Page 97 of Deadly Secrets
“I’m going with you,” Brooke said.
“I’ll get your car back,” Polly said.
As the EMTs loaded Roman onto a gurney, Brooke grabbed her stuff from the car and gave Polly the keys. “Is he going to be okay?” she asked under her breath.
Polly looked washed out under the moonlight, but didn’t they all? “He’ll be okay. Nothing ever keeps him down.”
Brooke prayed she was right.
Roman wasn’t sure what hurt worse—the gunshot wounds or Brooke’s crushing grip on his hand.
“Don’t think you’re getting out of our earlier discussion just because you need surgery,” she said around the EMT who was hooking him up to an IV. “You’re going to tell me the truth about Percy.”
He was, too, but it was fun to see her acting all bossy. “Is that so?”
She pinched his leg and he yelped. “Yeah, that’s so, tough guy. I told you from the start, I don’t do secrets. As soon as you’re better, we’re having a talk.”
The EMT was an older Hispanic gal named Clarice. She raised an eyebrow at Roman as she inserted the IV needle into his arm. “Sounds like she means business. I wouldn’t mess with her.”
He chuckled. “She’s a hardass, but a cute one.”
“Cute?” Brooke scoffed. “I’m a hardass, all right. A brilliant, talented one who isn’t about to let you off the hook just because you ran into the line of fire and got yourself shot. You scared the crap out of me back there with your hero act.”
“I was doing my job, Brooke.”
She went on as if she hadn’t heard him. “Since you barged into my life the other night, I’ve been shot at, fired from my job, forced to learn how to use a gun, and stalked by a serial killer. You owe me.”
She cared. That’s what this was all about. Hehadscared her, but only because she cared about him.
Not that he was surprised—he’d seen it on her face repeatedly since that first night when he’d promised to hunt down the man who’d broken into her rental car and stolen her stuff. Not many people had ever stood up for her in her lifetime. She didn’t depend on anyone or let herself care for people because they always disappointed her.
As the drugs pumped into his veins and Clarice slowed the bleeding from his leg, he felt a warmth in his chest that had nothing to do with the pain killers. “Weber is still on the loose. You need to be careful.”
“Are you trying to change the subject on me?”
Clarice smirked. “She has your number. You better play it straight with her.”
“I’m sorry I scared you,” he said to Brooke. “And I’m not trying to change the subject so much as make sure you keep your guard up while I’m at the hospital. Also, I want you to know I will find that SOB and prosecute him to the fullest extent of the law.”
Detective Clyffe had assured him that a full search party would assist Roman’s team in scouring the countryside, hunting for Weber and his friends. It would be tough until daylight, but they would do their best.
Meanwhile, the men who’d been arrested would have their injuries treated and Clyffe would question each and every man. With any luck, one of them would break and turn on the others. All they needed was that one solid lead and this case would be wrapped up in short order.
The Reverend and his gang were going down.
Brooke gave his hand another hard squeeze. “Do you think The Reverend was there tonight?”
“No telling. They were all wearing gold crosses, but there were only ten by my count.”
Her face lost its tough expression and turned anxious. “It all happened so fast, I didn’t get a good look at anyone but Douglas Weber.”
“Do you have your comm still?” He’d lost his in the scuffle with the man he’d taken down.
She nodded, touching her ear. “Do you need it?”
“Raise Nadia and tell her to meet us at the hospital. I want you under guard 24/7.”
A small smile split her lips. “Shane says he already sent Nadia to the medical center.”
