Page 74 of Force At Third

“Twenty-five-year-old male, head injury.”

“I’m fine. Take care of Gwen. Fucking take care of Gwen!” Roman’s voice breaks.

I run to the back of the bus and see her beaten, broken, and bloody.

“Tell me he’s in custody!” I roar. “Tell me that motherfucker is in custody!”

“Marks has him,” Rome answers.

“I’m going with her.”

When I try to step into the elevator, a nurse tells me, “You’ll have to wait.”

“I’m her fiancé.”

“Take the next elevator to the fourth floor.”

The doors shut, and I turn to find the fucking stairs.

“Locke, you good?” Cyrus Steel is standing there, hands covered in blood.

I shake my head, and then I hear, “Roman Hart, I’m Officer Jones. Can you tell me what happened?”

“Fucking sure can. William Center is a violent, vile man who was just paroled from prison in California, and he came here to kill his daughters. He mistook Gwen York as Cecilia Shaw, shot her, and was trying to drown her when I found them. Cyrus Steel can give you more information. But William Center did this. Get in touch with his parole officer.”

“Hart was out cold, and they’re?—”

Cyrus clamps a hand on my shoulder. “Get to the fourth floor, kid. Your fiancée?”

“She will be.”

***

As soon as I step out of the stairwell, I see Jase Steel standing at the nurse’s station and hear, “Fiancé, Leland Locke.”

“Once she’s stable, we’ll let him in, but he can’t get in our way.”

“You’ll hardly know he’s there,” Jase assures her as I step to his side.

“Where was she shot?” I ask the tall, gray-haired woman.

“Luckily, in the arm. The bullet is still inside. We’ll attempt to remove it.” She pats my hand. “Can we ask you some questions?”

“Yeah, of course.”

“Her full name and birthday?”

My eyes heat up. “Gwendolyn Rose York, but she hates that. Gwen, she likes Gwen. She’ll be thirty-five on August seventeenth, and my wife before then. She’s got that rare blood type, O-negative.”

“Congratulations, Mr. Locke.”

I nod.

“Any allergies?”

“Fuck.” I shake my head. “Strawberries, but?—”

“We’re more concerned with latex and medications.”

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