Chapter Fifteen
I let the kids come visit that afternoon, and Shae comes with them. Kev’s still groggy, but awake enough to give the kids smiles and so they can lean in and kiss his cheeks, hold his hands, and convince themselves he’s going to be okay.
With every hour that passes, the doctors breathe a little easier. No signs of internal bleeding, his blood work still looksgood, his vitals are strong.
Leo shows up around nine. Kev wakes up, but still looks groggy.
“Go home, Chris,” Leo says. “I’ll stay with him all night.”
Kev turns his head to me. “Chris, go home and sleep. Please. Make Shae eat. Tell her I said so.”
I’m scared to. I’m terrified if I leave him he’ll take a turn for the worse, or his father might show up or something.
“I’ll keep his fatherout,” Leo says. “Don’t worry. And Kev’s been issued full protection by the Director. He has his own detail now. They’ll be here, too”
“Please, Chris?” Kev asks. “I’m worried about Shae.”
“Uh, she’s not the one in the bed.”
He motions me in close, and when I lean in, he makes fish lips at me until I kiss him. “Please, Sir?” he whispers. “Go get some sleep. I trust Leo.”
I haven’t told him yethe was the target, not me. I’ve passed the word not to tell him that yet.
“Let me go talk to the doctors first.” And I do. I talk to the doctors, the nurses, I remind everyone that Congressman Markos or his representatives are not allowed on this floor, much less in Kev’s room, and make sure the detail knows it, too. Then I return to his room to kiss him goodnight.
“Love you, boy,” I whisper.
He gives me a tired smile. “Love you, too, Sir. Kiss the girl from me, huh?”
“I will.”
I hug Leo. “Don’t worry,” he says. “No visitors unless I know them personally and know they’re friends.”
I nod. “Okay. And you stay with him if he gets a visitor.”
“Absolutely.”
I trust Leo. It has to be enough.
I let my detail lead me downstairs to where The Beast awaits to carry me home. When I return,I guess someone let Shae know, because she and the kids swarm me when I go upstairs, wanting updates.
“He’s okay,” I tell them, updating them.
Once we get the kids in bed, I climb into our shower with Shae and stand there, crying as she holds me.
“It’s my fault,” I tell her. “It’s my fault.”
“If he was the target, it’s not your fault at all.”
“He might not have thrown himself in front ofme if he knew I was wearing body armor.”
“Uh, yeah, he would’ve. Just like you would’ve done the same thing in reverse, you know you would. He’s going to be okay, and, hey, like you said, perfect excuse to make him move in permanently, right?”
“Yeah.”
She holds me while I get it out of my system. I know it’s stress and exhaustion and everything else. I don’t even remember going from the showerto bed, but next thing I know, it’s morning, and she’s on the phone with someone. When she spots I’m awake, she smiles and walks over. “Here.” She hands me the phone.
“Hello?”
