Page 184 of Forgot to Tell You Something

I step back, my fingers fumbling as my nerves shoot into overdrive “Earl, you’re not supposed to be here. You know the rules.”

“I’m not in the mood to follow rules today. You took my wife and boy from me.”

“No, I didn’t. They left because you mistreated them.”

“Ain’t how I see it. How I see it,” he sneers, moving closer, “is that you took something from me, and now, I’m going to take something from you.”

Screw being nondescript. This man is out of his mind. “I need help here. Code gray, code gray!”

The words have no sooner left my mouth than his hand slides into his coat pocket, and I catch sight of the shiny muzzle of a gun. Time grinds to a halt as I stand, rooted to the spot, my flight mechanism disabled by the incomprehensible truth that this crazy son of a bitch is going to shoot me.

“Tally!” I hear Owen’s voice to my right, but I’m unable to move or even turn my head.

I’m shoved to the ground as the loudest crack I’ve ever heard whips through the air.

For a moment, I’m not sure if I’m dead or alive. My head is ringing, my vision blurred.

With a groan, I push myself to a sitting position and catch sight of the security team tackling Earl. Then my gaze—and heart—drops to Owen on the ground, blood oozing from his chest.

“Oh my God, I need help here!” I scream, pressing my hands against the wound as I try to staunch the flow of blood. “Owen, hang on, baby. Just hang on.”

His breathing turns ragged as the color drains from his face, while I frantically try to control the red life leeching from his body. “Tally…” he mumbles, his face contorted in pain.

“I’m here, Owen. I’m here. You’re going to be okay.”

No sooner have the words left my mouth than I’m surrounded by a team of medical staff, pulling me away from the man I love.

No chance in hell of that happening. As soon as they load Owen onto the stretcher, I push to his side, clutching his hand in mine. He’s so pale, his breathing so shallow.

And the blood. There’s so much blood.

I have to dig deep. “I never answered you. I want to get married, Owen, as soon as we can. I want to be Mrs. Stevens. I don’t want to wait another day. I love you.” I press kisses to his hand and arm, feeling the slightest squeeze in response before I’m pulled back by a nurse.

“Sweetie, they have to get him into surgery. Let’s get you looked at.”

“I’m fine,” I wail, watching the stretcher disappear into the operating suite, while I’m stuck on the other side of the glass. “I need to be with Owen.”

“They’re doing everything they can. You’re pregnant. We have to make certain the baby is okay.”

“But Owen—”

“Would want to know that you and the baby are safe.”

She’s right. As a nurse, I know she’s right. But I’m not a nurse in this moment. I’m a terrified spouse, uncertain of my fiancée’s outcome.

She leads me to a wheelchair, headed for the emergency department. I hate moving away from the operating suite door, but Owen would want me to ensure our baby is okay. I turn in the seat, grasping her hand. “I need to call his mother. Please.”

“Let’s get you to the ED and then I’ll call her.”

I’m not in the emergency bay for two minutes when Dr. Jessop bounds into the area, pulling me against him, seemingly indifferent about the blood now covering his designer shirt. “I just heard.”

“I have to call his mother,” I howl, as the nurse hands me a washbasin and a clean set of scrubs.

“She’s on her way. Mr. Auerback sent a car to fetch her from the airport. Thankfully, she had just boarded.”

“He’s going to be okay, right? He needs to be okay, Ken. I can’t survive without him.”

He grasps my shoulders, his dark eyes solemn. “If any man has a reason to live, it’s Owen. He’s lost a lot of blood, but he’s young and healthy. He’s in excellent hands, Lu. We need to stay positive.”

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