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“He tried to kill a federal officer is what happened. And when the son of a bitch comes to, he’ll be under arrest for his participation in a human trafficking ring,” the chief said.
Both Billy and Fagan were in shock. B.J. Kelly was their friend. He’d been the ambulance driver in Jubilee for years. To learn he’d been mixed up in something this ugly had them rattled to the core. They gathered up their equipment and stood up without looking at where Kelly was lying.
“Mr. Barton is all yours, officers. Good enough to travel,” Billy Jackson said.
“Plenty well enough to make the ride to a prison hospital,” Fagan Jennings added, and they left the site and headed back into town, leaving the two other EMTs working on stabilizing Kelly enough to transport him back to the hospital.
“I’m taking Rusty to the ER to make sure she doesn’t have another concussion,” Cameron said.
“Yes. Absolutely,” Howard said. “Good job, both of you. We’ve got this covered now. We’ll be in touch,” Howard said.
Cameron didn’t respond, and Rusty wasn’t going to announce her resignation in the middle of a takedown. It seemed a little tacky.
She was grateful for Cameron’s steadying arm as they went back to the Jeep, and when he started the engine, she leaned back against the headrest and closed her eyes as they drove away.
“I’m so sorry, darlin’,” Cameron said. “I should have been there.”
Rusty reached for him. “You were there. You and Ghost saved me. Then she sighed. “I’m going to be sucking my food through a straw again.”
“We’ll be fine. As long as I know you’re okay, I don’t give a tinker’s damn what we eat.”
Ghost whined.
“I think Ghost just voted against soup,” Rusty said.
Cameron shook his head. “He’s sad because he smells your hurt.”
“Oh my God,” Rusty whispered. “Are you serious?”
Ghost’s head appeared between the seats again, and once again he nosed her cheek.
“See? He can smell the hurt,” Cameron said.
Too moved to speak, Rusty wrapped her arm around the big dog’s neck and hugged him.
“I am the luckiest woman in the world. My two best guys saved my life today.”
***
It was after dark by the time Cameron got Rusty home. The good news was she had not suffered a concussion, and her jaw was intact. But her entire head was throbbing to the point that it hurt to blink.
She staggered when she started to get out of the Jeep, and seconds later she was in Cameron’s arms. “I’ve got you, darlin’. Let’s get inside out of the cold.”
Ghost shot into the house first and did his usual run-through, then went back to the fireplace and flopped down.
“What do you need first?” Cameron asked. “Food? A shower? You name it and I’ll make it happen.”
“I just want to go to bed,” Rusty said.
Cameron carried her all the way through the house to his bedroom, put her down on the side of his bed and went to get her pajamas. When he came back, she was trying to get out of her shoes.
“Let me,” he said, and gently began stripping her down, then dressing her for bed as if she was a child.
She pointed to the bathroom. “I need—”
“Can you walk?”
She nodded and went to wash up, then took some pain meds while he was pulling back the covers. When she came out, he was waiting for her.
