He didn’t want her having a coronary or going into shock, too.
In the distance, he heard the wail of sirens.
He stripped off his tux jacket, laid it over Victoria, then shifted position and opened her eyes, relief surging through him to find her pupils equal, round, and reactive.
Then Taylor was there. “EMS and the PD are on their way. What the hell happened? Was she hit?”
“I don’t think so. Some son of a bitch shoved her into the street. She fell backward. I think she hit her head. Did anyone get the plate number?”
“I … I didn’t even think about that,” said the woman.
Bear finally spoke. “They tried to take my cake. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work.”
So they’d tried to take Bear’s cake, and she’d stood up for him.
“Come here, buddy,” Taylor said to Bear. “Why don’t you sit down?”
“Is she …dead?” Bear asked in a tiny voice.
Eric left it to Taylor to help Bear and the woman from the car, their words fading into the background as he focused on assessing Victoria.
He rubbed a pressure point on her breastbone hard with his knuckles, deliberately trying to cause her pain. “Victoria, can you hear me?”
She didn’t move, didn’t even moan.
Damn it.
Come on, honey.
“That young man just shoved her, and she fell right in front of me.”
“Thanks for the information, ma’am,” Taylor’s voice was calm. “The police will want to hear what you saw.”
“Oh, my God! Did she get hit? What happened?” That was Lexi.
Eric let Taylor answer her questions.
There wasn’t even a mile between the firehouse and the inn, but it seemed to take fucking forever for the ambulance to arrive. When it did, Silver was driving, Ryan riding shotgun. They jumped out, grabbed gear out of the back.
Eric brought them up to date. “I think she hit her head. She’s breathing. Pupils are normal. Pulse is rapid and weak. Ryan, grab a C-collar. Let’s get some fluids going and give her some O2. Then we can—”
A hand came down on his shoulder, gave him a squeeze.
He looked up.
Taylor.
“Leave this to them, okay? You’ve done your part. Just let them work. You’ve trained them well. They know what they’re doing.”
“Right.” Eric made room for them, took Victoria’s hand in his, watching while Silver started an IV in each arm. “Victoria, can you hear me? We’re right here. We’re taking good care of you.”
And then it hit him.
His hands started to shake.
Jesus.
She’d almost been killed.