Page 56 of Elliot

“I can’t do that right now, but I’ll find out.” Con seemed pissed.

Rob came back. “The gun was recovered, and they’re running the serial numbers for the registered owner.”

“They are, as in NYPD, or we are?” Elliot wanted the shit done now.

“We are.”

Silas whistled from near the ambulance. “They’re ready to roll.”

Elliot nodded and headed toward the ambulance. He got up in the back, but one of the medics stopped him. “Dude, you can’t ride back here.”

Elliot turned and glared at the man. “And you can’t unass me from this seat, so get up front and get this bus moving.”

The medic muttered something about cops and shut the doors. The woman who tried to treat him chuckled. “He’s new. He’ll learn.”

Elliot took Maya’s hand in his and stared down at her. Nothing would make him leave her until he knew she was okay. Absolutely fucking nothing.

Except for thebossiest fucking ER nurse on the face of the earth. “Sir, you can’t go in there, and if you do, you’re going to risk her health. We need our full attention on her. Sit down, and someone will come out as soon as we know anything.”

“I’m her protective detail.” Elliot moved forward, and the five-foot-nothing nurse stepped in front of him. “Now, we are. This area is secure, and no one is getting in unless we buzz them back.” She looked at another nurse. “Carol, get this guy into a room and get that shoulder looked at.”

“I’m fine,” Elliot snapped at the woman.

“Yes, sure you are. I’m more concerned about my hospital. I don’t need you bloody and filthy out here. Let her clean you up, and I promise I’ll come out personally and let you know what’s going on. The doctors will want tests run. I’ll let you know as soon as I can. Now, please, get yourself cleaned up.”

The woman turned and left him there with the other nurse. “Wendy is pretty intense, but she’s right. You should get this cleaned up. I’ll see if I can find a scrub shirt that will fit you. All this blood on your shirt makes you look like you were in a turf war.”

Elliot stared at the shut doors and barely heard the woman. “Dude, get yourself looked at. I have the camera system, and I can see her exam room. She’s got all kinds of people in there taking care of her,” Con said in his ear.

He blinked and looked down at the nurse. “All right.”

“I’ve got the NYPD Commissioner’s office on the line. Hold on a second,” Con added as Elliot walked to a small cubby with a curtain that could be pulled back for privacy. He took off the shirt, the fabric that had stuck to his wound pulled away, and blood began to flow again. The nurse worked to clean up the wound and stop the bleeding. “That should do it until a doctor comes in to see you. I don’t know how long it will be. We’re slammed.”

“I’ve got it,” Driscol Stapleton said as he walked in. “Elliot, it’s been a long time.”

Elliot extended his hand. “Driscol. Do you have any updates on Maya?”

“She just came in. I have our best neurologist coming down to take a look at her. I called in a personal favor.”

“Thank you for that.”

Driscol hummed his acknowledgment as he lifted the gauze pad on Elliot’s shoulder. “This will be fine with some butterfly bandages. Stitches won’t do much for you. This is another scar to add to your collection.”

Elliot chuckled. “What’s one more?”

“Right?” Driscol moved over to the side of the room and pulled out several packets. “The angle of the shot is strange. It is almost like someone was shooting straight down at you.”

Elliot played the events back. He shot and then dove into the cement to reach for Maya. The pain of landing on his arms and the sting of his shoulder he assumed was from the jarring landing, but …

“Con, the shooter was on the rooftop of the building across the street,” Elliot said and waited for a response. “Shit, he’s on a call.”

Driscol was staring at him. “Did you hit your head? You don’t have your phone.”

Elliot lifted an eyebrow, turned his head, and pointed to the small bud in his ear. “Communications.”

“Dang. That’s pretty cool.” Driscol continued to work on his shoulder. “Who was shooting at you?”

“Damned if I know. I thought all the threats were identified.” Which was the truth. They’d solved the bomb threat, and the shooters at the event were neutralized, or so they suspected. Jessica was obviously the threat who’d been terrorizing Maya—though the why of it was still unknown. Also unknown was how Jessica had a small band of armed miscreants with her. But he’d get answers from that NYPD undercover cop, or so he hoped.

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