Page 77 of Fast Kill

Dimly she heard the other men moving around them. Some of them spoke to Logan and he answered without easing the pressure of his arms around her. Gradually the numb fog began to lift. It was almost worse.

The moment of pulling the trigger was clear and sharp in her mind. Cruel in its vividness. And so was the picture of Dillon’s face in her mind as he choked on his own blood, his eyes accusing. Devastated.

And afraid.

She swallowed hard as her stomach rolled. She swallowed again, gagged.

Shoving at Logan’s shoulders, she wrenched to the side just in time to retch onto the grass beside them. She kept throwing up until her stomach was empty, until there was nothing, not even bile. Her throat burned. Her face was slick with sweat and she was clammy all over.

When Logan tried to pull her back to him she pushed away weakly. He ignored her and scooped her up in his arms, handing her back her glasses he must have found on the grass. “I’ve got you, sweetheart. Just lean on me.”

Empty inside, she didn’t bother fighting and curled into his hold, resting her head on his wide chest. She kept her eyes closed, terrified of seeing Dillon’s body, those dark staring eyes.

Logan’s gait was unsteady as he walked, his limp more pronounced now that he was carrying her. Or maybe because he’d injured it during the fight with Dillon.

Her face scrunched. Wishing she could vanish into Logan so no one else could see her, she pressed her face tight to his neck and let the tears fall.

Chapter Twenty-Two

Logan’s heart was in his throat as he carried Taylor away from Wainright’s body. He didn’t want her to ever see that traitorous bastard again but his damn knee hurt so bad he wouldn’t be able to carry her much farther.

“Zaid,” he called out.

The team medic rushed over, already opening his pack. “Set her down.” He pulled on some gloves as Logan eased her onto the grass and knelt behind her on his good knee, bolstering her with his body.

She shook her head and tried to turn back into him, and much as it killed Logan not to gather her to his chest right now, he needed to make sure she was truly okay.

“You’re bleeding,” Zaid said to him, nodding at his arm.

“Yeah. Not too deep though.” Stung like a mother. The sleeve of his uniform was already soaked through, but the wound wasn’t too serious. Wainright had gone for his throat and kidneys, so it would have been much worse if Logan hadn’t moved fast enough to block him.

He smoothed a hand over Taylor’s rumpled hair. It broke his heart to see her like this, traumatized, completely vulnerable.

He hated that she’d had to be the one to take the shots, but damn, he was so fucking proud of her too. Couldn’t believe her accuracy and resolve when she’d been facing down the man who’d been like a big brother to her for so long. God, he just wanted to hold her, take her away from all this and make it better somehow. But he couldn’t make this better. No one could.

Zaid began assessing her, his touch gentle and matter-of-fact. She wasn’t shaking anymore. He almost wished she would. Now she seemed to be too still. Like she was turning inward for comfort, locking herself away deep inside because she didn’t know where else to turn.

He wanted her to turn tohim.

“I’m going to cut off your shirt to check you for broken ribs and internal injuries, all right, Taylor?” Zaid said, his voice low, soothing. “You don’t have to answer. I’m just telling you what’s going on so you’re not startled or anything.”

Feeling helpless, Logan continued to brace her against him while Zaid cut away her shirt. Logan pushed her away from him gently, holding her by the shoulders while his teammate scanned her for injuries. She had multiple cuts and bruises on her face, one on her temple, a good-sized knot on the back of her skull, and a big bruise forming on her back.

“This hurt?” Zaid asked, gently probing the sore spot on her back.

She flinched and nodded slightly, but didn’t say anything.

“Take a deep breath for me.” Zaid had his stethoscope to her back now, and listened intently as she took several breaths for him. He took the buds out of his ears and draped the instrument around his neck. “Lungs are good. No internal injuries that I can tell. We’ll have the paramedics take you to the hospital just to make sure though.”

Approaching footsteps made Logan look to the right. Jamie was headed for them, a blanket in his hand. “Here,” he said, hunkering down to wrap it around Taylor’s upper body, covering her up so no one else could see her. “It’s gonna be okay, Tay,” he told her, gently squeezing her shoulder once before rising and looking at Logan. “Want me to take her?”

“No.” It came out sharper than he’d intended, but he didn’t want anyone else touching her but him.

Jamie nodded and stood. “You going to the hospital with her?”

Just fucking try to stop me.“Yes.”

His teammate’s amber eyes filled with empathy. “I’ll let Charlie know. She’ll come see you there, okay Taylor?”

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