“What about Walker? Any sign of him?”
“Unfortunately, no. Adrian Walker’s in the wind again. I suspect he’ll stay that way for a while.”
“Hopefully for fucking ever,” Matt scowled from the other side of the room.
Nate agreed, though he didn’t think Walker was a threat to Gracie anymore. The gun for hire had been paid to bring her to Yavuz, which he had. There was no reason for him or anyone else to come after Gracie again.
The door to the private waiting room opened. They all glanced up to see Sarah rushing in, closely followed by Kole and Jake.
“Nate!” She rushed over and hugged him tightly. “Where’s Gracie? She’s going to be okay, right? Jake said she was going to be okay.”
“Take a breath, babe.” Kole pulled Sarah to his side. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine.” He gave Nate a look that said he hoped he’d just told his fiancée the truth.
Nate didn’t want to give her false hope, in case the unthinkable happened. “The doctors are still with her.”
“What happened? Jake told us the car she was in went over the side of a bridge and into a lake?” Sarah sounded horrified just saying the words.
“Um, yeah,” he nodded, trying his damnedest not to think about those terrifying moments. “She, uh…she went under, but Gabe and I…we got her back up.” His eyes went to Kole’s, as he struggled to share the worst of it. “She wasn’t…her pulse. She didn’t…”
Jesus, what was the matter with him? It was as if he’d lost the ability to speak in complete sentences, for fuck’s sake.
“Nate saved your sister’s life, Sarah,” Matt stepped up beside him. “That’s all you need to focus on right now.”
With a grateful glance, Nate shared a look with his teammate, who gave him a wink and a pat on his back before heading over to the cushioned chair in the corner of the room.
“So, what now?” Sarah turned to Nate for the answer.
He gave her the only one he had. “We wait.”
The waiting was the worst. Nate felt as though he was being ripped apart from the inside out with the need to see Gracie again. To touch her and be able to tell her how he felt.
An hour and sixteen minutes later, he finally got that chance.
“I’m assuming you are all here for Gracelynn McDaniels?”
Nate’s head snapped up. Standing in the doorway was Gracie’s doctor. He was an older gentleman with nearly snow white hair, but his eyes told Nate he was as sharp as a tack.
“I am,” he shot out of his chair. Remembering the others in the room, he added, “We are.”
“I’m Doctor Callahan.” The man shook Nate’s hand. “I’ve been taking care of Gracelynn.”
“Nate. I’m Gracie’s…we’re…” Shit. He wasn’t sure what to even call himself.
“Nate and Gracie are together, Doctor.” Sarah stepped forward.
Kole stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. “How is Gracie?”
“She’s stable and resting comfortably.”
“Oh, thank God.” Sarah’s watery praise of relief mimicked Nate’s silent one.
“Can we see her?” Nate asked, not caring how desperate he sounded.
“You may. But only one at a time, for now.”
God, Nate wanted to be the one to go in there, but Sarah was Gracie’s sister. He should let her go first.
“You go.” Sarah offered before he could, surprising the hell out of him.
