Carpathian 15 - Dark Secret

get you to the doctor."
    "Not yet. Go call Dr. Wesley, tell him we're leaving and to bring some help with him, he'll need it. I want the horse taken care of."
    "You've got to be kidding me. I'm supposed to call the vet while you lie there bleeding all over the place?" Paul protested, concern in his eyes.
    "Paul," There was infinite weariness in Colby's voice.
    Reluctantly Paul obeyed, relating the details hurriedly to the astonished veterinarian. It seemed an eternity before Paul was able to half-lift Colby into the truck. Shaking and rattling, the old pickup truck sped toward town.
    Colby yelped more than once while the doctor cleaned, stitched, and bandaged the gash in her thigh.
    She endured lectures from her doctor and a nurse wielding a syringe and felt she could recite the dangers of tetanus by the time they were finished. The cut was deep and the wound had swollen considerably; she would be uncomfortable, but she'd had worse injuries.
    With Paul's support she limped back to the truck, ruefully looking down at her dirty, bloodstained, and torn jeans. She knew her face was streaked with dirt, her hair falling in a jumbled mess down her back.
    She glanced at her brother. "Have you ever noticed how wonderful I always manage to look?" she asked him with a poor attempt at a smile. She nodded toward the sleek Porsche parked down the street.
    Paul followed her gaze, recognized the woman disappearing into a small, pricey boutique. He looked from the perfection of Louise to his sister, staring for a moment. Beneath the dirt and blood, there was something extraordinary, something he had never really seen before. "You're so much prettier than her, Colby, there's no comparison. Really, there's not."

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    Colby found herself smiling in spite of the ragged way she was feeling. "You're some brother, you know that? I'm going to lie here and rest while you go get my prescriptions for me and I'll contemplate how perfectly wonderful you are."
    "I'll move us a little closer," he said, reaching for the keys.
    "You're not moving me anywhere near that shop—the pharmacy is next door to her perfect little Porsche. You could use the exercise."
    "The ultimate sacrifice," Paul groaned. "Cowboys aren't supposed to walk anywhere." He pocketed the little slips of paper and helped ease her into a more comfortable position. "You're looking a little green around the gills under all that dirt, Colby. Are you sure you're all right and I can leave you?"
    "I'm fine, Paulo," she reassured him. "Just leave the door open so I don't panic and try to climb out the window."
    "I'll be right back." Hastily he started down the street.
    She watched him go, weariness washing over her, The worst part was that endless work was still waiting for her. With Juan and Julio helping, they were finally beginning to catch up with the work. An injury like this one would interfere with the ability to do the necessary riding and training of horses as well as the day-to-day upkeep on the ranch.
    What had been wrong with the bay? Could he have been drugged the way King had been? Ernie was dead. He couldn't have done it. She didn't want to think that Paul might have done it. She tried to remember exactly how the horse had looked before she had climbed into the saddle. It was inexcusable.
    She hadn't noticed the animal's distress; she'd been too upset over Rafael. It always came back to that.
    Rafael and his hold on her.
    "Hello again." A soft voice pulled her out of her reverie.
    Colby looked up to see the woman with startling green eyes who had offered to help her when Rafael had been so possessive. She flashed a quick smile. "I always seem to be in trouble, don't I? I'm Colby Jansen"
    "Natalya Shonski." The woman smiled, her face lighting up. She indicated Colby's leg. "Looks painful."
    "Trust me, it is. I wanted to thank you for what you did the other night. Most people would have just walked on by."
    "You were afraid of him," Natalya said. "I could feel it."
    Colby pushed her hair from her eyes and gave the woman a wan smile. "I'm still afraid of him."
    Natalya leaned in the door to examine Colby's neck. "He's one of the hunters, isn't he? Do you have any idea how dangerous they are?"
    Colby's palm instantly pressed against the bite mark, holding Rafael to her. "How do you know about them?"
    Natalya hesitated, choosing her words carefully. "I had the bad luck to run across their counterparts on