Page 62 of Cat and Mouse

Just when I think it's over, a familiar voice cuts through the chaos. "Can't I just turn my head before you get into trouble?"

I look up, and there's Leo, casually leaning against the doorframe like he didn't just show up out of nowhere.

"What the hell are you doing here?" I shout, trying to push myself up, but the pain is too much.

"Frankly, I don't care about anything else. I'm here for you," he says, stepping further into the room, surveying the scene.

I shake my head, desperation clawing at me. "My friends! The officers are in the other room! We need to—"

He cuts me off. "I don't care about them. I'm not letting you bleed out on this floor."

"Leo, please!" I beg, my voice strained. "I need to go to the hospital!"

He pauses, and I see the conflict in his eyes. "I've got a doctor. You don't need a hospital."

I try to pull myself up again, but it's no use. "I can't take any help from you. They'll suspect me. They'll know I—"

"Fuck," he says, running a hand through his hair, clearly frustrated. "I'll drop you off at the hospital, but you have to leave there alive, okay?"

I nod, tears stinging my eyes. "Okay."

He kneels down beside me, a hand cupping my cheek, and I see the determination in his gaze.

"It's just one bullet, Liz. You can survive this."

"Are you sure?" I ask, panic creeping in again.

He smiles, but I know it's just to make me feel better. "Of course. You're tougher than you look."

I manage a small laugh despite the pain. "Right."

"Now, let's get you out of here," he says, lifting me effortlessly into his arms.

As we make our way out, gunfire erupts again, but Leo doesn't hesitate. He moves fast, his grip on me firm and unyielding.

"Hold on tight," he murmurs, and I can hear the urgency in his voice.

I bury my face in his neck, inhaling his scent. "You better not drop me," I joke weakly, but it's half-hearted.

"Trust me, I won't," he says, and I believe him.

***

I blink awake, disoriented, the sterile smell of antiseptic flooding my senses. It takes a moment for the memory to hit me—gunfire, chaos, pain. My leg throbs, and I look down to see it bandaged up tight. Great. Just fucking great.

"Kane!" Captain Harris strides into the room, his face serious. "I've been trying to reach you."

"I've been trying to reach you, too!" I say, trying to sit up, but the pain shoots through my leg like lightning. "What the hell happened? We were ambushed!"

Harris pulls a chair closer and sits down, his brow furrowed. "Yeah, I heard. But you're okay now. Someone called 911 and got you out of there. The others, too. They're okay. Fuck Elizabeth. I would have never sent you there if I had known."

My stomach twists, and I already know who called for backup.

Leonardo. Of course.

"I don't know how I managed to get out," I say, avoiding his gaze. "I think I blacked out."

"Lucky for you," he replies, studying me. "What about Mike and Matteo? How did you guys end up separated? The officers at the station are so worried about you."

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