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“It’s okay. Okay,” he said, breathing heavily. “It’s not supposed to feel good. Keep going. You’re doing good, Harlow. You’re doing great. I’m okay.”
“Nate, we’re with you, brother.”
“H-help her,” he said in a pleading tone to the phone.
“We’re going to help you both. Let her do this. Okay, Harlow. This is going to hurt, but it has to be done. Press on the opening of the wound. You’re going to feel tissue beneath your fingers, but hopefully, you’re going to feel something really hard.”
She nodded, swallowing as she looked down at the wound. At first, she didn’t press very hard, and Nate coaxed her to push harder.
“If you have to, gently put your finger inside and see if you can feel it.” Nodding, she did as he told her.
“I feel something. It’s definitely really hard.”
“Okay, that’s good. That’s probably the bullet. I need you to try to grab it with the tweezers. If that doesn’t work, you’re going to have to use your fingers. You have small hands, so it won’t hurt as bad as you think.”
“That’s not fucking true,” growled Nate. “Don’t lie to her. It’s going to hurt like hell, but you have to do it, Harlow. Please.”
“I’m so scared,” she whispered into the phone.
“Harlow, this is Katrina Redhawk. I’m Nate’s mother. I know you’re scared, honey. But right now, you’re the only person who can save my son. We’re right here. We’re not going to let you fail.”
Nodding at the woman, she wiped her eyes and began to slowly feel for the bullet. The tweezers hit it, and she attempted to grab it several times, but it was too slippery.
“It’s not working. I’m going to have to use my hands,” she said, shaking her head. She leaned over Nate’s shoulder, whispering in his ear.
“I’m sorry if this hurts, or-or if I do something wrong. I just want you to know you’re the best thing in my life.” She saw the small grin on his face and then focused. Hearing his groans of pain was killing her, but she wouldn’t let him die.
“Al-most. Almost,” she repeated. “Got it! Oh, my God! I got it!” She could hear laughter on the other end of the line and looked at the screen. Holding up the long bullet, several men frowned, nodding at it.
“Good girl,” said Cruz. “Now, take more of that alcohol and clean the wound really well. Does the first-aid kit have a suture kit?”
“Oh, shit. I knew you were going to ask that.”
CHAPTER FIVE
By the time Harlow finished suturing the wound, Nate had passed out. Fast asleep on her floor, she rolled him over, tucked a pillow beneath his head, and covered him with the comforter from the bed.
“Harlow, we’re going to get to you and Nate, but we can’t fly into any airport near you right now. You’re safe for another twenty-four hours. If we can’t get there, neither can anyone else. We spoke to Nate’s brother, and they were on a mission when Nate got shot,” said Tanner.
“A mission?” she frowned into the phone.
“Uh, yeah. We’ll explain later. Do you have food? Everything you need?”
“Yes. I’m good for now. I have my dog as well.”
“Okay, good. You two sit tight, and we’ll get there as fast as we can.”
“Thank you, Tanner. I can’t thank all of you enough. I had no idea what I was doing,” she said, shaking her head.
“Harlow,” said Nathan. “Tobias told me a little about how they met you and what Nate did for you. Is that why you’re in hiding?”
“Yes. He and I were both concerned that my family might come for me. It’s just my parents, but I think they owed Quinn a lot of money.”
“Quinn is dead, Harlow. If they owed him money, that debt is gone,” said Nathan.
“I know. Nate told me that, but there were others.”
“Others?” frowned Tobias, staring into the screen. “Hey, Harlow.”
