"Family of Boone Garrett?"
"Here." I step forward before anyone else can. "I'm his... I'm..."
"She's his," Deck says simply, moving to stand beside me. "What can you tell us?"
The doctor's expression softens slightly. "Mr. Garrett came through surgery well. The shoulder wound was clean, no major vascular damage. We removed the bullet and repaired the tissue. The abdominal wound was more concerning, but we were able to control the bleeding and there's no organ damage."
My knees buckle. Vivian grabs one arm, Deck the other.
"He's going to be okay?"
"Barring complications, yes. He'll need significant recovery time. Physical therapy for the shoulder. But he's young, healthy, and apparently too stubborn to die." The doctor's mouth twitches. "His exact words when he briefly regained consciousness were, and I quote, 'Tell Mara to stop worrying and start planning the debrief.'"
A laugh escapes me. Wet and shaky and completely involuntary.
That's my Boone. Shot twice and still thinking about protocols.
"Can I see him?"
"He's in recovery. Once he's moved to a room, you can visit. One at a time initially, and only for short periods. He needs rest."
"I understand."
The doctor nods, then looks at Deck. "I'm assuming this wasn't a hunting accident."
"We'll have federal agents here within the hour to take statements," Deck replies. "The situation is contained."
"Contained." She shakes her head. "I've been patching up you Guardian Peak boys for three years. Nothing about your lives is ever contained." She turns back toward the surgical wing. "I'll send a nurse when he's ready for visitors."
The waiting room exhales.
Wolfe appears at my elbow, silent as always, pressing a cup of coffee into my hands. Sadie is behind him, her usual bright energy muted but still present.
"Drink," she says. "You're pale as a ghost and you've been shaking for an hour."
I look down at my hands. She's right. They're trembling.
"I couldn't lose him." The words come out barely above a whisper. "I've known him less than a week and I couldn't..."
"You didn't lose him." Sadie's voice is firm. "He's alive. He's going to be okay. And when he wakes up, you can yell at him for being a self sacrificing idiot who jumped in front of bullets for you."
"He did that." I wrap my hands around the warm cup, trying to absorb the heat. "He threw himself in front of me. Didn't even hesitate."
"That's Boone." Wolfe's voice is rough, rusty from disuse. "Plans for everything except his own survival."
Deck approaches, phone in hand. "FBI is on scene at the compound. They've taken the surviving hostiles into custody. Sully's traced the operation back to Nexus Technologies. Their CEO is being arrested as we speak."
"It's over?"
"The immediate threat is over." Deck meets my eyes. "There may be legal proceedings, testimony, ongoing security concerns. But the people who wanted you dead are in federal custody."
I should feel relieved. Triumphant, even. My company is safe. My technology is secure. The threat that brought me to Guardian Peak has been neutralized.
All I can think about is Boone, somewhere in this hospital, recovering from wounds he took protecting me.
"I need to call my father." The realization hits suddenly. "He doesn't know. About any of this."
"He knows." Deck's voice is gentle. "I called him two hours ago. He's on his way."
