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I’m about to try helping her to her feet when we’re both blinded. A blaring spotlight rakes over us and a booming voice speaks through loud helicopter blades, “US Coast Guard! Come out with your hands up.”
“We’re getting off this ride,” I whisper, kissing her head again. “Can you walk?”
For a second, she just looks at me, her eyes big and glassy like she can’t decide if she likes what she sees.
“Eliza?” I urge.
But she sucks in a breath and releases a final hitched sob. Then she’s limp in my arms.
I stand, panicked, feeling for her pulse, her breathing, her vitals.
They’re all there, thank God.
The second I scramble off the boat, carrying her, I hand her off to the EMT, who lays her out on a stretcher. A second team rushes past me to Troy, who’s apparently still alive—a fact I couldn’t have imagined feeling so indifferent to an hour ago.
“You want to ride to the hospital with her?” he asks.
Fuck.
After that parting look, I wonder if she’ll want me there.
Still, I’d drown myself in this storm before I let anything keep me away.
I have to make sure she’s okay—and if she’s not, I have to tell her parents. Troy may have made up his mind to murder her, but her winding up in this mess is entirely my fault.
There’s barely time to tell Destiny to stay with Brock through her machine-gun questions before I ride to the hospital with Eliza.
The whole way there, I lace her fingers through mine, kissing her knuckles.
“Please be okay. Please wake up so I can apologize for the clueless asshead I’ve been.” My voice cracks as I push my lips to her ear. “No matter what happens, Eliza, I’ll always fucking love you.”
After I’m able to tear myself away from her with multiple warnings from the medical staff, I find Destiny and Brock waiting for me in the lobby.
Dess stands and throws herself at me, a little cannonball looking for a hug. “Are you okay? Is Eliza...”
“I’m fine and so is she,” I say.
“Holy crap. That’s great news. But you don’t look fine.” She studies my face, her brows knit together.
“Just a little banged up from the scuffle. It happens when you’re wrestling an axe away from a maniac,” I grumble, realizing too late I shouldn’t be spilling too much to Destiny without considering the consequences.
Until he went insane, Troy was an estranged uncle reunited. That has to be hard on her, one more disappointment in a family as tattered as ours.
“Sorry, Dess. I didn’t mean to—”
“You can say it, Dad. I don’t care about Troy. He tried to hurt her. God, he wanted to kill you,” she whispers angrily. “I hope they nail his butt to the wall. Like a hundred life sentences.”
I smile. “Only a hundred, huh?”
“How’s Eliza?” she asks eagerly.
“Stable. Sounds like she’ll be fine in a day or two. I’m not family, so I couldn’t pry much out of the doctors.” I sigh. “It’s been a long night. We’re going home now, okay?”
Brock stares at me. “You’re sure you don’t need a checkup yourself, Lancaster?”
“I’ll live. Eliza had it a lot worse than I did and she’s the one worth fussing over. Thank you again, Brock, for everything.” I grab the hand he extends, shaking it with both of mine.
He gives me a tired smile. “Happy to help. I’ll leave you folks to your business.”
We watch him head down the corridor, and I wonder if I’ve gained a friend to replace the lunatic frenemy I lost tonight.
“We can’t just leave her here.” Destiny folds her arms and stares at me, her bottom lip jutting out.
“What do you mean? We’re not family, Dess, and privacy laws are pretty strict.”
“So? I don’t care if we wait all night. We can’t leave Eliza alone.”
“Destiny, she’s a grown woman. There won’t even be visiting hours until tomorrow. I just got off the phone with her parents and I owe them another update soon. I promised.”
“Fine, Dad. But she’s gonna be pissed at you again if she wakes up and you’re not here,” she flares. Her eyes are sad, accusing me of high crimes I haven’t committed yet.
“I’m sorry. I can’t rewrite the rules of the world, however much I wish I could,” I say bluntly. “When we see Eliza again, it’ll be on her terms, little bee. Understood?”
She looks at me angrily before releasing a loud sigh. “Really, Dad? You’re just going to give her space? How well did that work out last time?”
I don’t answer, I just start heading for the lobby.
On the long drive home with an exhausted Tom at the wheel, I realize Destiny is right.
I can’t let Eliza wake up alone, even if I’m stuck in a waiting room.
Once we’re home and I’ve got Destiny fed and off to bed, I call Lincoln Burns.
