Page 21 of Rami

He stared at her face, so similar to that of the woman who’d stormed his office he could almost fool himself into believing that they were the same person. And yet, they were so different. He had no doubt he could tell them apart if they were standing side by side. Maybe he wouldn’t say that if Ivy weren’t in such bad shape, but the way she looked at him, the energy around her—she tethered his attention in a way Gigi hadn’t.

The van door opened, and August climbed in. “Room118. Last one at the end.”

Taschen drove the short distance across the parking lot. August got out first, grabbed his medical bag, and went to the door of the motel room. Rami scooped Ivy into his arms and pulled her against his chest. She didn’t move.

Taschen opened the back door and glanced around the dark, quiet parking lot. “Move. I’ll get the gear.”

Rami slid out the back of the van and hustled to the motel room. Despite the fact they’d just rescued the woman, carrying her unconscious body made his face heat with unease. August swung the door shut behind him and Rami made his way to the room’s only bed.

“One bed?” he asked, as he lowered Ivy onto the comforter.

“I got adjoining rooms. The other one has two.” August went to the door that connected the units and opened it.

Rami nodded. “’Kay. You gonna try for that IV?”

Taschen entered and August instructed him to take their bags to the other room.

“Yup. One of you needs to go to a store. She’s gonna need clean clothes, toiletries, shit like that.”

Rami stared down at Ivy’s sleeping face. Her eyelashes were so dark against her pale cheeks. Her breath was shallow. “Taschen can go.”

No way Rami was leaving. He wasn’t going to examine the reasons behind the adamant refusal, but every muscle in his body vowed to keep him rooted to her side until she pulled through.

“Okayyy,” August said, dragging out the word.

“Just get the shit.” Rami waved his hand, pulled up a chair next to the bed, and sat.

“She doing all right?” Taschen asked from the doorway to the other room.

“Yup. But you gotta go to the store. She needs clothes and stuff.”

Taschen’s tired gaze raked over Ivy. He opened his mouth as if about to complain then went to the hotel room door and shoved on his shoes. “There’s a Walmart down the road. Text me a list.”

Rami pulled out his phone and typed out everything Ivy would need, including clothes, shoes, and a toothbrush. He also added water and snack items to the list.

August set up the IV drip, hanging the bag off the sconce lamp that stuck out above the nightstand. He picked up Ivy’s right hand and cleaned her skin with an alcohol wipe.

Rami leaned forward in his chair, watching August’s every move. “Do you think her veins will hold the IV?”

August rolled in his lips as he wrapped an elastic band around Ivy’s biceps. “Hard to say. If it doesn’t work, we’re going to have to pivot.” He locked his gaze on Rami’s face. “Which means taking her to a hospital.”

Rami snorted. “If it was safe, we—”

“It’s that or she dies, bro.”

Rami nodded. “Do your best. We got her out, no way we’re going to let her die.”

Seemingly satisfied with that answer, August plunged the needle into her skin. He taped the tubing to her hand then removed the needle. “Catheter’s in.”

Relief reinvigorated Rami’s fatigued muscles. “Yeah?”

August shrugged. “We’ll keep a close eye, but so far so good. Now she just needs sleep.”

“How long before we can get on the road again?” They had a long fucking drive ahead of them. If Ivy were stable, he’d get on a plane with her and let the guys take the van back to Seattle, but there was no way they’d get through security with her looking like a poster child for Say No to Drugs.

August stood. “Depends. I’d say we’re stuck here for today.”

Rami cursed. It was a long time to stay still with the cartel after them. But there was nothing they could do but wait and hope she came around.

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