Page 36 of Rivals & Revenge

She barked out a laugh, “What are you gonna do, bleed on me?”

“If I were you, I would focus more on bullets than words.”

I chuckled, wincing at the sharp pain in my side. “You might be right about that one.”

By the time we pulled into the drive, I could barely stand. The lady doc had to support most of my weight on her own shoulders—she was stronger than she looked.

My body sagged in relief, finding an odd comfort as it stretched out on the dining room table. The sensation of my feet and half of my calves hanging over the edge grated on me and I vowed to buy a bigger table the minute I woke.

Doc set her bag next to me and beganpulling out her supplies, her mouth pinched in a tight line.

“I don’t have any drugs.” She said quietly.

“You will need painkillers and antibiotics. Fuck. I’m not sure what you need. I just know I don’t have it. I can stitch you up and stop the bleeding, but it’s gonna hurt like hell.”

“Cabinet.” I answered, unable to hide the weakness pressing down on me.

Following my line of sight, she hurried over and opened the cabinet. Nodding appreciatively as she scanned the shelves, filling her hands with the small bottles of medicine I kept on hand for moments like this, and rushing back to me.

“This should do nicely. Lucky you, it should knock you out for a few hours.”

My eyes flicked to her nametag, “Connor,” her name a whispered plea, hanging in the air between us.

“I promise. I’ll do everything in my power to save you.” She said, holding the syringe up as she measured out a dose for me.

“I may not understand—this,” she continued, nodding toward my wounds. “but there is one thing I do understand. You hold death in your hands, but I hold life in mine.”

My eyes fell shut as the needle pricked my skin and I allowed myself to let go, leaving my life in the sassy blonde doctor’s hands.

Chapter 21

AHREN

Something cold and wet pressed against my cheek, followed by an impatient huff of hot air. Fuck. The lads needed breakfast. I should get up.

Ice rushed into my veins. I couldn’t move. My eyelids weighed a hundred pounds—impossible to lift. A stiff ache in my limbs kept them glued in place.

A frustrated growl rumbled in my chest as I struggled to move—anything. Pain screamed through my chest, mirroring my frustration.

Gentle hands brushed over my abdomen. “Mr. Rossdale.” a soft voice said quietly. “You need to lie still. You’re ok.”

I grunted—an ineffectual threat; we both knew it.

Relaxing as much as I could, I pushed everything I had into lifting my heavy lids. Eventually, I managed a crack, enough to make out the blurry image of the blondelady doc.

Relief washed over me as the memories flooded back to me. The order. The mark. The marshalls. Fuck. I was lucky to be alive.

My lips parted, my mind reaching, but couldn’t quite find the words.

“You rest, I’ll talk. OK?”

My head fell to the side, the closest I could come to a nod.

“You’re ok. You’ll live, but you have a long road to recover. Not a fan of dogs, but I’m caring for these two. Put it out of your mind. Just focus your energy on recovery.”

She came to stand in front of me, kneeling so we were eye to eye. “There is something I need to know. Is anyone coming after you? What I mean is, am I safe here?”

I closed my eyes, doing my best to move my head. She saved my life. The least I could do was reassure her.

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