His Irresistible Darling - Sarah Randall Page 0,80
dropped as he caught sight of someone approaching Pippa, someone with a black hoodie covering his head. He seemed to be speaking quite animatedly. Jumal rose up on his toes to see what was happening; his stomach plummeted as he saw Pippa struggle with the man for her bag.
“Christ,” Jumal shouted, pushing impolitely past the gathered patrons trying to get to the door. He was vaguely aware of the barista shouting at him, “Sir, sir, your order!” A mother with a double buggy blocked his exit as he cursed again, trying to keep Pippa in his sights. Why didn’t she just let him have the bloody bag? She knew he’d buy her another one. Again. He couldn’t help but yell at her to let it go even though he knew it was useless. She wouldn’t hear him.
Eventually he managed to stride over the buggy and manoeuvre an elderly couple out of his way as he made it outside just in time to see the mugger push Pippa solidly in the chest…
As she wrestled with the mugger for her handbag, she knew it was nonsensical. It contained nothing of any importance but she clung onto it regardless. Jumal had bought it for her. Her attacker pushed firmly at her chest and then hit at her head with her bag, causing her to stumble backwards. Her ankle buckled as she stumbled and fell into the ramp leading down to the beach. There was nothing she could do to protect her head from getting acquainted with the concrete.
“PIPPAAAA!!!!!”
She heard Jumal screaming her name loudly and briefly wondered what she’d done this time before she blacked out.
“Good afternoon, Mr Aldabbagh, I—”
Jumal didn’t let the doctor finish before he interrupted, “Is she going to be all right? There was so much blood,” he demanded abruptly, too anxious for pleasantries.
“Yes. Head wounds do bleed quite badly and she needed a few stitches in her scalp but nothing too serious. They’ll dissolve in a week or so. We’ve kept her sedated whilst we scanned and monitored her brain. There’s a slight concussion and she’ll need to be observed for a little while longer but yes, she will be fine. The nurse will be in shortly and I’ll be back in a few hours.”
He let out the breath he thought he’d been holding since he got to her crumpled body lying against the hard concrete—blood, too much blood, pouring from her head. He couldn’t close his eyes without seeing that nightmare—didn’t think he would ever be able to forget it. He sat at her bedside and took hold of her hand, remembering her soothing touch when he’d been in her position in that hospital bed, and ran his fingers carefully over the back of her hand.
Thankfully the barista from the coffee shop had run out after him, sensing that something was wrong, and she had called for an ambulance and the police.
He’d taken a call from the police a short time ago who confirmed that they had caught and arrested the suspect with the help of some brave pedestrians, but he couldn’t bring himself to care at the moment. He needed Pip to open her cornflower blue eyes so he could stare into them and assure himself that she would be fine. She had to be okay.
“You two just can’t keep away from here, can you? Do you think you get patient reward points or something?” Jumal looked up and offered a weary smile to the nurse who had escorted him from the hospital in the wheelchair all those weeks ago.
“We just love the food,” he offered flippantly.
“Hmm-hm. I thought I told you to look after this fiancée of yours,” she mocked. “Did they catch the guy?”
“Apparently,” he confirmed but not trusting himself to say any more. Cursing wouldn’t impress the nursing staff.
He’d lost count of the number of times people had assumed that he and Pip were engaged but was forever thankful that she’d had the sense to tell the hospital of their “betrothal” when he was admitted. He hadn’t even had to lie again when she was admitted. The staff remembered them and the fact they were “engaged”.
“He didn’t steal her ring, did he?” the nurse asked, concerned and nodding towards the hand he held.
“What?” Jumal asked looking up again. “Oh no, erm, thankfully she wasn’t wearing it today,” he lied as he shook his head.
The nurse attended to her duties whilst muttering about crime and the youth of today blah blah blah. Jumal wasn’t listening.