• • •
Too many things happened at once, preventing Cole from getting to Erin. Hospital personnel came running, and Erin was immediately taken into the emergency room.
Cara arrived and subdued Victoria, who continued to shriek, even as Cara read the hysterical woman her rights. Nicole’s arrival didn’t help matters, since Victoria blamed her sister for coming to Serendipity and ruining her chances with Cole. Not rational, but then, this was Victoria. Finally, the hospital staff had to step in and sedate her, which meant booking would have to wait, but at least she was cuffed to her bed and had an officer assigned to watch over her.
Victoria was no longer a threat to Erin. But were Erin and the baby still in danger?
Cole started to head back to the hospital, only to have Cara stop him. “I need your statement,” she called out.
“I need to check on Erin.”
“Sam and Mike are with her by now.” Cara gentled her voice. “But if you want me to be able to hold Victoria and make the charges stick, you need to talk to me now.”
Cole stared at the woman in uniform, understanding she was doing her job, but not liking her timing. “Fine.”
“Tell me what happened here today. You’re the only witness.”
He hated reliving the moment he’d seen the sedan aiming for Erin, but he managed to give Cara a play-by-play, including placing Victoria behind the wheel. “She aimed directly for Erin and deliberately hit the parked cars in an attempt to hurt her in some way. She followed her path directly.”
Cara finished taking notes and looked at him. “You’ll have to come by the station and sign the statement, but that’s it for now. Thanks.”
He nodded.
“How’s your father?” she asked.
“In recovery,” he bit out. Though he knew she meant well, Cole’s mind was in one place only.
She nodded. “Go,” she said, tipping her head toward the building.
A few minutes later, Cole talked his way past the front desk and navigated the same cubicle area as the last time Erin was here. He had to restrain himself from ripping the curtains open one by one to see where she was.
“Cole.”
He turned at the sound of his name. “Sam. How is she?”
Erin’s brother walked up to him. “So far so good. They want to keep her for observation, but the baby’s heartbeat is strong.”
If Cole were near a wall, he’d have collapsed against it in relief. “And Erin?”
“She’s bruised in some places from where she hit the ground, but she’s fine.” Sam slapped him on the shoulder. “You’ve been here for too long. Why don’t you go home and get some rest? I’ll call you if anything changes.”
Cole opened his mouth, then closed it again. “Excuse me? You expect me to leave? Without seeing her?”
Sam met his gaze. “She needs rest.”
“Who’s with her?” Because Cole knew her brother wouldn’t have left her alone.
“Mike’s in there.”
Cole eyed the other man warily. “And you’re out here . . . why? To make sure I don’t bother her?”
“Look, I get that you’re worried. We all are. But I was just going to call my parents and let them know she’s okay.”
Cole clenched his hands into tight fists. “So they can come see her, no doubt. Yet you’re telling me to leave, which means—”
Sam blew out a deep breath. “Erin doesn’t want to see you right now, man.”
What the hell? “Why not? Is she blaming me for this all of a sudden?” Cole ran a hand through his hair, crazy at the thought of not being able to see for himself that she was okay.