Page 101 of Under Fire

He wrapped his arm around her and drew her close. “Still cold?”

Delilah shook her head. “The blanket did the trick.”

The nurse walked into the waiting room. “Mr. Holloway is in surgery. The doctor will update you when the surgery is complete.”

Or if Randy died on the operating table. “Thanks for checking.”

“We’re likely to be here a while.” Matt patted his shoulder. “Rest for a few minutes.”

“After I let Zach and the others know about Randy.” She sent a text to her brother and cousins, then slid her phone away and leaned her head against Matt’s shoulder. “I don’t know if any of them will show up.”

“All you can do is give them information. What they do with it is on them.” He pressed a soft kiss to her temple. “Sleep if you can.”

“I should be offering you my shoulder. You’re the one who was up all night.”

He chuckled. “I’ll take you up on that offer after we’re married.”

With a smile on her face, Delilah closed her eyes and relaxed against the love of her life. She woke with a start sometime later when Matt rubbed her arm and said her name. “What?”

“The surgeon is here.”

Delilah sat up to see a man dressed in scrubs waiting nearby. She and Matt stood. “I’m Randy’s stepdaughter, Delilah Frost.”

“Dr. Rosenthal. I’m sorry, Ms. Frost. We did everything we could, but Mr. Holloway didn’t survive the surgery.”

Matt slid his arm around her waist.

“Do you know if he had other family who should be notified?”

“I never heard him mention anyone, but I know who probably does. We’ll make sure his relatives are notified.”

“Give the nurse at the desk information about what should be done with Mr. Holloway’s remains. Again, I’m sorry for your loss.”

As the surgeon hurried away, Delilah turned to bury her face against Matt’s chest, reveling in the security of his embrace. Would the danger and fallout never stop? Worse, she felt guilty because she was grateful Randy was gone and Matt was still alive and well.

“Dee.” Zach ran into the waiting room. “What’s happening? How is Randy?”

“The doctor just left. Randy’s gone. There was too much damage from the bullet.”

Delilah’s brother ran his hands through his hair, leaving the strands mussed. “I don’t understand. How could this happen? You’re a medic, Rainer. Didn’t you try to help him?”

“I did everything I could. The bullet did a lot of damage and your stepfather lost too much blood. Within two minutes of the shot, Holloway no longer had a pulse. I performed CPR until the EMTs arrived. The medical personnel did their best. Sometimes, it’s just not enough no matter how good you are and how fast the victim receives medical help. This is one of those times. I’m sorry, Zach.”

“It’s not right. Randy didn’t deserve to die. He wasn’t shot by accident?”

Matt shook his head. “The bullet was fired from a rifle with a laser. The red dot never moved from your stepfather. This time, Delilah wasn’t the target. Randy was.”

“Why? He was harmless.” Zach swallowed hard. “Do you think Joey Petrelli was behind this?”

“It’s possible. When is your deadline to repay the money?”

“Tomorrow at noon.”

“Chances are it wasn’t your bookie. He’d wait to the deadline before making his point by harming your family members.” Matt tilted his head. “Unless there’s something else you’re not telling us, something that will shed light on this whole mess.”

“There’s nothing.” As he spoke, Zach’s gaze darted down and to the left.

Delilah recognized the tell from childhood. Her brother was lying. “Yes, there is, Zach. Spill it.”

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