Chapter 53
-Logan-
The gunshot rattled my teeth.
Everything slowed down as I saw Hailey jerk back. She fell to her knees, and I was moving before I fully registered what happened.
I caught her before she hit the floor. Blood seeped through her shirt, staining my hands as I cradled her against my chest.
“Hailey!” I shouted, raw and desperate. Her eyes fluttered, unfocused, and her breath came in shallow gasps. “Stay with me, Ace. Don’t you fucking dare leave me.”
Chaos broke out around us – shouting, movement. I couldn’t focus on anything. I vaguely heard Scarlett call
- 911.
I pressed my hand to Hailey’s shoulder, trying to stem the bleeding. Her blood was hot. I felt like the world was falling out from under me.
“Logan,” she whispered. I barely heard her. Her lids were heavy, and I shook her gently, refusing to let her go unconscious.
“I’m right here,” I said. My voice broke. “You’re gonna be okay. You hear me? You’re gonna be fine.” I wasn’t sure if I was saying it more for her or me.
When I finally glanced away from her, I saw some pantsuit pointing her pistol at Becker.
Half a dozen officers flanked her, their guns drawn but lowered.
“Detective Becker,” she said, her voice cold and commanding. “You’re under arrest.”
Becker was already frozen in place. His eyes were wide. Like he didn’t mean to pull the trigger.
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His face went pale as he took in the woman’s presence, and for the first time, I saw fear in him.
“On what charges?” Becker demanded, his voice shaky.
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“Obstruction of justice, evidence tampering, misuse of authority, and apparently… attempted murder,” she replied, stepping toward him. “And that’s just the start. Drop the weapon, Becker. Now.”
Becker’s jaw flexed, his grip tightening on the gun for a second before he lowered it slowly. Two officers moved in, grabbing his arms and wrenching the gun from his hand.
The woman cuffed him rough. He didn’t resist.
Then she turned to me as two officers dragged Becker toward the door. “I’m Captain Eleanor Reeves…” Her gaze flicked to Hailey. “Is she alive?”
“Yes,” I snapped, my voice shaking with rage and fear. “She needs an ambulance. Now.”
Reeves nodded, talking into her radio as she took control of the scene. Officers started rounding up Becker’s
men.
I turned my attention back to Hailey, brushing her hair out of her face. She was pale, and her breathing was shallow, but she was still conscious.
“Logan,” she murmured again, her voice weak.
“I’m here,” I repeated, leaning closer. “You’re gonna be fine, Ace. Just hold on.”
The sound of sirens grew louder in the distance, and relief hit me. But it didn’t get rid of the fear. I couldn’t lose her. Not like this.
Not ever.
Reeves appeared again. “An ambulance is on its way. Becker’s done. He won’t hurt anyone else… I’m sorry I didn’t get here sooner.”
Chapter 33
I nodded. Didn’t think I could say anything without yelling.
My hands were still pressed against Hailey’s shoulder. Her blood was seeping through my fingers. She winced as I shifted her, trying to keep her confortable.
“You’re so stupid.” I muttered, trying to keep my voice even: “Jumping in front of me like that. What the hell were you thinking?”
Hailey gave me a weak smile, her eyes half open “Couldn’t… let him hurt you,” she whispered.
I swallowed hard. It felt like my heart was in my throat. “You’re the most reckless, stubborn, insane woman I’ve ever met.” I said, my voice breaking.
Her smile faded as her eyes closed, and I shook her gently, desperate to keep her awake. “Stay with me, Hailey. Stay with me.”
The ambulance blared up to the door, and I lifted her carefully as paramedics rushed in. They took her from my arms, and I felt hollow without her weight against me.
I trailed behind them, dazed, stained with her blood.
“You riding with?” one of them asked as they loaded Hailey into the ambulance.
My jaw clenched so hard it hurt. What a ridiculous question. “The hell else would I be doing?”
The guy nodded, unfazed. Gestured for me to climb in. I didn’t need to be told twice. I sank onto the bench next to Hailey’s stretcher.
Her eyes were closed. Her face was as white as the sheets under her. Her chest was rising and falling in shallow breaths that didn’t feel like enough.
The paramedic strapped an oxygen mask to her face as the ambulance pulled out of the lot. “Her vitals are stable for now,” he muttered mostly to himself.
He pressed more gauze against her wound and blood seeped through almost immediately. He frowned, putting more pressure on it.
He was murmuring under his breath, but I caught something about an artery.
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Chapter 53
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us vouchers.
My stomach dropped. “You said it hit an artery? What does that mean?” Yeah, I knew. But I needed to hear it.
He glanced up at me. “Means we need to get her there fast. She’s losing too much blood.”
Fuck. My knee was bouncing. My fingers twitched with the urge to do something… but there was nothing I could do. I felt useless, sitting there with her blood drying on my hands and my heart pounding against my ribs.
The paramedic dragged me out of my head. “You know her medical history? Allergies? Medications?”
I froze. My mouth opened, but I didn’t know what to say. The truth hit me like a punch to the gut.
I didn’t know. I didn’t know if she had allergies. I didn’t know if she was on any meds. Hell, I didn’t even know if she’d ever been in a hospital before.
“I… I don’t know,” I admitted.
He nodded. “What’s your relationship to her?”
My chest went tight. “I… I don’t know. She’s been with me for about a week.”
I stared down at Hailey. Her face was swallowed by the oxygen mask. A week. That’s all. One week since she set up camp in the middle of my life and turned everything upside down.
In that short time… she had become everything to me.
But I didn’t know her. Not really.
The ambulance lurched as it swung into the hospital driveway. The siren was blaring. I held Hailey’s hand, careful not to mess up the IV. Her fingers were so cold.
“You’re gonna be okay,” I whispered, more to myself than anything. “You have to be.”
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Chapter 53
“Almost there,” the paramedic said. “Just hang on.”
I didn’t know if he was talking to her or to me.
:
We screeched to a halt outside the ER doors and they rushed her inside. I followed close.
A nurse intercepted me at the door, her hand on my chest. “Sir, you’ll need to wait here.”
I stared daggers at her. “I’m not leavin‘ her.”
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“We need to stabilize her,” she said gently. “You’ll get in the way. Wait here… we’ll update you as soon as we can.”
It took everything in me not to shove her out of my way. But I knew she was right. I’d just slow things down.
I nodded and stepped back. The nurse disappeared through the doors, leaving me standing there in the hallway.
I leaned against the wall, sliding down until I hit the floor.
Stared down at my bloody hands.
Sara Lili is a daring romance writer who turns icy landscapes into scenes of fiery passion. She loves crafting hot love stories while embracing the chill of Iceland’s breathtaking cold.
