* * *
When I woke again,I could hear my mother talking, and I turned my head to face her. The moment she noticed I was awake, she rushed to my bedside.
“Fallon, sweetie. How do you feel?”
“Like I’ve been shot.” That wasn’t entirely true. Whatever drugs they had me on made it feel as though nothing had happened. I felt good.
A tear slid down her cheek. “Don’t joke about it.”
“Okay, but it’s the truth.”
“I know, but you almost died.” She wiped her cheek. “Here. Suck on some ice.”
Like before, the liquid soothed my throat as I swallowed it down. “I almost died?”
“Yes.” She sniffed. “You coded on the way to the first hospital.”
First hospital?“What happened?”
She stuck another piece of ice into my mouth. “You were airlifted here and rushed into surgery. They removed the bullet. Luckily, it hadn’t hit anything vital.”
“But I almost died?” Or had I died? If I coded, that meant my heart had stopped beating.
“You don’t need to worry about the details.” She waved her hand in front of her. “The important thing is you’re alive.”
“Yeah …” I breathed. “Where’s everyone else?”
“Like who, sweetie?”
“My detail? Dad?” I glanced toward the door and couldn’t see anyone standing outside. Where was Rhett?
“Agents are outside, and your father is dealing with Finn.” She patted my hand gently, which had an IV stuck in it.
My eyes bounced back to hers. “Dad knows?”
“Who shot you?”
I nodded.
“Yes. The FBI are working on the case.”
“Did they catch the guy?”
“Agent Day shot and killed him.”
“And they know he was connected to the guy from Atlantic City?”
“Yes. You don’t need to worry about any of that. Just get some rest.”
“I want to see …” I hesitated. It was on the tip of my tongue to ask for Rhett, but I knew I couldn’t. He wasn’t at the wedding, and it would be suspicious if I wanted to see an agent who had nothing to do with the shooting or keeping me safe.
Before I could continue, there was a knock at the door. My gaze flicked toward it in hopes it would be Rhett. Instead, I found Tyler and Hayden.
“Hey, buddy,” Tyler greeted and looked around the hospital room that resembled a hotel suite. It even had a kitchenette, as though I would cook meals while in the hospital. “Nice digs. How are you feeling?”
I opened my mouth to respond with the same answer as I had with my mother. Instead, I said, “Drugs are working.”
“We’re glad you’re okay.” Hayden frowned. At first, I didn’t understand why he appeared sad, but then I realized it probably had to do with the boyfriend he’d lost in a car accident. Even though I wasn’t his lover, we were still friends, and I couldn’t imagine what he felt when he heard I’d been shot.
