“What happened?” Jesse asked, gun lowering.
Over the next hour, everyone at the shelter spoke to Jesse and the deputy, giving their version of events. Zane stuck to Bonnie’s side the entire time. He needed to talk to Jesse about Monty, but he also needed to get Bonnie to the hospital to have her arm looked at.
Jesse crossed over to him. “How did you know to come here? Did Bonnie call you?”
“I couldn’t get through to Bonnie,” he said quietly. “I was worried. I came here straight from The Tea House.”
“Bonnie?” A woman ran into the house, going straight to Bonnie. “I got your message. Is everyone okay?”
Zane eyed the new woman, wondering if she was Bonnie’s boss. If so…where the hell had she been?
Right now, he didn’t really care. Because if she was here, that meant he could finally take Bonnie to the hospital.
Jesse was called over by one of his deputies, and Zane slipped an arm around Bonnie. “We’re leaving.”
She shook her head. “No, I need to help Shelley find new accommodations for everyone. I need—”
“Bonnie.” He gripped her hips. “You were shot.”
“The bullet barely touched me.”
“We’re going to the hospital.”
“But—”
“We’re going to the hospital. This isn’t up for discussion.”
She rubbed a hand over her pale face before finally nodding. “Okay.”
Thank God. With her tucked close to his side, he grabbed her bag and headed toward her car.
He scanned the area, so fucking aware that even though this time it hadn’t been Monty, the next time, it might be.
CHAPTER 25
Bonnie felt sick. Not because a nurse was putting stitches in her arm. Or because she’d just had to fight for her life at the shelter. She felt sick for Zane. Because the man who’d tried to destroy his life a year ago was out of prison. Not just out…he was almost certainly here, in Amber Ridge.
She shifted her gaze from the nurse to him. He stood less than a foot from the bed, but he didn’t need to be any closer for her to feel the tornado of emotions inside him. At the top of those emotions was fear. And in all the time she’d known Zane, she’d rarely seen fear on him. It looked strange and out of place.
Then there was the way his muscles were tense, his eyes trained on the door, like he was waiting for someone to crash into the room. Like he was ready to go to war to protect them.
“All done.” The nurse stepped back. “You’ll need to come back in a week to get the stitches removed. If you get any redness or swelling before then, please come see us.”
Bonnie nodded. “I will. Thank you.”
The nurse stepped out and the room felt too quiet. But the tension… God, it was so thick she could almost feel it.
“Zane—”
The door opened and Noah stepped in, his gaze going right to Bonnie. He was across the room in a second, his hands on her sides. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine. The bullet grazed my arm.”
Her brother growled before tugging her against his chest.
“How’s it looking out there?” Zane asked, when Noah stepped back.
“It’s a mess.” Noah’s jaw clenched. “People are scared. Jesse and his deputies are trying to get the word out that only absolutely necessary outings should be taken. There’s a curfew. The state police are just arriving, and so is the Department of Corrections. You’d think they’d have gotten the hell out of town, but crimes have already been committed. Businesses and homes have been broken into. Assaults and thefts are actively happening.”
