Tears were falling freely now, and as hard as it was to breathe before, it was even harder now. I gasped for breath, sucking in great gulps but only feeling like I was getting a tiny breath.
“Please,” I cried, sinking toward the floorboards.
Bellamy reached her hand across the seat, her other arm wrapped around her middle, and another worry assailed me.
“The baby,” I whispered. The truck sped up even more when I spoke.
“Bellamy!” Liam yelled.
“I’m fine.” She assured us. “The baby is fine, too.”
Our hands clasped together as another sob ripped out of me.
“He’s fine.” She tried to soothe me. “Alex will be fine,”
I was beyond being reasoned with. I was beyond thinking about his skills and knowing how capable he was at taking care of himself. He’d almost just been killed.
A bullet in the back didn’t care about all his training. He’d been living his life, having fun with his friends, and all of it was almost taken away.
I cried harder, clinging to Bellamy’s hand as my body ached.
Seconds later, the truck screeched to a stop, and bright lights shone through the windows. Liam lunged out of the driver’s seat. I could hear him yelling and calling out. Moments later, the door where I was sitting was wrenched open, and hands reached in to grab me.
I started screaming and fighting, kicking at the unknown hands.
“Back off!” Liam yelled, pushing past the nurses. His eyes met mine. “I’m going to pick you up now.”
I nodded, allowing him to pull me from the truck. Bellamy was already being ushered inside, and Liam strode with me in his arms under the metal awning and through the wide automatic doors.
“She’s been shot,” he said. “In the back.”
The nurse grew alarmed and rushed to get a gurney. When it was close, Liam laid me on my side and gazed down with a worried expression on his face.
“Go find Bellamy,” I told him.
His eyes gazed around, but he hesitated. He was torn between leaving me here and going to look for his wife.
I grabbed his hand and squeezed. “Go.”
He rushed off, yelling over his shoulder that they needed to take care of me.
I was whisked into a cubical with curtains all around. A doctor and a few nurses rushed me, and I cringed, but they didn’t stop. Instead, they began assessing me and cutting away my clothes.
One of the nurses made an odd sound. “This isn’t cutting.”
“What do you mean it’s not cutting?” the doctor barked, slapping on a pair of gloves.
“I mean the scissors won’t work.”
The doctor came over, and I felt the nurse showing him.
“What the…?” the doctor said, and I felt him touch where I’d felt the bullet hit me.
I winced a little, but honestly, it didn’t hurt as much as I thought it would. “Am I in shock?” I asked. “Why doesn’t it hurt worse?”
There was a pregnant pause.
I lifted my head to look at the doctor. “How bad is it?” I asked, bracing myself.
The doctor looked at my face, then back to my shoulder. “Ma’am, you weren’t aware you were wearing a bulletproof vest?”
“What?” I said, twisting around to try and look behind me. The movement hurt, but not enough to keep me from looking.
“Your coat appears to be bulletproof.”
I shoved up, teetering a little as I moved to sit. One of the nurses helped me keep my balance, and I glanced down to the plain black quilted coat I wore.
A conversation with Alex from just a couple hours ago replayed in my mind.
“Here, wear this tonight.”
I looked up to see a black, quilted coat gripped in his hands. “You bought me a coat?”
“It’s cold here. Your California blood can’t hack it.”
“I bought a jacket.” I reminded him. I cocked my head to the side. “When did you buy me a coat?”
“I ordered it the other week,” he said, then scowled. “Can’t a man get a coat for his girl? You should be happy I don’t want you to freeze.”
I got up from the table where I’d been sitting and admiring the jack-o-lantern we’d carved together and went toward him. “How did you know my size?”
He scoffed. “You’re small. It’s not that hard.”
I rolled my eyes. “Let me see it, then.”
He held it up like a gentleman in a movie. I turned, pushing my arms into the sleeves. He settled it around me and made a sound of approval.
I wrinkled my nose. “What is this thing made of?”
“Coat fabric.”
I spun. “Coat fabric?” I scoffed. “What the hell is coat fabric?”
“You hate it.” He frowned.
The hurt in his voice made me straighten. “Not at all! It’s just heavier than I imagined.”
“I want you to be warm.” His cool-toned eyes met mine, sincerity in their depths. “I’m just trying to take care of my girl.”
I smoothed my hands over the coat. It was heavy, and the material wasn’t anything I would have chosen on my own. I couldn’t say that to him. Not after he seemed so proud he’d bought me a coat.
“Thank you, Alex. I love it.”
“You’ll wear it, then?”
“Of course. Just because you gave it to me.”
“That’s why he was so insistent,” I said, realizing exactly why he’d wanted me to wear this coat. It was bulletproof.
“Miss?” the doctor said.
I glanced up. “I, uh, I didn’t know it was bulletproof.”
He didn’t seem to know what to make of that, but the bewilderment on my face must have convinced him. “Well, I still need to check you for injuries, make sure where the bullet hit the material, you aren’t too badly injured.”
I submitted to the exam, answering questions when spoken to, but not clearheaded enough to ask any of my own.
Had he known something like this was going to happen? Is that why he bought me that coat?
Someone snapped their fingers in front of my face, and I jolted. “Sorry,” I said.
The doctor was standing there frowning. “I’ve completed my examination.”
I nodded.
“You appear to be in good health, aside from the bruising and slight swelling on your lower right shoulder where the bullet hit the coat.”
I nodded.
“You will likely have some soreness for a few days. Nothing an over-the-counter anti-inflammatory can’t help.”
“That’s good,” I said, still trying to process everything, still trying to make sense of it all.
“Your wrist,” he said, glancing down.
I covered the bandage with my other hand. “That was a previous injury. It’s just sprained.”
“And the stitches in your cheek?” He pressed.
“From the same unrelated accident.”
“Sabrina!” a man roared from out in the hallway.
I bolted upright. “Alex!”
“Sir!” someone out in the hall yelled. “Sir!”
The curtain separating me from the rest of the ER was pulled roughly back.
“I beg your pardon, sir!” The doctor bristled.
“Christ!” Alex heaved, relief making his shoulders sag. “I thought I was going to have to search every damn room in this place.”
“They wouldn’t let you back?” I worried.
“This is against policy,” a nurse said, storming in behind him.
“Then call the police chief,” Alex said softly, his eyes sweeping over me.
“It’s fine!” I said, imploring the doctor. “He’s with me. He’s… important.”
The doctor waved away the nurse threatening to throw him out and then glanced between us both. “Miss, I have to ask. All of these injuries you have… Do you feel safe at home?”
Alex laughed. Then he laughed again.
A quiet calm dropped over him, and then the laughter d
ied away, leaving behind a cold silence that made my toes curl into the soles of my feet.
He swung around, fully facing the man who just dared to imply Alex was the reason I had so many injuries.
“It’s hospital policy,” the doctor said, taking a step away from Alex.
“I’ve had about enough of your hospital policy for one night,” Alex remarked, utterly calm.
The doctor swallowed.
“Alex,” I said, grabbing the back of his shirt. “Stop it.”
“I would never, not ever, hurt her. In fact, I would kill anyone who tried.” Alex went on. His voice was so cold, so utterly even that it was absolutely impossible to think he was lying. He glanced around to me, the look in his eyes melting. “The coat worked?”
I nodded. “It worked.”
His entire body sagged. Reaching behind where I was gripping his shirt, he took my hand and threaded our fingers together.
He looked back at the doctor. “How’s her injuries?”
“Minor.”
Alex made a satisfied sound. “You can go now.”
The doctor left, followed closely by the nurses standing there gaping.
“That was so mean.” I admonished him.
His arms wrapped around me, pulling me into his chest, and a great, heavy sigh released into the air over my head. “For a minute there, I thought that coat didn’t work.”
I pulled back. “Why didn’t you tell me this was a bulletproof coat?”
“I didn’t want to scare you any more than you already were.” His face darkened. “I didn’t actually think it would be necessary.”
“You didn’t think it would be necessary,” I repeated, a little unbelieving.
Alex’s hands closed over my shoulders and squeezed. “What the fuck were you thinking tonight?”
“What?”
“You ran in front of a bullet,” he bit out, his fingers digging into my skin.
“You were going to get shot!” I cried. “You almost died!”
“You don’t ever get between me and a bullet. Me and anything, ever again!”
“Where’s your bulletproof coat?” I yelled, shoving him back. “If you aren’t going to wear one, then I damn well will jump in front of you!”
His eyes went icy. The flat, dead way he regarded me almost stole my breath. “You had no idea you were even wearing something that could protect you.”
“Who cares?” I fumed, ignoring the stony way he spoke. “I will not ever stand by and let you get killed!”
“Yes! You will!” he roared.
The sudden burst of heat cut through me.
I drew backward, staring at him in shock.
A few choice curse words dropped out of his mouth, and he reached for the hem of his shirt. The second he lifted it, I saw the vest strapped to his chest.
The relief was so strong it made me dizzy. “You mean to tell me I almost had a heart attack right there in the middle of that crowd because I was so scared for you, and you were wearing that? This whole time!”
“I’m not a careless man, Sabrina,” he informed me quietly. “When I said I would protect you, that meant protecting myself so I could keep my word.”
A sob broke out of me, and I sank forward, crying. All the anger and fear drained right out of me as hoarse sobs wracked my body.
Alex came forward, scooping me into his chest and using gentle hands to stroke my back. “It’s okay now, kitten. Everything’s okay.”
“Y-y-you sh-should have told me.”
“Yeah.” He agreed.
“I thought you were gonna die,” I wailed.
He held me tighter. “I’m not gonna die. I’m right here. I’m right here with you.”
I pulled back, sucking in a deep breath. “Where were you? Where did you run off to?”
He brushed a few tears off my cheeks before resting each palm on the bed on either side of my hips. Leaning close, he spoke quietly. “I went to track the man who shot you.”
“Did you find him?”
A muscle in his jaw worked, his eyes flashing before he glanced away. “No. He was gone.”
My eyes searched his. Anger and ice burned there… It was a frightening combination.
My voice wobbled. “I saw that red dot on your back, and I was so afraid I would be too late.”
“You took a bullet for me.”
I shook my head. “Sort of.”
“Don’t ever do something so reckless ever again,” he bit out, this time keeping his anger in check.
My eyes narrowed, and frustration filled my voice. “You can do it for me, but I can’t for you?”
“That’s right.”
“That makes no sense.”
He grabbed my chin, forcing me to look into his frozen-over stare. “If you want to protect me at all, then it’s yourself you need to guard.”
“I don’t understand,” I whispered.
He drew back, his fingers caressing me before pulling completely away. “Saving my life means nothing if it costs yours, because my life would be over anyway.”
My breath caught.
“Understand?”
I nodded once. The ferocity with which he spoke left me unable to say anything at all.
“Good,” he remarked, satisfied. “C’mon now. We’re going home.”
Home.
Since my clothes were cut away, all I had on was a flimsy hospital gown. Alex pulled off his jacket and put it around me.
Before we stepped out of the cubical, I tugged his hand, making him turn back.
“Even though we almost died…” I began, making his eyes narrow with anger. “This was still the best birthday I’ve ever had.”
His entire expression changed and softened, a small smile tugging at his lips. “It’s not over yet.”
Alex
Something shifty was going on. The fact that these men were so hell bent on making Mercer pay for whatever he’d done to piss them off by going after his sister was proof.
As ex-army elites, our identities were nearly impossible to find. Buried deep under government tape, firewalls, and false information. This included the identities of those in our lives who could be considered weaknesses. I’d known Merc a long time, and even though we’d parted ways on less-than-good terms, I still knew him.
I was certain, without a shadow of a doubt, that he wouldn’t do anything that would lead the type of men we were now dealing with to Sabrina.
What’s more? These men had figured out very quickly that the only way to get to Sabrina was by taking me out of the equation. That meant they not only knew about Sabrina’s identity, but they knew about mine.
I should have been flattered they viewed me as so ruthless and intimidating the only way to get around me was to kill me outright.
I wasn’t.
I was annoyed and growing more restless with each passing day.
Something niggled at the back of my mind. It felt like there was a loose thread hanging from the hem of my jeans and it continuously brushed against my foot, sort of like a phantom spider, yet every time I looked to see the cause, I never found it.
I wanted to make some calls, a few discreet inquiries, but I kept holding myself back. There was no one to trust. If there was, Merc wouldn’t have showed up on my doorstep.
I needed information, but that info could come at the cost of Sabrina’s life. That was a price I just wasn’t willing to pay.
So here I was, in a holding pattern, feeling like a tiger in a triangle cage.
“Halloween is next week,” Brina said, coming up behind me, wrapping her arms around my middle. “You gonna let me give out candy to trick-or-treaters?”
I gazed out across the yard. It was a cold day, the sky gray and overcast. More leaves lay on the ground now than clung to the trees.
“You know I can’t let you do that, kitten,” I said, trying to soften the answer with the pet name.
She made a sound. “Please?”
I looked down to where she grasped me.
Her wrist was still wrapped, the cuts and scrapes on her hands almost healed.
“Next year.” I promised.
“I feel like a prisoner,” she muttered, pulling away to drop down on the couch.
We’d barely gone anywhere since her birthday. It was just too risky, and seeing her on the ground with that bullet hole in her back scared me more than I was willing to admit.
“Wanna watch a movie?” I offered, still scanning the yard.
“I’ll make some popcorn,” she announced and went into the kitchen.
A few minutes later, the sound of popping kernels filled the air, along with the unmistakable scent of the popcorn.
“You’re stinking up my house!” I hollered.
“Get over it!” she hollered back.
I grinned and moved from the window.
I needed to figure out my next move. If Daniel couldn’t get this job done, then I was going to have to step in. Blowing what little cover we had left might be the only way to do it.
Maybe I could send Sabrina away somewhere… until this was all finished. The thought made me feel itchy and raw. Instant denial poured through me, but the logical part of me, the one that lived at subzero, knew it might be the only way.
“Do you want a beer?” Sabrina called out.
Moving into the kitchen, I rested against the wall, watching as she tried to throw a piece of popcorn into the air and catch it with her mouth. She missed.
I laughed, and she glanced over at me. “Think you can do better?”
I made a rude noise, shoving off the wall, and grabbed up a piece of the white stuff. It landed dead center in my mouth on the first try. I grinned as I chewed, then winked.
“Showoff,” she muttered.
Chuckling, I picked her up and planted her on the island, then held a piece of popcorn to her lips. “Here.”
She took it and chewed. “Needs more butter.”
“You doing okay, kitten?” I asked, touching the tip of her nose.
“Don’t I look like I am?”
“You’ve been kinda restless the last few nights,” I pointed out.
“You’re restless, too.”
I nodded. “Have you been having dreams?” I pressed. “You know, about what happened at the Fest.”
Her eyes turned downcast. In her lap, her fingers fidgeted. “Maybe one or two.”
“You can talk to—”
Subzero (BearPaw Resort Book 4) Page 22