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She nodded. “How are you really? When you crumpled to the ground…”
He waved off her concern. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t protect you. I was trying to stay with it, hold on until the police arrived, but I just couldn’t. What happened after I blacked out?”
“I could hear the police on the way, but…” she trailed off and shook her head. She took a step into the room, coming nearer him and turned slightly so he could see Eddy’s face. The baby was sleeping peacefully. Cole was grateful for that much, but he needed to get the story from her.
“Did you pull out the gun?” he asked. He had no idea what happened, and he felt desperate for her to fill in the missing parts.
“I had to,” she said, her voice low. “They’d blocked me off from the grocery store entrance, they were closing in on me, and I couldn’t see a way to get past them.”
“Kels, did you fire the gun?” he asked, keeping his tone gentle. She nodded.
“They taunted me, said I wouldn’t shoot them, and they were right that I didn’t want to. I had Eddy strapped to me, and I knew the sound would be deafening.” The words were gushing out of her now. “But I fired anyway. I shot between them into the ground. It was enough to make them pause for a second, and by the time they regrouped for a charge, the police were there.”
“You didn’t hit either of them?” he asked.
“I almost took aim at the bigger one. He was so awful, but I couldn’t do it.” Her eyes filled with tears. “I just couldn’t.”
Cole understood where that came from. To fire a gun at a fellow human being, you had to be prepared mentally for the idea of harming someone. He’d done it, of course, it was part of being a SEAL, but he never did it without feeling the impact of his actions. She didn’t have the training or the aggressive nature to wound or kill. She was a logical person, and killing in that situation was an emotional choice. She’d never be able to do it. He should have realized that before handing her the gun.
“Firing the shot bought you the time you needed,” he said, trying to get her to see that she’d made the right call.
“Yeah, I guess.” She looked down at Eddy. “If the police hadn’t arrived then, I don’t know what would have happened next.”
“I’m so sorry, Kels,” he repeated. “You shouldn’t have had to go through that.” He could imagine how difficult it must have been for her, making the decision to pull the trigger with Eddy so close. But on the other hand, the baby was why she’d done it. To protect herself alone, she wouldn’t have been able to.
“Today’s been… awful,” she admitted, and he wanted nothing more than to get out of the bed and go to her, pull her into his arms and give her the comfort she seemed to need. Damn IV. Damn hospital rules.
“Did the attackers say anything?” he asked. All he remembered was one telling the other to finish him. They might have spoken to her, said something useful. He saw her swallow and pinch her lips together. Mentally, she was in a tough place, and he didn’t know how to help her. Eddy gave a little snort and she shifted him to her shoulder. “I can take him,” Cole offered.
“I’ve got him.” Her tone made it sound like she wasn’t giving Eddy up ever.
He got that she was feeling prickly since the day had been hell, but the connection between them had seemed so strong just that morning. What was going on in her head? Why was she being so distant?
“I did hear them say,” she finally began to talk, “that they could just get rid of me. I think…I think their job was to kidnap me and Eddy, but they had permission to kill me if necessary.”
“Permission from whom?” he demanded, feeling a steely calm come over him. No wonder she was so upset. God, he wanted to get out of this bed and hold her.
“They just called him ‘the boss.’ No name was used.” She walked over toward the window, physically distancing herself from him. He didn’t understand why that was, but one problem at a time. “It can’t be Gomez, can it?” Her voice wavered.
“Not a chance.” The lieutenant was in the brig with no way to give orders. This was someone else’s work. Someone who was still out there and could harm Kelsey and Eddy. Even if today’s thugs were in jail, there was nothing keeping the boss from hiring new ones. Cole couldn’t lie around in this hospital bed. He hit the call button for the nurse and swung his feet to the floor.
“What are you doing?” Kelsey asked, coming closer for the first time.
“Checking myself out of here,” he said, tempted to pull the IV from his arm.
“But you’re injured. You can’t…”
By then the nurse was in the room. “Back in bed, Mr. Williams.”
“I’m leaving,” he declared. “Where are my clothes?”
“I’m getting the doctor,” the nurse said and left.
“Cole, this isn’t smart,” Kelsey pleaded. “You’re hurt.”
“I’ve had more serious injuries in the line of duty and kept moving. This is nothing. Would you look in that closet for my things?” He pointed to a closed cabinet door. Kelsey walked over and pulled out a plastic bag containing his clothes.
“I shouldn’t let you have this,” she said, but brought it to him anyway.
