Page 57 of Marked For Revenge

Just as Ava stepped out from the tree.

A distraction to get Marnie’s attention on her. It worked. The woman’s gaze whipped toward her. So did Marnie’s gun. Just as Ava darted back behind the tree.

Marnie fired.

So did Harley.

Both shots seemed to blast through the woods at the same exact second. Marnie’s bullet missed, smacking into the tree right next to Ava. Harley’s didn’t miss. His shot went straight into Marnie’s head. The woman made a sharp, strangled gasp. And then slumped to the side.

Dead.

Chapter Seventeen

Harley focused on Ava. Just Ava. With the adrenaline still slamming through him, it was next to impossible to process the details of what had just happened, so he grasped onto the most important thing.

And that was Ava.

He didn’t respond to the texts he was getting. No doubt updates from anyone who was now on scene in the woods where Ava and he had been lured. He’d deal with the updates and the aftermath of the investigation later, but for now, he watched as the doctor pressed the little stethoscope wand to Ava’s stomach. And Harley prayed that the baby was all right.

Ava was covered in nicks and bruises that she’d gotten when they’d made their frantic hunt through the woods so they could get to Caleb. None of her injuries looked serious, and she had insisted that she hadn’t fallen or been bumped on her stomach, but she hadn’t protested the trip to the Silver Creek emergency room to make sure all truly was well.

Harley felt his own cuts and bruises. All minor stuff. It was the same for Caleb, though he was undergoing his own exam in the room next door. They’d gotten damn lucky that none of them had been shot or killed.

Marnie had definitely gotten the worst of it.

And she’d deserved it.

Harley never took it lightly when he discharged his weapon, but it had been a life-and-death matter with Marnie. The woman had been hell-bent on killing to avenge her sister, and she hadn’t cared one bit that she’d harmed and murdered so many innocent people. He figured there was a special place in hell for a person who’d done something like that.

“The baby’s heartbeat is good,” Dr. Medina said, causing both Ava and Harley to blow out breaths of relief. “There’s not a scratch on your stomach,” he added to Ava. “And, despite everything, your vitals are good.”

Harley got another wave of relief that unclenched some of the muscles in his chest and stomach. It was somewhat of a miracle that Ava had managed to come out of this unscathed. Well, physically anyway. He knew there’d be plenty of emotional stuff for her to deal with, and he could curse Marnie for giving Ava what would likely be nightmares for life.

“How are you feeling?” the doctor asked Ava.

She opened her mouth, probably to give a rote response of “fine,” but then she drew in a breath as long as the one she’d released. “I’ll be a whole lot better now that the killer is dead and after I find out if Caleb is okay.”

Dr. Medina gave her a gentle pat on the back. What the doctor didn’t do was ask why she was so worried about Caleb, which meant he might have already heard some buzz about Ava being the young man’s mother. That buzz could have easily started when the ambulance had arrived on scene and Ava had muttered for them to see to “her son.” Harley hadn’t even been sure that she’d known she had said it since he figured she’d been dealing with the shock of what had just happened.

“Doctor Jenkins is with Caleb now,” Medina said. “I’m sure he’ll be finished soon, and then you’ll be able to speak to him.” The doctor shifted his attention to Harley. “Now that we know Ava and your baby are all right, why don’t I have a look at you?”

Harley shook his head. He wasn’t sure he could stave off the adrenaline long enough to sit for an exam. Plus, it wasn’t necessary. “Nothing hurts,” he settled for saying.

That wasn’t a lie. Harley couldn’t feel anything but the slight sting from his very minor injuries. It wasn’t enough to waste time with an exam, especially since he wanted to focus on Ava.

“Suit yourself,” the doctor muttered, standing from the exam stool where he’d been sitting. He gave Ava another pat. “Go home, get some rest. Let Harley give you a little TLC.”

Harley wondered if there’d been buzz, too, about Ava and him. Probably. Everyone would have known he’d been staying at her house during the hunt for the killer. Added to that, the doctor could probably sense the connection between them. A connection that went beyond the baby she was carrying.

Diving right into some of the TLC, Harley took hold of Ava’s arm to help her off the exam table, and she looked at him. “You’ve been getting a lot of texts since you’ve been in here with me.”

“Texts that can wait,” he assured her, and even though the doctor was still there, Harley slipped his arm around her waist, easing her to him, and he kissed her.

Man, he needed that. Needed to hold her and have her mouth on his. It couldn’t last, of course. This wasn’t the time or the place for a heated kissing session, but he’d wanted her to know he was there for her in any and all ways.

She gave him a slight smile when she eased back, and while some of the worry in her eyes had faded, there was still plenty there. That wouldn’t be going away until she knew Caleb’s status.

The doctor smiled, too, doled out a goodbye and headed out of the exam room. So did Ava and Harley. He kept his arm around her waist, and not only did Ava not move away from it, she also adjusted her body so she was even closer to him.

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