by Barbara Gee
He nodded slowly. “I had to, Jo.”
She swallowed hard and blinked back tears. “I’m glad I didn’t see it.”
He looked down at her, his green eyes slightly narrowed. “You’re not going to ream me out?”
She shook her head. “You did what you had to do. I can understand why Holt and Tobin are upset, because you’re their responsibility and you could’ve been hurt, or killed, but I understand your sense of responsibility, too.” She managed a small smile. “Although I would have tried my best to stop you, had I been in here.”
Boone walked to the doorway and looked out at the group of people surrounding the wounded man. “He’s gotta make it, Jo.”
“This isn’t on you, Boone. It’s on Golding. Only him.”
“Maybe. But too many people are getting hurt because of my mess.”
“You did everything the best you could, Boone. So did Tuck and Ryan, and Tobin and Holt. It’s always tempting to judge our decisions based on hindsight, but the fact is, all we know is the here and now, and we do the best we can with that.”
The EMTs had the man on a stretcher, an IV line in place. They efficiently rolled him to the door, radioing the hospital with his vitals and a description of his injury.
Agent Tobin approached Boone and Jolene. “He has a chance,” he said. “That’s all we know.”
Boone nodded. “I’m going to get out of these bloody clothes. Do you guys mind waiting out in the hall?”
Tobin squinted at him. “You don’t have any plans to try to give us the slip do you?”
“Why, ’cause you yelled at me?” Boone asked with a crooked smile. “Nah, I can take it. Just give me a few minutes.”
The men walked out and Boone went to a cabinet beside a row of lockers and took out a white box. “Don’t freak out on me, babe, but I might need you to help me get my shirt off.”
Jolene tilted her head, frowning when she realized the box he was carrying was a first-aid kit. “What’s wrong?”
“Not much, I don’t think, I just don’t want to give Tobin another reason to bust my chops.” He pulled his right arm through his sleeve, then turned to her. “Can you help me with this arm? I think a bullet creased my shoulder.”
Her eyes widened. “You mean the guy actually shot at you when you were out there? That’s your blood? I thought it was all from carrying the guard!”
“Most of it is. I really don’t think this is bad at all, but I want to make sure before we head out.” He started to pull on his sleeve but Jolene quickly took over, lifting the hem of his shirt up over his head and then gently easing it down his arm.
She realized she was holding her breath as she pulled the fabric away from his shoulder, only letting it out when she saw that he was right. It was just a crease. A deep one, but it was in the meat of his shoulder and would heal quickly.
She heard him exhale with relief. “Good. This is nothing. I was a little afraid it was worse and the pain just hadn’t kicked in yet.”
“I didn’t even notice that your sleeve was torn. I had no idea you were shot.” Jolene’s hands were trembling and this time she couldn’t hide it. He took them in his, his eyes gentle.
“I’m fine, Jo. It’s hardly more than a scratch.”
“But it could have been more,” she whispered. “Just give me a minute to try to get past that.”
He took her head in his hands and dropped his forehead to hers. “I’m fine,” he repeated.
She drew a shaky breath and nodded. “Just so you know, I’m not letting you out of my sight for the rest of the day. Not even for a second.”
She found a washcloth and gently cleaned the two inch furrow in his skin before applying antibacterial ointment and taping a thick layer of gauze over it. “That will do for now. I’ll reapply everything after you shower back at the hotel.”
“Thanks.” He rinsed the washcloth and used it to clean up the smears of blood that had transferred onto his chest and stomach through his shirt. “This is our little secret, okay? I don’t want anyone fussing over me, and I don’t want to give Coach any reason to re-think me playing.”
“Your pads are going to rub it,” Jolene warned.
He scoffed. “I’m a hockey player, Jo. Takes a lot more than a little bullet crease to get us off the ice.”
She helped him put on the clean shirt, then turned her back while he changed out of his pants. He stuffed his bloody clothes into a trash can and slammed the lid closed.
“Don’t want to wear those again,” he said. “Let’s go see if the guys can update us on what’s going on outside.”
The agents were talking in the hall, and they greeted Boone and Jolene with wide smiles. “Great news,” Holt said. “The shooter was taken in with no more shots fired, and Ethan Golding was arrested at his hotel.”
Boone froze, his grip on Jolene’s hand tightening. “You’re serious?” he asked. “Golding is in custody?”
“All four of today’s players are,” Tobin assured them. “And the three accomplices were all hired at the last minute and don’t seem to have any loyalty to Golding. They’re already giving up the goods on him. Combine attempted murder and the half dozen other charges he’ll face here with the extortion charges he was already facing, and his conviction should be a slam dunk.”
Boone turned to Jolene, his face showing both disbelief and relief. “Looks like the danger has passed then.” His eyes clouded again as he looked back at Tobin. “I assume the press is already here trying to get the scoop?”
“They’re trying, but our special agent in charge is trying to keep a lid on the details. He wants to give the agents in Texas a chance to start pulling people in before they get wind of what happened here. So far the police chief is cooperating, but I imagine things will start leaking in a day or so.”
“What are they telling the reporters?” Jolene asked.
“As far as I know, they’re just saying someone got through security, a couple of guards were wounded in the scuffle, and they’re working to get to the bottom of it. There was pretty much only arena staff here today, and they know how to keep their mouths shut when told to by management. And our SAC is talking to the team’s General Manager right now, to make sure that happens.”
Boone winced. “Ian’s going to be ticked that I didn’t tell him what’s going on myself.”
Holt shrugged. “Nothing you can do about that now.”
“I’m sure I’ll be hearing from him.”
Jolene’s opened her mouth to say that Ian should probably let it go until after the game tomorrow, but her phone rang before she could. She took it from her pocket, intending to ignore the call until she saw Tuck’s name on the screen. After showing it to Boone, she answered.
“Hey, Jolene. I need to talk to Boone, but he’s not answering his phone. Are you with him by any chance?”
“Yeah, he’s right here. Just a second.”
She handed the phone to Boone, but he shook his head. “Just put it on speaker.”
“I’m putting you on speaker, Tuck.”
“All right. You there, Boone?”
“Yeah, me, Jolene, and Agents Tobin and Holt. If you have an update, I want them all to hear it. We already know Golding and the three men he hired are in custody.”
“And I hear you were in the thick of it,” Tuck said drily.
“News travels fast. I guess you feds have eyes and ears everywhere,” Boone said, giving the two agents a sideways glance.
“We work as a team,” Tuck stated. “The only thing I have to add is that we’re in the process of getting a search warrant for Golding’s house down in Texas. With the new charges, it should be granted quickly. I would imagine we’ll find records of who he’s blackmailed.”
“So you think you’ve got everyone involved? I don’t need to worry about putting anyone else in danger?”
“We’re planning to arrest the Tamkins tomorrow morning. We haven’t found anything to indicate they were in on the blackmailing, though. Goldin
g apparently hatched that scheme by himself. Just be aware that with you and the oil CEO involved, as soon as the media gets a whiff, the story is going to get out fast. I don’t know how soon that’ll happen, but with you two being high profile, it’ll be unstoppable once it does.”
Boone rubbed his temples. “In other words, I need to get to Chicago to talk to my mom.”
Jolene watched him pensively. He’d known the talk with his mom was inevitable, but having it staring him right in the face now was a whole new kind of tough.
“How long do we have, Tuck?” she asked. “The reason I’m asking is because Boone has been cleared to play in tomorrow’s game, so going to Chicago then isn’t going to be possible. Will the following day be too late?”
“You’re playing tomorrow, Boone?” Tuck asked, his smile evident in his voice. “That’s great news. You’re coming back in the nick of time. But, man, I can’t even imagine how crazy your life is right now, with everything that’s going on.”
“Yeah, the highs and lows are kinda hard to keep up with. To tell you the truth, I’m not sure where my priorities should lie right now. Do I keep my commitment to play tomorrow, or should I drop everything and get to Mom as soon as possible?”
“From our end of it, my best guess is you should be fine waiting until day after tomorrow to head to Chicago. I can’t guarantee it won’t get out, but even when it does, the doctors are going to be the story right at first. I’m sure the press will start trying to dig up the names of the victims as soon as they can, but if we run interference, it should be a little bit until your name comes up. My best guess is two to three days. The bigger question is whether what happened there at the arena today can be contained.”
“We’re working on that,” Tobin interjected. “Our SAC is trying to keep a lid on it as long as possible.”
Boone sighed heavily. “I think the best thing to do is call my dad and tell him what’s going on. He already knows it’s coming, and he’s resigned himself to the inevitable. He’s also agreed to let me be the one to talk to Mom first. If I call and tell him to keep Mom away from the news until I can get there, I think we can buy the time I need, even if the story hits early.”
“That sounds like a good idea,” Tuck said. “It’s a lot to worry about, though. Think you’ll be able to get where you need to be mentally? Can you get your head in the game with everything else that’s going on?”
“When I’m on the ice it won’t be a problem,” Boone said. “I pretty much have a one track mind once the puck drops.”
“A good quality to have. I’d say go for it, then. Play the game tomorrow and go to your Mom’s the following day. I’ll keep you posted the rest of today, and all day tomorrow. You’ll know what’s developing as soon as I do.”
“I appreciate that, Tuck.”
“Thanks, Tuck,” Jolene added. “Tell the others I said hi and I miss them.”
“Will do, Jo. We miss you, too. Both of you. Speaking of which, if you get a chance, Boone, you might want to give Virgil and Kay a call, just to check in. Kay has a tendency to fret, I’m afraid.”
Boone winced. “I should have thought of that. I’ll call tonight.”
“That’d be good. I’ll talk to you guys soon.”
They said their goodbyes and Jolene hung up. “Things are coming together,” she said. “Some tough stuff ahead, but at least the dangerous part seems to be wrapped up.”
“Which means we might be able to get rid of these two,” Boone said, grinning at Holt and Tobin.
Holt looked stricken. “Not before the game tomorrow I hope!”
Boone chuckled. “You have my word, Holt, whether you’re still assigned to us or not, you’ll have a ticket to the game.”
The other man gave an exaggerated sigh, pressing his hand to his chest. “Okay, good. Don’t scare me like that again.”
Tobin rolled his eyes. “You all ready to head back to the hotel?”
“Ready,” Boone said, grabbing Jolene’s hand. The two men walked on ahead, and he dropped her hand and put his arm around her shoulders instead, pulling her against his side. “You want to stop and get something to eat on the way? Or should we do room service again?”
“Room service,” she said decisively. “I want you all to myself. I’m still a little freaked out by how close that bullet came to more vital parts. I just want to hit my knees and spend some time thanking the good Lord that you’re still here with me.”
He pushed his nose into her hair. “I like being here with you,” he muttered. “Especially now that Golding is in custody. I guess I can tick that worry off my list.”
“I’ll be glad when your worry list is completely empty,” Jolene said.
“How are your ribs feeling?”
Jolene raised her brows, a little surprised to realize she hadn’t even thought about them for the past couple hours. “I feel fine. If I think about them, they hurt some. But not bad.”
“So maybe you’re right about them just being bruised.”
“Seems that way.”
They reached the car and climbed in the back. As they drove to the hotel, Boone asked the men if they could call the hospital and check on the injured guard. Agent Holt promised to make the call and let them know what he found out.
CHAPTER 34
As soon as he closed the room door, Boone wrapped his arms carefully around Jolene and pulled her against him. She snuggled in, settling her cheek against his chest.
“I love hearing your heart beat,” she said contentedly. “Even more so after today.”
“I know going out there wasn’t the smartest thing to do, but it was instinct, you know? I didn’t think, I just reacted. When I saw that he was still alive, I had to do whatever I could to keep him that way.”
“I know. It scares me to death, but I understand.”
“Tobin hasn’t forgiven me yet,” Boone added. “Too bad he’s not a hockey fan. I can’t bribe my way back into his good graces with a ticket like I can Holt.”
“Holt was never mad at you,” Jolene stated. “He knew why you did it, because he would have done the same in your shoes. He’s a good guy, I can tell. Not that Tobin isn’t, he’s just a ‘by the book’ type who never colors outside the lines.”
“I hope and pray the guard makes it. I know a lot of the security guys at the arena, but I didn’t recognize him. He must be new. I wonder if he has a family. It would be awful if this was his first day on the job and this happened.”
“Don’t even go down that path, Boone. It’s not your fault.”
“Mm, maybe,” he said, noncommittally. He sighed and dropped a kiss on the top of her head. “What sounds good to eat?”
Glad for the change of subject, Jolene pulled away from the comfort of his arms and retrieved the menu from the desk. “You need to carb-load for tomorrow. How about the chicken broccoli pasta bowl?”
“Make it two of them,” he said. “And a basket of bread sticks.”
Jolene ordered their food, and while they waited, Boone called and talked to the Desmonds for a little while. He told them that Ethan Golding was in custody, so the danger that had been hanging over their heads was finally over. Of course Kay got excited about that, thinking it meant he and Jolene could return to the ranch. Then he had to break it to her that he was going to be rejoining the team and playing a game the following evening.
Next thing he knew, Kay was asking about the chances of getting tickets, and when he assured her that wouldn’t be a problem, she got online and started looking for flights. Jolene sat beside him on the couch, laughing at his dumbfounded expression. She herself wasn’t at all surprised by Kay’s impulsive plans, but then again, she’d known the woman for a long time.
“Tell her to text me their flight info, and I’ll pick them up at the airport,” she said.
Boone passed on the information and hung up soon after, shaking his head. “Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.”
“Are you okay with it? Too much, too soon?”
&n
bsp; He thought about it for a bit, then his lips curved slowly upward. “I kinda like the idea. If they want to get to know me, they need to see that part of my life.”
“The part when you really come alive,” Jolene said. “I can’t wait, Boone. I haven’t been to a game since you joined the team. Seeing you play live is gonna blow my mind.”
“Having you here blows mine,” he said quietly, his gaze intense. “And the way you handled everything that happened today blows it, too. You didn’t panic and cause a scene like ninety-nine percent of the women I know would have when we walked out that door and got shot at. You stayed calm and clear-headed, and I can’t begin to tell you how much I admire that.”
“I was terrified,” she admitted. “And I did almost lose it when I realized you’d been shot.”
“Grazed,” he said with a wry smile. “There’s a difference.”
She cupped her hand around the thick gauze. “How does it feel, by the way?”
“A little stiff is all. It’ll be fine. I’ve had cuts from skate blades that were a lot worse.”
A knock sounded and Boone got up to get their food from Agent Holt.
“Feeling a little hungry, Boone?” the man teased, carrying the heavy tray inside.
“Gotta get ready for the game, man.”
Holt put the tray on the table and folded his arms. “Okay, two things before I let you get to it. First, I just got off the phone with the hospital. They actually put me through to the guard’s wife. His name is Landon Dean, and he pulled through the surgery in pretty good shape. Some damage to his intestines, but no other organ damage. The wife said it’ll be a lengthy recovery because that kind of an injury causes sepsis and requires a temporary colostomy, but if he makes it through the night with no complications, he’s got a good chance of making a full recovery.”
Boone closed his eyes and Jolene knew he was offering up a prayer for the injured man. She walked over and wrapped her arms around his waist.
“That’s better news than I thought it might be, considering how bad he looked when I saw him,” she said. “What’s the second thing, Agent Holt?”
