“So what’s her condition?” he asked Ian. “She’s conscious?”
“Only for a minute. She was shocky and clearly in a lot of pain. She couldn’t stand to have her belly touched.”
“Internal bleeding,” Mackey said grimly. “Spleen? Kidneys? What kind of hospital is Johnson City? Not big enough for a trauma center, for sure.”
“No, but Starflight is tied up with some big multi-car pileup out east of Austin, and the paramedics said they didn’t dare wait. The hospital can do CTs. It’s not bad for a small hospital.”
“Do you have any idea how many things could be wrong with her?” Mackey demanded. He had the accelerator floored now, crazy to get to her.
“Slow down. Won’t do her any good if we wind up in a ditch,” James Gallagher ordered.
Mackey glared at him, then turned his attention back to Ian. “Where is Chambers now?”
“Tank went after him.”
“I want a piece of him.” He put his hands on her. He hurt her.
“You’ll have to get in line,” Ian said grimly.
“Screw that. She’s—” Mine, he started to say. But she’d already given him up.
They’d see about that. “How far ahead are you?”
“We’re pulling into the hospital parking lot right now. Scarlett and Ruby are with me.”
“Call me the second you have a report. I’m past Sweetgrass, headed for Fredericksburg.”
“I will.” Ian disconnected.
“Take a left here. I know a shortcut,” her dad spoke up. “No one on it this time of night—no cops either.”
“Thanks.” They shared a brief look, then Mackey made the turn and gunned his powerful engine.
They roared through the night.
Mackey thumbed through his contacts as he drove like a bat out of hell to get to Rissa. It was hard to care about anything else, but he knew other people were depending on him.
“You gonna wreck us, driving and dialing like that.”
“Fine—” He tossed the phone over. “Look up Sid Mason and hit Call, then give it to me.”
Her father muttered a little but at last managed and handed the phone over. “Who’s Sid Mason?”
“My agent.”
“What are you—”
“Sid,” he said as the phone was answered. “I’m not coming. I can’t.”
“What the devil? Mackey, you don’t show up, and this ruins you. The meter’s ticking, and costs on this production are through the roof already. You get your butt in the car and drive. Or better yet, leave the car and fly, so you get here sooner.”
“I’m going nowhere. Rissa’s hurt. I’m staying here with her until—for however long she needs me, okay?”
“Who’s Rissa?”
“No one you know, but…she’s important. I can’t leave her, not until she’s safe. I need you to call Gus Bellamy. Tell him I’m calling in my marker.”
“Gus Bellamy’s nearly seventy. He’s been out of the business too long.”
“He was the best, and he still knows more than any ten stunt coordinators put together. And he owes me. Tell him we’re clear after this.”
“What? Mackey, you can’t do this.”
“Call him, Sid. Or don’t, but I’m not coming. I’m not moving from here for however long she needs me.”
“You’ll lose the second unit director slot if they think you’re unreliable.”
“Then they’ll just have to think that. I have to go, Sid. I’ll call you later.” With his thumb he disconnected and stared out the windshield. Sid wasn’t wrong—he would pay for this.
But he wasn’t leaving Rissa.
“Why are you doing this?” her father asked.
He swiveled his head to face James Gallagher. “No one else puts Rissa first.” He saw her father wince as he returned his attention to the road. “But I will.”
He stared into the darkness ahead. “She’s been all alone for far too long.”
Chapter Sixteen
When they reached the hospital, it was all Mackey could do not to break into a run and leave Rissa’s dad behind. Though their trip had been filled with long silences, that the man was worried was obvious. He might be a hard man, but he was her father. Mackey adjusted his pace to not outstrip the older man, though he wanted to burst through the doors and start barking commands.
Ian looked up as they cleared the doorway to the emergency room. Scarlett and Ruby sat beside him, their expressions grim.
Ian rose. “They’ve taken her into surgery. She lost a lot of blood while she was lying there alone. Her spleen is ruptured.”
The image of her lying alone, bleeding… “You trust this place to do that?”
“There was no choice, Mackey. She couldn’t wait to be transported.” Ian exhaled his anger. Gripped Mackey’s arm. “The surgeon has trauma experience. He was an Army doc who moved here for a slower pace, but he knows what he’s doing.”
“We’ll see about that.” Mackey was a man of action. He’d had to learn to sit silently while on missions, but this was different.
This was Rissa. Who was in trouble because he’d done what he’d never, ever done in his life as a warrior.
He’d left one of his team behind.
Didn’t matter that she refused to acknowledge their connection. They were linked by something more powerful than Mackey had ever felt in his life.
He stalked toward the receptionist. “I’m a former SEAL with paramedic training.” Normally he wouldn’t invoke the SEAL charisma, but he was desperate to find out how she was. “My fiancée Rissa Gallagher was brought in earlier. She’s in surgery, but I’d like to speak to someone on the team who assessed her.”
“Sir, we can’t just—”
He didn’t mind fighting dirty. “We just got engaged tonight.”
The woman’s eyes softened. “I’m so sorry.”
He glanced at her nametag. “Lesley, I don’t want to get in the way of those who are helping her. I just—” That he suddenly had to clear his throat wasn’t an act. “—I treat injured people all the time, but this—” He bent closer. “I don’t mind telling you I’m scared. Can you please help me?”
“If you promise to stay by the door until someone comes, I’ll buzz you inside over there.” She pointed to a sliding door off to the left.
“I don’t know how to thank you,” he said earnestly.
“I hope she’ll be okay,” Lesley answered.
Mackey cast a glance over at Ian and surreptitiously gave a thumbs up as he strode to the door the woman had indicated. Under other circumstances he’d smile at Ian’s surprise.
But right now, all he could think of was Rissa.
As he waited for the door to open, he cast one look back at her dad. Gave him a short nod.
The old man mirrored it.
The door slid open, and Mackey stepped inside.
But he didn’t wait there. Instead he approached the nurse’s station and began his spiel all over again.
Four hours later, the surgeon finally came out.
Mackey didn’t wait for permission. He was by the man’s side before anyone else reached him.
The nurse he’d spoken to earlier walked over. “Dr. Moss, this is Ms. Gallagher’s fiancé. He’s a former SEAL and a paramedic.”
Mackey could feel the surprise around him but never lost his focus on the man before him, measuring him. “Army doc, you say? You been in the sand pit?”
The stocky black man gave him a brisk nod. “Two tours.”
Mackey relaxed a little. “You’ve had worse conditions to work under.”
“This place does good work.”
Mackey heard the offense in his tone. “She’s important.”
The doctor’s eyes softened a little. Then he looked at the others. “Ms. Gallagher’s spleen ruptured. She had a significant amount of internal bleeding during the time before she was discovered. She’s also sustained a concussion, but she did rouse again before we put her under, so that’s a
positive sign. The next forty-eight hours will be critical. We’ll be keeping her sedated, as she’s in a great deal of pain. She has multiple bruises and lacerations to her face and arms, as well, but those are not of paramount concern. Her physical conditioning appears to be excellent prior to these injuries, so that bodes well for her recovery. We can’t know, however, the extent of any long-term effects of what were clearly multiple blows to the head.”
“You moving her to Austin?” Mackey asked.
“Not at this point. We are able to monitor her here quite ably.”
“The head injuries, though—” Mackey had seen too many warriors sustain life-altering brain trauma.
“If she had not regained consciousness briefly both here and, apparently, at the scene—” He glanced around.
“She did,” Ian nodded.
“As I suspect you know from your war zone experience, Mr. Mackey, those are positive signs.”
“Yes, but—” He wouldn’t rest until he could look at her. Talk to her. Hear her talk back.
God…he wanted to kill Chambers with his bare hands.
“When can we see her?” James asked.
“She’ll be in recovery for about an hour. A nurse will come for you when she’s in ICU. The visits will need to be brief and few in number over the next twenty-four hours.”
Yeah, right, Mackey thought. They can try to keep me out.
But he extended his hand to his fellow warrior. “Thanks, Doc.”
The surgeon nodded and returned the shake. “She’s a strong young woman. She fought hard.”
Mackey turned away, sickened at the thought of Rissa fighting for her life.
He couldn’t get outside fast enough.
“Fiancé?” Ian asked from behind him as he stared into the night sky.
“Whatever it takes,” Mackey responded without turning around. “I had to get their attention.”
“What do you imagine Rissa will think?”
Mackey pinched the bridge of his nose. “She can yell at me all she wants.” His voice broke. “God. When I think of what she went through—” He started walking. Had to move.
Suddenly he whirled. “I want to talk to Tank. What’s his number?”
“He came in right after you left. He has Chambers locked up, and he wanted to ask everyone who was there some questions.”
“Good.” Mackey wheeled to head inside.
“Hold on.” Ian grabbed him. “Mackey, this isn’t your fault. You had no way to know—”
Mackey whirled on him, half-blind with rage. “I left her there. I put my goddamn job first. I—” Didn’t tell her I love her. She doesn’t know, and she might never—
“Mackey, calm down. You know Rissa does what she damn well pleases.”
You didn’t see her. You didn’t feel her kiss. Watch her despair.
“I should have been there,” he ground out. Then horror struck him. “Did he—was she—” Oh, God. If she’d been raped, it would change nothing about his feelings for her. He would help her however she needed to get through it, but…dear, sweet heaven. The thought nearly brought him to his knees.
Ian deciphered his expression. “I don’t think so. Her skirt was hiked up and her blouse was torn, but—” Ian cleared his throat. “Her underwear wasn’t—I don’t think so, Mackey. But I’ll go find out.”
“No. I will. I have more questions. Then I’m talking to Tank.” He turned, only to see Tank headed his way. He wasted no time closing the distance.
The first thing he said surprised them both. “Thank you. You locked up the bastard?”
Tank nodded warily.
“I want a piece of him.”
“Not gonna happen, Mackey. Have to let the system work.”
“You could let him escape. I won’t need long. Give me two minutes alone with him.” He knew any number of ways to kill a man in less time than that.
“I can’t blame you, but you’re gonna have to trust me to take care of this. He’s on parole for assault. He’s going down hard for this.” His eyes were surprisingly sympathetic. “He’s not getting out. Even if he had someone to offer bail money, he’s not going anywhere. And Rissa got her licks in. There was skin under her fingernails that matches some marks around his eyes. He can’t even see out of one of them.”
Good for you, Ris. She got in her own blows.
But it wasn’t enough to tamp the rage, the need to act. “Prison isn’t dead. We don’t know yet if Rissa will suffer long-term effects from that beating.” Mackey’s teeth ground. “C’mon, Tank. I know we weren’t friends, but you’d want the same in my place.”
“You really gone on her? Little Clarissa?”
He’d never imagined feeling a kinship with this man, but right now Tank might be the only person here who understood the true violence of the world the way Mackey did. “I’d give my life for her. Kill for her.”
“Best not to be saying that to me, Mackey—not that I don’t understand. But he’s in more trouble than you realize. There’s more.” His face turned grimmer. “We found Gina dead.”
“Dead?”
“Apparently Jimbo lit into her before he came after Rissa. One of her neighbors called the sheriff’s office. When they got there, they found her with her neck snapped.”
“Eric. Does he know?” That poor kid.
“Not yet,” Tank said.
“He’s with Celia and Samantha,” Ian volunteered. “They’ve gone back to the ranch. Apparently Rissa had obtained Gina’s agreement for him to stay the night. I’ll go talk to him.”
“Let me,” Mackey offered. He turned back to Tank. “What happens now? Any family?”
“We’re looking, but no one seems to know of any.”
He had to do something. He couldn’t just stand around here while she—Wait. “Tell me who to talk to about Eric. I don’t want that boy going into foster care.”
Tank hesitated. “Well…”
“Come on, man. That boy just lost his mom. Rissa and her ranch have been his only refuge, and Eric is important to her. Don’t make me have to tell her I lost him, too, when she wakes up.” Wake up, Ris. Please wake up. “I know we weren’t friends as kids, but we’re not kids anymore. You and I, we know that the world is rough on the weak ones.” Come on, Tank. We’re not stupid boys fighting behind the school now.
Tank shook his head. Blew out a breath. “Look, nobody’s called Child Welfare yet, far as I know. I can maybe stall that off for a day or two if he has a safe place to stay.”
“He does.” Though Mackey was volunteering Rissa’s ranch when he had no right to. But he knew—he knew she’d want her strays taken care of first. “I’ll make sure Eric is taken care of.”
Tank took forever but finally nodded. “A couple days is about as far as it can go, though.”
A reprieve. He’d be on the phone as soon as daylight came. “Thanks, Tank.” A sentiment he’d never in his life expected to voice, much less twice. He stuck out his hand.
Tank returned the handshake, then left.
“Man, you got it bad, huh?” Ian chuckled.
“Most of the way to gone,” Mackey agreed.
“Want me to go with you to talk to Eric?”
“Nah. You’ve been here for hours. Those cows won’t care that you got no sleep.”
“You’re not exactly fresh as a daisy yourself.”
“True.” Mackey stared at the hospital’s doors. “I’ll talk to Eric once he wakes up, but right now I’m not going anywhere until I see her.”
Ian proffered a sympathetic slap on the back. “What about California?”
“Screw California. They’ll have to make it without me for awhile.”
His only thought was for the woman lying inside those walls.
Wake up, Ris. Come back to me.
He couldn’t wait any longer to see her.
He broke into a run, headed back to her.
Inside, her father, pale and shaken, had returned from his first visit. He nodded. “Go on. You’re n
ext.”
Mackey barely acknowledged the gesture, already on the move.
The first sight of her was a fist to the gut.
That bastard had beaten the living hell out of her.
Mackey swallowed. He’d seen more bloodshed than the rest of Sweetgrass combined, but this…the impact was different, seeing the evidence of violence on that beautiful face, so often alive and mobile, whether in argument or stubborn determination…or passion.
It was all wrong for her to be so still and pale.
So bruised and battered.
“Ris,” he said, bending to her. “I’m here. It’s Mackey. You’re going to be okay, you hear me? I am so damn sorry—” His throat tightened. “I will make that bastard pay—”
Ruthlessly he reined himself in. Rage wasn’t what she needed.
She needed a reason to wake up.
“I’m not leaving you, Rissa. I’m never leaving you again. Sleep as long as you need to, but then you wake up, honey. Okay? Come back to me, Ris. I love you, and I want to say it when I can look into those brown eyes and know you hear me.”
“Sir, we have things we need to do. I’ll have to ask you to leave now,” the nurse interrupted.
“Just a second.”
He leaned down and placed a soft kiss to an unbruised segment of her forehead. “Come back to me, Ris. I love you. I need you.”
But he didn’t turn away. He couldn’t. He held on tight and willed her to wake up. To tell him to go to hell, to say any damn thing she wanted to, just—
“Sir…”
I don’t want to leave you, Rissa. It was that simple. He wanted to stay by her side every second until she opened those brown eyes again.
“Sir, I’m sorry, but—”
He squeezed her hand gently, then forced himself to back away, every cell in his body yearning to be with her. To protect her as he’d failed to do earlier.
Never again, he vowed. No one is ever going to hurt you again.
Maybe Mackey’s life had lacked purpose for a long time.
But he had one now.
With one last, lingering look at her, he left the ICU to join the others who were waiting.
Texas Wild: The Gallaghers of Sweetgrass Springs Book 2 Page 20
