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Shit. Fuck. Fuck. Shit.
I wanted to slam the steering wheel again, but I didn’t want to scare her more than she already was.
Finally, fifteen minutes later, after I checked that no one was following us, I pulled onto another dirt road and hid the truck behind some large trees.
Shutting off the engine, I turned to her. “I’m so sorry, Nikole. I’m sorry I brought you here and put you in danger.”
She shook her head. “No. No. I’m sorry that you got shot because of me.”
“I’m not shot, sweetheart. I’m fine.”
She blinked at me several times, then placed her hand on my forehead. “Do you feel lightheaded?”
I frowned. “No,” I said, but a burning sensation tingled up my calf. I turned my head to take a closer look and sucked in a breath.
Where did all that blood come from?
A pool of dark blood gathered on the black mat underneath my feet.
“Oh my god, I knew it. I thought I saw blood on your pants when you crawled up on your seat. Let me take a closer look.”
With the console between us, Nikole struggled to get closer. I pushed my seat further back to give myself room, then rolled up my pants. I’d seen enough bullet wounds to know this one had just grazed my calf. “I have a change of clothes in the backseat. Can you grab the bag for me?”
Nikole sprang into action, launching her body over the console and bending to search for the bag. She sprang back with the black sack in her hands. “Here.”
“Thank you.”
I unzipped the bag and pulled out a white T-shirt. Ripping the T-shirt in half, I tied a piece of the shirt just above the wound tightly. Then I used the rest of the material to wrap the wound.
Exhausted from the flight or fight response, I threw my head back against my seat and closed my eyes.
Nikole moved closer to me; her breath quickened next to mine. We held hands on top of the console and I rubbed my thumb over her fingers and knuckles, reassuring myself that she was safe.
“You’re not hurt, are you?” I asked with my eyes still closed.
“No. I’m not hurt.”
I nodded. “I’m sorry you were scared.”
“I’m not afraid anymore. Only concerned about you.”
“Don’t worry about me. I’ve been hurt worse fighting extreme radicals.”
“I thought you were a peacekeeper.”
“I was talking about Canada.”
She laughed, and my heart warmed at the sound. Listening to her giggle with my eyes closed, I imagined we were someplace else. “I wish we were on my boat right now.”
“Why?” she asked, amusement still in her voice.
“Because I would sweep you off your feet and make you feel safe and cared for. I want you to feel like the most important person in the world.”
“You want that?” she asked, quietly, all amusement gone, and whispered, “Do you want me?”
I turned and opened my eyes. Heat crept up my body as I thought about kissing her. “How could I not want you?”
She looked down at our hands, still intertwined. “The other night. When you said you were tired, I thought you were brushing me off. I thought us being together was just a casual thing for you.”
