. She’d been in awe. She knew she was pregnant, but until she heard her baby’s heartbeat, it hadn’t really seemed real.

“We’re going to do an ultrasound as well since you haven’t been seen by an ob-gyn yet. I want to make sure everything looks okay. The best thing is that you’re not spotting. Some spotting during pregnancy can be normal, but you should always contact your doctor—which means, young lady, that you need to find a doctor soon to follow you,” the doctor told her.

“I’ll give you a prescription for prenatal vitamins. I know you’re taking the over-the-counter ones, but I’d feel better if you would take these instead.”

“Okay,” she said.

She would do whatever he told her to take care of her baby. It was the most important thing. She hoped Morgan and the others were okay and would be there soon. She didn’t like sitting there with some stranger standing outside her door. Somehow in the short time she’d known him, Morgan had become special to her, no, more than special. She was falling in love with him. It hurt to admit because she knew he would leave once she was settled somewhere.

The ultrasound technician wheeled in a machine and directed her to lie back on the stretcher. She pulled a sheet up to cover her, then pulled her gown up to expose her belly. She spread some cool gel over her abdomen, then used a wand of some kind to press around on her belly.

“There we go. Let’s see if we can figure out the sex for you,” the tech said.

“Can you tell already?” Amanda asked.

“Sometimes, yes. This little butter bean isn’t cooperating, though. He’s turned around. How about a look at him?” the tech asked.

“Can I really?”

“Sure thing.” She turned the machine so that Amanda could see the picture on the monitor. “See the heart beating? There are his hands and feet. Cute little thing, isn’t it?”

“The most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.” Amanda’s eyes teared up.

“I’ll print out a picture for you. Now, be still while I do all the things I need to do for the doctor.”

Amanda held still and waited while the tech finished the test. Then she handed her the printout of the ultrasound picture. She couldn’t stop staring at it. That was what was growing inside of her, a little person. Now it seemed so real.

There was a commotion at the door. She heard Morgan’s voice threaten the officer outside the room.

“Get out of my way. She’s my woman.”

The officer must have said something because Morgan answered him, “Call your superior, then, and get it cleared, because I’m going in whether you like it or not.”

Morgan pushed past the officer and walked into the room. Amanda still had her gown up, rubbing her belly. It felt good to touch and know she was, in essence, rubbing her baby. She watched as he stared at her now slightly rounded belly.

“You’ve got a baby bump,” he said with wonder.

“Look what they gave me,” she said, picking up the sonogram picture.

He obviously knew what it was because he took it and looked closely at it before handing it back to her. “Can’t tell if it is a boy or a girl yet, though.”

“Not yet,” she agreed. “Is everything straightened out?”

“Pretty much. We’ll all have to come back and testify against the others unless they take a plea bargain.”

“What about Tyler and Justin? Are they okay?”

“They’re fine. Justin has a hell of a headache, but he’ll be fine.”

Just then, the doctor walked in. He raised his eyebrows at Morgan.

“You okay with him being in here while we talk?” He flipped through her chart.

“Yes, it’s fine,” Amanda assured him.

“Okay, I’ve got good news and some not-so-good news.”

At this, Amanda’s stomach dropped. Morgan sought out her hand and squeezed it. She didn’t know what she was going to do without him when he was gone. He was her rock in the storm of life.

“The good news is that you haven’t suffered any lasting effects from the episode you were in. I still want you to watch for spotting. It won’t mean anything bad, but it would be best to let your doctor know,” the doctor said.

“I’ll do that,” Amanda assured him.

“Okay, the not-so-great news. You’re not as large and haven’t gained enough weight for how far along you are. You should weigh a good eight to ten pounds more than you do for your height and gestation.”

“What about my baby? Is he okay?”

“The baby is doing fine. The baby will always get what it needs first. You’re the one suffering. Eventually, though, it will affect the baby. You need more rest and to gain some weight,” the doctor said.

“I’ll make sure she gets what she needs,” Morgan assured the doctor.

“All right then, I’m going to write that prescription and your discharge papers, and you’ll be ready to go,” he said.

As soon as the doctor left the room, Morgan wrapped her in his arms and kissed her. She opened to him, and he took advantage by plunging his tongue inside to twist and roll over hers.