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A guttural cry came from the woods. Olivia caught sight of a dark shape one second before it collided with the man on top of her. The pressure on her neck disappeared.
Cole! Olivia wheezed, desperately trying to pull air into her aching lungs. The men rolled across the forest floor. The sound of flesh hitting flesh was punctuated by Cole’s cry of pain. Olivia struggled to her feet and lunged for the gun hidden under the bush. Her hands only found dead leaves and twigs. Mud and water sank into the legs of her pantsuit.
Come on. Come on.
Finally her fingers brushed across metal. She yanked the gun free of the bush and turned, holding it in front of her. The men were locked in a deadly battle, but the stalker had gotten the upper hand. He was sitting on top of Cole. She pointed the barrel of the gun at him. “Stop or I will shoot you.”
He lifted his head. Blood coated his nose and mouth. His lips curled into a sneer. “You don’t have the nerve to shoot me.”
Olivia’s finger hovered over the trigger. It was him or Cole.
She chose Cole.
A calmness came over her. She was strong enough to protect the man she loved. Her gaze never wavered and determination hardened her tone. “Yes, I will.”
“So will I.” Eli emerged from the woods, gun drawn. “Get off him. Now. Then lay down on the ground with your hands on your head.”
The stalker hesitated. Then more law enforcement officers came out of the trees. Several Texas Rangers—Grady and Bennett—were accompanied by Chief Sims and his officers. Every one of them had their guns pointed at the criminal. He wisely slid off Cole. There was a flurry of activity as he was searched and secured.
Olivia lowered her weapon and raced to Cole’s side. He shoved against the damp ground into a sitting position. Then pulled her close with his good arm. “Are you hurt?” Cole pulled back to look her in the face. “Did he hurt you?”
Tears filmed her eyes. He was bleeding from a gunshot wound and had nearly died fighting with the attacker, but all he cared about was her injuries. She cupped his gorgeous mud-stained face and kissed him with all the passion inside her. Cole tightened his hold, bringing her closer. Her shelter in the storm.
She loved him. But how would Cole react when he found out?
Would he face his fears and try?
Or would he walk away?
TWENTY-SEVEN
A few days later, Cole eased into a sweater. It’d taken surgery and dozens of stitches to piece his shoulder back together. The bullet had torn through muscle, glanced off the bone, and just missed his brachial artery. He was lucky to be alive. While Cole was eternally grateful to the doctors and nurses who’d overseen his care, he was more than ready to bust out of the hospital. The food was terrible.
“Don’t forget the sling.” Jackson dangled the offending object in front of Cole.
He growled. “I don’t need that.”
“I’ll call Nana back in here and tell her you refuse to listen to the doctors.”
Cole’s grandmother and Olivia were waiting in the hall while he dressed. The three of them hadn’t left Cole’s side since he came out of surgery. Nana fussed over him like he was ten years old. Olivia kept him occupied by reading books and watching sitcoms with him. And Jackson…well, Jackson just annoyed him. Like a pesky younger brother.
Cole scowled at his fellow ranger. “Don’t you have somewhere to be? You’re on vacation. Go fish, or take a walk, or… I don’t know. Whatever it is you do for fun.”
“This is fun.” Jackson extended the sling. “Put this on before I sic your grandmother on you.” His mouth quirked. “She’s the only woman I’ve ever seen successfully order you around. Except for Lieutenant Rodriguez… but she carries a gun.”
Cole snorted and took the sling, grudgingly putting it on. The pressure on his wound eased, and he instantly felt better to his chagrin. “Nana doesn’t order me around. She suggests. Strongly.”
Jackson laughed. He’d recovered from being drugged with no lingering side effects. Their boss, Lieutenant Rodriguez, had ordered Jackson and Felicity to take some time for themselves. Instead of taking it easy, he was staking out Cole’s hospital room, keeping an eye on him and Olivia.
Despite their banter, Cole appreciated his friend’s presence. Although the man who’d stalked Olivia was in custody, there were a lot of unanswered questions about the case.
He crossed the room and opened the door. “I’m decent. You guys can come back in.”
Nana entered first, her wide smile causing wrinkles to bunch around her dark eyes. She was a petite woman with a shock of white hair that contrasted with her olive skin. Knitting needles, ever present in her hands, were tucked against a ball of red yarn. “You look much better out of that hospital gown. There’s color in your cheeks now.” She patted his face. “A bit of homemade soup and some more rest, and you’ll be back to normal.”
He’d need more than homemade soup. The doctor warned it would take months of physical therapy to gain full mobility back. Then Cole would have to retrain with his firearm to make sure he was in top condition before returning to full duty. But that was a problem for another day.
Olivia followed Nana into the room. She wore a pair of white-washed jeans that hugged her hips and a flowy blouse that somehow made her eyes bluer than normal. Cole’s breath hitched as her lips curved into a smile. The woman was stunning. In every way. He was tempted to lean forward and kiss her, but resisted. They hadn’t had a moment alone to discuss their relationship.
