Page 80 of One Quick Obsession

I coughed, my whole body racking as Hudson ran his hands over my body, checking for wounds.

“Where are you hurt?”

“Head. Lungs,” I rasped between coughs.

“I got you.”

He kept saying those words, and I wanted to say them back. But I couldn’t think. Instead I just sat there, body shaking, lungs threatening to burst, as Hudson put pressure on the wound on my head, and the sounds of sirens filled the air.

I finally turned to see Luna on the ground, holding Flynn as blood seeped from a wound on his leg.

I had no idea what had just happened, or where Ronin was, but we were out of the fire, at least for now.

As the authorities worked on the now unsalvageable home, Sheriff Macon came forward, a frown on his face.

“Get in the ambulance,” he snapped at Flynn, who waved him off.

“Scarlett first. I just have a slight flesh wound.”

“You were shot in the leg, dumbass,” Luna snarled. “And there are two ambulances now. Get in the damn thing.”

“You do like me,” Flynn said with a grin, though I knew he had to be in pain.

“I’d like you much more if you stayed alive. So please? Listen to the paramedics.”

“It’s okay, I’ll just knock him out. We went to school together, I’m allowed to do that,” one of the male paramedics said with a wink, and Flynn narrowed his gaze.

“Jack?” he asked as he leaned against the back of the stretcher.

“Oh good. You remember me. You always did like to one-up me in school when it came to grades. So I decided to move to your town and annoy the fuck out of you.”

“I believe that’s true, he also married Rumor, who’s a townie,” Luna explained, and I realized they were talking about things that didn’t truly matter in this moment to distract Flynn as they carted him towards the ambulance.

Sheriff Macon stood between the two stretchers, hands on his hips.

“Scarlett, they’re taking you to the hospital in the next town over, same with Flynn. If we have to take you down to Denver to see specialists, they will.”

“Damn straight we will,” Hudson growled.

I reached out and gripped his hand, as I wasn’t allowed to speak. They put oxygen over my mouth, and since it was the only thing keeping me awake at this moment, I wasn’t going to move the mask.

“We’ll talk about everything soon,” Sheriff Macon ordered. “But Ronin’s not going to be a problem.” He said the words with such finality, I realized that while Ronin might not be dead, he wasn’t going to step foot in Cage Lake again anytime soon. If ever.

My father and Ronin weren’t our problems anymore. Though I knew my mother was probably worried out of her mind, she would meet us anywhere that we needed now. Because she loved us more than our father scared her. Or maybe it was just the idea that our brains could finally let us breathe after years of trying to suffocate us.

I watched as Flynn was put in the ambulance, and Luna stepped in with him.

I frowned, and Hudson shook his head. “The family’s on their way, but I said I would ride with you. Luna will ride with Flynn. She offered to flip a coin to see who would ride with you, but I love you, so I win.”

My eyes widened as they stuffed me into the back of the ambulance. Sheriff Macon spoke with some of his deputies, and I finally lowered the mask.

“You love me?”

He scowled, even as the paramedic helped put the mask back on my face.

“Of course I love you. You saved my life in there too you know.”

I pulled the mask back and waved off the paramedic. “I love you too. But I thought we would say this in a way more romantic way.”