Page 77 of Explosive Vengeance

Yes, they did. And they hurt more than she’d thought they would.

Megan and Ty were there with Jesse when they got topside. Megan’s gaze immediately zeroed in on the blood dripping from Chloe. She whipped around, waving for a cop near the bridge. “We need an ambulance.”

“No,” Chloe protested. “No hospital.” She looked up at the man who’d done the impossible by stealing her heart. “Heath’s got me.”

He nodded, eyes on hers, an unbreakable bond solidifying between them. “Yeah. I’ve got you.”

Chapter Twenty-Four

“Definitely a ricochet,” Heath said as he checked the wound in Chloe’s hip and upper arm at the hotel minutes later, tamping down his anger. Because he was pissed. Pissed that she’d up and initiated the attack without prior knowledge and agreement by the team. Pissed that she’d been hit.

“They ruined my Valkyrie mark,” she complained, frowning down at the brand on her left hip. The bullet had gouged a path through the fleshy part of her hip, taking part of the mark with it. He still couldn’t believe someone had taken a fucking brand to her.

“Hold still,” he told her, pinching the edges of the wound shut so he could suture it. She’d refused to go to the hospital. He wasn’t a plastic surgeon, but his stitches were neat enough that it shouldn’t leave too bad a scar when it healed. The round had missed bone and nerve, though it had hit her glute minimus. “Can you still wiggle your fingers?”

She wiggled them. “Yeah.” Sighing, she laid back down on her side on the bed where he’d put towels beneath her to catch the drips.

She’d been lucky. A direct hit would have shattered her hip joint or pelvis and done internal damage. Then she would have had no choice but to go to the hospital—and she’d have been sidelined for months, maybe forever. “You’re gonna be sore for a while. And stiff. You won’t be able to operate like this.”

“I know.” She scowled at the far wall as he stitched.

And suddenly he couldn’t hold back any longer. “You could have gotten everyone on board that boat killed today. Including us and the women. You realize that, right?”

The scowl turned into a pout. “Can you save the lecture for later?”

Stubborn, impulsive, frustrating woman… He drew a breath, struggled for patience. “No. You need to acknowledge what you did, apologize for it, and swear you’ll never pull that shit again. And don’t just apologize to me. You owe it to the others, too.”

She turned her head to nail him with a look equal parts hurt and annoyed. “Allright. I’m sorry. For everything you just said. I shouldn’t have gone off half-cocked like that, but I…” She sighed, winced as he hit a particularly painful spot. “I told you I’m not used to the whole team dynamic thing. And when that asshole pointed his weapon at the woman…” She laid her cheek on top of her folded hands. “But I’m sorry, and I’m glad you weren’t hurt. And I’ll tell the others that too.”

He raised an eyebrow. “And?”

Another sullen look. “And I won’t do it again.”

His anger faded. “Thank you.”

She eyed him hopefully. “So I’m forgiven?”

“Mostly.” It was hard to stay mad when she was lying there bleeding and looking sorry for herself. He kept stitching. “Now I’m mostly mad that you got hit.”

“At least the women are safe. And this’ll give me time to find Dubois and figure out the best way to get him.”

Heath was increasingly worried by her obsession with that, afraid she would get herself killed. “He’ll know you were involved today. You’ll be at even greater risk.”

“Not as much risk as he is,” she muttered darkly.

He shook his head. The woman made him crazy. “I want to hug and shake you at the same time.”

She looked up at him, giving him puppy dog eyes. “I could use a hug.”

He gave a grudging chuckle. “Hug after I stitch you up. Shake once you’re healing up.”

“Deal.” She went back to staring at the wall. “Wonder how it’s going with Trinity right now?”

“We left her one hell of a mess to clean up.”

“Megan said Rycroft will handle everything. I’m looking forward to meeting him one day.”

He put in the last two stitches, bandaged it, then checked the one on her arm. It was seeping, the back of the bandage nearly clean. “I’m going to put you in a sling to keep you from moving it.”

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