Tina looked up at him like he’d just slapped her. The level of betrayal he saw in her eyes turned his soul to ice. “Take me home,” she whispered. She turned to Elena. “Mama, take me home right now.” Her voice grew louder with every word.
“Tina. You are being so disrespectful right now,” Elena said as she dropped to her knees. “You will apologize... honey, are you okay? You’re all sweaty.” She touched Tina’s forehead. “Clammy.”
“What’s wrong?” Camden felt like he’d taken a shot to the heart with a syringe full of adrenaline. He dropped down beside them.
Elena was already checking Tina’s pump. “Dammit, she gets cranky like this when her blood sugar’s low. Plus the sweating…yup.” Elena shook her head. “I need to get some glucose into you, Pepita, and then some food.”
“Camden’s hands shook as he reached for his phone. “I’m calling nine-one-one.”
“No, no, she’s okay, it’s not off by much. I promise, we’ve had much worse. She’ll be fine before they’d even get through the traffic and get here.”
“Just wanna go home,” Tina whimpered.
Elena was already picking her up. “We will, baby. I need to get my purse with your glucose in it from the kitchen, and then…oh. Tina? Did you have an accident?” Elena looked over Tina’s head at him, confusion in her eyes and her brows drawn down as she mouthedI think she wet herself.
“Does that happen with low blood sugar?”You’d know if you’d taken the time to look up diabetes in kids, you jackasshe berated himself.
She shook her head. Tina burst into tears and cried against Elena’s neck. The pump beeped a warning. The sound might as well have been a gunshot to Camden.
“I’ve gotta get that glucose.” She started toward the doors.
“Elena—”
“She’s okay, I promise. We caught the drop early, even before the pump. Don’t call.”
Fuck, fuck, fuck. He fought an internal battle between trusting her and calling an ambulance. No. Elena wouldn’t ever risk Tina’s health. She knew what she was doing. The best way to help her was to get everything buttoned up here and then get them home.
But damn. Is this what he was in for? How often did Tina’s sugar drop like that? Would he be able to recognize the signs if Elena wasn’t around? Doubt crept into his heart with sharp, needling fingers.
“Jake, you there?”
“Copy, brother.” Jake’s voice came through loud and clear in his earbud.
“Costello.”
“Copy.”
“Jake, need you to turn your post over to Psychic and check on Elena and Tina in the kitchen, stat.”
“Copy,” was all Jake said though the tone in his voice addedwhat the hell is wrong and I’m hurrying the fuck to find out.
As Camden gave the rest of his team orders and walked the perimeter of the courtyard and garden, he made a to-do list. Item numero uno was reading every damn thing about diabetes he could lay his hands on. Item number two required a shopping trip.
Once he was satisfied that everyone was out, the Bennetts were home, and the job was done for the night, he headed for the kitchen. Jake had given him regular updates, saying that Tina’s blood sugar was slowly rising, though she still wasn’t the sweet little girl or commanding general they were all used to. By the time he got to the kitchen, she was mostly asleep in Elena’s arms as she sat in a rocking chair Jake had found somewhere.
He knelt next to the chair and kissed his gorgeous woman on the lips and his girl on the top of her head. “Is she okay?”
Elena nodded. “She’ll be fine. I just need to get her home and into clean clothes. I want to keep her with me tonight.”
He answered the hesitation in her voice with, “You have a comfy couch, Gorgeous, no worries. Ready to go?”
“Absolutely.”
Camden reached out for Tina, and the Mermaid slipped into his arms and curled herself into his body, sending warmth straight to his heart. She seemed to have forgiven him, but he’d never forget the look she gave him earlier. Elena took his arm as they made their way to her car.
He worried the entire way home. At the apartment, he tucked them both in to Elena’s bed along with some of Tina’s stuffed animals and dolls. Toby stayed with them at the foot of the bed. Camden kissed Elena one more time before heading for the couch. “Love you, Gorgeous.”
“I love you, too.”
