Page 42 of Searching for Valor

Then she forgot all about the cold when she saw the front door open a crack.

“Really don’t fucking like this,” Zak said and drew a gun from under his coat. “Do you have a weapon?”

She shook her head. “I-I didn’t think?—”

“Get behind me.”

She’d known Zak was a soldier—save for Ellie Summers, all of the men and women of Redwood Coast Rescue were former military. But she had never really seen the soldier in sarcastic, laid-back Zak until now. He moved with precision and purpose,his stance low and controlled as he approached the door. Despite the slight limp from his prosthetic leg, there was no mistaking the lethal training that guided his every move.

Izzy followed close behind, letting him take the lead even though she wanted to burst through the door and turn the place upside-down until she found Rylan.

The knot in her stomach tightened with every step.

Zak paused at the threshold, his free hand hovering over the door handle. “Rylan! It’s Zak. I’m here with Izzy. We’re coming in.”

Silence.

With a quick glance back at her, he pushed the door open, the hinges creaking in protest.

“Rylan?” he called again.

No response.

They stepped inside and were immediately assaulted by the stench of stale alcohol and vomit. Izzy’s stomach turned as she took in the scene—empty bottles littering the floor, broken glass crunching under their feet. Rylan’s prosthetic arm lay in the middle of the floor like he’d taken it off and just let it drop. And he was…

Oh God, Rylan.

He was slumped on the couch, his skin pale and clammy, his eyes half-lidded and unfocused. Or at least one eye was. His other was swollen almost shut. A bourbon bottle lay on its side on the couch beside him, its contents soaking into the upholstery.

She rushed to his side and dropped to her knees beside the couch. “Rylan? Can you hear me?”

He muttered something unintelligible, his head lolling to the side. The sharp scent of alcohol on his breath made her eyes water.

“Jesus,” Zak said on a harsh exhale and holstered his gun. He paced a few feet away and braced his hands on his knees like he was about to throw up himself, then he straightened, and there was no mistaking the fury in his eyes. “I thought he was taken or fucking dead, and he was just here on a fucking bender.” He swiped at one of the bottles, sending it flying to shatter against the wall.

“Hey,” Izzy snapped. “You, of all people, should know that getting angry at him won’t help.”

Zak’s jaw clenched, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides like he still wanted to hit something. For a moment, Izzy thought he might argue, but then his shoulders sagged.

“You’re right. I just… fuck.” He groaned and shook his head. “I should’ve seen this coming. How did I not see this coming?”

“You can beat yourself up about it later. Right now, he needs to get this shit out of his system.” She wedged a shoulder under Rylan’s, but he was too heavy for her to move on her own. “Help me get him into the shower. We need to make him throw up.”

“Looks like he already—” When Zak broke off, she glanced over at him. He stood at the end of the couch, staring down at something on the floor. She followed his gaze as he nudged the mostly empty pill bottle with his boot. Slowly, he bent and picked it up. “Ambien. Who the fuck would prescribe him this?”

Izzy’s heart seized in her chest. Ambien. Mixed with alcohol, it could be lethal. How many had he taken? How long ago? They had to get him to a hospitalnow.

“Call 911,” she ordered, voice shaking, but Zak already had the phone pressed to his ear.

“Yeah, I need an ambulance at 4782 Sherwood Drive. Possible overdose. Alcohol and sleeping pills...”

Izzy turned back to Rylan, her fingers trembling as she checked his pulse. It was thready and weak, but there. “God, Zak. He’s covered in bruises.”

Zak glanced back at her as he headed toward the door, the phone still to his ear. He studied Rylan, then said to the 911 operator, “Potential head trauma, too. It looks like he fell. Yeah, someone’s with him. I’m headed outside to flag the ambulance in. The driveway’s hard to see…”

Zak’s voice faded as he strode out onto the porch, and she returned her attention to Rylan. His eyelids fluttered, and he mumbled something she couldn’t make out. She smoothed his damp hair back from his forehead.

“Stay with me, Ry. Help is coming. Just hold on. Don’t do this. Don’t you dare do this to me.”

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