My emotions were all over the place, and I needed five fucking minutes to collect myself.
As if sensing my distress, likely because the beeping of my heart rate monitor increased in frequency, Mama gently squeezed my hand and said, “I’m going to get the doctor and call your siblings. They’ll want to know you’re awake.”
I nodded without opening my eyes, waiting to do so until her soft footsteps retreated entirely.
But I must’ve drifted off, because when I next opened my eyes, Finn, Reagan, and Reagan’s twin, Lainey, were gathered around me.
“Scared the hell out of us, brother,” Finn said, lightly clapping me on the shoulder.
“Where’s Mama?”
“Went back to the ranch. Now that you’re awake, she went home to get some things done. She’ll be back soon, I’m sure.”
“Thank you for saving us,” Reagan added, glancing at her sister. “This is Lainey, by the way.”
I chuckled, or tried to, but it turned into a hacking cough that filled my mouth with the taste of blood.
“Just doing my job,” I rasped eventually. A thought occurred to me then, and I focused on Finn. “What happened to…you know who?”
“Dead,” Finn said flatly. “Put the bullet in his head myself.”
I nodded. As a first responder, it was always my goal to protect life, to ensure the safety of the citizens of Dusk Valley, but I wasn’t all that sad to learn of my shooter’s fate. Not only because he put a large caliber slug through my chest, but because I had no patience or tolerance for men who harmed women.
“Where’s the rest of the cavalry?” I asked.
“Home,” Finn said. “But on their way, I’m sure. Well not Crew. He’s on shift, but I’m sure he’ll be up to see you tomorrow.”
I loved my family, I really did, but there was only one person I wanted to see right now—and she was the one person I knew wouldn’t walk through that door.
“Ah, Mr. Lawless,” a man called out, entering the room in a flurry, white coat flapping and a stack of records attached to a clipboard in his hand. “Good to see you awake.”
“I miss the coma,” I admitted.
Doc chuckled good-naturedly, flipping through the papers in his hand.
“The bullet pierced your left lung, causing it to collapse. You suffered a lot of internal bleeding and general blood loss. You also flatlined on the way here,” he said, and Finn nodded.
“Wait, how do you know that?” I asked my brother.
“We brought you in by helicopter.”
My blood chilled. Sutton having to work on me was one thing. The woman did that shit for a living. But for mybrotherto have to endure listening to my heart stop? Unimaginable.
“Crew was there too,” he added, pouring salt into the wound. “He helped Sutton.”
Twoof my brothers?
My eyes slammed shut, and I tried to breathe through the tangled knot of despair in my throat.
“All that aside,” Doc continued, “I expect you’ll make a full recovery.”
“When can I go back to work?”
Doc smiled sympathetically. “Let’s focus on getting you out of here first, okay?”
“Right, sure. When exactly will that be?”
“Let’s see how the next few days progress now that you’re awake, and we’ll go from there.”
