“Fuck!”
“I’ve got contacts in a hospital just over the border in Texas.” Ryker’s voice stood out amongst the others. “I’ll notify them we’re coming, once we’re in the air.” Before anyone could ask, he added, “My men have used them in the past. There’s a doctor there who is very discrete.”
Discrete, meaning no cops.
What felt like hours later, Ellena was relieved to hear Kole holler out, “There are the choppers!”
They all picked up their pace. Once they reached the helicopters, Matt climbed into one and Truck handed Gabe off to him. Walker helped Ellena up and into the bird, then hopped in himself.
While she and Walker got situated in their seats, Ghost and his team headed to their own helicopter and started it up. With Ryker behind the controls, the others got buckled in, and soon, the blades began to twirl.
Matt motioned for Ellena to come down with him and Gabe. “You can sit there if you want.” He pointed to the side opposite him. “There’s room.”
She couldn’t unbuckle fast enough.
Sitting on the cold, hard floor next to her husband, Ellena prayed for the millionth time she wouldn’t lose him. When she noticed Gabe’s eyelids slowly beginning to close, she gave his thigh a little squeeze.
“Gabe, stay with me!” she yelled over the engine’s loud roar.
His eyes appeared to be unfocused, but they found hers again. Swallowing, he rasped out, “I loved you so much. I’m sorry, Elle.”
Loved? As in past tense?
“No.” She shook her head. “You do not get to leave me. We’re taking you to the hospital. The doctors are going to fix you up, and you’re going to be just fine.”
Gabe’s eyes fell shut again, but this time a smile whispered across his face. “S’okay, baby. You’re safe. That’s all…matters. All I ever…wanted.”
Every word ripped through Ellena’s grieving heart. Tears streamed down her cheeks, but she didn’t even notice.
“Shut the fuck up, Dawson.” Matt intervened. “We didn’t fly all the way to Bum Fuck, Mexico to save your girl, just to have you die on us now. Got it?”
Gabe’s heavy-lidded eyes grimaced when Matt poked the needle into his veins.
“You stay with me, Gabriel,” she ordered. “You hear me? You’renotdying on me. Not today. So suck it up because you and I have a hell of a lot of time to make up for.”
The pain meds must’ve worked through his system pretty quickly because his whole body seemed to relax, and he smiled at her again. Gabe opened his mouth to say something, but as the helicopter left the ground, Ellena had a hard time hearing him.
“What was that?” She bent down, putting her ear was next to her lips.
Gabe swallowed hard. “I’ve been…shot.”
“I know, baby.” She offered him a shaky smile.
“Then why are you…yelling at me?”
Ellena blinked. Frowning, she pulled back in order to look him in the eyes.
Is he actually trying to joke, right now?
Before she could ask, Gabe started talking again, his words slurring from either blood loss or the meds. Probably both.
“Shouldn’t you be…saying sweet…loving things…to me? That’s…what wives…do. Right? And you’re…my…wife.” He gave her hand a weak squeeze. “You’re…mine.”
Gabe smiled again, one eye closing in a slow wink. Through her tears, Ellena couldn’t help but laugh. God, she loved this man.
Please don’t take him away from me.
The prayer had no more whispered through her mind when Gabe’s face went slack and his eyelids fell shut. His head lolled to the side, and for a brief, terrifying moment, Ellena began to panic.
