Page 25 of Her Steadfast Hero

Chapter Six

“He saved them,” Manuel said for the third time in three minutes.

“We all saved them,” David corrected again, biting back a wave of nausea.

His phone vibrated, and he tried to answer it.

“Don’t move,” Sarah’s voice was strident. He looked up at her, and she looked as sick as he felt. A nurse shouldn’t get sick at the sight of blood. He tried to switch the phone to his other hand.

“Goddammit, I said don’t move.” Her eyes blazed fire.

“I have to take this call.”

“Manuel, take his phone and answer it. I need to finish stitching him up.” Manuel gave him a pleading look, and David gave the young man his phone.

“Sarah, I’m coordinating things for the next four hours. I need to take those calls,” he attempted to explain. When had he ever thought she was hesitant and unsure? This was a woman who would twist off your nuts and shove them down your throat.

“Figure out a solution, because you’re benched!” They were nose to nose. He felt his dick twitch, and it wasn’t from fear.

“Manuel, call Joaquin and tell him we ran into a bit of a snag, and he’ll have to take over a little earlier than anticipated.” The kid saluted and then pushed past the curtain to let himself out of the little treatment area in the clinic. There was a curtain because half of the wall was missing.

“Sarah, it’s not that big of a deal,” he started.

“I’m the one who is now tying up your twenty-seventh stitch. I’m going to say this is a big deal,” she said too quietly. All fight had left her now that he’d agreed to rest. Now he could see the fear behind the anger, and it made his heart hurt.

“Are you done?”

She tossed the tools into a stainless steel pan. “Yes, I’m done.”

His right shoulder and chest hurt, so with his left hand he picked up her right hand. He held it up in front of their faces. “Your bruised knuckles are also a big deal.”

“It’s not the same thing at all, you could have been killed,” her voice trembled.

Ah, God. Such pain in her voice, and he couldn’t even tell her it was going to be all right, because this was a terrible situation, and he didn’t know what was going to happen next. He knew this was her worst fear.

“I wasn’t. Nor do I intend to be. I’m sorry I scared you.” He brought her knuckles to his lips and kissed them.

“Don’t try to charm me.”

“Would it work?” He gave her his best smile.

She sighed. “Maybe. Probably. That’s why I don’t want you to try. This is too important. You scared the hell out of me. I know you didn’t mean to, but you did.”

David closed his eyes. Then popped them open. “Whoa. What did you give me?”

“I gave you a shot for the pain.”

“Honey, I need to keep it together. I’m in charge of this manhunt.”

“No, you’re not. You just put Joaquin in charge. Which as luck would have it, finally dovetails with the end of my shift. So let’s get back to the hotel.”

Not that they’d be able to do anything with the horse tranquilizer she shot him with.

What the fuck?

“It wasn’t a horse tranquilizer.”

“Did I say that out loud?”