“Yeah,” Tucker said, taking Conner’s hand.
Cade waited for the boys, and then he and Elias escorted them down.
Once they disappeared, Owen asked, “How’s she doing?”
“It’s an infection. Leslie didn’t cut this on a vase,” Dillon took out her arm and showed him the jagged cut. “It resembles a hunting knife. Whoever entered the home intended her harm.”
“Let’s get her down, and I’ll take her to the hospital,” Owen told him.
“No. They’re searching for her. We have nothing but small towns for miles. We can’t risk them waiting for her to show,” Dillon reasoned.
“I’m not letting her die from an infection,” Owen exclaimed. “We haven’t talked about Tucker or what happened all those years ago.”
“Don’t get your panties in a wad,” Dillon said gruffly. “I have a friend in town. She can get us what we need unless she clobbers me over the head. I can have her come check out Leslie on the down low. It might cost me a few hundred for the supplies.”
“Get whatever you need, and I’ll cover it,” Owen promised.
“We’ll get her down and into the bath. I don’t know what happened with you two, but you’re the only one who’s seen her naked except for the night we caught you two skinny dipping,” Dillon said, chuckling. “She’s not gonna be happy. I’ll try to get a blood draw on her and IV antibiotics.”
“When did you become a medical professional?” Owen asked, surprised.
“There’s a lot you don’t know about me, brother. And I suspect the same goes for you. Let’s use the sheets and carry her down. We need her off the sleeping bag. She’s soaked in her own sweat.”
“Dillon, how did she get sick this fast? Even with a knife, she might’ve bled more, but an infection?” he asked.
“She has lines around the wound, fever, and chills. It all points to an infection. If the blade is dirty, it can cause an infection. Plus, she went into a ditch, where it’s damp, and then entered the cave and started a fire. It gets chilly in here, and I imagine she spent the time guarding the boys by the fact her gun’s in her waistband.”
They made a makeshift cot and tied the ends together. Lifting Leslie, they gently placed her on it. She groaned in protest and opened her eyes briefly. They flared slightly when she saw Owen, and then she closed them again.
“How bad on a scale from one to ten?” Owen asked gravely.
Frowning, Dillon gazed at him. “I’m only guessing. I’d say an eight.”
“Shit,” Owen cursed as they picked her up and started the trek down. Whoever did this to Leslie will pay.
It took forever to get Leslie down to their childhood home. Elias held the door open while theybrought her inside and up the stairs to the primary bedroom.
Mason ushered the boys from the room as Owen knelt on the floor. Throwing Dillon his truck keys, he said, “It’s in the barn.”
Dillon raced from the room, and Elias stood there watching. “What can I do?”
“Keep the boys busy. Clean up downstairs. Start getting this entire mountain rigged with cameras. I don’t care if we’re here for a day or two weeks, I’m not putting this family in danger,” Owen muttered as he checked the water and grabbed some towels.
“It’ll cost a pretty penny,” Elias warned. “I can have the stuff delivered tomorrow.”
“Then do it.” Taking out his wallet, he tossed it to Elias. “My bank card’s in there. If you can hack the Pentagon, you’ll figure out my bank easily enough. Get it done,” Owen ordered. “Shut the bedroom door as you leave. Tell the boys their mom’s resting.”
When Elias left, Owen unbuttoned Leslie’s top and removed her shoes, socks, and pants, leaving her underthings on for modesty. He didn’t have the right to gaze at her under these conditions. He noticed the faint, tiny lines of stretch marks from where she carried Tucker. Gently lifting her, he removed her shirt and then set her in the cold water.
Leslie’s eyes flew open as she weakly struggled against him.
“It’s me, Leslie,” he said calmly. “You have a fever.Dillon suspects an infection. I have to get your temp down.”
“You’re determined to kill me,” she chattered. “First, you shattered my heart into a million pieces, then you left me alone with your baby, and now you’re freezing me to death.”
“I’m sorry,” he murmured. “At the time, I acted on impulse after a horrible tragedy. When I realized my mistake, I didn’t know how to fix it.”
“Ha,” she said, struggling against him. “Try losing your future mother-in-law, your fiancé walks out on you and discover you’re pregnant in a small town and unwed. Then my mom went to the doctor for a breast exam, and she died before Tucker arrived. She never got to see him,” she slurred with tears in her eyes. “You left me, Owen.”
