Page 48 of Gage

I promised Lori I’d be home by Wednesday. Gideon was with me, which was good—this actress always had a crowd around her.

Then, on Wednesday, I got the call.

“Gage, Lori wasn’t feeling well, so her dad took her to the hospital,” Sean told me.

My stomach dropped. “What? What happened?”

“She’s been sick since Tuesday morning. She couldn’t get out of bed. Her dad came over and decided she needed to go in.”

“What did the hospital say?”

“River and Kat are there with her now. I don’t know if they’ve heard anything. Why don’t you give them a call?”

I immediately turned to Gideon. “We’re leaving—now.”

We booked an earlier flight, and my phone rang as I was gathering my things. The call startled me so badly I fumbled and dropped it. I snatched it up.

“Hello? River?”

“Gage, Lori is sick. I mean, she’s really sick. When will you be here?”

“Thirty minutes. Tell me what’s going on.”

“They’re still running tests. As soon as you land, I think we take her to a better-equipped hospital.” River’s voice was tense. “See you soon.”

“River—thank you for being there with her.”

“Hey, what are friends for?”

I hesitated. “Do you think she’ll be well enough for the wedding on Saturday?”

River sighed. “Gage… they’re trying to keep her alive.It’s that bad.”

My chest tightened. “What? Are you saying she coulddiefrom this?”

“Yes. She’s on life support, Gage.”

For a moment, I couldn’t speak. The words didn’t make sense. Lori—my Lori—on life support?

I forced myself to focus. “I’m calling Griffin Anderson. If anyone can help, it’s him. Do you know if anyone’s spoken to him since we left the service?”

“I think he’s up in Oregon with SEAL Security. I’ll reach out and see if I can track him down.”

“I need him to look at her. I don’t want just anyone treating her.No quacks.This is Lori’s life we’re talking about.”

“I get it,” River said. “I’ll find him for you.”

“Why the hell did they put her on life support?”

River exhaled. “They’re trying to keep her stable. Just get here, Gage.”

When I arrived at the hospital, I was on the phone with Ryker, updating him as I made my way to the ICU.

“Graham said he’ll get back to you in about two hours. He’s not far from where you are,” Ryker explained.

“Good. Can you have him call the hospital directly?”

“He said he would. He’s probably already getting the medical reports and ordering additional tests.” Ryker hesitated. “Because Lori was overseas, right?”

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