Page 33 of Ash

“Thirty minutes ago.” He raked his fingers through his hair. “We were lucky to come across your ambulance so quickly.”

All of the worries that I’d had when Eli asked me to treat Ink’s bullet wound were multiplied. This situation was worse in so many ways. I didn’t have access to all of the medical equipment available to me in the Hounds of Hellfire clinic. This guy had been shot in his abdomen, not his thigh. And instead of having Eli and Echo there to help me, I had four men with guns who were ready to shoot me if anything went wrong. Even if it wasn’t my fault.

“Your friend really does need a hospital,” I insisted. “He got shot in one of the worst possible places. If his liver, spleen, orintestines were hit, the internal bleeding is life-threatening. And even if I can stop it, there’s a much higher risk of infection due to the bacteria in his digestive tract.”

“You tell us what you need to fix him, and I’ll send a couple of the guys out to get it for you.”

I tilted my head back to glare at him. “What I need is a doctor. And not just any kind—a surgeon. I’m only an EMT, not even a paramedic. You would’ve been better off if you had taken Mark. He was a combat medic. If you’re not willing to take your friend to the nearest emergency room, he would’ve been your best bet at saving his life.”

“You better hope you’re wrong.” He used the barrel of his gun to point at his wounded friend and then me again as he threatened, “Because your fates are tied together now. If he dies, you die.”

I’d just found Eli and fell head over heels in love with him. I needed to make it out of this alive so I could tell him those three little words that I’d never said to another man other than my father.

“Then take the gun away from my head so I can focus on what I need to do.” I pointed at my trauma bag. “And bring that over here while one of your men checks the stuff they took from my rig to see if there are any pain meds. Your friend is gonna need them.”

As I began my examination, I sent up a little prayer that Eli would find me before things got worse for me.

12

ASH

Iroared in outrage, bringing Blaze and King running out of their offices.

“What the fuck?” Blaze asked, but Ace just shook his head and shrugged while I demanded that Mark give me every detail.

“Shit,” King grunted. “Sounds like Nora’s been snatched.”

I nodded, and he dashed back into his office.

“Did they take her phone?” I barked at Mark.

“It’s in the fucking ambulance. Shit! Shit! How did I let this happen?”

“Don’t have time to reassure you, Mark. But for fuck’s sake, what were you gonna do without getting yourself fucking killed? Send me your location and any description of the guys, the vehicle, which direction, whatever you can remember.”

I hung up just as King returned, and Kevlar, Cross, and Fallon came jogging toward us from the other direction.

“Nora’s been taken?” Kevlar asked.

“Ran her fucking ambulance off the road and took her,” I informed them as I forwarded Mark’s text to Wizard. “They grabbed her medical bag, so I’m guessing they want her to treat someone.”

Fallon’s expression faltered. “What if she doesn’t have the training for the person’s wounds?”

I scowled at him. “What the fuck do you think, asshole?”

“What can we do?” Cross asked.

“Get suited up,” King instructed. “Soon as Wizard has something, head out.”

Blaze was texting and looked up. “Need more backup?”

“Should be good, but keep a couple on standby,” I replied over my shoulder as we all followed Kevlar to the armory.

Just as I finished arming myself with a couple of guns, a knife, and a few other lethal items, my phone rang.

“Tell me,” I demanded when I answered Wizard’s call.

“Got the van on traffic cams. You got any kind of tracking on Nora? Anything at all?”

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