My shoulders relax, and I exhale as soon as the door closes behind Evan. Oh my God, what just happened? Better yet, what did I just do?

I caved.

Fuck me. I caved, and now he thinks he’s in control and God’s gift to the world.

Fucking great.

I won’t let him manipulate me with sex. He must not be that smart if he thinks that’s actually going to work. I said those things in the heat of the moment and because I really needed to fucking come, but that doesn’t mean I meant it. Hell, I would’ve told him the sky was purple if that meant he’d give me what I needed.

Regardless, that was really damn hot. The way I yelled at him, and he yelled back, and then we just attacked each other. Every moment of our first night together has replayed in my head since it happened, but now… angry Evan is the one who will haunt me in my dreams. Angry Evan is hot and demanding and knows just how to tease the fuck out of me. I almost hate him for it. Except I could never hate a man who knows how to worship my body like he does.

But God, does he really have to be such a controlling asshole?

I scoop my scrubs and shoes off the floor and adjust my just-fucked hair. Once my top is on, I search for my panties. When I don’t find them on the floor, I shake out my scrub bottoms, but they aren’t there either. What the fuck?

Panic starts to surface at the realization that I lost my damn panties. Shit, shit, shit.

My pager beeps, and it’s painfully obvious I’m going to have to put my pants on without them. Quickly, I finish getting dressed and push my shoes on before grabbing my lab coat and the soiled shirt and flying out the door.

I throw Evan’s shirt in the trash before anyone can see me and ask questions.

Rushing to the nurses’ station for an update, I look around but don’t see any commotion or people scrambling like normal. “What’s going on? You paged me?” I ask, trying to catch my breath.

Fiona looks at me like I’ve gone crazy. She swallows and lowers her eyes before bringing them back up to look at me. She witnessed the heated argument back in the trauma room, and now she looks uncomfortable as hell. “Dr. Bishop asked me to page you. He wanted me to tell you that your break is over and to get back to work.” I can tell she’s uneasy delivering the news, but that doesn’t stop the anger from brewing inside me.

The vein in my forehead is about to burst, but I remind myself to play it cool. For all they knew, Evan sent me on the break to calm down, and now I’m the one looking like a slacker.

“Okay. Thanks.” I pinch my lips together to prevent any further words from spewing out of me. No one can know that Evan and I are…whatever the hell we are. Considering I came to this hospital to make a name for myself all on my own, the last thing I need is people thinking I sleep my way to the top.

Crap.

“Dr. Bell,” Evan barks from the other side of the room. He’s holding a pile of charts in his hands that are no doubt from the huge fire incident that just unfolded.

Taking a deep breath, I put my lab coat on and dig my stethoscope from the pocket and wrap it around my neck. We have to act impartially to each other publicly, but hell, I didn’t realize how hard it’d be now that we’re together.

“Yes, Dr. Bishop?”

He doesn’t even look up at me when I approach him, and I hate that it irritates me.

“I need you on beds seven through fifteen until the next shift rotation, then finish these charts before you leave.” His head tilts up, his lips in a firm line as he piles the stack in my arms. “I also need an update on the Brauer kids once an hour.”

Swallowing, I adjust the charts in my arms to prevent them from falling. I won’t let my pride get in the way of doing my job, and if charts are what I need to do right now, then I won’t make a scene. At least not in front of everyone. However, once we’re alone, I’m going to give him a piece of my mind for treating me like a damn intern again.

“Absolutely. Anything else, sir?” My tone is laced with fake sweetness, and he doesn’t flinch a beat at it.

“Yes, actually.” He takes a step forward and dips his head until his mouth hovers over my ear. “Make sure those charts are done correctly before you leave. I’ll be looking through them extensively.”

“Of course.” I grind my teeth, wishing I could give him a piece of my mind right now.

“And since I know you’re going commando, I won’t ask you to perform any oral procedures.” He winks before walking away, making my blood boil.

That asshole stole my panties!

By the time my shift ends, my annoyance with Evan has only grown. Charting is an easy job compared to some of the grunt work I could be doing but recalling the argument we had about Mr. Bauer with the other two doctors and how this is my punishment for that causes my rage to resurface. I may not have worked in a trauma hospital for the past five-plus years like Evan, but the jerk wouldn’t even consider my suggestion even after giving thorough reasons why they should.

After I change and walk to the parking lot, I get in my car. I keep replaying the roller coaster of a day over in my head as I head home. I’m cursing and muttering to myself while driving when I realize the car behind me has made the same turns I have since leaving the hospital parking lot. Normally I wouldn’t think much of it, but since finding those tulips on my windshield this morning, I’m more on edge about what they could mean.

Deciding to call Kiera, I reach for my phone, and she answers almost immediately after hitting her name.

“Are you sure?” she asks after I tell her I think Richard is following me. I explain the flowers and how the car is continuing to switch lanes every time I do. I’m trying to not be paranoid, but my racing heart has me mildly freaking out.

“I can’t see the face because the visor is down, but I’m almost positive it’s him. It can’t just be a coincidence,” I tell her, eyeing my mirror and squinting. “He’s driving just far enough away that I can’t read his plates, but close enough for me to notice I’ve been followed the past fifteen minutes.”

“You need to call the cops, Em. He’s violating the restraining order.” I hear the concern in her voice and wonder if she’s right.

“As soon as he sees the lights, he’ll bail.”

“Isn’t that the point?”

“Well yes, but I also want to know what he wants.”

“That’s dangerous, Em. He’s dangerous,” she reminds me, though she doesn’t need to because I remember the events clear as day.

“If I scare him off with the cops, he’ll know I know it’s him, and what if that just pisses him off even more? Who knows what he’ll do next.”

“And if there’s no paper trail of him harassing you again, he gets away with it.”

Ugh. I chew my lower lip, keeping an eye on his car as I contemplate what to do.

“You aren’t driving home, are you?”

“Well, yeah. That was my plan, but shit, I can’t now.”

“He’s probably following you, so he can find out where you live.” Her rushed tone sends a panic wave through me.

“Fuck. I didn’t think about that. How did he even find out where I work now?”

“Because he’s a psycho!”

“He suffers from PTSD,” I explain, although that’s no excuse for his actions. “And grief.”

“Call it what you want but do not go home. Can you park somewhere public and see if he drives away?”

“I’m already on the country road. It’s only two lanes, and the shoulders aren’t very wide. There isn’t anywhere for me to go. It looks like the Texas Chainsaw Massacre out here.” I start to panic, wondering what the hell I’m going to do now that the city lights are behind me. It’s already dark, which means I won’t be able to see my surroundings as well.

“What about Evan?” she asks.

“What about him?”

“Did he get off work the same time as you?”

“Yeah, I think he was leaving shortly after me.”

“He lives about thirty minutes from the hospital and can tell you where to drive to until he can meet you.”

“Fuck.” I release a deep breath.

“If you call him now, he can give you directions to his house or a gas station or something.” Even though I’ve been out here for a few weeks, I don’t know any of the backroads or the surrounding small towns. Kiera drove us to the wedding, so I didn’t pay attention to our surroundings, and I only drive to work and back.

“Okay, let me see if he even picks up my call.” I roll my eyes, hating that I’m about to ask him for help.

“If he doesn’t, call the cops and tell them where you are so they can scare him off at least.”

“I will.”

The car lights get closer, and I know he’s gaining speed now that we’re out of the city. Shit, shit, shit.

Quickly, I pull up Evan’s contact info and call him.

“Dr. Bell,” he answers in a flat tone.

“Evan, I need your help.” I get right to the point because the closer the car gets behind me, the harder my heart pounds in my chest.

“Emily, what is it?” he asks in a panic, rushed voice.

I quickly give him a rundown of my patient’s husband and how he came after me because he blames me for Susan’s death. I explain how someone’s been following me since I left work, and I’m almost positive it’s him. He asks a few questions about what took place, and when I tell him all the crazy things Richard did, his breath hitches.

“Call the cops, and whatever you do, don’t stop the car. I’m already on my way home and should only be about ten minutes behind you, but I’m picking up speed as soon as I can.”

“Then he’ll know I know it’s him.” I explain the same thing I said to Kiera. “I’d rather just lose him, so I don’t give him another reason to come after me.”

“He should know you know, Emily!” he barks. “He should know he can’t get away with this, and that you aren’t going to tolerate it.”

Fuck, he’s right. I have no idea what Richard’s gone through over the past year or if he’s even more dangerous than before. He’d threaten me with his words and say my boyfriend or father should die because “an eye for an eye.” At first, his threats were just empty words, but then he’d show up at my job, and I’d catch him walking outside my condo building. I notified the police of his stalking and verbal threats, but the most I could do was get a restraining order. Only if he violated it could they take him into custody. However, he stopped or got smarter. Either way, he’s back, and I know he’s out for blood this time. He wouldn’t have tracked me down after all this time if he wasn’t seeking revenge.

“Okay, I’ll call them right now,” I tell him.

“Call me back as soon as you can.”

“I will.”

“And just keep driving on that road. Don’t stop or pull over or slow down.”

“Okay.” My lips tremble.

“Emily.” He says my name in a low, gravelly voice, making my body shiver.

“Yes?”

“Everything’s going to be okay. I’ll be behind you in just a few minutes.”

After hanging up, I call the cops and explain everything to the operator. I give her my license plate number and a description of Richard’s car along with the mile marker, so they can find me. She reassures me an officer will be on their way within fifteen minutes, which doesn’t give me a lot of comfort, considering how long he’s already been following me.

Looking up in the mirror again, I see another set of headlights as they start to pass the car behind me. When I see it’s a big truck, I know it’s Evan. Relief washes over me knowing I’m not alone.

“Emily,” he says when I call him back.

“An officer is on the way,” I tell him.

“Good. This asshole isn’t letting me pass.”

I look and see he’s riding my ass even closer. “Shit. What should I do? Should I speed up, so you can pass him and get behind me?”

“No, I’m going to speed up until I can pass both of you. Then once I’m in front, I’m going to slow down so you can pass me. Once you’re ahead of me, I’m going to close the gap between us, so if he tries to pass, he won’t be able to. He’ll have to pass both of us or stay behind me.”

Sucking in a breath, I agree to his plan. “Then what?” I ask.

“Then we wait for the cop to show up. He’ll either drive away or get pulled over. Then we stop and speak with the officer, and you can file a report against him for breaching his restraining order.”

“Okay.”

“Stay on the phone with me,” he orders. “I’m about to pass you.”

Evan revs his engine loud and hard as he speeds around Richard’s car. When I look over, he gains more speed and drives ahead of me. Once he gets back in the lane, he slows down just enough for me to pass him.

“Be careful,” he tells me.

“You be careful,” I tease.

“I meant be careful and don’t hit my truck. It’s my baby.”

I release a small chuckle at the sound of him calling his truck that. “Of course, you’d have feelings for your precious truck.” I’m tempted to say something about him being capable of having feelings for an object but not women, but I clamp my mouth shut. Now isn’t the time.

“She has a name,” he informs me, but I hear the smile in his voice.

“Probably after a porn star.” I snort, pulling my car around his and gaining speed.

“How you going to give me shit when I’m the one helping you?” he muses, but his teasing tone isn’t lost on me. This is what we do. Neither of us can be serious with each other for too long. “You going to pass me or what?”

“I am!” I defend, pressing my foot down harder on the gas. When I look in the rearview mirror, I see Richard following close behind me, trying to keep up with me as I pass. I knew he wasn’t going to let me go that easy. Considering this is a two-lane road with dangerous curves, I push on the gas harder, picking up my speed.

“This asshole thinks I’m letting him in?” Evan growls, noticing Richard is trying to pass too. “This will show him.” Evan swerves into Richard’s lane, which causes him to brake hard.

“Oh my God, Evan.” This is all escalating way too quickly.

“I think I confused the fuck out of him.”

I know Richard is thrown off because he jerks his car behind Evan’s truck. Looking in my mirror, I watch as Evan stays inches from my bumper and successfully blocks Richard. Relief floods through me for a moment, and I feel safer than I did before. “There.”

“Okay. Now slow down, and I’ll stay on your ass.”

Unable to control myself, I laugh at his choice of words.

“Get your head out of the gutter, Dr. Bell.”

“I didn’t say a word. However, you’re the one who lives in the gutter, so maybe you should be telling yourself that.”

“Well—” he starts but cuts his words off. “Motherfucker,” he mutters, and I know something’s wrong.

“What?” I ask, panicked.

“He’s trying to pass again.”

“What the hell?” I groan, confused by what this guy thinks he’s going to accomplish by doing this.

“Just stay put. I’m keeping up with your speed, so he can’t wedge in, and the only option he has is to pass us both and be ahead of you.”

“Okay.” I look in my side mirror and see Richard’s headlights approaching. I brace myself to see his face as he passes me, but he remains in the left lane. “What the hell is he doing?” I whisper, though I know he can’t hear me. If another car comes in the other lane, he’ll hit them head-on. There are too many curves. This is too dangerous. Panic coats me like a warm blanket, and I just pray an innocent person doesn’t get hurt because this asshole is driving in the wrong lane.  

“He’s waiting for me to let him in. Not gonna happen, dickwad,” Evan mutters, revving his engine.

“What does he think—” my words are cut off when I feel a small bump on the side of my car. “Oh my God did he just—”

“Fuck!” Evan’s words echo in my ear as Richard continues to drive beside me.

“He hit my car!” I shriek. “Evan, what do I do?” I grip the steering wheel tightly and take a deep breath, trying to remain calm.

Before Evan can respond, the line goes dead. Just when I’m about to hit redial, I look over and see Richard veering into my lane at a much faster rate. Before I can do anything, he crashes into the side of me again, this time causing my head to hit the side window. The wheels of my car straddle the shoulder and gravel, and by some miracle, I’m able to recover control. Headlights appear in the opposite lane, heading straight toward us, and to avoid a head-on collision, Evan is forced to make room. Risking someone else's life isn’t worth it. Having no choice but to move, Richard quickly jerks his car behind me, but overcorrects and slightly loses control. We’re right back to square one.

“Shit!” Not knowing what else to do, I drive faster and try to keep watch in my mirrors. Just as I’m about to call Evan back, Richard flashes his brights and practically blinds me. I flick the rearview mirror to save my eyes and lose my train of thought when I’m slammed into from behind at a high speed. “Fuck,” I curse. My head jolts backward from the impact and smacks against the headrest. My adrenaline rushes, and I put all my focus on the road as I slightly weave from pavement to gravel to pavement again. I’m almost in shock. I didn’t expect him to do that.

Evan’s loud truck comes barreling down the left lane with his window rolled down and points for me to pull over. With Richard right on my ass, I don’t know how I’m going to do that without him slamming into my car more aggressively than before. My heart pounds in my chest, and I halfway wonder if I’m going to make it out of this alive. As I round the bend, I jerk the car onto the shoulder, and Evan is somehow able to cut him off again as I begin to slow. I brace myself for a side impact, but Richard speeds past me as if nothing happened. My car comes to a stop once I hit gravel, and I put it into park and try to catch my breath. Police lights flash behind me, and then I hear sirens. No wonder Richard kept going. Chicken shit.

I step out of the car because I need air and my chest feels tight. Everything from my past floods in fast and almost knocks me over. How can this all be happening again? My entire world is caving in around me, and the effort to come out on top is going to bury me alive.

Once my feet touch the ground, I walk a few steps and lose my footing. No matter what I do, nothing can stop me from falling. I try to brace myself, but it doesn’t help. I land the exact wrong way and close my eyes tight right before my forehead crashes into the sharp edge of a large rock that’s protruding from the ground. Maybe if I lie there, all of this will go away, and I’ll wake up and realize it was a bad dream. Though I feel weak, I try to the find the strength to push myself up. I hear Evan’s truck pull up, then feet running on gravel toward me. With strong arms, he lifts me to my feet and holds me steady.

“Emily!” I hear him shouting, but it sounds distant. My heart thumps in my ears as my eyes struggle to stay open. “Emily, are you okay?” Evan keeps a tight grip on me as he searches my face. “Shit, you have a cut on your head.”

I groan, trying to catch my breath and slow my heart rate down. Lifting my hand, I finally feel the warmth of the blood. When I look down at it on my fingertips, it’s still hard for me to register.

“Say something,” he demands. “Keep your eyes open.”

“I can’t,” I barely mutter the words out. “My chest is tight, and my head is pounding. I’m a little dizzy.” And I might throw up, but I keep that to myself.

“Jesus.” He guides me to his truck as he waves the cop down.

“Stay with me, Emily. Sounds like you’re having a panic attack. Take slow, even breaths.”

I’ve had panic attacks before, but nothing to this extent. Everything closes in around me, sucking the air right out of my lungs. My eyelids are heavy, and my palms are sweaty against my skin. My body is already starting to feel stiff from the impact.

This can’t be happening. Not here. Not now.

“Is she hurt? Does she need medical attention?” the officer asks before speaking into his radio.

Evan tells him he’s taking me to the hospital and that we’ll give our statements there.

“Follow me,” the officer tells him. Evan puts me in his truck and shuts the door. He jumps into the driver’s side, and soon, we’re taking off.

“What about my car?” I mumble, trying like hell to stay focused, so I don’t pass out.

“I’ll call a tow truck. That asshole broke a taillight and did some damage to your bumper.”

Ugh. Motherfucker.

The lights from the city reflect inside the truck, and I know we’re close now. I’m dreading walking into the same ER where we work, knowing it’s going to raise questions especially since Evan is with me. Hopefully, he’ll tell them all to mind their business, but like I keep hearing: small town, big mouths.

“Evan,” I say as he pulls into the parking lot.

“What?”

“Thank you.”

He doesn’t respond, but within minutes, he’s back at my side, pulling me out of the truck.

“I can walk.” I try to stand, but he tightens his hold in response.

“I’ve got you.”

Wrapping my arms around his neck, I rest my head on his chest and focus on the rapid beating of my heart. Except now I don’t know if it’s from the panic attack or the fact that Evan Bishop is holding me as if his life depends on it.