Darkness Torn Asunder Read Free Page A

pay me back when you get the chance.”
    He just said, “Not a problem. I’ve got the cash.”
    “Good. Be sure to take all of it as prescribed. You don’t want to risk an infection.” She handed him a plastic bag containing a few packs of sterile gauze, a roll of surgical tape, and a handful of adhesive strips. “As long as you’re feeling all right, you can head back to work. Keep the wound clean and dry. Change the bandage tomorrow, and watch for signs of infection—redness, swelling, increased pain. Otherwise, come back in a week so I can take the stitches out for you. We take appointments during the day, but we operate on a walk-in basis for the last couple of hours of the day.”
    “Sounds good.”
    When he stood up, Jana had to retreat a couple of steps to give him enough room to move. She’d known he was a big man, but wow. Though she was five nine, this guy made her feel petite—something that didn’t happen very often. With those stony gray eyes and buzzed haircut, there was a definite edge to him. She also hadn’t missed the prison tats peeking out from the rolled-up cuffs of his flannel shirt. Ordinarily she would’ve been nervous being alone with a man like him, yet she wasn’t. Maybe it was because he’d remained so calm the entire time. Besides, Dan wouldn’t have left her alone with Emmett if he’d thought he posed any kind of threat to her.
    In truth, if she had to put a name to what she was feeling right now, it would have to be something between intrigued and attracted. She wrote the odd reaction off to tiredness.
    Jana followed Emmett out of the examination room. When he reached the front door of the clinic, he stopped. “I’ll wait until you’re ready to leave, and walk you to your car.”
    Okay, now she was nervous. How did he know she’d driven to work instead of taking the bus? Before she could ask, he nodded toward the counter where she’d tossed her coat, purse, and car keys. Oh, right.
    “That’s okay. My car is down in the lot just past Dan’s bar. I’ll be fine. I walk it all the time.”
    He clearly didn’t like leaving her alone, but at least he didn’t argue.
    Once he was gone, she put the examination room back to rights and went through the rest of the small clinic one last time to make sure everything was locked up tight. Afterward, she gathered up her things and headed out into the night. She’d only gone a few steps when she spotted Emmett standing nearby in the shadow of a building.
    When he realized he’d been caught, he left the alley and headed straight for her, stopping a few feet away. “Look, Jana, I’m not stalking you. Just making sure you reach your car safely. I know you’re used to walking to your car alone, but it’s a lot later than usual because you stayed to stitch me up.”
    There was no missing the real concern in his voice. “Fine, Emmett, but just this once. I’ve been working at the clinic for a long time now and never had any problems. The people around here know me.”
    He fell into step beside her, shortening his stride to match hers. He seemed content to walk in silence, but she gave in to the urge to make conversation. “I haven’t seen you around before. How long have you been working for Dan?”
    “About a month.” He glanced down at her. “Before that I was in prison. I just got out after fifteen years.”
    The ex-con label had long ago lost its ability to shock her. A fair number of her regular patients had spent time in prison, or at least a stretch or two in jail. “Well, you landed in the right place. Dan’s a good guy.”
    “Seems like it.”
    Emmett stopped under the dim light of a store window. “You didn’t ask why I was in prison, Jana. Seems like something you might want to know about a guy who’s walking with you down a dark street at night.” He sounded genuinely puzzled by her lack of curiosity.
    Many people doubtless rejected him because of his size and his record, and she reached out to touch his