CHAPTER 2
Overdrive
The tires screeched as I pulled up to the curb between Kilo and Mercy’s houses. I saw her sitting there, her head in her hands, shoulders shaking as she cried. Disconnecting the call, I jumped out of the SUV and locked it.
She looked up as I approached. Tears tracked down her face. “I’m so scared, OD.”
Shit. This was so out of my wheelhouse. I patted her shoulder as I sat next to her. I didn’t want to move her in case it…jostled…anything. I wasn’t a medic in the Army. I’d been in charge of killing things, not fixing anyone who’d been hurt. They’d made us go through basic CPR shit, but I hadn’t paid any attention. Put bandage on sucking chest wound was about all I knew.
My job had been to point and shoot. It was guys like Drifter who would know how to fix this. But I wasn’t about to call him or I’d end up with those fuckers driving at break neck speed, led by Kilo, as they tried to get back here. I’d tell Kilo, of course,butaftersomeone who knew what they were doing checked on Mercy.
“You and the baby will be fine,” I told her, feeling lame as fuck. Like I knew that. The inner workings of girl junk wasnotmy forte. I did everything in my power to make sure any woman I fuckeddidn’tend up in Mercy’s…condition. So I knew nothing about what would or wouldn’t be okay.
The ambulance pulled up, the sirens shutting off abruptly as the EMS personnel ran toward us. They were lucky because another minute of staring into Mercy’s tortured gaze and I was going to go find them and drag them here by the hair. Anything to get them here faster.
I met them a few steps from the porch. Pointing at her belly, I said, “She’s got a kid up in there. Fell onto the steps,” I said in a low voice. She didn’t need to rehash this shit again.
The male EMT bit the insides of his lips, clearly trying to contain a laugh.
I glared at him. “Something fucking funny?” I barked.
His partner put her hand on my bicep, which was what made me realize I’d reached out and grabbed the front of his uniform shirt, and she made a soothing noise.
“Easy,” she said, looking between me and her partner.
I looked over at her and all the anger drained out of me. She had light brown hair that was pulled up into some kind of messy knot on the top of her head. Those green eyes drew me right in and I forgot about killing the guy in front of me for being a douche.
“He was only laughing because you said she had a kid ‘up in there’,” the woman explained gently. “It’s a weird way to tell us she’s pregnant. We don’t have time for this though.”
Mercy. Damn it.
The gorgeous woman in front of me was right. Mercy was all that mattered right now. I let the EMT go.
“Sorry,” he muttered. “I forget not everyone gets the whole dark humor thing,” he said as the woman bent down and started speaking with Mercy. “They’re horrified if you crack a smile in this kind of situation, not realizing sometimes you have to or you’ll lose it.”
I glanced over at him. Why was he talking to me? I didn’t need him to talk to me. I needed him to fixher. Even though his partner was already working on her I wanted them both focusing there. She was taking Mercy’s vitals. I knew that much thanks to Drifter, and having it done enough times to myself. Then it clicked why this guy was here with me and not down there with them. He thought Mercy and that baby were mine. He was trying to keep the panicked father under control so his partner could work.
“I get dark humor,” I told him. Shit, he had no idea how much I got it. I remember once Kilo and I were on base, joking around while we waited in line in the chow hall. I was recounting one of my stories and how the blood and brain matter sprayed all over when I’d shot someone while inside the tank I was assigned to. Told him all about how it looked just like pink mist. I may have said a few other things. Darker things. We were laughing. The poor lady behind the counter was watching us with horror on her face.
This guy was right. Most civilians didn’t get it. You see so many fucking atrocities that you either developed a seriously disturbed sense of humor, drank, or offed yourself. Those were the most popular options anyway.
“Was in the military,” I told him when he arched a brow. “She’s…my brother’s wife,” I added. It was easier than explaining the real dynamic, and close enough to the truth. “You don’t have to hover over me, just help her.” I reached out and shoved the guy closer to his partner and my best friend’s girl.
Folding my arms over my chest, I watched as they worked on her. The worry was distracting me from anything else, so when the woman got up and motioned for me to follow her back toward the ambulance, I almost missed it when she stopped and frowned at the back of my SUV.
The windows were tinted, but not heavy enough that she wouldn’t see the crates back there if she looked hard enough. I stepped between her and my ride. I didn’t need that kind of trouble right now. “What’s up?” I prompted.
She blinked at me. My question seemed to snap her focus back onto me. Her gaze turned wary as she watched me, probably because of the aggression I’d shown to her partner. “I think she’s going to be just fine. Sounds like she caught the brunt of the fall on one of her wrists, which may be broken, but I think her cramping is from stress. We need to get her back to the hospital and let one of the doctors make that call though, and let them take a look at that wrist. That alright?”
“Yeah,” I told her, relief thick inside my chest. I wasn’t going to have to give Kilo bad news while he was on the road. “What do you need from me?”
“Nothing,” she said, walking to the back of the ambulance, “just grabbing a gurney. Are you riding with us to the hospital?”
“Yes.” Fuck. Relay needed to hurry or I was going to have to leave these guns here in plain sight. There was no way I was leaving Mercy alone though.
“Good.” I arched a brow at her. “For your wife,” she added.
“That’s my best friend’s wife and kid,” I told her, then grabbed the gurney from her and pulled it out of the ambulance myself. It was her job, but I wasn’t going to let her heft heavy awkward shit while I stood there like an asshole.
