by Maya Banks
There was a long silence, almost as if she were weighing his words and doing a self-exam. Then finally, “No, I don’t think so. It’s just my shoulder. I can’t move my left shoulder. If I try, the pain is unbearable.”
“Okay, we’ll be careful. Hancock has been removed now, and now we’re going to focus on you. This might hurt, Maren. But we’ll be as quick and as gentle as possible.”
“What about Steele,” she said in a choppy voice. “I’m okay. Just my shoulder. You said I wasn’t bleeding. Most of the blood is from Hancock. You need to get Steele out first. I can wait.”
“No!” Steele bellowed. “Goddamn it, Maren. You need to get to a hospital so you and the baby can be checked out. I’m fine. Now cooperate with Donovan and let him get you the hell away from here.”
“Impossible, stubborn man,” Maren growled.
Donovan chuckled. “As much as I agree with your assessment, he’s right. You’re the priority here. They’re working on Hancock and doing what they can to save him. Med flight should be here any minute to take him away. But you’re next. Steele can wait. The bastard is too stubborn to die anyway, so you don’t need to worry about him. No way in hell he’s going to leave you and the baby.”
“Damn straight,” Steele bit out. “Now stop the chitchat and get her the fuck out of the chopper and do an assessment of her injuries. She needs to be treated for shock and transported to a hospital stat.”
“I’m the medic here,” Donovan said dryly. “And Maren is an MD. I think between us we can handle this without you taking charge. You have zilch in the way of medical training.”
Maren sucked in a deep breath as she looked up at the warm encouragement in Donovan’s eyes. There was concern, yes, but she didn’t see fear or doubt. He was at ease, doing his best to keep her calm and to keep Steele from completely losing it. She appreciated that. She reached for Donovan’s hand and squeezed, surprised at how little strength she had.
Garrett pushed into the already cramped space, and he and Donovan put all their strength and effort into freeing Maren from the crumpled metal. She winced but refused to cry out, biting into her lip until she drew blood. She refused to add to Steele’s worry. He was already losing his mind over not being able to get to her.
Garrett’s entire face grew red, the veins distended in his brow and his lips and jaw clenched tight. His muscles bulged and strained and he let out a shout as he pushed at the resisting metal that had folded over her legs.
As soon as there was enough of a gap, Donovan roughly yanked her from the seat, and this time she couldn’t halt the scream of pain as agony shot through her shoulder and up into her neck.
“What the fuck?” Steele raged.
She sucked in steadying breaths, blinking back the tears of pain. Her chest heaved with exertion as she tried to get it together so she could reassure Steele.
“I’m fine,” she gasped.
Donovan looked agonized, regret brimming in his green eyes. “God, I’m sorry, Maren. I had to hurry. Garrett wasn’t going to be able to hold it forever.”
He lifted her gently and crawled awkwardly up the floor of the helicopter to the side facing up, where Sam waited. Donovan passed Maren to Sam, who enfolded her in his arms.
Ethan wrapped a blanket firmly around her, taking care not to bump her shoulder, and Sam carried her toward a waiting vehicle.
“Steele,” she protested. “You can’t just leave him. He’s hurt.”
“Shhh, Maren. We aren’t leaving him. Donovan, Garrett and Ethan are working with Steele’s team to get him out. It’s possible we’ll have to wait for a rescue crew with the right tools to cut him out of the cockpit, but they’ll be with him every step of the way.”
“I need to be with him,” she whispered. “I don’t want him to think I left. He needs me.”
Sam eased her into the passenger seat of the SUV and wrapped the blanket more firmly around her. The engine had been running and the heat was going full blast despite the sultry temperature outside.
“EMS has already airlifted Hancock. They landed while we were getting you out of the chopper. You need to be in the hospital, Maren, and Steele would be the first person to tell you so. He’s going to cooperate a hell of a lot better if he knows you’re being taken care of. So do us all a favor and let us get you to the hospital so you can get checked out.”
Through her muddled thoughts, guilt surged. She hadn’t even asked about her parents. Fear knotted in her belly and the words stuck in her throat as she tried to ask what she dreaded most.
She clutched Sam’s sleeve, clutching it and bunching the material into a fist.
“My parents, Sam. What about my mom and dad?”
He touched her cheek and stroked soothingly. “We have a team on the way. Donovan was able to get a lock on the location when Caldwell made the call. I’ll let you know the minute we hear anything. Now, the most important thing is to get you to the hospital.”
He secured the seat belt around her and made sure her head rested comfortably with the C collar around her neck. Then he hurried around to the driver’s side and got in. Seconds later, they roared off and Maren stared numbly out the window at the passing scenery.
She couldn’t even take it all in. Caldwell was dead. She’d killed a man, and she didn’t have a single regret. Hancock was at death’s door after saving her. Twice. Steele was trapped in the cockpit of the helicopter after doing his best to land it safely. But they were alive.
Sweet relief whispered through her veins and she closed her eyes, suddenly exhausted beyond measure. She could no longer even hold her head up and let it sag against the headrest.
She dimly registered a phone ringing and Sam speaking in low tones. She felt drowsy, out of it. Like she was separated from her body and was only half aware of what was going on around her.
And she was cold. So very cold. Her bones were like ice and she was freezing from the inside out. She feared she’d never be warm again.
“Maren.”
Her eyelids were heavy. Too heavy to open and she ignored the person calling her name.
“Maren, honey, I need you to wake up and stay with me. I have good news. Open your eyes so I know you understand me.”
Drowsily, she forced her eyes open, her stare directed ahead as she was unable to turn her head in Sam’s direction because of the C collar.
He reached over and curled his hand over hers. It was a warm shock. So very warm and comforting. She wanted to keep holding it. Allow his heat to bleed into her body.
“Your parents are okay, Maren. Nathan just reported in. Your mom’s fine and they’re taking your dad to the hospital. I’ll take you there so you can be in the same place. But don’t worry. They don’t feel it’s anything serious. It’s more of a precaution than anything. He’s bruised, but he’s doing well.”
Tears slid down her cheeks and her eyelids shut as she inhaled and exhaled in deep, forceful breaths.
“Thank God,” she whispered. “Oh God, Sam. I was so worried I’d never see them again. And now it’s over. They’re okay. Caldwell is dead. It’s really over.”
“It’s over,” he agreed. “You never have to worry about him again, Maren. He’s no longer a threat to anyone.”
Her breath stuttered erratically over her lips as she tried to hold the sobs at bay.
“I’m sorry. I’m a complete wreck,” she babbled out.
Sam squeezed her hand again. “Honey, you were kidnapped, shot at, fell from a helicopter, and then crashed. I think you’re entitled to be a little rattled.”
She laughed shakily. “When you put it that way, you have a point.”
“Let’s get you to the hospital so they can check you over and make sure you and the baby are fine,” Sam said. “Steele won’t be far behind. I promise.”
CHAPTER 41
STEELE sat in Maren’s darkened hospital room, chair pulled up to her bed while her mother was sleeping on the tiny sofa on the far wall. He hurt like a motherfucker, but he’d refused pain medication
because he didn’t want to be out of it when Maren came around.
He had multiple broken ribs and three broken fingers, thankfully on his left hand and it wasn’t his trigger finger on his right. He’d sustained a concussion and the doctor had wanted to admit him for observation, but Steele had flatly refused. He was going to be in the hospital anyway. But there was no way in hell he was going to be separated from Maren.
After they’d patched him up in the ER, bound his ribs, taped his three fingers together in a splint and given him a list of symptoms to be wary of, he’d made quick work of finding where they’d put Maren and he’d been there ever since.
He’d met Maren’s mother, and it was obvious the apple didn’t fall very far from the tree. Diana Scofield was intelligent, warm and loving and it was obvious she had a heart the size of Alaska. She’d taken one look at Steele and immediately enfolded him in a hug that rivaled any he’d ever received.
It was a bittersweet moment, because he’d been taken back to a time when his own mother had hugged him. Diana’s acceptance of him had been immediate, and the two had spent an hour conversing about Maren, the baby and what Steele’s intentions were.
Then Diana had dragged Steele into her husband’s hospital room and introduced them. Matthew Scofield had grilled Steele mercilessly about his plans regarding Maren and the baby. Only when Steele had assured him that he would follow Maren to the ends of the earth if that was what it took did Matthew relax. He was welcomed to the family with enthusiasm, and then Diana had a FaceTime call from Maren’s brother.
So for a third time Steele found himself grilled by a doting family member. Maren’s brother had been concerned and ready to leave at a moment’s notice, but Diana had assured him there was no need. Diana set up a time for Kevin to call back so that he could talk to Maren when she awakened.
By the time Steele made it back to Maren’s room, accompanied by Diana, he was put-a-fork-in-me done. He sank into a chair he pulled to her bedside and lowered his head into his hands. He drifted in and out of consciousness, thinking of all the doctor had said about Maren.
She’d dislocated her shoulder and he’d wrapped and secured it in place after popping it back into joint. It had been an excruciatingly painful experience for Maren, and her screams of pain still haunted Steele. But once the shoulder was back in place, her pain had considerably lessened and she’d drifted into a drug-induced slumber.
They’d given her a feel-good cocktail, as the nurse had jokingly labeled it. Something to relax her and take the edge off and something for pain. Whatever it was, it had worked. Too well. Maren had been out cold for three hours now and Steele was growing impatient waiting for her to awaken so he could see for himself that she was okay.
As soon as she came around, they were going to do a sonogram to check and see how the baby was doing, and he was eager to see his child for the first time. But first he wanted visual confirmation that Maren was okay. He wanted her to wake up and for the first thing she saw to be him sitting there at her bedside, and to know that he loved her.
He eased his hand onto the bed and gently curled his fingers around her limp hand, wanting that physical contact more for himself than for her. He needed reassurance. He’d never been so scared in his life as when the helicopter had gone down, spiraling out of control, and he’d been helpless to prevent it. The thought that she could have died in the crash was a dark patch in his soul that had yet to fade.
He needed her to wake up, so he could tell her he loved her again. He wanted to tell her when there were no fears of her being taken by Caldwell. No fears of them both dying in a crash. He wanted to give her those words when there was nothing but him and her and nothing but the confirmation of the fact that she was his life.
Excitement surged in his veins when her fingers tightened around his. He immediately glanced up, looking for any sign that she was awakening. She let out a soft sigh and turned her head in his direction and then—the most beautiful sight in the world. Her eyelashes fluttered sluggishly and then opened, and he looked into the most gorgeous blue eyes he’d ever seen.
She smiled and he went weak with relief. A surge of emotion overwhelmed him and he felt the betraying sting of tears burning his eyelids. He blinked rapidly, determined that she not see his devastation. He wanted only to give her reassurance. His love. And the knowledge that they’d made it. They were okay.
“Steele,” she whispered.
He leaned forward, unable to keep from getting closer. He pressed his lips to her forehead and left them there, closing his eyes as he mentally said a prayer of thanks.
“Thank God, you’re okay,” she said, her voice growing stronger. “I was so worried. Oh God, Steele, you can’t imagine what I thought. They took me away from you and I didn’t know if you were okay, or how badly you were injured.”
“I’m fine,” he said gruffly. “Nothing a few days with a certain doctor to take care of me won’t cure.”
As he drew away, she smiled, joy and relief shining like stars in her eyes. And then they dimmed and her hand automatically lowered to her belly.
“The baby?” she asked anxiously.
“So far so good,” he said, eager to ease her fears. “They said as soon as you woke up they’re going to do a sonogram. What do you say? Ready to meet our child for the first time?”
Her face lit up, her smile outshining the sun. “Oh yes, I’d love that more than anything.”
“Your mom is here. She’s sleeping on the couch in your room.”
Anxiety replaced the radiant joy and her expression dimmed. “My dad? How is my dad? Sam said they got my parents out, but he didn’t know anything else. Just that they were taking him to the hospital.”
“He’s fine,” Steele soothed. “Just a little banged up, but he’s already putting up a fuss wanting to get the hell out of the hospital, and he wants to see his daughter.”
Relief shone once again in her gaze and she sagged against the pillows.
“It’s over,” she said softly.
He kissed her again and then captured her hand once more, squeezing. “Yeah, it’s over.”
“Hancock?” she asked fearfully.
“He’s in surgery. It was touch and go. He lost a lot of blood. Nicked a lung but missed his heart. Prognosis is good but we’ll know more when he’s out of surgery.”
“He saved my life,” she murmured.
“Yeah. I owe the bastard now. But it’s a debt I’ll gladly pay. And you saved mine, Maren. It was the most foolish thing you’ve ever done. God, when I saw you fall out of the helicopter with him, I died a thousand deaths. I thought I’d lost you. You can’t imagine what that did to me. Swear to God, if you ever pull a stunt like that again, I’ll tie you to my bed and never let you leave the house.”
She smiled and laced her fingers through his. “That’s not exactly a punishment, you know.”
He relaxed and moved in closer, just wanting to be nearer to her. He stroked her hair, caressed her face, reassuring himself that she was here, alive. She was his, and he was damn sure never going to let her go.
“Maren?”
Maren turned in the direction of her mother’s voice, and then suddenly Diana flew to the bed and Steele moved away so she could be on Maren’s uninjured side.
“Oh my baby, thank God, you’re all right.”
Diana enfolded Maren in a hug the best she could without jostling her bound shoulder. Tears ran freely down Diana’s face as she and Maren wept together, holding on to one another as if they’d never let go.
“I’m so glad you and Dad are okay,” Maren choked out. “I would have never forgiven myself if something had happened to you because of me.”
“Shhhh, don’t say that. You’re not to blame for that maniac’s doings. And he’s gone now. He can’t ever hurt you again.”
“When can I see Dad?” Maren asked anxiously.
Diana smiled ruefully. “If he has his way, he’ll be here as soon as humanly possible. He’s had the entire floor in
an uproar. You know him. He’s a terrible patient. He’s telling the nurses how to do their job. Ever the doctor. He questioned the credentials of the doctor in charge of your care. He wanted only the best. He’s bruised and banged up, but nothing serious. No broken bones. Nothing that won’t heal in a week or so.”
“Thank God,” Maren whispered fervently. “I love you, Mom. I’ve missed you so much.”
Diana squeezed her again. “Your young man has sat at your bedside when he very much needs to be in a hospital bed himself. He’s in far worse shape than your father and they’ve admitted him. But Steele refused anything beyond cursory treatment in the ER because he couldn’t wait to get to you.”
Maren looked beyond her mother and found Steele’s gaze, love and a watery sheen shining in her eyes.
“He’s a good man,” Diana said. “You chose well, Maren. He’ll protect you and your child with his life. A mother can’t ask for more than that for her daughter.”
“I know,” Maren said softly, her gaze still locked with Steele’s.
Diana pulled away and then glanced at Steele, understanding in her eyes.
“I’m going to go back and check on your father. Maybe he’ll calm down now that you’re awake and I can tell him you’re doing just fine.”
Maren squeezed her mother’s hand. “I love you, Mom. Tell Dad I love him and that I’ll see him soon.”
Diana leaned down to kiss Maren’s cheek and then she turned and to Steele’s surprise and befuddlement, she wrapped her arms around him and hugged him tightly before going up on tiptoe to kiss his cheek.
“Take care of my baby,” she said fiercely.
“Never doubt it,” Steele said in a grave tone.
Diana turned back to smile at Maren and then left the room.
“When can we do the sonogram?” Maren asked anxiously.
“I’ll go tell the nurse you’re awake. I knew you’d want to see the baby as soon as you woke, so I made sure they had the portable sonogram moved to the floor. I’ll go get her now so she can page the sonogram tech, and then you and I will meet our child. Together.”
