Of course, so did she.
The force of the bullet hit him dead center. And he fell back, which hurt more than the bullet to his vest.
Hisvest. He wanted to laugh, might have if he wasn’t in so much damn pain.
Being a cop had saved him after all.
Chapter Twenty-Two
Franny raced forward on an outraged cry. She’d shot Royal. She’d shot him. He’d fallen over andohGod,oh God. Franny wouldn’t let her shoot again.
But there was nothing to be done because Holand was also on the ground. She was bleeding. It seeped out of her side. Franny stood above her, watching her move and writhe. For a moment, Franny did nothing but stare, a bit like she’d been detached from her own body.
Royal had shot Holand too. She wasshot. She didn’t even have her gun anymore. But Franny realized that’s where Holand’s eyes were trained. The gun a few feet away from her outstretched hand.
Her whole body shaking, Franny managed to grab it before Holand could wriggle close enough to. Then she rushed over to Royal, stumbled onto her knees by his side. His eyes were closed.
“Royal.”
“It’s too damn bright out here,” he muttered.
Oh,God, he’d spoken. He’d spoken. He was still alive. He was… “I thought she killed you,” Franny managed to choke out.
“Vest. Hell of a thing.”
Everything fell apart then. He had a vest on because and only because he was in uniform. He wasn’t dead. Oh, he was so hurt, but he wasn’t dead. She simply lowered her forehead to said vest and wept into it.
She felt a hand on her shoulder and whirled, ready to fight or shoot or whatever she had to do.
But it was Copeland. A few deputies. Copeland easily swiped the gun out of her hand.
“Damn, Franny, you’re bleeding like hell. We need to get you to a hospital too.” He looked over at some people, shouted orders.
“I’m okay. I’m better than he is. She shot him. Sheshothim. Copeland, you have to…”
Some EMTs rushed over with a stretcher. They talked to each other as they worked to get Royal moved onto it.
Copeland helped her to her feet, and out of the way. He held her in one place while deputies and EMTs swarmed the area. She wanted to be with Royal. She wanted…so many things, but her mind couldn’t seem to make a decision.
Except… She had the truth. Answers. Sort of. She looked up at Copeland helplessly.
“Copeland, she told me everything. I mean, notwhy, but…that she killed the kidnapper. That she was framing Royal. She was going to frame him for me too, but the story didn’t make sense.”
“We’ll take your statement once you’re checked out,” Copeland said gently. “I’m sure it’ll corroborate whatever angle the damn Feds are working from.” The EMTs were moving Royal, and Franny took a step toward him, but Copeland held firm.
“You can’t go with him, Franny. Hey, Bowman. Come check her out, huh?”
Another EMT came over, had Franny sit down on the ground. “I’ll clean this up and get a bandage on it, but she’s going to need to be transported too.”
“I’m fine.”
Both the EMT and Copeland gave her a disapproving look.
“We’ll get another ambulance here soon as we can. She’ll hold up all right,” the EMT said. She could feel his hands on her hair and she winced.
The pain she’d nearly forgotten in all her fear and panic was back, tenfold, throbbing through her body like a drumbeat. She was so, so tired all of a sudden that the EMT had to hold her up.
She looked up at where Copeland stood, still coordinating everything with that blank cop mask on.
