Cuff Master

by Frances Stockton

  Between Samantha and a team of paramedics, they were able to stem the bleeding, get Ethan stabilized enough for medevac transport.

  Morgan was relieved. But she was still scared. Ethan had been shot.

  Could she handle it in the future? How many other times would she pace and worry because he was heading into something dangerous? It didn’t matter. She loved Ethan. She had to accept everything about him, including his job.

  “Morgan, darlin’, if you don’t sit down, I’m going to get a nurse to put you in a wheelchair and strap you into it,” Phalen warned.

  Phalen stood five or six feet away. His arm was tucked around Cassie protectively. Worry was etched into Cassie’s pretty face. Her strawberry-blonde hair had been yanked back into a ponytail. Her glasses were smudged.

  Morgan had no idea what she looked like. She knew she wore brown. It was the most basic and familiar of colors for her.

  “I can’t, Phalen,” Morgan said, feeling slightly nauseous. “I’m so damn scared for him. This is going to happen again, this agonizing worry.”

  “I don’t mean to sound callous, but being a cop is second only to his love for you. As his woman, you’re going to have to deal with it,” Phalen said.

  “Haven’t you figured out Maddox women are strong enough to handle anything?” Taran asked, getting up from an uncomfortable-looking waiting room chair.

  “I know I am strong enough for Ethan. It doesn’t mean I’m not scared.”

  She looked around. Police officers from Ethan’s precinct had swarmed into the waiting room already. The place was packed. It was nice to know he had the support of his comrades.

  “You’re not alone in your worry, Morgan,” Alex promised. He and Taran came up to her, giving her the hugs she needed right then.

  “We’re here too,” Cassie assured.

  “Is this about to end up in a group hug kind of thing?” Taran asked, making room for Phalen and Cassie to add their strength to Morgan.

  Just then, Dr. Ryan Hathaway pushed his way through the waiting room doors. Alex rushed off to greet him head on. The two talked in rushed words, then came over to Morgan.

  Ryan gave her a hug and tried to explain what the doctors would do once Ethan was brought in. It all sounded very scary to Morgan and she found herself retreating some.

  A gigantic arm caught her around the waist, bringing her back to the fold.

  “Don’t cry, darlin’, please don’t,” Phalen urged.

  “Phalen hates when women cry, especially those he loves,” Cassie told her. “It’s a Maddox trait.”

  “Ethan’s going to be fine. Trust what Samantha told us,” Taran added.

  Morgan nodded. Her vision blurred anyway. Tears became unstoppable when she heard an announcement in the ER to get a team to the heliport STAT.

  “Ryan, did I hear the overhead announcement right?” she asked. “Ethan’s in critical condition?”

  “Was, he’s been upgraded to serious and stable enough for surgery right away,” Ryan answered. “They’ll get him into OR and get him patched up. Be brave, okay?”

  “Thank you,” she said. “I’m glad you’re here to help us understand what’s going on.”

  “Anytime, sweetheart.” Ryan kissed her on the forehead and moved off to stand beside Alex.

  A wave of dizziness hit her a second later, causing her to wobble. Phalen quickly assisted her into the chair Taran had vacated and sent his brother to a vending machine.

  Taran brought back a couple packages of saltine crackers and water. The crackers helped steady her nerves. The water was cold and refreshing.

  “That’s my girl, your color’s coming back,” Phalen said, patting her knee. “How long since you’ve eaten more than crackers?”

  “I ate half an omelet at the diner and a doughnut earlier in the morning, before Sam found out about my store. Ethan and I had a big fight. I wasn’t much interested in eating. And then I got sick when I knew he was in danger.”

  “Everything okay now that the fight’s done?” Phalen asked.

  “How do you know it is?” Morgan replied.

  “Ethan would never leave something unsaid or undone if someone he cares about is upset.”

  “He came back before leaving Salem just to let me know he loved me and would always come home to me. I love him, Phalen. If I lose him now, I’ll never be the same. It’s happened before.”

  “What has?” Phalen asked.

  “Losing men, my dad died, my boyfriends turned into assholes, my stepfather sent me to a shrink when he heard me talking to ghosts,” she said in a rush.

  “You are not going to lose Ethan. Have faith in him. He has it in you. Don’t let fear keep you from believing what you know.”

  “I saw him get shot, twice, saw him fall, saw the blood and Samantha covered in his blood. Ethan was dying.”

  “Did you see him die?”

  “No, he didn’t.” Recalling her vision, she turned in her seat and crushed the big man to her. “And I owe it to Samantha and your mom. They saved his life. He’ll be okay. He really will. Thank you!”

  “My mother, wow. Any chance you can ask her to come see me again sometime? She kept me sane in Afghanistan. I could use my father too, going to need his advice.”

  “I prayed for her to watch over Ethan. I figured he’d listen to his mama.”

  “Ethan was always very close to Mom. I’m glad you thought of that.”

  “Phalen, you do know your parents watch over their boys all the time, not just when something’s wrong or you’re injured, right?”

  “Yes, I do.” Phalen hugged her back so tightly that Morgan thought she might faint.

  “Easy there, big guy,” Cassie said. “Morgan’s had a rough day. You hold on any tighter, she’s going to need oxygen.”

  “I’m fine. Nothing better than a brother’s bear hug,” Morgan said.

  “Agreed,” Cassie stated, playfully poking Taran in the stomach with her elbow.

  “Hey! What did I do?” Taran grumbled, rubbing the spot gingerly. “I’m the one who got us all here safely. Or did you conveniently forget Phalen couldn’t drive because he was too busy threatening to kick every driver on the road’s ass if they didn’t get out of our way?”

  “I think she’s looking for a hug, Taran,” Alex suggested.

  “Sorry, Cassie,” Taran apologized, easing down before his sister-in-law to give her a hug too.

  “Mind if I share some of those crackers?” Cassie asked Morgan when Taran released her.

  “You bet,” Morgan agreed, handing over the package.

  “That does it. Taran, find them some food,” Phalen ordered.

  “We’ll do it,” Ryan offered. He looked back and forth between Cassie and Morgan, seemed to draw some sort of conclusion and stood up. “Coming with me, hubby?”

  “Sure, Doc,” Alex agreed.

  The two went off to fetch them all something more substantial than crackers and water. Except Morgan’s tummy felt off. The idea of eating something from a hospital cafeteria did not sound appealing.

  Alex and Ryan returned with bottles of ginger ale, coffee, cokes and containers of vegetable soup and fruit cups. Morgan was able to eat half of a bowl of soup, more crackers and took a ginger ale.

  Cassie drank a ginger ale too. Phalen and Taran had the cokes. Alex and Ryan took the coffee. One hour led into another, the longer they waited, the tougher it was to just sit there and do nothing.

  The ER doors opened again, this time Samantha Riley came in. Unlike the vision Morgan had of Samantha earlier, she wasn’t covered in blood. Instead, she wore a pair of jeans, sneakers and a gray sweatshirt with Boston PD written across the front.

  “Samantha,” Morgan called out when Samantha made a beeline for her comrades.

  Samantha switched paths and came over. “Morgan, thank God you all got here safely.”

  Morgan stood up, rushed to her friend and took her hands. “Thank you,” she said. “Thank you for helping Ethan.”

&nbs
p; “I couldn’t let him die. He’s the best damn partner I’ve ever had.”

  “I know. I’m still going to thank you, probably every day for the rest of my life.”

  “Stop it or I’m going to tear up in front of the guys.” Samantha kept herself very stiff. “Can’t let them see me cry. I’m a mess as it is. I took a life tonight.”

  “Don’t be too proud to lean on us, doll, especially me,” Taran interrupted from behind them. He reached out to her, tugging ever so slightly on her ponytail, letting her know that he cared.

  Samantha struggled silently until composure came over her features. “I’m fine. Although you’ve got great shoulders to lean on, Taran Maddox, maybe someday I’ll take you up on that offer.”

  “Wow. You didn’t call me a pretty boy. I’m moving up in the world.”

  “Further than you know,” she whispered.

  Morgan didn’t think Taran heard Samantha. She was too busy being tugged out of Morgan’s grasp and into Phalen’s arms.

  “If you don’t let me go, I’m going to put you on your ass again, Phalen Maddox!” Samantha warned against his massive shoulder. She was not small by any means, but compared to Phalen, she was a lightweight.

  “Try it, sister. I’m waiting to take you on again.” Phalen laughed and let go.

  “I have to go talk to my captain. Alisa Bailey left behind a stack of evidence and the combination to her husband’s wall safe. It implicates Spencer Bailey and his lover, Maura Andrews, in a series of crimes that include the murder of his stepdaughter, and the subsequent cover-up.”

  “I can’t imagine what a mother would do after learning all that,” Morgan said.

  “Alisa chose suicide by cop. I wasn’t going to let her fire off another round at Ethan. She knew one of us would take her out when she came outside and aimed a loaded Glock at me. Weapon was registered to her now deceased husband.”

  “Never an easy thing to deal with,” Phalen commented. “We’ll be here for you when you’re done, Sam.”

  “Thanks, Phalen. Morgan, can I talk to you alone for a second?”

  “Sure,” Morgan said, following her friend to the opposite side of the room. “What’s going on?”

  “Just wanted to let you know that Ethan is a true hero, he saved my life,” Sam said. “I’m the one who should be in surgery right now.”

  “There’s no way in hell Ethan would let that happen.” Morgan lowered her voice. “I admit that I saw it all happen as a vision and was sickened by it. I wanted to stop you all or warn you from going to that orchard.”

  “Taran sent a message. We were out of our cruiser and I didn’t see the text until much later.”

  “Prayers saved the two of you, Samantha.”

  “Will you keep doing that when Ethan and I are out in the field?”

  “Without a doubt. He’s a good man, you know.”

  “Ethan’s the best.”

  “I meant Taran. He’s watching you right now. You gave him an opening. He’s going to walk in and take over.”

  As surreptitiously as possible, Sam looked around, flushed and briskly walked away.

  Morgan turned, discovering that Taran was indeed watching Samantha with an intensity that took Morgan back a couple of steps. Man, he had it bad.

  It was two in the morning when a doctor came down to speak to an ER waiting room crowded with family and cops. Some of the officers were in uniform, some in suits and others wore whatever they managed to pull on to get to the hospital to stand by a detective shot in the line of duty.

  Samantha stayed with an attractive fifty-something African-American man. Morgan guessed he was Captain Morrison, though she’d not met him formally.

  The doctor first went to the captain and Ethan’s partner. Samantha shook her head, pointing to Morgan, and the doctor walked toward her.

  “Morgan Maddox?” the doctor asked.

  “Um, not quite,” Morgan said.

  “She’s a Maddox,” Taran supplied, standing close to them.

  “Yes she is,” Phalen said. “We’re Ethan’s brothers, Phalen and Taran. This is my wife, Cassie. Tell us Ethan’s going to pull through or I’ll get someone here who can make it happen.”

  The doctor stepped back a pace or two. Phalen could be menacing on normal occasions, when his family was threatened or hurt, he was dangerous.

  “I’m Dr. Steve Gardner, Detective Maddox’s surgeon. Surgery went remarkably well. His condition has already been upgraded. In fact, he’s awake and demanding to see his wife.”

  Morgan’s heart sped up. “He’s okay? He’s going to pull through?”

  “My surgical team repaired the damage to his artery, removed the bullet lodged in the muscle and repaired the muscle tissue. He’s fortunate. That caliber could have shattered the femur or worse.”

  “Thank God,” Morgan said, silently thanking Abigael Maddox too.

  “We’ll keep him for observation to be sure there’s no further bleeding. With rest, recovery, PT, fluids, blood replacement and following my orders, he should be released in a few days to a week.”

  “Can everyone else come see him?” Morgan asked. “The officers and his family need to know he’s all right too.”

  “When he’s in his hospital room, yes, I’ll send word here to the ER. You ready to come with me now, ma’am?” Dr. Gardner gestured for Morgan to follow.

  Taran and Phalen gave her a gentle push and she headed to the elevator with the surgeon. Minutes later, Dr. Gardner showed her into recovery.

  She heard the beeps and whooshes of monitors. There were other patients in the room, each in their own small curtained cubical. Morgan found Ethan easily.

  He was in the center cubical, the curtain drawn back for her to enter.

  Trauma left him with severe bruises on his face and black eyes. Multiple fluid and blood lines were stuck into his arms. But Ethan’s eyes, those gray Maddox irises, were open and lit up when he saw her.

  “Hey you,” he greeted sleepily. “Dr. Gardner, meet my wife.”

  “We met downstairs. She’s as lovely as you’d described going under and coming out of anesthesia. I’ll leave you two alone. Don’t exert yourself too much. If you pop a stitch, I’m afraid your blond-haired brother will kill me.”

  “He might,” Ethan muttered.

  “Phalen’s harmless,” Morgan reassured. “Thank you, doctor. He’s not going anywhere.”

  “Can’t walk yet anyway.” Ethan didn’t seem to like that idea, but Morgan sat in a chair the doctor brought over for her and he smiled again.

  She took Ethan’s hand, holding it tight enough to let him know she wasn’t letting go, ever. “I love you, Ethan Maddox. Don’t scare me again, okay?”

  “Sorry, hon. I’ll make it up to you when I can fuck you. Give me a couple days and we’ll play hide-and-seek.” His words were jumbled and Bostonian thick. He was so handsome, regardless of the bruises.

  “You’re being silly,” she said, loving that he was that way. If he could smile, he was doing just fine.

  “In all seriousness, I still have what I need to love you properly, Mrs. Maddox.” At first she thought he’d meant his cock and then watched him rub his chest. “Thanks to the vest I was wearing, I still have my heart. It’s yours, always has been.”

  “Someday, I hope I am your wife for real,” she said.

  “Soon…you will be, soon.” Ethan fell asleep with a smile on his dry lips.

  Morgan eased out of her chair, leaned over him and pressed her ear to his heart, listening as it beat steadily and thanking God and Abigael and Samantha for bringing him back to her.

  * * * * *

  Ethan woke up in a private hospital room monopolized by nurses and a doctor. Immediately recognizing the surgeon who’d repaired his damaged leg, he tried to speak, but his throat was parched.

  “Dr. Gardner?” he rasped out, swallowing hard.

  At some point, they’d stuck a tube down his throat. But the doc had it taken out when he was taken to recovery. During the
night, it might have been more than one, he couldn’t be sure, meds kept him pretty much out of it until a nurse and two male medical techs hoisted him out of bed and made him walk.

  It had hurt at first. But walking was apparently what he needed to do in order for them to pull his urine catheter. With all the fluids they were pumping into him, peeing on his own was a victory. If he could pee freely and his cock worked, he was happy.

  Through it all, Morgan stayed with him. She’d been rock steady and sweet. She was the best medicine he needed to completely heal.

  “Good evening, Detective Maddox,” Dr. Gardner greeted.

  “It’s evening? Damn, I slept the whole day away.” He glanced around. There was a small window with horizontal blinds. It was gray outside.

  “It’s been two days. We were cautious with you due to the nature of your injury. Don’t worry,” the surgeon said. “Rest was exactly what your body needed. There’s no evidence of bleeding or further damage to your muscle. You’re a lucky man.”

  “Yes I am. Where’s my family?” Better yet, where was Morgan?

  “They went down the hall so we could check you out privately. You’re doing remarkably well under the circumstances. Your nurse told me you’ve been out of bed and urinated on your own.”

  Ethan coughed. “Guess that’s a good thing, Dr. Gardner. But I had to have help getting to and from.”

  “That’s expected. You’ll start PT soon and they’ll get you used to crutches or some walking device.”

  “Thank you for working on me. I owe you.”

  “It’s an honor to help someone who puts his life on the line to keep citizens of this state safe.”

  “I guess you’re trying to say that I will be able to return to duty?”

  “You will. We’re going to keep you here for observation for a few more days to a week. If all proceeds as I expect you’ll be released to outpatient care and more intensive physical therapy before running after the bad guys.”

  “How about my sex life?” Ethan asked. He wished Morgan was there. He missed her.

  “It shouldn’t be a problem. You’re the best judge of what your body can take, although I would take it easy for a little while. Your girlfriend is amazing. She wouldn’t leave your side until your brothers dragged her out to take her home to clean up. She’ll be back soon.”