Page 89 of Searching for Valor

thirty-one

Izzy knew mostof the blood on Rylan wasn’t his. Ash had assured her that Connelly Davis had checked him over, and other than some new bruises and a gash in his head, he was unharmed.

But the sight of all the blood soaked into his clothes made her heart stop. He sat motionless between Zak and Anna.

Everyone else was there, too, even though the animal hospital’s cozy waiting room wasn’t big enough for them all—well, everyone except for Ash and Donovan. Izzy knew Ash was out looking for the black SUV and assumed Donovan was back in the surgical suite supporting his wife as she worked on saving Valor. Sawyer sat with his fiancee, park ranger Lucy Harper. Zelda lay on the floor between them with her head resting on Sawyer’s foot, her big chocolate brown eyes sad. Veronica and Connelly stood with Pierce and Rhiannon, and Rhiannon kept shooting worried looks at her brother. Ellie and her lawyer fiance, Cal Holden, sat with Shane and Alexis. Like Rhiannon, Shane was keeping a close eye on Rylan as if they both expected him to shatter at any moment.

“Sasha’s the best,” Anna was saying softly when Izzy arrived, but Rylan didn’t seem to hear it. His gaze was fixed on thedoor that led back to the surgical suite as if he could will Valor to survive through the layers of the wall separating them. His wavy, tousled hair was matted with sweat, and the gash on his forehead stood out in stark contrast to his pale skin.

Izzy dropped to her knees in front of him and took his hand in hers. His fingers were freezing. “Rylan.”

His eyes were wet and bloodshot as they met hers, the hazel depths filled with a tumultuous mix of relief, worry, and simmering anger. “Those bastards shot him.”

“I know. Ash told me. He has every deputy in the county out looking for them.”

Rylan’s gaze shifted back to the door. “I-I can’t lose him. I can’t.”

“You won’t,” Zak said and pushed to his feet to pace. Anger radiated from him in waves. “And as soon as we know Valor’s patched up, we’re tracking down those pieces of shit and making them pay.”

Anna stood to block her husband’s path. She didn’t say anything. Just wrapped her arms around him and held him. After a tense moment, he exhaled in a shaky rush and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her red hair.

Watching Zak, usually so tough and unyielding, crumble like this reminded Izzy of how fragile they all were beneath the surface. They were all tough on the outside, but inside, they were frayed, worn thin by war.

A lump formed in her throat as she glanced back at Rylan, who remained fixated on that door, his breathing uneven. She couldn’t do anything about those demons, but she could offer him her strength.

“Rylan,” she whispered again, squeezing his cold hand tighter as she moved to sit beside him. “Look at me.”

His gaze slowly shifted to her, his eyes haunted. She could see the struggle in him, the battle between hope and despair.

“He’s going to make it,” she said firmly and hoped it was true.

His jaw clenched, a muscle ticking in his cheek. “I couldn’t get out of the fucking seat because of this.” He all but snarled at his prosthetic arm. “He was protecting me, and I couldn’t help him.”

“Don’t do this to yourself,” she urged, her free hand moving to cup his face. “This isn’t your fault. Valor’s strong. He’s a fighter just like you. He’s going to pull through this.”

Before he could respond, the door to the surgical suite creaked open, and they both shot to their feet. Sasha stepped through. Her dark hair was pulled back into a messy ponytail, and exhaustion lined her eyes. Donovan trailed her, looking just as fatigued as his wife.

“He’s stable,” Sasha said, and a collective sigh of relief rippled through the group. “But the damage to his leg was too extensive. If I’d tried to save it, it would’ve caused him a lot of pain, so I opted to remove it.”

Rylan’s breath hitched, his hand tightening on Izzy’s as his body sagged forward. Zak cursed softly, running his hand over his face. As the only two amputees in the room, they intimately knew what it was like to lose a limb.

“He’s a SAR dog,” Anna said, and Rylan’s head whipped toward her in obvious surprise. Apparently, he hadn’t known that about his new best friend.

“He lives for the search,” Anna continued. “Will he still be able to work?”

Sasha inclined her head. It wasn’t quite a nod, but it wasn’t a no, either. “Dogs do well on three legs, but because it’s his front leg, he might struggle on rougher terrains. Once he’s healed, we can look into prosthetic options. They’ve come a long way in recent years. If he wants to work, he’ll be able to.”

“Can I see him?” Rylan asked, his voice raw.

Sasha nodded. “Only for a moment. He’s still coming out of anesthesia, but I know it’ll help to have you there.” She looked at the rest of the group and winced. “Sorry, guys. The recovery room isn’t really big enough for more than Rylan and me.”

Rylan hesitated, glancing over at Izzy, and she squeezed his hand. “It’s okay. Go. Be with your dog. I’ll be right here when you get back.” She reluctantly let him go, watching as Sasha led him into the recovery room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Zak turned to the group— andtherewas the black ops soldier he used to be. He looked ready for war. “Command center. Now. We’re finding these fuckers.”

Izzy wasn’t sure if Zak meant for her to join or not, so she stayed put. Besides, she promised Rylan she’d be here waiting for him when he returned. And then she was alone in the once-crowded room. She pulled out her phone to call her parents and let them know what was going on, but the thing rang in her hand before she could dial.

Mateo.

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