by Vella Day
Stone’s heart almost stopped.
“Shit,” Cade said. “This was sent a few minutes ago.”
Neither said a word as they both sprinted out of the cafeteria. The smell of disinfectant seemed sharper and the image of Amber surfaced—naked, beautiful, loving.
“The cruiser’s in the back,” Cade called behind him.
Stone followed. No matter how fast they ran, it took too long to get outside. When they reached cruiser, they both hopped in. Cade jammed the key in the ignition and peeled out of the lot, the siren blaring.
Cade picked up the police radio and asked for backup at Amber’s. He then jetted under I90 toward Gold Avenue.
“Drive faster, damn it.” Stone punched the dashboard as they careened through town. His body shook and his gut was about to give up the roll he’d just eaten. Ben just might be insane. God help Amber.
“She’ll be okay.” Cade was patronizing him again, but thank God Cade looked determined.
“You don’t fucking know that.”
“Calm down.”
“I am fucking calm.” Or not.
* *
Heavy thuds reverberated on the floor as Ben came toward Jamie who was crumpled on the floor. “Oh, shit. Jamie. I didn’t mean it. Baby, baby.”
Amber gathered every ounce of energy and courage in her body and stood. Keeping her gaze on Ben, she helped Jamie to her feet. Her friend winced. Jamie’s arm was covered in blood. The bullet meant for Amber had hit Jamie instead.
She straightened her back. “Benny. Stop.” Her friend must have drawn on every ounce of reserve strength in her body to shout that command.
Like he’d been felled by a roundabout kick to the stomach, Ben dropped to his knees, his gaze lowered, and a sob escaped. “I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you.”
Amber held her breath, waiting for the criminal side of Ben to return. Jamie nodded to Amber and inched toward Ben who still held the gun in his hand. Jamie leaned over. “I’m hurt, Benny. Real bad.”
“Jamie?” He sounded like a pathetic little boy.
Faster than lightning, Jamie wrenched the gun from Ben’s hands and scrambled backward, trying to level the weapon on him, but her arm wavered. She clamped her left hand over the wound and grunted.
Like a Phoenix rising, Ben stood and seemed to have garnered his control. He changed right before her eyes. “Jamie. Give me the gun. Amber must die. She knows too much.” His voice came out deep and strong.
Amber snatched the weapon from Jamie’s clenched fingers and edged in front of her. Amber kept the gun pointed at Ben’s chest.
“You don’t have the guts to pull that trigger,” he said with a sneer.
Clearly, he had no idea that when challenged, Amber Lynn Delacroix never backed down.
* *
Ten long minutes later, Cade slammed on his breaks in front of Amber’s house. He cut the engine, checked to make sure his weapon was secure, and pushed open his door. He nodded to Stone. “You take the back entrance, and I’ll go through the front.”
Stone’s jaw tightened. “Got an extra piece?”
Cade reached into the glove compartment and handed him his spare. “Here.” Now he was happy Stone had gotten his license.
Once Cade checked the scene, he’d make his move. He jetted out of the car. At least Stone had the sense not to shut his door hard. Not wanting to spook Ben, Cade waited for Stone to disappear behind the house before he eased up the front steps. Voices from inside sounded tense. Cade heard another woman’s—probably Jamie’s—and a male voice that must belong to Ben.
With gun in hand he peered through the living room window, hoping they’d be too preoccupied with what they were doing to notice him.
What the fuck? Amber held a gun in her hand and was pointing it at Ben. Caked blood coated the side of her face. His gut churned and he forced down his anger. Jamie was sitting on the floor, her arm streaked in red. Ben lurched toward them.
Go!
The door stood ajar. Cade bulldozed in and leveled his weapon at Ben. “Stop!” He looked over at her. “Amber?”
She lowered her arm. “Thank God you’re here.”
“What happened?” He kept his voice as even as possible as he moved closer to Ben.
Jamie answered. “Ben shot me, but he was aiming for Amber.”
“Amber, set the gun down before someone gets hurt.” He faced Ben. “Ford, get down on your knees and put your hands on your head.” The man folded like an accordion. He didn’t even claim he was the victim. “Amber, Stone’s at the back door. Open it for him.”
Amber ran through the kitchen. Right after he’d cuffed Ben, both stepped back into the living room.
“Hold still.” Stone was checking out Amber.
“I’m fine,” she said. “Jamie’s been shot.”
“Stone, call for help,” Cade said. He would have called, but Stone could provide better intel.
Stone rushed to Jamie and looked her over. He then dialed the station and gave them her vitals and described the scene. Sirens sounded in the background. Good timing. Moments later, two officers rushed in, weapons drawn. Cade gave them the lowdown. Cade nodded to Ben. “Get him out of here.”
The officers dragged Ford to his feet. “Baby,” he cried, as he struggled to get out of their hold, but failed. “I’m sorry, Jamie.”
Jamie didn’t even look at him.
Stone rushed into the kitchen and returned with two wet towels. He handed one to Amber and the other to Jamie. “Hold them over your wounds,” he said to both.
Since Jamie seemed to be in the worst shape, Stone attended to her. Once he looked at her wound, he pressed on her fingertips to make sure she had good circulation.
Cade rushed over to Amber and led her over to the sofa. Blood had streaked her chin and cheek. Jesus. What the fuck happened? Her gaze remained focused straight ahead. As soon as she sat, she rocked back and forth. Cade slipped next to her and gathered her in his arms, careful not to press too hard. “What happened here, sugar?” He sat back needing to watch her expression.
“Ben came at me with a gun.” A sob escaped.
He figured that much. “I bet you were scared, huh?”
She leaned back, sniffled, and glanced at him. Then she lightly punched him. “Was not.”
At least half the tension left his body. His Amber was back. In a much steadier tone, she told him how she tried to get away and call for help. She nodded to the pieces of phone on the floor. After she told him how Ben had backhanded her, he wanted to kill the guy himself.
The medical team arrived before she finished her story.
Stone looked up. “Trevor, Marshall.” Trevor rushed over to them, and Marshall joined Stone.
Cade moved out of the way to give Trevor room. He ran his hands up and down her spine and then along her jaw.
Marshall helped Jamie to her feet. “Can you walk to the ambulance?”
“I think so.” She looked over at Amber. “Can she come with me? She’s the only family I have.”
Marshall placed a hand around her waist. “We have two ambulances so we can give each of you our undivided attention.”
Trevor guided Amber to a stand, but she swatted away his hand. “I’m fine.”
“Let Trevor do his job, sugar.” Stubborn woman.
Stone walked up to Amber and guided her to the door. “I’ll ride with her.”
Trevor nodded.
Cade stood. “I’ll meet you at the hospital. I have to wait for the forensic team.
* *
Amber’s body ached. The tension had ripped her apart and a mean headache was brewing. Not to mention both her jaw and face ached like a bitch. She feared looking in a mirror. By tomorrow, her face would be swollen and a not-so-pretty combination of black, blues, greens, and yellows.
“Watch your step.” Trevor helped her into the back of the ambulance.
Jamie’s ambulance sped down the street. She looked for Stone. Seconds later, he appeared and hopped in back. T
he tension ripping through her body eased.
Trevor closed the back door. Seconds later, the passenger door slammed shut.
Stone placed one hand on her shoulder and the other on her back. “Lie back for me, baby, so I can examine you.”
“Trevor already did that.” Now that the police had hauled Ben off and Jamie was being tended to, the reality was finally seeping in.
Amber pressed her lips together and closed her eyes. “Poor Jamie. I can’t imagine what she must be going through right now. Ben had been her life.” It didn’t matter that Jamie had wanted to end the relationship. She must still have feelings for him.
Stone rubbed a thumb over the back of her hand. “I know. I bet the betrayal to both of you has to be overwhelming.”
She loved that he understood. “It is.”
Stone lifted the clothe from her face, nodded, and replaced it. It seemed like they arrived at the hospital in only a few minutes. While Stone wheeled her in, once the nurse came, Stone kissed her forehead. “I’ll be right outside.”
Nurses and doctors came and went. They X-rayed her jaw and fortunately detected no cracks. Amber couldn’t wait to get out of here and check on Jamie.
A different nurse came in and Amber questioned her. “Do you know how my friend Jamie Henderson is doing?”
The nurse smiled. “I’ll check for you just as soon as I clean your facial wound.” The nurse numbed her cheek. That hurt. She picked out the pieces of plaster and disinfected the wound. “There. I’ll let the doctor know you’re ready for your stitches. I’ll go check on Jamie for you.”
Finally. “Thank you.”
The doctor came in and announced she was a plastic surgeon, for which Amber was grateful. “When you heal, you won’t even be able to see where the cuts were.”
In about fifteen minutes, the doctor said Amber was good to go, but to wait for the nurse to give her further instructions.
The nurse came back in. “I checked on Jamie. The doctor is removing the bullet now.”
“Can I see her?”
“In a bit.” She handed Amber some paperwork.
“Knock, knock.”
She looked up, and her heart skipped a beat. Both Cade and Stone rushed over to her. Stone studied the doctor’s handiwork. “Nice. How does it feel?”
“Good.” The numbing agent made her word sound slurred. “I want to see Jamie.” Damn, it was hard to talk out of one side of her mouth.
Both men helped her up. “If she’s awake, she’ll be groggy, baby.”
“That’s okay. I need to see her.”
With a shaking hand, Amber filled out the discharge papers. Since she worked here, all of her information was easily accessible.
The men brought her to Jamie’s room. Eyes closed, her friend looked so peaceful. Amber looked up at Stone. “How long do you think she’ll have to stay here?”
“I bet the doctors will release her tomorrow.”
Amber walked over to the bed and moved the blonde strands from Jamie’s eyes. “Hey, girlfriend.” She kept her voice soft. “Can you hear me?” Amber squeezed her hand.
Jamie groaned and opened her eyes. “Hey.” She wet her lips.
Like she had with Chris, Amber picked up the pitcher and brought the straw to Jamie’s lips. “How are you feeling?”
Her friend glanced down at the bandage on her arm. “It’s out?”
“Yup. All gone.” Amber put the water back on the stand.
Jamie ran a gaze up and down Amber’s face. “You look better.”
Amber fingered the stitches. “Yeah. The doc did a good job patching me up.”
Someone knocked on the door. “Hello?” Ethan, Cade’s partner came in. “I’d like to take Ms. Henderson’s statement now.”
Cade nodded. “Amber, we should go.”
She nodded then hugged Jamie goodbye. “I’m here for you. We’ll get through this.”
“When are you coming back?” A bit of fear crossed Jamie’s face.
“Tomorrow morning.”
Jamie’s lids drooped. “Okay. See ya.”
Cade wrapped an arm around Amber’s waist and walked her out. “Anyone up for something to eat?”
As much as she wanted to crawl into bed and sleep for a few days, she needed food. It was dinnertime, and the men would be hungry. “How about Italian?” With her numb cheek, pasta might be the easiest to chew.
If there was one lesson she learned from coming so close to dying, it was that she loved her men. As soon as she was able, she wanted to show them just how much.
Chapter Thirty-One
Under the circumstances, last night had been as good as could have been expected. After a good dinner, Stone and Cade had brought Amber back to their house and made sure she was comfortable.
Once the Novocain had worn off, Amber had downed some Tylenol and went to bed. The medicine helped, but it was being cocooned between her men that worked best. The downer was they told her they’d keep their hands off her until she completely healed. That meant a week with no sex. Ugh.
Cade had driven back to her house and picked up a suitcase with her clothing. For not knowing exactly what she needed, he did a great job at picking out things.
When she woke this morning, she was sore from Ben having shoved her against the wall, but compared to Jamie, she was in good shape. Her cheek ached, but not as much as she’d expected.
The aroma of bacon and eggs drifted into the bedroom. While she figured her supervisor would insist she take some time off, Amber wasn’t ready to sit and do nothing. Keeping busy would help her cope.
She stepped into the kitchen. Cade was at the stove dressed for work and looked devilishly handsome. “Good morning.”
He looked up and winced. “Let me look your wound.” He studied her face. “Hmm.”
She’d checked out her appearance and had been quite upset at first, but she understood that with time, she’d heal. Compared to what her cancer patients went through, this was nothing. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better.”
“That’s true. Does it ache much?”
“It’s not too bad.” Amber didn’t want to discuss it anymore and nodded to the stove. “I can do that. You don’t want to get your shirt splattered with grease.”
He cocked a brow. “I’ll have you know, I am quite capable of staying clean.” Just then, the bacon popped and crackled, and he jumped back.
Amber laughed but immediately touched her cheek. She’d have to limit what she did today. “Suit yourself.” She busied herself setting the table. “Stone at work?”
“Yes. As soon as I drop you off home, I have to go into work, too.” He faced her. “Or do you need me to stay home with you? Because I will.”
How sweet was that? “I’m going to visit Jamie.” She held up a palm to halt his objection.” If the doctors wanted Jamie to stay another day, then Amber would do her rounds. That way she’d be near her friend. If they released Jamie, she’d spend the day with her.
Amber and the men had talked a lot last night about what had happened, and she was coming to grips with Ben’s breakdown, Jamie’s injury, and her near death experience. It certainly gave her a new perspective as to what cops must go through.
After they ate, Cade dropped her off at home. She changed into her scrubs and then drove to the hospital. As soon as she found out what room Jamie was in, she took the elevator to the second floor. The staff was actually smiling again and appeared a lot more relaxed. They must have heard Ben had been caught.
Amber knocked and entered Jamie’s room. Her friend was sitting on the bed, getting dressed. Yes!
“Hey, girlfriend. Should you be up so soon?” Jamie’s hair was matted and her makeup streaked.
“Just got released, and boy am I happy.” She lifted her good arm and smelled her armpit in an exaggerated fashion. “I stink.”
“Could be the dried blood on your shirt. I came to be your chauffeur, seeing how you won’t be driving for a while.”
A spark
lit in her eyes. “Awesome. I was just about to call a cab.” She sighed. “You’re dressed for work.”
“I put them on in case you weren’t released. I wanted to be nearby.”
“Aw. Thank you.”
Amber stepped over and helped Jamie button her shirt. “Did you sleep last night?” Or did you have nightmares?
“I couldn’t turn my brain off. It was terrible.” She yawned. “I finally asked for something to put me to sleep, but now I’m paying for it. I wish I could go to work, but with my arm the way it is, I can’t really function. It sucks.”
“You want me to see if I can find something clean for you to wear?” She might have a clean pair of scrubs in her locker.
“I just want to go home.”
When Jamie stood, she wobbled a little. “You sure you’ve been released?”
Jamie firmed her lips. “Yes.”
It was another half-hour before all the paperwork was complete, and forty-five minutes before they pulled into Amber’s drive. While Jamie said for her to drop her off at home, Amber insisted she stay with her. “You can’t drive your car home with one arm. Besides, what if you need something?”
Jamie looked to the side. Way to go. She’s probably thinking Ben would have helped. “I haven’t thought that far ahead. It sucks it’s my good arm.” She lifted it, winced, and then lowered her arm.
“I figure we might as well recuperate together.”
Jamie leaned her head back against the seat. “As long as you don’t mind me showering at your place and borrowing a shirt, I’m game to be pampered.”
Amber smiled. “Since you saved my life, it’s a deal.”
Jamie let out a small laugh and looked like her old self. While she had to reach across her body to open the car door, she moved rather well once she got out. Jamie said the bullet hadn’t done too much damage for which Amber was thankful.
She unlocked the front door, and then walked Jamie back to her room to shower. Amber pulled out fresh towels and a clean shirt. “Here you go. I’m going to make us something to eat.”