Compound? Kristi frowned. She thought Rafe would take her back to the hotel, or maybe drive her to Nashville to her father’s fortified estate with the army of guards he employed.
No matter what their plan was, Kristi couldn’t be gone from Bakerhill for long. She had a design consultation with a client on Monday. The time line for choosing a dress design and making the wedding gown was tight as it was. She couldn’t afford to miss the consultation.
Shivering, she wrapped her arms around her middle. Her teeth chattered. Hopefully, the vehicle would warm up quickly. She glanced at the men who had run down the mountain with her. The cold didn’t appear to faze any of them.
Rio climbed in beside her with his bag. After a glance at her, he twisted and grabbed a blanket from the cargo area. He draped the cover over her, then rooted in his bag for a bottle of water and a small packet. He ripped open the packet, dumped the powder into the water bottle, and shook it up.When Rafe got into the vehicle on Kristi’s other side, Rio tossed the bottle to him.
“Thanks.”
“Yep.” Rio prepared another bottle with the powder and handed it to Kristi. “Drink this. It’s an electrolyte mix.”
Kristi unscrewed the top and drank the treated water. So good. She hadn’t had anything to drink in hours.
Josh climbed behind the wheel and cranked the engine. “Is this the only road out of the area, Rafe?”
“Yes, sir.”
He touched his ear. “Alex, get ahead of us. Quinn, on our tail. Chance of ambush.”
Kristi’s breath caught. Ambush? Oh, no. Wasn’t the race down the mountain on foot enough? Surely those men would give up now. After all, she’d escaped.
Rio turned to Kristi. “Where are you injured?”
Uneasy, she glanced at Rafe.
“Rio is one of the best paramedics in the business,” Rafe assured her. “He’s as well trained as a doctor. You can trust him.”
“Rafe’s right,” Josh said. “Let Rio assess your injuries so we know what medical care you need and how fast.”
“She’ll need a doctor,” Rafe said. “The kidnappers zapped her with a stun gun and drugged her.”
Josh’s expression grew grim as he glanced at Rio in the rearview mirror. “Hospital?”
“As soon as possible. We need to know what they gave her. The doc will also want to run a battery of tests.”
“Memorial Hospital, Alex,” Josh said.
Kristi frowned. “How is he talking to the others?”
“He has a communication device in his ear,” Rafe said. “He and his teammates stay in contact with each other that way.” He laid his hand over Kristi’s and squeezed. “I trust Rio. He can help you.”
She looked at the medic who waited in silence for her to decide if she would allow him to treat her. “What do you want to know?”
“Where do you hurt?”
That made her smile and wished she hadn’t. One of the men had slapped her face. “You should have asked me what doesn’t hurt. I’m sore all over, Rio. The kidnappers punched me in the stomach and face, kicked me in the ribs, and shoved me against the side of the van hard enough that I almost passed out at their feet.”
Rafe growled.
“Shut up and drink, Rafe,” Rio said, his tone mild. “I need to check you for internal injuries and cracked ribs, Kristi.”
She nodded.
“Before I do, what part of your head connected with the van?”
“The back.”
“I’ll check that first, then your face and ribs.” Rio ran his fingers along the back of her head. He paused when Kristi sucked in a breath at a tender spot. “You have a nice bump there.” The medic grabbed a small flashlight. “Turn your head for me. I want to check for a cut.”
Rio’s light clicked on. He parted her hair at the back and examined her injury. “Lucky lady. No cut, but your head will be sore for a few days. Your face is next.” Seconds later, he whistled. “Somebody clocked you good, sugar. How does your jaw feel?”
“Like a gorilla slugged me.”
“I bet. May I touch your face?”
“Knock yourself out.”
A minute later, Rafe said, “Well? How bad is it?”
The light turned off again. “A deep bruise is forming.”
Kristi sighed. “Great. My head and face should heal at the same pace as the rest of my body.”
While the men chuckled, Rio reached into his bag again and brought out two small packets that he shook. He laid one of the packets against the back