Images of Fallon flashed in my mind—him concentrating on his schoolwork, him dancing at Chrome, his eyes lighting up whenever he flirted with me. Anxiety consumed me as I wanted nothing more than to see those greenish-blue eyes shining brightly at me.
I glanced at my phone. I wanted it to light up with his name and hear his voice telling me everything was okay, that it wasn’t him but someone else who had been shot. Or that it wasn’t true at all. But the screen remained dark, just like the unwanted thoughts in my head. I called Day a few more times, each attempt ending with his voicemail answering.
It only took me twenty minutes to arrive at the hospital, but it seemed like an eternity before I finally turned into the parking lot. I pulled into the first open space and raced toward the emergency department doors. I approached the desk, and before the receptionist could speak, I flashed my badge.
“I need to see Fallon Donnelley immediately,” I said, keeping my voice low to avoid others from overhearing me.
She nodded. “Right this way, sir.”
I followed her through a few doors until we reached a checkpoint, where a security officer stopped us.
“He’s with the Secret Service,” the receptionist explained to the guard.
“Come with me,” he said and led me to the elevator. “Your team is on the third floor.”
When the doors opened on the third floor, Day was in the hall, his hands pulling at his hair as he paced.
I raced to his side. “Where is he?”
Day’s head snapped up, and he grabbed my arm, pulling me into an empty room. He closed the door behind us. “He’s in surgery.”
“But he’s going to be okay, right?”
Day’s eyes turned glassy. “I don’t know. He coded in the ambulance, and as soon as we got here, they rushed him into the OR. We haven’t received an update yet.”
My knees buckled, and I crumpled to the ground. Tears streamed down my cheeks, and I buried my face in my hands. Only a couple hours earlier, I had been dreaming about our future together, but at that moment, I wasn’t sure if I’d ever get the chance to tell him how much I loved him.
Sobs wracked through me as a sharp pain like nothing I’d ever felt before stabbed me in the heart.
I couldn’t lose Fallon.
Not like this.
24
RHETT
The fluorescent lightsbuzzed above me, and the smell of antiseptic filled the air. My world was collapsing around me as I sat on the floor of the hospital, my forehead resting on my folded arms across my bent legs. My body shook as I wept thinking about Fallon clinging to life somewhere in the building. Whether or not he survived was out of my hands, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. He might be dying, and I couldn’t do a damn thing about it.
Day wrapped his arm around me as he slid down the wall beside me, and we sat together for a few minutes. “Just got word that Tanner’s on his way up here.” He pointed at his earpiece.
I nodded and pushed myself off the floor, needing to regain my composure before our boss saw me. I knew it was likely I’d face disciplinary action for leaving the command post before any official orders had been given, but in that moment, all I had cared about was getting to Fallon.
I wiped away the tears because I didn’t need to give Tanner any reason to think I wasn’t fit to be on duty, and pulled the door open.
Shoving my hands into my pockets so no one could see them shake, I called upon years of training to push my emotions down deep while I watched Tanner step out of the elevator with a few other agents in tow.
“Agent Day, has there been any update on Windstorm’s condition?” Tanner asked before briefly glancing in my direction.
“Not yet, sir,” Day replied.
“Leigh, see if you can gather any information at the nurse’s station. Shea and Brown, work with security to clear out a space for the family to wait once they get here. Warrior’s team has advised me they’re en route.” Tanner barked out orders about the president’s arrival with precision, and under any other circumstance, I’d try to learn as much from the situation as possible. Instead, his words were an unwelcome interruption to my internal pleading to a higher power for Fallon to pull through.
After the other agents walked away to handle their tasks, Tanner looked at Day. “FBI agents are downstairs and need to speak to you.”
Day gave Tanner a curt nod. “Yes, sir.” Then he turned to me, and I could see the unspoken question in his eyes:Will you be okay?
I needed to offer my friend some reassurance, but my mind was still filled with uncertainty. I wasn’t positive I could keep it together much longer. And despite the conflict warring within me, I attempted to give Day a small smile and mouthed, “I’m good.”
