Slash winced as she climbed the stairs. He wanted to take her pain, but for reasons he couldn’t explain, he knew she wanted to feel the weight of this. She wanted to honor all eight victims by shouldering what they could not. He wasn’t just mouthing off words when he told her she was his hero. She really was.
Upstairs, Slash sat on the stretcher, and the medic got her set up with an IV.
“I’m going to need your statement,” said the officer.
“I’m Special Agent O’Reilly, FBI,” Slash said. “I’ll give you my statement after they get this bullet out of me.”
The officer nodded. “We’ll talk later.”
They loaded the gurney into the ambulance, and Carrera jumped in with her. On the ride to the hospital, he held her hand. She’d been through a terrifying ordeal, yet she remained rock solid through it all.
She had his utmost respect. She was the strongest, most self-sufficient person he’d ever met. It would be the greatest blessing of his life to build a life with her. Without question, she was his person, and he was the luckiest man in the world.
As they pulled into the hospital, he made himself a promise. There wouldn’t be a day that passed where he didn’t show her how much she meant to him.
They wheeled her into triage, and he stayed by her side. After X-rays, the doc told her she’d need to have the bullet surgically removed.
“It’s a clean shot,” said the surgeon. “We’ll have you out in no time.” The doctor turned to Carrera. “She’s going to be just fine.”
Carrera smiled. “Yes, she is.”
“Remove my blade,” she said to Carrera.
Carrera unstrapped the knife holder, pulled if off her, and held the knife. “This’ll be waiting when you wake up.”
After kissing her goodbye, he said, “I love you, babe.”
Her smile sent a bolt of lightning through him. “I love you too.”
En route to the waiting room, Carrera called Luciano.
Slash
Slash glancedaround the dimly-lit hospital room. Carrera was seated in a chair beside the bed. Brit and Rebel sat on the small vinyl sofa near the window. Luciano stood in the doorway, like a guard, while Elsa and Jazz were seated in chairs on the other side of the bed.
“Hey,” Carrera said, capturing her hand in his. “Look who joined the party.”
Elsa leaned over her and kissed her forehead. “My angel, you had a very busy day.”
One by one, everyone let her know how much she was loved.
Her gaze locked with Carrera’s and she smiled. “How’d I do?”
He dropped a soft kiss on her lips. “You did great. The surgeon extracted the bullet and said you’ll make a full recovery.”
Luciano stood at the foot of her bed. “I will never,everget on your bad side.”
The group laughed.
“Should we tell them our good news?” Slash asked Carrera.
“I think that’s a great idea,” he replied.
“We’re getting married,” they said in unison.
The smiles and cheers warmed Slash’s heart. She’d never envisioned her own happily ever after, because the only person she wanted to spend her life with had been Carrera.
As they shared a smile, he dipped down and kissed her.
