by Becca Van
“Where are your men?” Major asked as he dried the pot with a dishtowel.
“At the hospital. There was a nasty accident on the freeway.”
Major nodded. “Ace and Rocco heard about it on the radio and texted me. The sheriffs, as well as Cree, Wilder, and Nash, are all at the scene directing traffic and collecting evidence.”
“It must have been bad.”
“It was. There were a couple of fatalities.”
Sadness filled her heart. She hated hearing that people had lost their lives and that loved ones were going to be dealing with grief because someone hadn’t been paying attention while driving. She remembered her mother telling her just before they’d been kidnapped that it was a privilege to have a license and not a right. She’d also told her that she always treated a car like it was a deadly weapon. Enya hadn’t understood at the time since she’d been so young, but she certainly understood now. It was too dangerous to be distracted while behind the wheel of a vehicle.
“Is that it, baby?” Major asked Delta.
“Yes,” she answered with a smile.
“Why don’t you gather your things while I make sure everything’s turned off and locked up?”
Delta nodded as she removed her apron and then headed toward the office. Enya decided to follow her. When Delta had her things, she turned to face her. “Why don’t you come home with us? We can have dinner and some wine and just relax?”
Enya glanced at her cell phone and nodded when she saw she didn’t have any texts from Cam, Phoenix, or Axel. She wanted to call and ask them if they knew how much longer they’d be, but she didn’t want to disturb them. Their work was so much more important than hers. They saved lives and there was no way in hell she was going to interrupt them.
Delta began signing as soon as Major entered the office. Major smiled at her when her friend had finished explaining that she was coming home with them. “Let’s get this show on the road, ladies.” Major swept his arm out and let them lead the way.
Delta hooked her arm with Enya’s as she guided her to Major’s truck while he armed the security system and locked the front door.
She moved away from Delta and just as Enya was about to get into the back-passenger seat, she heard a dull ping and turned to see what had made the noise.
“Get down. Now!” Major yelled as he ran toward the truck, signing to Delta who was already in the front passenger seat. He ran straight for her and leaped the remaining distance between them before taking her to the ground. He blanketed her body with his and that was when she realized what had just happened. Someone had shot at them.
Enya ignored the gravel digging in the cheek she had pressed against the road. “Delta. She can’t hear. You need to make sure she’s hiding.”
“Don’t worry about Delta, Enya. She’s fine. It’s you I’m worried about.”
“Why?”
“Someone just fucking shot at you, that’s why!”
“How do you know they were aiming at me? They might have been gunning for you or Delta.”
Major shook his head as he moved off of her and glanced about. He pressed a hand on her shoulder when she started to get up. “Stay where you are until I tell you it’s safe.” Major shoved to his feet, peered into the front of the truck and then narrowed his gaze as he scanned up and down the street. “You can get up, but keep your head below the roofline of the truck.”
Enya snorted since that wasn’t hard at all. Her head was always below the roof of a big vehicle. She winced as she got to her hands and knees and stared at the open door to Major’s truck. There was a bullet hole through the door. If Delta or Major had been standing behind the open door, they would have been shot.
“Fuck! You’re bleeding,” Major snarled.
Enya glanced down at her bandaged hand and saw that blood was soaking the bandage. She didn’t realize she was bleeding elsewhere until Major tugged his T-shirt up over his head, folded it into a pad and then pressed it against her upper left arm. She whimpered when searing pain ripped through her arm, up into her shoulder and neck.
“H-how did that happen?” she asked unsteadily as she swayed on her feet.
Major hooked an arm around her waist whilst applying firm pressure to her arm. “You were shot, honey.”
“No, I wasn’t,” Enya replied right before her knees buckled and she passed out.
* * * *
Cam, Phoenix, and Axel had just finished up treating the accident victims and were heading out when Major hurried in, carrying an unconscious Enya in his arms. Delta was right beside him and looking very worried. Cam’s heart stopped beating and he felt all the blood drain from his face when he saw Enya’s pale face.
“What the fuck?” Phoenix hurried forward and looked Enya over.
“Some fucker shot at her?”
“What?” Axel asked in a hoarse voice.
“Where was she hit?” Cam asked once he had his fear under control and became the doctor he was.
“From what I can tell the bullet grazed her left upper arm, but from the amount of blood on my shirt, I think the furrow has to be deep,” Major explained.
“Give her to me,” Cam ordered.
As soon as Major passed Enya over, Cam spun on his heels and hurried toward the emergency section. Axel and Phoenix followed closely behind.
Cam gently placed her on a bed and pulled her shirt away from her arm. He sucked in a breath when he saw the groove in her upper left arm. It was deep and about two inches long and required stitches.
“It looks like she busted the stitches in her hand open,” Phoenix said angrily.
“Who the fuck would want to shoot our woman?” Axel snarled.
“That’s what I’d like to know,” Cam said as he donned his surgical gloves.
“What happened?” William asked when he saw all three of them hovering over Enya.
“Some asshole took a shot at her.”
“Who is she?” Niall asked as he nudged the curtain aside.
“Our woman,” Axel answered as he met the other doctors’ gazes.
“Some bastard shot her,” Cam snarled.
“Who the fuck would do such a thing?” William asked angrily.
“We don’t know,” Phoenix replied, frustration evident in his voice. “But this isn’t the first time someone has tried to hurt her.”
“Did someone call the sheriffs?” Niall asked.
“We’ll do that as soon as we’ve tended to Enya,” Cam said.
“You don’t need to,” Major’s voice came from the other side of the curtain. “Luke is on his way.”
Chapter Fourteen
Enya moaned as she came back to consciousness. She knew there was something important she needed to remember, but for the life of her, she couldn’t get her brain on track.
“Open your eyes for me, sweetheart,” Cam ordered in a firm voice.
She blinked her eyes open and then closed them again. The light above her head wasn’t conducive to the bad headache hammering away behind her skull.
“Enya, open your eyes, baby.”
Why were Phoenix and Cam at the diner? Weren’t they supposed to be at the hospital?
She gasped and opened her eyes when she realized she’d just glimpsed the ceiling in the hospital and why she was there. She went to sit up but two hands landed on her shoulders and kept her pinned to the bed.
“You’re okay, honey,” Axel said in a soft, deep voice. “We’ve got you.”
She blinked the fuzziness from her eyes and looked down the arm Cam was peering at and hovering over. The line of sutures in her skin was long and ugly. Tears burned her eyes and while she tried to stop them from forming, they pooled and then welled over her lids.
“Are you in pain, sweetheart?” Cam asked.
“My head is pounding.” A sob erupted from her mouth and the tears flowed faster. Enya hated to cry but right now she was an emotional wreck. Someone was trying to kill her and she had no idea who or why.
Axel bent down and rested his cheek
against hers as he whispered in her ear. “We won’t let anything happen to you, honey. I’m so sorry you got hurt. That bastard won’t get near you ever again. Okay?”
Enya sniffed and was glad her tears slowed. “Okay.”
Axel kissed her forehead and then straightened.
Phoenix leaned into her line of vision. “I’m going to give you a shot, baby. That will help keep the pain in your arm and hand away for a few hours and get rid of the headache.”
“Is that really necessary?” she asked.
“It is,” Cam replied emphatically. “You tore the stitches in your palm and now you have more in your upper arm. They’re going to hurt like a bitch later. I’d rather try and circumvent any pain you’re going to feel.”
“But—”
“You don’t need to worry, honey.” Axel brushed back the hair on her forehead. “We’d never give you anything that was addictive. Okay?”
She nodded.
“Is she in there?”
“Yeah,” Major replied.
Enya gazed toward the curtain just as Sheriff Luke Sun-Walker shoved it aside and moved closer to her.
“Fucking-god-damn-it,” Luke cursed as he stared at her arm. “Are you all right, Enya?”
Enya nodded and licked her dry lips. Axel must have been watching her because seconds later he was holding her head up and pressing a cup of water to her lips. She sipped at the water until the dryness in her mouth was gone. “Thanks.”
Axel nodded.
“What the hell happened?” Luke asked as he maneuvered around Cam and came to stand beside Axel near her head.
“I’m not really sure.” Enya frowned.
“Some asshole tried to fucking shoot her,” Major snarled as he moved around the side of the curtain with Delta at his side. Delta looked pale and worried. She was leaning against Major and she was trembling.
Luke pulled his cell from his pocket, tapped the screen a few times and said, “Tell me.”
Enya shivered with fear as Major recounted what had happened.
Luke gazed down at her after Major had finished explaining. “Is that what you remember, honey?”
“Yes.”
“Did you see anyone?” Luke asked Major.
“No, and believe me I looked but there was no way I was hanging around to let that fucker take another shot at her. I got her into the truck and headed straight here.”
Luke sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. “I’m going back to the scene and see if I can find anything.”
“That bastard had to be on a rooftop somewhere,” Major said.
“What makes you say that?” Luke frowned.
“The trajectory and I think the bullet might have lodged into the brick wall of the diner.”
“Okay, thanks, I’ll see if I can find it.” Luke turned his gaze toward her again. “You need to lay low, honey. Let your men take care of you and protect you. Okay?”
She nodded again.
“I’ll be by in the morning to update you all.”
“Thanks, Luke.” Axel offered his hand to the sheriff and the two men shook and then Luke left.
“I’m going to get Delta home to the ranch. She’s in shock,” Major said. “Call if you need anything.”
“We will. Thank you, Major.” Axel shook Major’s hand and slapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks for taking care of our woman when we couldn’t. Give Delta a cup of hot sweet tea when you get home. That’ll help with the slight shock she’s experiencing.”
Major waved and guided Delta out.
Enya tried to ignore the cold antibacterial swipe Cam rubbed over her right arm, and she kept her gaze away from the needle, but her heart flipped in her chest and then beat hard and fast. Her breathing escalated and sweat broke out over her skin.
Phoenix must have been watching her because he pressed his lips against hers and swept his tongue over her lips. Enya gasped. There were other men in the cubicle and he was kissing her now? What was he thinking?
A slight sting in her arm told her the answer moments later. He was trying to distract her so she didn’t go into a full-blown panic attack. When he lifted his head, he smiled and winked at her.
Emotional tears burned her eyes but she held them at bay.
“That’s a great bedside manner you’ve got there, doc.”
Enya looked toward the man who’d spoken and blushed before quickly looking away.
“Ha, ha,” Axel snorted. “I’m not treating her and since she’s my woman, I can do whatever the fuck I want.”
“I was only yanking your chain.” He gazed at Enya and winked. “I’m William Fortescue and this is my brother, Niall.”
“Nice to meet you. I’m Enya,” she slurred and then blinked. She had no idea what Cam had injected her with, but whatever it was, was fast acting. She could actually feel the medicine coursing through her veins and her limbs got heavier and heavier. Enya forced her lids up when the other two doctors spoke.
“I wish we were meeting under better circumstances, Enya,” Niall said.
“M’too,” she sighed.
“Nice to meet you, Enya. Close your eyes and let these three reprobates look after you,” William said. He met Cam’s gaze. “Don’t worry about coming in for the rest of the week. Now that the accident victims have been dealt with, the nurses, Niall and I will have no trouble keeping up.”
“Thank you, Will, Niall,” Cam said. “Once this is all behind us, if you two want to take a break, we’ll cover things here.”
“We’ll definitely take you up on that.” Niall smiled. He and Will waved, turned on their heels and walked away.
Enya didn’t have any choice about keeping her eyes open, because she could already feel herself sinking into sleep.
* * * *
“She’s out.” Axel sighed with relief.
Phoenix’s gut was one big knot of anger and fear. He hated seeing the love of his life hurt. He was so angry he wanted to punch someone. Preferably the fucker who’d shot at her.
“Do you think this is because of her past?” Cam asked as he finished cleaning up and removed his surgical gloves.
Phoenix shook his head. “I have no idea.” He stared at the two white waterproof bandages on Enya’s skin. One on her upper left arm and the other over her right palm. He hated seeing those bandages on someone he cared deeply for, but he was thankful Major had been there to protect her. He wasn’t sure he’d have been able to survive if she’d died.
“Do you think this has to do with the diner?” Axel asked. “First Delta then Violet and now Enya have been targeted. The only common link they have is the partnership and the diner.”
“You could be on to something.” Phoenix frowned. “We’ll have to bring it up with Luke in the morning.”
“We need to get our woman home,” Cam said as he tugged the blanket from her supine body. He and Phoenix had had to cut her shirt off to get to her wound, but he’d quickly covered her up so that her bra-clad upper body wasn’t on view to anyone.
“Let me get a scrub shirt,” Axel said and then hurried away.
“Do you think we can get her to move in with us?” Phoenix asked even though he knew it was way too soon.
“She’ll be staying with us until whoever is trying to hurt her is caught,” Cam said. “Maybe then we can ask her to move in permanently.”
Axel returned with a blue scrub shirt and gently put it on Enya while Phoenix and Cam held her up.
Phoenix carefully lifted her into his arms, making sure her head was resting against his chest and shoulder so she wouldn’t hurt her neck. He gazed at Axel. “Grab her purse and shoes.”
Cam shoved the curtain aside and swept an arm out in front of him. “Let’s get Enya home.”
Phoenix followed behind Cam and Axel. If the bastard targeting their woman was out there watching, he was going to make it as hard as possible for the prick. He gazed about, peering into the shadows near the building but didn’t see anyone hanging about. He also made sure to sc
an the rooftops just in case, but again he saw no movement or silhouettes indicating they were being watched. Nonetheless, he didn’t relax until he had Enya in the back seat of the truck and they were on their way back home.
Phoenix hoped Luke found the bullet so he could get some prints off it, but he wasn’t going to hold out hope. If he, Cam, Phoenix, and Enya had to hole up in their house for the next week or so to protect her, then that’s what they’d do. He hoped that Enya didn’t kick up a stink and agreed to stay hidden, but he had a feeling she was going to be stubborn.
* * * *
After making sure Enya was comfortable in one of his T-shirts, Axel climbed into bed beside her. Cam was on her other side and had her injured arm propped up over his chest. Axel shifted closer and spooned her from behind. He wrapped an arm around her waist and sighed with relief. Even though she’d been injured she was here with them and alive.
She’d been out for the count not long after Cam had injected her with the painkiller and Axel hoped she slept the night through. Enya had been through a lot in the past few days and while most women would have fallen apart, she hadn’t. Just because she’d shed a few tears didn’t mean anything. Crying was cathartic in his eyes and did a person good from time to time. Enya was no exception, but she hadn’t gotten hysterical and that was a blessing. He wasn’t sure what he would have done if she had.
Axel mentally shook his head. Yes, he did. He would have held her until she’d calmed down and then talked things out with her.
“What are we going to do?”
Cam propped his head up on his hand and met his gaze. “We protect her.”
“That’s a given.”
“Then what are you asking?”
“How do we keep her safe when we don’t know where the threat is coming from?”
“We do the best we can and hope the sheriffs and the deputies can find who’s out to get her.”
Axel nodded. He was frustrated but worse was the uselessness he felt and couldn’t push aside. He knew Cam was right and they had to bide their time, but he wasn’t a sit-back-and-wait kind of man. He and his friends were used to being in all the action. Being idle wasn’t in his psyche but he’d do whatever he had to, to protect Enya.
