"Jude!" She scrambled into the truck, her hands shaking as she reached for him. Blood soaked his shirt and jacket, making it impossible to tell where he'd been hit. "Oh God, please."
"You okay?" His voice was barely audible, his breathing labored.
"I'm fine," she said, tears blurring her vision. "But you're hurt. You need help."
“I love you, Angela,” he whispered as his eyelids fluttered. “Never forget.”
“No! You’re not allowed to tell me that like this. I love you too, but this isn’t the place.”
“Just wanted… you… to know.”
Angela tried to find where the blood was coming from so she could try to stem it. Finally, she located one place, and she gently pressed her hand against it.
Jude’s pain-filled groan made tears spill down Angela’s cheeks. “I’m sorry, my love. I need to stop the bleeding.”
Cupping his cheek with her other hand, she looked into his glazed, half-closed eyes. “You are going to live, Jude Kessler. You’re going to kiss me, then you’re going to propose to me. And I’m going to say yes. We’re going to get married and have at least one baby, but hopefully two or three. And we’re going to grow old together. That’s how this is going to go.”
Jude’s lips tipped up briefly. “You’re my world, love.”
Angela couldn’t imagine doing any of the things she’d listed without him. Her heart hurt as she tried to keep Jude’s life from ebbing away.
Where was the security team? Shouldn’t they have been there already?
As if they’d heard her, Angela heard the roar of engines and then headlights flooded the area. There were shouts, but Angela ignored them, keeping her focus on Jude, willing him to live.
“Hang on,” she murmured as she leaned close to him. “Help is here. Hang on, my love.”
She gently pressed her lips to his. It was a fleeting contact, but it held her hopes of the life to come for them. And a promise to be there for him every step of the way.
“Angela.” Dawn’s voice was gentle as she gripped Angela’s shoulders. “Let them help Jude.”
Angela wanted to stay right where she was, but she wouldn’t because Jude needed help that she couldn’t give him.
“We have medics here,” Dawn said. “They’ll help him.”
Angela allowed the woman to move her out of the cab of the truck. Clutching Dawn's arm, Angela walked on legs that felt like they might give out beneath her at any moment, and her heart pounded so hard it seemed to echo in her ears. Every few seconds, she twisted to look back at Jude, terrified of losing sight of him.
"They're taking care of him," Dawn said, her voice steady but urgent. "Let them work."
In the back of her mind, she registered that the medics were actually some of the security guards. They swarmed around the truck, their voices clipped and professional as they called out medical terms Angela didn't understand. Derek was cutting away Jude's shirt while another prepared what looked like an IV bag.
"Is he going to be okay?" Her voice cracked on the question.
Dawn didn't answer immediately, which made Angela's stomach clench with fear. "They're doing everything they can. He's strong, Angela."
Not a yes. Not the reassurance she desperately needed.
“We’ve called for a medivac helicopter from Coeur d’Alene, and it’s going to pick him up from the estate and take him to the hospital there.”
“What about me?” she asked. “I want to go with him.”
“You’ll be able to go in Mr. Burke’s helicopter once the medivac has picked Jude up.”
Angela tore her gaze from Jude to see a cluster of people around where Jim lay on the ground. “Is he dead?”
“I’m not sure.”
Angela hoped he was so that the constant watch could be over.
