“How are you here?” Zoe wasn’t sure if she asked the question out loud or in her head. Everything was still fuzzy.
“I’ll explain later. Right now, just stay awake, okay?” He worked like a machine as he pulled out a syringe and bottle. A moment later, something poked her in the arm. After the gunshot, that pain felt insignificant.
Zoe might not get another chance to tell Greg how she felt, so she just blurted it out. “I love you.”
Chapter 24
Greg thought he was hearing things and was about to ask Zoe, but instead he focused on patching her up. He had to get her out of here and take her to the hospital. The bullet had exited her body, but he couldn’t be sure there wasn’t internal damage.
“Greg, did you hear me?” Her voice sounded weak.
“I heard you.”
“That’s it. That’s all you’re going to say?” she asked, looking and sounding irate. Leave it to his kitten to get all feisty despite bleeding out.
Every fiber of his being wanted to say it back, but he feared she was only saying it because she was bleeding and thought she was dying. He didn’t want her to regret it when she was recovering. “You can tell me again when I get you to the hospital.”
Her eyebrows puckered in confusion before smoothing out as realization came into her eyes. “You stupid loveable man. I’m not saying it because I’m shot. I’m saying it because I’m tired of keeping my feelings hidden from you. From the world. I love you, Greg Larson, and nothing is going to change that. Not a bullet in my side. Nothing.”
Greg was stunned into silence. She loved him. He could see the sincerity in her eyes. “I love you too, Zoe. We’ll have a nice long talk once we get you out of here and in a hospital.”
Greg kept pressure on the wound as he helped her stand. The battle was winding down, only a few men still resisting. The group of DEA agents was larger than Zoe had told them. She had expected four men, but instead, his team had worked with ten agents. It was a good thing more showed too. Viktor and Diego had brought over twenty men.
Conveniently, they were already in position before everyone had arrived. A large number of them were gathered in one place and had killed each other off without DEA and crew having to do most of the work.
“Luke, Zoe is injured. I’m taking her straight to the hospital.”
“Copy. Use the east entrance. A car is waiting.”
“Copy that.” Greg kept Zoe close to his side as he started to take her out of the parlor. His eyes continuously scanned around him for danger. She draped one arm over his shoulder and used him for support as they stumbled toward the exit.
They were working their way along the outer edge of the room to avoid the last of the fighting when Greg heard someone cry out. He turned to see Viktor standing over a cowering Leo. He had barricaded himself under some chairs and dead bodies, trying to hide from the fighting. Diego’s men and then the DEA agents had blocked the exits.
“Please, Viktor, no.” Leo tried crab-walking backward but was blocked by chairs.
Viktor winced, holding his side as blood pooled out. Greg knew he had shot him, but the weasel had moved too fast for him to see where he’d clipped him. The wound was deep, and he may not survive, but by the look of concentration on his face, he was going to kill Leo before he died. “Nothing personal, Leo.”
Leo’s eyes widened in fear. Greg was raising his gun when several shots rang out. Viktor’s body jerked left and right, as bullets exited his chest before he collapsed on the floor with his sightless eyes staring at Leo. Leo looked to who had saved him. His father was now on his back with his arm raised and a gun from a fallen guard in his grip. Maxim was panting and dropped his arm as if he’d used the last of his energy to save his son.
“Why did you do that? After I betrayed you. Why did you save me?” Leo asked his father, in disbelief that his father could still save him after his betrayal.
Maxim’s breaths were labored and heavy. “Because no matter what…you…are my…son.” Maxim exhaled one last breath. His whole body relaxed, his eyes sightless.
“Papa,” Leo cried as he crawled toward him and shook him. “Papa, no. I’m sorry.”
A DEA agent helped him to his feet, put him in cuffs, and took him away. Another stopped Greg to take Zoe from him. “No, I’ve got her.” Greg tightened his grip around her. No one was taking her away from him.
“It’s alright, Agent Banks. I’m in good hands,” Zoe panted out. Greg could feel more of her weight fall on him. He had to get her out of here before she bled out all over the floor.
“Yes, ma’am.”
“Diego?” Zoe asked, wincing in pain as she held her side.
“Captured. Most of his men are dead.”
“This one is still alive,” someone announced from the main aisle.
Zoe tried to make her way there, but her steps staggered, so Greg dragged her over so he could look at the man barely breathing. “That’s not one of Diego’s men. That’s Boris.”
