Jackson tries to soothe her. “Whoa. Hey, you’re safe. You’ve got a nasty slice in your artery, but you’re going to live.”
She’s whimpering, and my blood pressure can’t take it. The asshole who did this to her will pay with his life even if they are partners.
“What about Luke? Where’s Luke? That guy had a knife, and he—” Her voice is panicked.
My grip tightens on the wheel.
“He’s fine. He’s driving you somewhere safe,” Jackson reassures her.
I glance in the rearview just in time to see her wide blue eyes find mine. She stares at me for a moment before closing themand releasing a sob. Emotion builds within me, mixing with the adrenaline to create a lethal concoction in my veins.
I slam on the brakes, grateful to see the helicopter on the roof waiting for us. I jump out of the vehicle, opening her door and crushing her in a desperate embrace. Careful to avoid her bandaged arm, I drop my mouth to her temple, gently kissing her hairline. She whimpers into my shoulder, arms around my neck.
“I—I thought he was going to kill you,” she sobs, body shaking.
I lift her into my arms, moving toward the helicopter with its blades still spinning.
Jackson sidles up next to me, raising his voice above the noise. “I’m going back to the apartment to see if he left anything behind. I’ll see what kind of security footage is around the building.”
“Call me when you know something.”
He nods, turning to run back to the car.
The pilot has the door open, reaching down to take Kate from me. He helps her sit up in the passenger seat.
“I’m taking it. I’ll be in touch when we get back,” I tell him.
He nods, handing over the headset. He’s a relatively new hire, and I don’t know him well enough to trust him.
I climb into the pilot’s chair, fitting the headset around my head. I hand Kate hers, helping her slide them on since she can only use one arm.
“How do you feel?” I ask her, beginning to lift us off the roof.
“It hurts.” Her voice is strained, and I know she’s in pain.
“I have a full med kit on the jet we’re taking. I’ll get you a sedative soon, okay, Cabernet?”
She smiles weakly, leaning her head back on the seat. She looks pale. She’s lost a lot of blood. I wish I had somewhere closeby to take her, but I can’t be certain that my penthouse isn’t being watched.
“Tell me if you get light-headed.”
“Okay.”
I radio in to the airstrip, instructing them to prepare the smallest plane I own.
The helicopter flight is short, and before long, we’re landing at the private airstrip we left only this morning. The flight crew is gone, but for the small jet we’re going to take, we don’t need them.
I unbuckle myself and her. She’s drowsy, the blood loss causing her body to move slowly.
“Almost there, sweetheart. You can sleep on the flight.”
She’s able to climb out of the helicopter, holding on to my arm with one hand. Her first steps falter, and she collapses, vomiting on the tarmac. It’s normal to get nauseous after losing a lot of blood, but a flash of panic shoots through me.
Does she need to go to a hospital?
I know she’s not safe here until we find the man who tried to kill her and whoever he’s working for. He was well trained, and if my experience as a Navy SEAL taught me anything, it’s that you get out when you have the chance, or you die.
“Hold on, Cabernet. Hold on for a little bit longer,” I whisper in her ear. My stomach is twisted, but I’ve shifted into escape-or-die mode. My only goal is to protect her from the looming danger.
