Glorious Victorious Darcys 01.5 - His Broken Angel Read Online Free Page B

direction. “How do I know you’re who you say you are?”
    Her haunted gaze wreaked havoc on his soul. He dug deep and rose above. “Tuck owned a ranch in Wyoming,” he said while shrugging out of his coat. “Prized possession? Peg.”
    “The flying horse,” she said, sounding miserable.
    “That’s right.” He dipped into his bag for a stethoscope and an ophthalmoscope and, starting with her heart and eyes, commenced with a preliminary checkup. “Your parents,” he went on in hopes of distracting her. “They were taken wrongly from this world and Tuck vowed to watch over you. At the same time, as a U.S. Air Marshal, he didn’t want you exposed to his dangerous lifestyle. So he made sure you were sequestered with relatives, most recently your cousinsin New York City. You’re an artist.”
    “
Was
an artist,” Lily snapped, turning away. “I’m blind now. Didn’t Jasper tell you? Isn’t that why you’re here?”
    Her bitter pigheadedness concerned and irritated Doc at the same time. Like P.J., he had no time for resistance. Ruled by compassion, he ached to ease her pain posthaste. Prodded by guilt, the sooner he delivered Lily safe and well to Tuck, the sooner his friend’s peace of mind—the sooner Doc’s shot at redemption.
    “I’m a might sketchy on the details, Miss Gentry. Why don’t you bring me up to speed? Let’s start with your injuries.”
    She fretted the edges of the blankets. Her breath quickened at an uneven rate. “Patch, another physician, already tended to my wounds. As for my blindness …”
    Doc sensed her agitation and a simmering panic. His mother had been prone to anxiety attacks so he knew the signs well. Desperate to move forward, not back, Doc set aside his ophthalmoscope and palmed Lily’s bandaged forehead, a gentle gesture infused with calm … and supernatural tonic. “Let’s take this slow.” When she nodded, he continued. “You know anything about me, from Jasper or your brother?”
    “Tuck mentioned you in some of his letters. Said you’re a gifted healer.”
    “And Jasper?”
    “Just that he’d sent for someone who could help me.”
    Whereas Jasper had rebelled after their parents’ deaths, Doc had retreated from the threat of further chaos. He was a healer, not a fighter. He’d studied books on anatomy and physiology, trained with an Oriental physician. Accelerated healing came naturally, but he’d been adamant about learning the hows and whys of traditional and alternative medicine. According to law, as a Freak, Doc was barred from practicing professionally, so he’d spent the last few years pretending he was a Vic. Plenty of Freaks lived a lie in order to lead a normal life. Tuck had promised to keep Doc’s secret. Seemed the marshal had been true to his word even where his sister was concerned. Which made Doc’s betrayal all the more wretched.
    “I need you to trust me, Lily.” The plea almost stuck in his throat. If she knew how he’d endangered her brother’s life …
    She surprised him by shoving aside layers of blankets. “One busted leg, one bruised. Fractured ribs, the gash on my forehead. Go on then,” she taunted halfheartedly. “Work your magic.”
    He’d already infused her injured head with a good dose of HE,
Healing Energy
. Ignoring her petulance, Doc rolled up his sleeves and considered her mind-set. He thought about his blindfolded ride from hell. The short while he’d been in the dark had been unsettling. Lily Gentry had been blind for three days. He imagined a lifetime of darkness and felt a whisper of the panic no doubt raging through this young woman—an
artist
—someone whose passion was deeply influenced and inspired by images. If she couldn’t see …
    Focus on your strengths, then address the blindness
.
    Summoning patience, Doc examined Lily’s petite and battered body. Even though she was dressed in a cap-sleeved chemise and baggy bloomers rolled up to her thighs, he was very much aware of her feminine