Dalir's Salvation Read Online Free Page A

his chest.
    She sat up. “What are you doing in here?”
    His gaze narrowed. “You can see me.” As he stalked toward her, taut muscles rippled under his shirt.
    Guys with long hair didn’t catch her attention, but this one oozed prime male, bad-ass. Just the right age, too. Thirty? Thirty-five max.
    “Answer me.” As he leaned over her, his body heat seeped through her flimsy hospital gown. “Can you see me?”
    “Stop yelling. Of course I can see you. You’re standing right there.” All six foot plus of scowling, gorgeous man.
    Dr. Foster looked around the room. “Who are you talking to?”
    “Him.”
    “Where?”
    Even if they couldn’t hear they guy, how could they miss him towering over them? He was massive. “He’s right here.”
    Her unexpected visitor glanced at Dr. Foster and the nurse. “You’re causing trouble, Little One. Stop talking. Now.”
    Height jokes and commands in the same sentence. Badass sexy just lost his hottie-of-the-day card. All awards went to the doctor. “If anyone’s causing trouble it’s you by calling me names.”
    The guy arched a brow. “I’m not calling you names. I’m just stating the truth.”
    “Oh really? Well let me tell you what I thi—”
    “All right, just relax.” The nurse gently pressed her back on the bed.
    Dr. Foster whipped a penlight from his front pocket. He shined it in Ari’s eyes. “Are you seeing spots or an aura of some kind?”
    “No.”
    “Are you feeling nauseous or lightheaded?”
    Ari squirmed. “Nothing has changed from a minute ago.”
    As Dr. Foster checked Ari over, he spoke to the nurse. “The x-rays could have missed something.”
    “Wait no.” Ari batted away the doctor’s hands. “I’m fine. He’s the problem.”
    The mysterious guy disappeared.
    “Wait. Come back!” She reached out. They thought she was losing it. He couldn’t leave her in a lurch.
    Dr. Foster and the nurse exchanged concerned looks.
    Panic gripped Ari. She hadn’t imagined him. He existed. She could still smell his crisp, woodsy scent.
    Dr. Foster’s expression turned grim. “I want her upstairs for an MRI.”
    The nurse hurried from the room.
    “Whoa. Wait a sec. Let’s not go overboard.” A shot in the butt with an extra-long needle. Swallowing a big, nasty pill. She’d take either of those. “I don’t need one.”
    Dr. Foster pinned her with a hard look. “Ms. Frasier, you’re having hallucinations. We need to know what’s causing them. This could be a sign of something worse than a simple bump on the head.”
    Her heart sank. What could be worse than imagining a hot guy that disappeared? She didn’t want to think about it.
    In a whirlwind of action, an orderly wheeled her out. A short elevator ride later, she was shivering in a hospital gown in the lab.
    The open tunnel into the machine loomed ahead.
    “It’s okay.” The freckle-faced lab tech assisted her from the gurney to the bed of the MRI scanner.
    And people said she looked younger than twenty-six. He didn’t look old enough to shave.
    “This will be over before you know it. He arranged a blanket over Ari and gave her a reassuring smile. “All you have to do is close your eyes and listen to the music.”
    And watch her life come to an end. It wouldn’t matter if her heart exploded or the machine crashed down on her. Either way, surely she’d die.
    The tech handed her headphones. “Any preferences.”
    “No, whatever.” Right now, breathing mattered more than anything else.
    “I’ll choose something then.”
    As she put on headphones, Ari’s chest grew tight. Her heart pounded, taking up too much space.
    The table rolled into the machine. The white tube surrounding her grew smaller and smaller, until the top of it sat inches from her nose.
    This was a really bad idea. No. She had to be brave. She could do it.
    The intercom clicked on. “You all right in there, Ms. Frasier?”
    Not even close. She tried to swallow, but all the moisture had sapped from her mouth.