by Rebecca Deel
Immediately the pain Remy experienced exploded. A groan escaped.
“I’m sorry,” she choked out, but kept the pressure steady.
“Remy, you still with me?” Rio asked.
“Barely,” he said, his breathing shallow. “Hurts.”
“I know, buddy. Hang in there. What blood type are you?”
“O positive.”
“Excellent.”
Josh hurried back into the cabin. “Five or six hours.”
A grim expression settled on the medic’s face. “Tell him to make it five.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
Tears trickled down Lily’s cheeks. Remy looked so bad. So much blood pooling under his body. Five hours more of this? How could he survive? From the looks of it, he would bleed to death before they reached medical help at home. She couldn’t lose him. It would gut her.
“Lily.” Remy’s whisper barely reached her ears.
Her gaze locked with his.
“Don’t cry, Elf. Can’t take it.”
“Tough cookies, Doucet. That’s what happens when you get shot.”
“Sorry, baby.”
“He was protecting me,” Josh murmured.
Lily frowned. “How?”
“A soldier on my six was getting ready to pull the trigger. Remy saw him and, instead of taking out his own target, killed the man aiming at me.”
The medic unzipped his mike bag and pulled out two pressure bandages. “Josh, I need access to his back.” The team leader rolled Remy to his side once again for the medic to apply a pressure bandage to the exit wound. Finished, he eased Remy back to the floor of the plane and applied the second bandage to the entrance wound. That done, he started an IV in Remy’s arm.
Rio grasped Remy’s wrist. A minute later, he said, “Blood pressure’s good right now, Remy. It won’t stay that way. When it drops, we’ll tap volunteers to give you blood. In the meantime, try not to move around. We need to slow the bleeding down as much as we can.” He glanced at Josh. “I need to check on Mrs. Wilder.”
A nod. “I’ll let you know if there’s any change.”
Josh turned his gaze to Remy. “Guess you’re due for some vacation time. Where do you plan to go?”
A faint smile. “Wherever Lily wants.”
“Thought that might be the case. So, Lily, where is he recuperating?”
“Louisiana, at his parents’ house.”
“Only if you stay with me,” Remy whispered.
“Try kicking me out, baby.”
“Why the Doucet home?” Josh prompted.
“I can’t think of anything better than his mother’s cooking to get him on his feet faster.”
“Amen to that.” Remy’s gaze skated to Josh. “Best cook in the south.”
“I don’t know, man. My sister, Serena, is an amazing cook.” He grimaced. “Well, when she’s not dealing with morning sickness.”
“Baby?” Remy whispered.
“Oh, yeah. Ethan is beside himself with worry. I’m hoping they have twin girls. They would have their daddy wrapped around their fingers.” He grinned. “I’d love to see how fast that Native American black hair of his turns gray.”
“Not nice, Josh,” Lily said.
“Trust me. He deserves every bit of it. After all, he is married to my baby sister, and he’s my boss.”
She blinked. “He’s a cop?”
“My sisters are all married to cops.”
“How many sisters do you have?”
“Three. They’re identical triplets. Serena is a personal chef. Madison owns a knitting shop. Megan is the editor of the town’s newspaper.”
“Nice,” Remy whispered.
Josh snorted. “Sure, when they’re not getting themselves into trouble. What about you, Remy? Any siblings?”
Lily started to answer for him, but realized Josh was trying to see if her boyfriend was still alert.
“Five brothers. All married with a bunch of kids.”
A soft whistle from the team leader. “That’s quite a houseful. What about you, Lily?”
She started to give him her standard answer, that she had no family, when Remy’s fingers twitched against her hand. Her gaze locked with his pain-filled one. He gave a slight nod. Okay, so he wanted her to spill the beans to a virtual stranger. Why?
She shifted her gaze to Josh. “Two stepsisters and one stepbrother.”
“Where do they live?”
“Little place called Westfield, Texas.”
The other man frowned. “Why not take Remy to them to recuperate?”
“It’s complicated.”
“Lily,” Remy whispered.
She closed her eyes a minute. She hated baring her soul with anyone except Remy. It made her feel weak. She learned early in childhood never to show her emotions because they would be used against her. But she wasn’t a child anymore and Josh Cahill was an honorable man. He wouldn’t use what she told him to hurt her.
“I was abandoned as a baby and grew up in foster homes. My birth mother reconnected with me a few days ago.”
Josh’s jaw dropped. “Days?”
“Remy and I went to see her hours before we flew to Mexico. She was one of Montgomery’s victims. She has cancer.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “Must have been difficult seeing her and her family for the first time.”
Lily blinked away sudden tears. “They are good people.”
“Took to Lily right off,” Remy said. “Smart.”
“You’re biased, Doucet.”
A small smile. “Little.” His eyes closed.
Her heart turned over in her chest. “Remy? Stay with me.” No response. Oh, please, no. “Remy!”
“Rio.” Josh glanced over his shoulder.
The medic hurried up the aisle and dropped to his knees beside them. He checked the pulse and blood pressure. “He’s unconscious, but holding his own for now. Lily, go wash up.”
“I can’t lose him,” she whispered.
“You won’t. I need to you go clean up and eat a little.”
She shook her head. “I can’t. I don’t think food will stay down.”
“Do it anyway. Everybody else already has except Josh. If you have the right blood type, you’ll be donating a pint to your boyfriend. You can’t do that if you don’t eat and drink plenty of fluids.”
Finally, something she could do to help Remy. Lily nodded. “I’ll be back soon.” Her gaze fell to Remy’s pale face.
“I’ll let you know when he comes around,” Josh said.
She rose, strode to the back of the plane to the lavatory, and scrubbed her hands clean of his blood. The iron scent of it turned her stomach. Not like she hadn’t been overwhelmed with the scent before. This time was different, though, because it belonged to the man she loved.
Her breath caught in her throat. He didn’t know. She had planned to tell him when they were home. Now she might not get the chance. No, she wouldn’t let herself doubt even for a minute. He would make it. He had to.
Lily went to the small kitchen, slapped together a couple sandwiches and grabbed a bottle of water. She ate standing up and guzzled the water. By the time she finished, her skin was crawling with the need to get back to Remy’s side. She policed her trash and hurried through the cabin. In passing, she noticed Christine weeping silently, her horror-stricken gaze on Remy’s prone form.
She sat beside Remy and clasped his hand in hers. Her eyes widened. “Rio, his hands are cold.”
He dug into his mike bag and pulled out a mylar blanket which he draped over Remy’s body. “Blood loss.”
“Is he still losing blood as fast?”
“Actually, we’ve slowed it down. In a few minutes, we’ll give him some blood. He’s holding his own, Lily. Try not to worry. He needs you calm. Seeing you upset will stress him.” He stood. “I need to eat as well.” The medic grinned. “I’m the right blood type to donate. Let me know if there’s any change.”
Lily studied the team leader
who still sat on Remy’s other side. “You haven’t eaten anything.”
He shook his head. “Not yet. Alex will come relieve me in a minute and I’ll go fuel up.”
“You don’t have to sit with him. I’ll be here.”
He stared at her. “He’s one of ours now. You both are. We never leave a man behind when he’s wounded, not even when he’s lying on the floor of a plane.”
She blinked away the tears stinging her eyes. “How long did your team serve together?”
Josh smiled. “From the beginning. We were all in basic training together. We were in the same Ranger unit, then Delta.”
“Cowboys, huh?”
A chuckle. “Oh, yeah. My unit is the best.”
She snorted. “Shouldn’t be so humble, Cahill.”
He shrugged one shoulder. “It’s the truth.”
Yeah, it probably was. Those Delta guys were something special. If the Army needed an impossible job done, they called in a Delta unit. “How long have you been out?”
“Two years for all of us. We left the military at the same time.”
Alex walked up the aisle and laid his hand on Josh’s shoulder. “I’ll take over, Major.” They switched places and Josh made his way to the kitchen after stopping to check on Christine.
“How are you holding up, Lily?” Alex asked. His dark gaze scanned her face.
“I’m dealing. So you married Ivy, huh?”
He grinned. “One week ago.”
She blinked. “Oh, man. Bet she wasn’t happy to let you go back into the field so soon.”
“My wife is a strong lady. She’s in class right now.”
“She’s a teacher?”
“College. She loves those kids. Right now, they’re keeping her busy so she doesn’t have much time to worry about me. It will be a while before Durango goes out on another assignment for Fortress.”
“You’re a lucky man, Alex.”
“I know. She is my greatest gift, one I’ll never take for granted.”
Her gaze shifted to Remy. Yeah, she knew exactly how Alex felt. Remy was her greatest treasure.
“What about you and the Cajun?” the sniper asked.
“He says he loves me.”
“You find that hard to believe?”
“No one ever said that to me before he did.”
Alex tilted his head. “Not even your family?” His voice was soft.
“I didn’t know I had a family until a few days ago.”
“Sounds like an interesting story for another time.”
Remy moaned, tried to move.
“No, baby.” Lily held him down. “Don’t move.”
“Hurts.”
“I know. Just hold on.”
“Trying.”
“Do it, Doucet.” Lily swiped fresh tears from her cheeks. “Don’t you dare make me fall in love with you and then leave me. You gave me your word you would never abandon me. I’m holding you to it.”
A smile curved his mouth. “Knew you loved me. Charmed you into it.”
Alex snorted.
Lily laughed softly. “Yeah, you did. To be truthful, I wanted the whole Doucet clan. You just happened to be the only one not married.”
“Lucky for me.”
“I plan to remind you of that for years to come.”
Rio crouched beside Lily. “You’re awake. Good. Another check, Remy. Who’s this beautiful woman holding your hand?”
“Future wife.”
Shock rolled through her. “You haven’t asked me to marry you.”
“Can’t resist the Doucet charm.”
“That’s it.” Alex shook his head. “He’s delirious, Rio.”
“You better put a ring on her finger pretty soon, buddy.” Rio laid his fingers on Remy’s neck. “I’ve heard rumors around Fortress that several operatives are interested in your girl.”
He dragged his eyes open, locked his gaze with Lily’s. “Mine,” he whispered.
“Yours.” Heart and soul, one hundred percent his.
Rio turned to Lily. “What’s your blood type, sugar?”
“O positive.”
“You want to be the first donor?”
She nodded. “What do I do?”
The medic patted the floor beside Remy. “Lie down here. I’ll take care of the rest.”
For the next few minutes, Lily watched Remy as blood flowed from her vein into his. His color improved a little. Finally, Rio removed the needle from her arm.
“You look comfortable, Lily. Why don’t you stay there and keep Remy company?”
“How long will this hold him?” she asked.
“About an hour if we keep him quiet. Then I’ll tap Josh for a pint of blood.”
“Will we have enough?”
The medic patted her shoulder. “We’ll make it. I’ll be back in a minute.” He left and returned a minute later with a small carton of orange juice and a straw. He helped her to a sitting position. “Drink this, then curl up next to your future husband. Your presence and body heat will help.”
She gulped the drink and handed the empty carton to the medic. He found another blanket and gestured for her to lie down and he covered them both. “Keep him quiet, Lily,” he murmured.
“Come here,” Remy whispered. He moved his left arm just enough for her to roll against his side, her head pillowed on his shoulder. “I love you.”
“I love you, Remy. If you ever get shot again, I will kill you myself.” She felt a soft kiss against the top of her head.
“I hear you.”
Lily’s hand rested over his heart. His steady beat reassured her as nothing had to this point. She was pleased that his body gradually warmed a little. His temperature wasn’t nearly as warm as his usual furnace level of heat, but she’d take it just the same.
Over the next four hours, the Durango team took turns sitting next to Remy, talking to him when he needed distraction or just a supporting presence when he didn’t. Those that could donated blood. Thirty minutes before they were to land, Josh motioned Quinn to take his place. “Rio, any orders to pass along to the pilot?”
“Have him set this bird down nice and easy. We need a vehicle waiting on the tarmac. Remy needs surgery as fast as possible and more units of blood. It’s going to be close.”
When the plane touched down and taxied to a stop, the two SUVs waiting at the side of the tarmac raced to their location. Josh opened the cabin door and lowered the stairs.
A couple of big, burly men ran up the stairs.
“Gunshot wound to the lower right side. Bullet nicked his liver. He’s been bleeding for five hours and had four pints of blood.”
The blond nodded as he and his buddy helped Rio and Josh lift Remy from the floor. “Doc’s waiting ten minutes from here. We’ve got a list of donors lined up. What’s his blood type?”
“O positive.”
“Perfect,” the other man said. “We have six guys with that blood type already headed for the clinic.”
Josh turned to his teammates. “Grab your gear and let’s roll. Lily, you and Rio go with Remy. The sooner the doc starts working on him, the better. We’ll be right behind you.”
“What hospital is he going to?” Christine asked as she walked down the aisle. “James will want to know.”
Josh hesitated. “He’s going to a private clinic.”
“But that’s insane. He needs a hospital.”
“Hospital personnel will ask questions we can’t answer without compromising his safety and ours,” Rio said. “He’ll be well taken care of.”
Lily touched her hand to Christine’s arm. “He’ll be in Oak Hill soon. You can talk to him then.” With that, she hurried after Rio and the two men who were helping Remy down the stairs and into one of the waiting SUVs.
The two men had laid Remy across the middle bench seat. Rio sat in the front with the driver. Lily climbed into the vehicle, settled on the floor by Remy’s head and clasped his cold hand in hers. And prayed they made it to the clinic in tim
e to save Remy’s life.
CHAPTER THIRTY
Lily paced around the doctor’s small office. Well, more like walked in a circle. There was nowhere else for her to go. She couldn’t exactly pace in the waiting area with all the pet owners waiting for their appointment, not while in full work gear. The Bayside veterinarian, a former Fortress operative, had been working on Remy for more than two hours in a back room. A number of men had traipsed down the hall and returned with an arm bandage. Blood donors.
She blew out a frustrated breath. What was taking so long? Her stomach knotted further. A man’s tread drew closer to the office. She turned as Brent Maddox strode into the room. Her mouth gaped. She couldn’t believe their boss had flown down from Nashville.
He closed the office door. “How is he?”
Lily’s vision blurred. “I don’t know,” she whispered. “He’s still in surgery.”
Brent crossed the room and wrapped his arms around her. “Ted Sorenson is the best doctor I’ve ever seen.”
A wry smile crossed her lips. “He’s a vet.”
“He was a top-flight trauma surgeon before he decided he’d had enough excitement on the field and in the ER. He’s always loved animals and decided to pursue veterinary medicine instead. Trust me, sugar, Ted is Remy’s best chance for surviving.” He eased her toward one of two chairs in Sorenson’s office. “Tell me about the mission.”
Adrenaline still pumped through her body, making it nearly impossible to think. She’d paced, hoping to burn some of it off. “Haven’t you talked to Durango already?”
“I did. I want your take on what happened. I know it’s hard, but I need you to focus for me.”
Lily forced her thoughts into some semblance of order and recounted everything that happened from the time they’d stepped off the plane in New Orleans until they arrived in Bayside. When she finished, she frowned. “How is Christine?”
“Josh took her to Bayside Hospital to be checked. Her husband will arrive in a couple hours. I imagine she’ll go home sometime tomorrow.”
Her gaze skated to the closed door. This waiting was driving her crazy. She didn’t know how much longer she could hold out before she stomped down to the back room and demanded an update. “What is taking so long?”
“Lily.”