“He’ll hurt them first.Someone will.They warned me,” she said.“Adam or Irina, and now I’ve got neither.”
Sarah leaned forward, her kind gaze searching her face.
“Adam is still in the OR.The shot was clean, it’s the quill that’s causing trouble.”
“He showed me where to shoot him.He pretended to show me a meme and instead it was a picture of where to shoot.I don’t know how he did it.”She shook her head, biting her lip to keep from losing herself to the terrifying shadow looming over her head.
“I knew I shouldn’t have done it, but he insisted, he said they wouldn’t believe it otherwise and we needed to buy time for reinforcements to come.”She blinked the tears gathering at her lashes.Her stomach knotted, every breath becoming more difficult.
“He’s a cop, Katya.He knew what he was doing, and he trusted you.You’re not to blame for any of this.If you hadn’t acted, we wouldn’t have brought down the ring.”
A nurse shuffled into the room interrupting them.Katya jumped to her feet.
“Are you here for Officer Carter?”
They all nodded.She smiled.
“He’s out of danger, but we’ll keep him in observation tonight and transfer him to a room tomorrow morning.”
“Can I see him?”Katya asked, voice shaking.
The nurse glanced at Nancy, who was the only one wearing a police uniform.She nodded.
“Follow me,” the nurse said.“It will have to be brief, and you have to understand he’s still unconscious, but from what I’ve heard around the halls, you’ve been through quite an ordeal today.”
“You have no idea.”
“Detective Carter is tubed and monitored.Don’t let it intimidate you.He’s stable and alive, and we intend to keep it that way.Here.”The nurse opened the door.Katya stood in the doorway.The fluorescent ICU lights shone dimly, their humming mingling with the beeping and whirring of the machines tied to Adam.Her mate.The tiger mewled softly, aware of the distress her other half was feeling, even if they hadn’t made it official and she hadn’t claimed him.Katya took a step forward, reaching Adam’s bedside, she placed her palm over his.It was surprisingly warm and comforting.
“Please be okay,” she whispered, her voice cracking.“Adam.You’re all I have.They’ve caught Dante but my sister is still out there.I need you to help me.”Tears streamed down her face.“And I need you to be my mate, please.”
Chapter Nineteen
Adam hummed in appreciation.Everything hurt, but his sense of smell didn’t deceive him.Katya was there, with him.His mate.It was a strange concept but one he longed for.
“You smell like wildflowers, and spring and lotus,” he said, his voice sounding like a toad’s.
