She tore her overshirt off, ripped it up the seams and packed the cotton at his waist, applying pressure to it before shoving the other cloth to the blond giant staring at her with cold, seething pale eyes, his lips parting as though to say something. "His shoulder. Or get out of the way and I'll handle it."
He was pressing it to the wound in Noah's shoulder as her hands examined Noah's body. His arms, ribs, upper legs. Nothing seemed broken.
She stared at the men around her. "Ambulance."
"No ambulance."
Her head jerked around at the sound of his voice, the seething anger burning inside her as Noah blinked up at her, dazed.
"I'm okay." He shook his head and glared past her at Nik. "Did you get the license?"
"No plates," the other man rumbled. "If she'll let me haul you up I'll take you to my place. Get you patched up if you don't want to go to the hospital."
"'Like hell, he's going to a hospital." Sabella glared at both men, pain and fear raging through her, mixing with the anger.
"No hospital, Sabella." Noah pushed himself up, "Where's Toby?"
Toby was fine. He was still sitting on the incline, staring around him in shock.
"Dude. Some bitch tried to run me over," he exclaimed.
"Some bastard more likely," Noah muttered, easing himself up, his gaze pinning Sabella.
His eyes were fevered, glowing. Something not wholly natural was blazing in them, holding her speechless as the mechanics rushed around him.
"Come here." He held his arm out to her, his eyes demanding. "Come here, Sabella."
She moved to him slowly, watching his eyes, just his eyes. His arm moved around her, jerked her to him. If Nik hadn't been bracing them they would have both landed in the dirt.
He lowered his lips to her ear. "Stay steady. No ambulance. No hospital. You can't, under any circumstances, allow anyone to believe I'm not in fighting shape. Don't fight me, baby. Not yet. I'll explain everything later."
She shuddered at the sound of his grating voice but nodded. He wouldn't go to a hospital, didn't want a doctor. And she wanted to know why.
"Let's go." Rory on one side, Nik on the other. Sabella felt crushed as they moved Noah across the road, his arm so tight around her back she wondered if he even realized his own strength.
"We need to get you to my place at least," Nik stated again. "I have a friend that can patch you up if you're this determined."
Noah shook his head. "The apartment."
"I'll get him upstairs," Nik growled at Sabella, a hiss of sound no one else would have heard but her and Rory. "We'll have help en route. Rory, keep your ass down here and hold down the fort. Take care of the sheriff, you know he'll be here."
What was going on? What the hell did Nik and Noah have in common besides cars? Cars and dangerous eyes.
They dragged Noah to the back stairs, the weakness she could feel in him terrifying her. Her hand was wet with his blood, she could smell the scent of it, sharp and metallic, as Nik all but carried Noah up the stairs.
"Keys," Nik ordered.
Sabella dug into Noah's pocket for his keys, barely holding back a gasp as she encountered the steel-hard thickness of his c**k on the other side of the pocket lining.
Pulling the keys free, she stared up at him again. His eyes were so hot, so bright, lust building in his gaze despite the weakness of his body. They weren't dark eyes, not the navy blue she was used to. They were bright, almost sapphire. Almost. Oh God. They were almost, just almost Irish eyes.
She forced herself to turn away, to shove the key into the lock, and would have entered the apartment if Noah hadn't jerked her back.
Leaning against the porch railing, he jerked his head to the inside of the apartment in some indication to Nik. Nik slid into the apartment, and the movement reminded Sabella of a predator, or of all those damned government documentaries where she watched federal or military agents slipping into unknown territory.
They were agents of some sort. She wasn't stupid; she had been married to a SEAL, for God's sake. What made them think she hadn't paid attention to her husband?
Even at home her husband had been careful, checking the house out, checking windows and doors, his eyes always hard, wary, until he knew beyond a shadow of a doubt everything was safe.
Sabella would sit in the hall, file her fingernails, or pretend to. She had always paid more attention to the man she loved than she had to her nails. It had been a part of being married to him. One she had accepted even as she lusted after his tight, hard body while he looked all dangerous and predatory.
"Let's get him inside." Nik stepped out no more than a minute later and helped her steady Noah.
They pulled him into the apartment and back to the bedroom. When she stripped the sheets back she stared down at them in horror.
There was so much blood. So much blood. Blood he had to have shed through the night.
She turned and stared at him, watching as Nik helped him lie back then bent and unlaced his boots before taking them off.
"Go into the living room." Noah was staring at her, hungry, fierce. "Go now, Sabella."
"Why didn't you tell me?" she whispered, her voice hoarse. "Why didn't you tell me you were bleeding like this?"
Nik looked up at her, then to the bed. "'How much blood was smeared on you when you woke up?" he asked.
"I washed it off her while she slept," Noah snapped, still glaring back at her. "Go into the living room and no farther. Go now."
She shook her head, moving instead to grip the hem of his shirt and pull it off.
His hand jerked out, catching her wrist. "Do you remember what happened last night?"
She stared back at him silently, her breathing harsh, heart racing in fear.
"It will happen again. And I won't give a shit who's watching. We have company coming. Let Nik know when you hear them coming to the door. Don't open it, you understand me?"
"Ease off, Noah," Nik muttered, obviously wary, concerned.
"Answer me, Sabella," he growled. "Do you understand me?"
She tugged at her wrist, jerked it, but his hold was like iron.
"Sabella." He growled her name, an order, a hint of determination in it that seemed like a slap from the past. "Do you understand me?"