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Brodie’s voice faded to the background.
“Aspen, stay with me. Don’t leave me,” his voice cracked.
His whole world was crashing down around him. He was supposed to protect the one person who gave him a hope for a future, and he’d failed.
Chapter 20
Declan closed his eyes and leaned forward, resting his head in his hands. He blew out a deep breath, unable to get the image of an unresponsive Aspen out of his head. He sat in the empty waiting room, replaying the sight of her being shot in his head. He released a growl, blaming himself for not taking better care of her.
He would gladly have taken a bullet for her.
In the truck, he’d practically wept with joy when his fingers finally found her thready pulse. They arrived at the Emergency Room with a team of medical professionals meeting them at the door with a stretcher. They’d swept her away from him, leaving him to stand in the doorway of the hospital with an empty feeling in his chest.
“Are you holding up?” Mac appeared near him.
Declan opened his eyes. Black boots stood in front of him. Glancing up, he found his team standing before him.
He’d lost track of time and didn’t know how long he’d been sitting in the waiting area. They hadn’t allowed him to find out any information on Aspen. The only things he’d been told was that she was alive and was in surgery.
So he’d flopped down in the chair, refusing to leave.
“They won’t tell me anything,” he growled, standing.
Zain, Brodie, Ashton, and Iker stood silently behind Mac.
“Don’t worry. Sarena is working on that.” Mac reached out and gripped his shoulder.
Mac’s fiancée was an assistant nurse manager of the Emergency Room. He felt somewhat relieved by the fact Sarena was going to help him.
He rested his hands on his hips, and his team settled into chairs around him.
“You guys don’t have to stay. You’ve done enough—”
“We’re not leaving,” Ashton announced. He settled back in his chair with a defiant look on his face.
“I don’t have any place to be at for the moment,” Zain said, folding his muscular arms in front of his chest.
Declan ran a weary hand through his hair and looked around at his men. They each dared him to try to send them away.
“Look, I really—”
“Stop,” Mac snapped, cutting him off. He ran a hand along his face and waved to their team. “You know we protect our own. The minute she’s out of surgery, there will be someone on her around the clock. I know your stubborn ass won’t let her out of your sight, so we’re going to be here to help.”
Declan jerked his head in a nod, his throat constricting.
“She’s one of us,” Iker said. He leaned forward, resting his arms on his knees. It had been Iker keeping him from tearing the head off of one of the doctors when they’d barred him from Aspen’s room.
The doors of the waiting room burst open with Myles striding through them. The look on his face was grim, and the men to stood from their chairs.
“Declan.” Myles nodded to him. “Mac. I just got off the phone with the captain. The feds and local boys in blue are all over that fucking alley.”
“Do we know who any of those fuckers are?” Brodie asked.
“Not yet. I’m sure we’ll know soon,” Myles replied.
“That was a lot of man power. Someone with deep pockets definitely wants your girl dead,” Ashton said.
The room grew silent, and Declan agreed.
