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Before she could think about safety, and ignoring Lara’s calls from behind her to stay down, Jocelyn opened the glass doors and stepped onto the small back porch. A wave of humid air smacked her in the face but she didn’t care. All that mattered was the strong man walking up the yard as he stared at something on his hands.
He was no more than six feet away when he finally glanced up. His face went from pale and sort of blank to furious. His mouth flattened and his eyes grew dark.
He picked up the pace until he stood one step away, scanning around the yard as he went. “I told you to stay inside.”
She wanted to throw her body into his arms and hold him to reassure herself he was fine, but his sharp tone stopped her. Falling back on her medical training, she pushed out personal concern.
She raised a hand toward his shoulder but stopped as she visibly assessed the damage. “You’re hurt.”
Ben glanced over her head to a spot behind her. “Davis is fine. He’s talking to the guy next door.”
Jocelyn peeked over her shoulder and was stunned by Lara’s wide eyes. Guilt wrapped around Jocelyn. She had raced through the house panicking for Ben but Lara had to be crazed about Davis’s safety. Not that she showed it. Except for the way she kept biting her lower lip, she appeared calm. Jocelyn had no idea how that was possible.
“Are the police coming?” She didn’t know if that would be good or bad. Two incidents starring her, and they might jump to conclusions.
Ben nodded. “Likely on the way.”
“I hear sirens,” Lara said.
Jocelyn didn’t understand why the entire town wasn’t already in the backyard. Her whole neighborhood had come out at her place. Here, it was quiet in comparison. “You two live in the middle of town. How can people not be running in every direction?”
“Luck,” Ben said.
“He means Davis is calming them down and will put Connor on the job as soon as he gets here, if he isn’t already.”
Jocelyn couldn’t worry about that now. Ben listed to the side. She knew he’d go down soon. Careful not to jostle him, she shifted her weight and moved in beside him. She took some of his weight against her as she checked his shoulder.
“What are you doing?” he asked but let his body fall into hers.
Truth was she worried he’d go into shock, but she didn’t share that. Something told her this protector by nature would not take that news well. “I want to check your wounds.”
“I’m fine.”
Lara stopped looking at the yard long enough to scowl. “Ben, let her look you over.”
“See, everyone thinks you should give yourself over to me.”
He let out a harsh laugh. “Now you offer.”
“Ben’s still standing?” Davis came up behind them with a gun still hanging from his fingertips. He gave his wife a wink. “Connor and Joel are here and handling questions and the guy two doors down who’s demanding answers.”
“Davis.” Lara’s eyes welled up as she breathed out his name.
“I’m okay, hon.” Davis caught her when she leaped at him from the doorway straight into his arms. Ducking down, he buried his face in her hair and whispered something only they could hear.
The moment was so personal and intimate that it almost hurt to watch them. Jocelyn could feel the love pulse between them. She thought she saw Davis’s hand tremble as he rubbed it up and down Lara’s back. Heard the soft sobs as Lara nodded but kept her face tight against her husband’s cheek.
Finally Davis lifted his head and his voice sounded gruffer than before. “Ben took the brunt of the damage.”
Ben shook his head. “You got hit in the stomach.”
“What?” Lara lifted Davis’s shirt, revealing a flat stomach and an already blue bruise.
“Ribs. I’m more concerned about Ben’s bleeding.”
Ben waved him off. “Later.”
Jocelyn could barely keep up. Each man pointed to the other as being injured even though they both looked rough.
She put a hand on Ben’s chest, the only place not covered in blood. “We need to get you inside.”
Davis nodded. “Listen to your woman.”
She didn’t bother to correct him. Ben stayed quiet, too, and she had no idea what that meant. Probably that he’d lost enough blood to be incoherent.
Without any fanfare, Jocelyn lifted Ben’s shirt, or tried to. The caked blood made it stick to his skin. She hoped that meant the slash wasn’t deep and had already stopped seeping.
“Where’s our friend?” Davis asked as he wrapped an arm around Lara and pulled her in close for a kiss on the forehead.
The question drifted around Jocelyn. She heard it and it took a second before it registered. “Wait, who are you talking about?”
