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“If you loved me you wouldn’t keep taking years off my life. I swear, Jennie, if you ever jump in front of a gun for me again, I’ll strangle you myself.”
He softened the effect of his words a bit when he took her hand in his and kissed the palm of it more gently than anyone his size should be able to.
He brought the straw to her lips again to let her take another sip of water. A nurse came in and began to buzz around them, checking the machines and bags of fluids that surrounded Jennie.
“Does this mean you’re going to marry me, Chad?” Jennie asked.
“No. I’m still not marrying you.”
Jennie almost laughed when she saw the nurse’s frown as the woman left the room.
“What! Chad you can’t do that. This is crazy. I’m having your baby. I took a bullet for you. I saved your life. You have to marry me now.”
He just laughed at her as he laced his fingers through hers, then brought her hand to his lips once again. Jennie’s mother poked her head through the door of the room, letting Chad off the hook.
“The nurse said you were awake, sweetheart,” she said and Jennie could tell she was trying to stay calm but the tears were evident in her eyes and her voice.
“Hi, Mom,” Jennie said and the tears began to flow as her mother came and held her other hand.
Her father stepped into the room next. “Chad, Mike’s out here to see you.”
Chad and Mr. Davies switched places as Chad went to see Mike. Jennie let her parents wrap their arms around her and hold her despite the wires and tubes that still pumped liquids into her and monitored her baby.
She needed to be held right now. She needed to know everything was okay. That they had survived this and come out on the other side. That everything was okay now.
Chapter 40
“Hey, Mike. You look like shit,” Chad said as he met his friend down the hall from Jennie’s room. “Get anything out of Waters?”
The two men shook hands, but Mike pulled Chad in to hug him and Chad didn’t try to fight it. It felt good to be surrounded by his friends and family right now.
“How’s Jennie?”
“Good. She and the baby are doing okay. Jennie has to stay here for a few more days but the bullet didn’t hit the bone.”
Mike nodded. They’d both seen enough injuries to know this could have been a lot worse.
“We found Rick Bandon trying to board a flight for France,” Mike said. “As soon as we brought him in, he and Caroline Waters began spouting information faster than we could record it all, each trying to make the best deal. I think Bandon might win because he has records of at least ten other Florida officials that were taking bribes and having him clean money for them.
“He wasn’t just running things through Florifish. He had four other businesses set up with the other officials so he could distribute the clean money to them without it showing up in someone’s account as not legitimate. Waters is willing to testify that Bandon killed the Masters brothers, though, so she’s got that going for her,” Mike said as the two men walked down the hall toward a row of vending machines.
Chad grimaced at the choice of ‘meals’ in the machine. A candy bar or a bag of chips.
“Not that I’m complaining because I think this could have been a lot worse than it was, but why didn’t Bandon come after Jennie himself?” Chad asked.
“Caroline Waters claimed she talked him into letting her go in first to see if Jennie knew anything that could implicate either of them. After what he did to the Masters brothers, she said she stepped in to try to protect Jennie, then panicked when you and I came in the door. I don’t know if she’s telling the truth, but it makes sense. If Bandon was nearby and saw the ambulance and marked cars outside your building, it would have sent him running to the airport. France won’t extradite to the US if the death penalty is on the table, so he must have thought he’d be pretty safe there.”
“Chad!” Jack’s voice rang out down the hall and Chad looked up to see his cousin coming toward him, followed by Andrew and Jill.
“Hey, guys,” Chad said, turning to his friends. “Jennie’s awake. Her parents are in with her now.”
“I’m gonna get going, Chad. I’ll keep you posted. I’m glad to hear Jennie and the baby are okay,” Mike said as he slapped Chad on the back and walked down the hall.
Chad wasn’t sure how he’d repay Mike for all he’d done to help them through this, but some day he’d find a way.
“We brought you food,” Jill said, holding out a takeout bag. He grabbed her in a bear hug when he smelled Mexican food coming from the bag. He hadn’t eaten in hours but he wasn’t about to leave the hospital any time soon. The nurses had all tried to get him to go home and rest but he’d looked at them like they’d suggested he cut off his own head. He didn’t know why anyone would think he’d leave Jennie. As long as she was in the hospital, that’s where he’d be.
“You’re the best, Jill,” Chad said as he released Andrew’s wife.
