“Yes?” Her response was shaking. “Who is this? Where’s Trent?”
“This is Woof. He’s been injured. I grabbed his phone as they loaded him in the ambulance. I’ll text you the information for the hospital.” The call ended so fast that Destiny wasn’t sure it had even happened. She was still staring at the cell when a text came through, making her jump.
There was no mistaking the incoming text though.
“Come on,” Libby said, hauling Destiny to her feet. “I’ll drive.”
Destiny couldn’t remember much about getting to the car or the drive. Libby kept a polite line of conversation, glancing at Destiny every few seconds, but Destiny could do nothing but stare out the window and pray to God Woof hadn’t lied to her. There was one casualty. Please let it not be Trent.
The two hours it took to get to the Fort Hood Medical Center were interminable. Libby pulled right up to the emergency entrance. “I’ll park and meet you inside.”
Destiny yanked the door open and rushed toward the sliding double doors. She glanced around. The room was packed with people. She searched for a familiar face. Before she could find someone who might have answers, she heard Trent’s name coming from a guy near her and froze.
He was with another man and the two of them left through a side door.
Destiny followed them, knowing they’d have information she might have trouble getting otherwise.
Sure enough, a minute later, the two men entered another waiting room. Destiny continued walking right past the smaller room, glancing only long enough to see it was filled with Trent’s teammates and who she assumed were other military personnel. She stopped moving when she was past the door, heart pounding.
It was wrong to eavesdrop, but she didn’t think there was any other way she might get more information about Trent. These guys were Delta. They wouldn’t be able to tell her much of anything.
She wanted to round the corner, press her way into their group, and demand information, but she hesitated, deciding she might become more informed if she listened instead.
“What happened?” someone asked.
“Things went south, obviously.” She recognized the voice as Merlin’s. He kept his voice low, but Destiny was close enough to hear him. “Trent had hoped to flush out the hitman and take him out before he had a chance to strike, Commander. But this fucker was prepared. He had a lot of ammunition and we couldn’t get a good shot, and he was able to shoot off several rounds at Trent before we stopped him.”
Destiny’s head spun. What the hell? A hitman?
The commander cursed under his breath. “I can’t believe this asshole eluded us for weeks and then got the upper hand.”
Destiny sucked in a breath. Weeks? The mission Trent had been so secretive about had included a man hunting him down for weeks? She didn’t realize she’d closed her eyes and was gritting her teeth until someone’s hand landed on her shoulder. “Destiny?”
She tipped her head back to meet Merlin’s gaze. Another man was standing next to him.
Merlin was frowning. “I didn’t see you out here in the hallway. You okay?”
No. She wasn’t okay. She was furious. She also knew she wasn’t going to get more details out of anyone. It would be classified. Everything was fucking classified. But this… Jesus. Her voice squeaked. “Trent knew this? He knew someone wanted to kill him, and he didn’t tell me?”
The other man spoke. “Destiny, I’m Woof. I’ll fill you in.”
She shot him a glare. She’d heard about Woof, knew he was on Trent’s team, but right now she wasn’t in the mood to meet his other teammates. She wanted answers.
Woof cringed. “You overheard us talking,” he realized out loud.
Ya think?
Woof sighed. “Trent didn’t want you to worry.”
“He didn’t want me to worry?” Her voice rose. She didn’t give a fuck. “Someone’s been trying to kill him and he didn’t tell me?” Dozens of thoughts raced through her mind, bombarding her.
How he kept meeting her in hiding.
How he’d thought she was overreacting when she suggested they keep their relationship secret but then changed his mind and went along with her.
How he’d held back his feelings when they were together, when she’d been certain he loved her as much as she loved him.
It all fell into place. He’d been trying to protect her. But he’d gone too far. He’d expected her to trust him while he hadn’t extended that courtesy to her. How could he keep this from her? The secrecy of his job she could understand. But not this kind of mission. Not one where he’d been lying in wait because someone wanted him dead.
“He should have told me,” she muttered to herself.
“I agree. But he didn’t. He’d hoped you would never find out.”
“The shooter?”
“Dead.”
“Anyone else?”
“Several cars driving by ended up in two accidents, but no one was seriously injured. We strategically picked a spot where no civilians would be nearby today.”
“What are his injuries?” She needed information, and then she needed to get out of here before she lost it and started screaming or crying. She just needed to know he would be okay.
“He was wearing a vest and a reinforced cap. He’ll have a nasty bruise and a few broken ribs from a shot to the chest. Another bullet grazed his head, so he suffered a concussion and a ruptured eardrum. Both of those will heal.” Woof’s voice lowered. “The third bullet hit his femur. That’s what they’re repairing in surgery now.”
“Prognosis?” She had no idea why she was able to so coherently ask all these questions. Some part of her was close to falling apart. But she managed to continue to hold it together for a few more minutes.
“They say he should be fine. The main artery wasn’t severed.” Woof was frowning at her. “You okay?”
“Peachy.” She glanced away from him. “I have to go.” She took a step back.
“Go?” Woof reached for her.
Destiny jumped back several feet. “You seem to think he’ll live. That’s all I needed to know. Tell him… Tell him to have a nice life.” She spun around and rushed back through the hospital, spotting Libby near the entrance. She met her friend’s gaze as she passed, knowing Libby would follow her out the door.
“Destiny?” Libby rushed to catch up, grabbing Destiny’s arm in the parking lot. “What’s going on?”
“He’s gonna live.”
“So, where are we going?”
“Home.”
“Why would we do that?”
“Because he lied to me. He didn’t trust me to handle this fucking mission he’d been involved in. I can tolerate a lot of things, but not him coddling me as if I’m not made of the stuff it takes to be with a Delta.” Destiny spun and continued stomping across the parking lot. She had no idea where the car was. She just wanted to get as far away from the hospital as she could.
A woman shouted Destiny’s name from behind, making her turn around. Destiny’s heart nearly screeched to a halt when she saw Trent’s mom, Nancy, rushing toward her. “Destiny?” she repeated when she got closer.
“Nancy…” Destiny hadn’t used a more formal ‘Mrs. Dawkins’ to address Trent’s mom from the moment she’d moved next door and the woman insisted she call her Nancy.
Nancy was out of breath when she reached Destiny and Libby. Her eyebrows were drawn together in confusion. “What are you doing here? How did you know about…? I mean, of course you’re here, but…”
Every ounce of strength Destiny had been holding on to for the past fifteen minutes dissolved in an instant and she lurched forward and wrapped her arms around Nancy. “God, I’m so sorry. This must be so hard for you.” She hugged the woman tight.
Nancy nodded. Tears were in her eyes as she pulled back and met Destiny’s gaze. “It is, but they say the surgery is going well. He should be fine.” She looked so confused. “Were you on his call list or something? I didn’t realize
you two were even in contact in the last several years.”
Destiny nodded, not sure what she wanted to say to Nancy. Part of her wanted to spill the entire saga and cry endlessly in the woman’s arms. A woman who’d been a second mother to her for most of her formative years. She couldn’t do it, though. She couldn’t tell Nancy anything. It would give the woman hope where none existed now. Trent hadn’t trusted Destiny. That was inexcusable. She simply swallowed. “We were in contact sometimes. I guess he had my number in his phone.”
Nancy nodded slowly. “Did you drive here from Dallas?” She glanced at Libby.
Libby cleared her throat. “I drove her, ma’am. I’m her roommate.”
Destiny was grateful Libby didn’t elaborate.
“Are you leaving already?” Nancy asked.
“Yeah… I had to know that he was okay. I was worried. It was silly for me to drive here. I should have just called you.” She forced herself to sound nonchalant. “I need to get back to Dallas. I have to work.” She bit the inside of her lip, hoping the pain would distract her long enough to hold it together.
Nancy stared at her a moment and then smiled wanly. “Okay, well, I have your number. I’ll text you updates.”
“That would be nice.” Destiny forced a smile.
“You’re sure you don’t want to stay awhile? We could have a coffee while we wait. It would be a nice distraction. We could catch up a bit. I haven’t seen you in a while. I’ve missed you.”
Destiny hugged her again. “I’ve missed you too.” That was more true than Nancy would ever know. Destiny had missed Trent’s mom almost as much as she’d missed the guys themselves after she cut herself off and left town. She still saw Nancy and William from time to time, briefly, but she always made excuses and retreated quickly, unable to stand the pain of the immense loss of the entire Dawkins family. She leaned back, holding Nancy’s arms. “I can’t stay, but I’ll be in touch soon,” she lied. Her heart was breaking, shattering as she spoke. She needed to get back to the car where she could fall apart without making a scene.
Nancy nodded. “Okay, hon. I’ll tell Trent you were here. I’m sure he’ll be glad to know you came by.”
I’m sure he’ll throw several things across the hospital room and scream loud enough to shake the building. But that wasn’t Destiny’s problem. Trent had made his bed. Now he could lie in it. Alone.
Chapter 25
Everything hurt.
Trent blinked his eyes several times until he could avoid squinting in the bright lights. The scent of disinfectant and the sound of beeping told him exactly where he was. His last memories flooded back quickly, too.
He knew he’d been hit by at least one bullet, but obviously, he’d lived.
“Nancy, he’s awake.” The muffled voice belonged to Trent’s father, William, and his face loomed over Trent moments later.
“Thank God,” his mother responded as she clasped his hand on the other side of the bed. He could hear her more clearly.
He shifted his gaze to face her, wincing when pain stabbed his temple, forcing him to close his eyes again.
“Don’t try to speak yet, Trent,” she soothed, gripping his hand. “Take your time. You’re in the hospital. You’re going to be okay.”
He swallowed, but his mouth was too dry.
“Here,” his father said, “Ice chips.”
Trent squinted at the concerned expression on his father’s face as he accepted the slivers of ice. They felt good on his tongue and soothed his throat, too. He opened his mouth to accept more. Even his jaw hurt.
“Ah, you’re awake.” The new voice came from the foot of the bed, and Trent attempted to glance that way, but couldn’t move his head without causing excruciating pain. “I’m Dr. Sullivan. I operated on your leg.”
Trent’s father stepped out of the way, and Dr. Sullivan leaned into Trent’s line of sight. He was tall, broad, and bald. His skin was dark, and his eyes were genuine. He offered Trent a smile before flashing an unwelcome light in one eye and then the other. “I’ll give you a rundown. The worst shot was to your femur. I removed the fragments and stabilized the bone. You’ll have a nice scar on the top of your leg to match the one you already have. You’ll need physical therapy for a few months for it to fully heal.”
“My head is killing me,” Trent finally managed to whisper.
The doctor nodded. “Bullet grazed the side of your head. The reinforced cap saved you from a nasty scar. No skin was broken, but your eardrum ruptured. That should heal in about a month. You suffered a concussion, but I suspect that happened when you lost consciousness and fell. Nasty bruise on your chest is going to be very sore for a few weeks also. You took a direct hit to the chest. Thank God you were wearing the vest. You wouldn’t be here otherwise.”
“The shooter?”
“Dead,” the doctor confirmed.
Trent let his eyes slide closed and breathed out slowly. Thank God.
“I’ll let your parents visit a few more minutes, and your team members are in the hallway waiting to make sure you’re okay. They won’t leave until you prove I’m not lying.” He chuckled.
Destiny… Did anyone call Des?
The doctor left, and Trent’s mother smoothed a hand over his head. “You scared us to death.”
“Sorry. Wasn’t my plan,” he managed to murmur.
She gave him a forced smile. “Well, your humor is still intact.”
It hurt too much to return the smile or even nod.
“We should let him rest,” his father said. “I’ll tell your team they can pop in.”
“You’ll feel much better after a solid night’s sleep,” his mother added, leaning over him to kiss his forehead. “Oh, I almost forgot, Destiny was here. She couldn’t stay, but she wanted to make sure you were okay. I didn’t realize you two were in communication lately. Someone must have called her.”
Trent’s entire body stiffened. She was here. She left…
His mother gave his hand one last squeeze and moved so that his team could crowd around him. Every one of them touched some part of his body, expressing their relief that he was going to be fine and joking that he’d be running circles around them and cracking jokes before they could get out of bed tomorrow.
He appreciated their banter, but his mind was on Destiny. He searched for Woof among the faces, his head splitting with pain to do so. When he met his gaze, he asked about a dozen questions with his eyes.
The rest of the guys gave a final pat, nod, or squeeze and disappeared, leaving Woof the only one in the room. He leaned over Trent, not meeting his gaze until he took a deep breath. “She was pissed,” he finally admitted.
Trent nodded slightly, his chest hurting from far more than the impact of the bullet.
“Once she got over the initial fear, I tried to explain your reasoning, but she was too hurt and angry to listen to me.”
“You spoke to her here?” Trent murmured.
“Yes. She saw the entire thing on the news and her roommate drove her here. She was lost and scared out of her mind. But after she found out you would survive, she just… Man, I’m so sorry.”
Trent swallowed, his teeth gritting. He’d made this bed. Now he had to lie in it.
Chapter 26
Two weeks later…
Trent eased himself onto the sofa in his parents’ living room as his mom scurried around him to arrange pillows so he could prop up his leg. The bulky brace was cumbersome and annoying, but the doctor insisted it was mandatory for at least eight weeks.
The dark bruising on Trent’s chest was fading to yellow finally, and his hearing was slowly starting to return to normal. For the first several days, everything sounded underwater. The ENT said the rupture was healing; it just needed time.
His body was mending. His heart was in tatters.
Trent’s mother bustled around him, adding pillows and ensuring he could reach drinks and snacks on the TV tray she set up next to him. “There.” She clapped her hands together, loo
king pleased for about a moment, and then she sat on the coffee table next to him and furrowed her brow. “Talk to me.”
He shot her a confused look, one eyebrow raised. “About what?”
“I know you hit your head, but that’s healing. I’m sure your chest is sore and your thigh is throbbing. There’s a ringing in your ear that’s probably driving you slowly mad also. But you’ve never once in your life been as defeated as you’ve been for the last two weeks.”
He pursed his lips.
She continued. “I’m sure it’s also frustrating that you’ve had to take time off from your team to heal. That’s understandable. I know what Delta Force means to you. However, my upbeat, joking, happy, outgoing son has vanished without a trace, and I want to know why.”
Damn, she’s perceptive. He stared at her, wondering if she’d also been this perceptive a dozen years ago when Destiny started dating and got engaged to the wrong brother. “Mom, I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh. That’s how you want to play this? Because from my vantage point, you’re kinda trapped here with me doting on you hand and foot for a few weeks. So, I can either badger you daily, or you can just spill the beans and let me help you fix whatever has you so disgruntled.”
He rolled his eyes and leaned his head back.
“Let me take a stab in the dark here. Does this have anything to do with a certain Destiny Fisher?”
Trent couldn’t stop his body from flinching at the mention of Destiny’s name coming from his mother’s lips, and how damn perceptive she’d proven to be.
“Ah-ha. Now we’re getting somewhere. I wondered. She seemed very out of sorts when I saw her the day of your accident. It’s been bugging me ever since. Now that we’ve eliminated the mystery, it’s your turn to talk.”
He lifted one hand and rubbed his eyes with his thumb and middle finger. “Mom, I’d rather not.”
She didn’t respond for several long moments, and then she blew out an audible breath and slouched forward a bit. “You know, I always wondered what happened between you two.”
“Mom…” he warned.
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