Please be alive. Please be alive. Please be...
She nearly cried with relief when she found his beating pulse. It was strong and steady, but he still wasn’t responding to her voice or her touch.
Grabbing his phone from the floor, she sent up a silent prayer that it didn’t require a passcode to use it.
Opening his call log, she started to dial Derek’s number when something hard slammed against the back of her head.
Pain exploded inside her head, and Riley struggled to remain conscious. Her vision blurred, and she could barely make out Eric’s still form.
Get the hell up, York! Get your ass off this floor and shoot the son of a bitch!
But she couldn’t. Riley knew she needed to move. She needed to use the gun in her hand, and she needed to—
Fingers touched the side of her neck. They were soft, almost like a lover’s touch, as they pressed against her skin.
Something sharp pricked her there. The fleeting pain followed by an odd burning sensation entering into her veins.
No!
“Shh...don’t fight it, Detective. Just relax and let the drugs do what they were designed to do.”
That voice. Those words. Riley had heard them before, but when?
The answer was right in front of her, but she couldn’t seem to reach it. Her lids grew heavy, and without any way to stop it, they closed.
Her last thought before the darkness pulled her under was of the man lying beside her.
I’m sorry, Eric. I love you. I’m...sorry.
****
“Come on, man. Don’tdo this.”
Eric felt something smack against his cheek. Had someone really justhithim?
“Wake the fuck up!”
Another smack.
The hell?
He heard a low groan, belatedly realizing it had come from him.
“I think he’s finally coming around.”
Was that Jake?
What the hell is Jake McQueen doing in my bedroom?
Eric tried opening his eyes, but he couldn’t quite get there. And damn, why did his head feel like it was splitting in two?
“Come on, Eric.” Someone who sounded a lot like Derek smacked his cheek again. “Open your eyes and look at me. We don’t have time for this bullshit.”
“Touch me again...and I’ll shoot your...sorry ass.”
“Jesus, he’s really out of it.”
Was that Grant? Christ, was the entire R.I.S.C. Alpha Team here?
