Possessed by Passion (Doms of Destiny, Colorado 9)
Chapter One
Ten years ago
Phoenix, AZ
Paris Cottrell stepped aside as two EMTs rushed down the hallway with a child on a stretcher, her blonde curls drenched in blood. Mick Ryder, one of her boyfriends, was by her side. They’d flown to Phoenix to surprise Dustin, Mick’s brother and her other boyfriend, but it looked like he was busy.
Dustin, the on-call resident in the ER, jumped into action. “What do we have?”
The EMT frowned. “She was in her mother’s car when a drunk driver ran a red light and hit them in the side. She’s five years old.”
Having been an RN at her dad’s clinic in Destiny for the past year, Paris knew how critical this situation was.
Before Dustin could act to save the girl, a crazed man with a gun bolted in through the ambulance-only doors and grabbed Paris, placing the barrel to her temple.
She saw Dustin and Mick turn their attention away from the child to the deranged man. Her heart skipped several beats. She’d already been in a few tough spots in her short nursing career, but this one topped them all.
“Nobody move a muscle.” The man’s arms were covered in needle marks, both old and fresh. Sweating profusely, the addict’s skeletal frame shook from obvious withdrawal, but his hold on her didn’t falter and the gun remained pressed to her head.
Assessing the horrible circumstance, she forced her mind to calm down. What can I do? The little girl needs attention now.
“Relax, buddy,” Mick said, trying to defuse the situation and clearly looking for an opportunity to pull her free of the gunman.
“You fucking relax, cowboy. OxyContin. I want all you have.” The man coughed several times but kept his hold on her firm. “Now. Or this bitch will hit the floor. Do you fucking hear me?”
Even though terrified, Paris knew every second that passed jeopardized the chance of the child’s survival. “Dustin, the girl.”
The drug addict screamed. “Shut up, bitch.”
She heard the doors’ locking mechanisms engage. The hospital’s security had to be aware of what was happening to them and was likely already in motion, implementing the procedures for this kind of event.
She tried to wiggle free, her stare remaining fixed on the blonde girl’s ragged dress. Any
moment, there should be a team of armed men arriving. But time wasn’t on the poor child’s side. “Please, Dustin. Help her. Please.”
He didn’t respond. When she looked into his gray eyes, she saw his familiar determination mingled with a rage that rarely came to the surface in him.
Dustin kept his tone low and nonthreatening. “You want OxyContin. Put the gun down. I’ll get you all you want.”
“Fuck you, Doc. I’ll give you to the count of ten to produce what I want. If you fail, this bitch’s brains will splatter on the walls of your precious hospital. One. Two. Three. Four.”
“Don’t do this, mister. There’s another way.” Paris realized the little girl’s breaths were getting shallower.
“Five. Six. Seven. Eight.”
She balled up her hand into a fist and slammed it into the man’s groin while stomping her stiletto as hard as she could onto his shoe.
The guy doubled over, his hold on her loosening.
She twisted free of the creep.
Mick and Dustin slammed the bastard to the floor.
She rushed to the little girl’s side. A quick check showed her pulse was ragged. Paris turned to the two EMTs. “Let’s get her away from here and into a room.”
They nodded and wheeled the little girl through the double doors with her following.
Even though she could hear the fight continuing behind her, all her attention was on the child. Pulling from all her nursing experience and her pre-med classes, she began working on the tiny patient.
The EMTs assisted her.
She heard a gunshot and felt her heart skip several beats. She prayed that Dustin and Mick hadn’t been hit, but couldn’t look to see. All her focus had to be on the little girl. This was where she was needed most. She and the two EMTs worked frantically on their patient.
After several heart-wrenching moments, one of the EMTs turned to her. “Doctor, her blood pressure is back to normal.”
“You did it,” the other one said with a smile. “She’s stable now.”
“We did it. And I’m not a doctor.” Though I’ve been accepted to the University of Nevada’s medical school. “I am an RN.”
“But you should be a doctor.” Dustin entered the room with Mick. As the door swung open, she could see the addict was on a stretcher, now in restraints. “Are you okay, Paris?”
She nodded. “Just a little shaken. And how about you and Mick? Are you guys okay?”
“We’re fine.” Mick’s green eyes were wide with relief. He put his arm around her. “You’re shaking, honey.”
“I didn’t realize it until now, but I’ll be okay.”
A security guard rushed in, addressing Dustin. “Way to take down that guy, Doc. We caught it all on the cameras. The police are on their way.”
“Where is everyone else, Sal?”
“We cleared the area the second we spotted the gunman enter the hospital. Protocol, you know.”
“Get them back here as soon as possible.” Dustin frowned. “We’ve got a mess on our hands.”
Paris could hear sirens approaching. “Sounds like you’ve got more coming.”