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Autumn blinked and looked up at him. He was still lying on top of her.
“I think you bruised my back.”
He smiled, then he started laughing. Relief filled him, leaving him a little lightheaded. Of course, he saved her, and she complained about how he did it. But it told him she was okay if she was complaining.
He leaned down, not caring about who was there, and kissed her. He had to let her know, without words for now, how muchhe loved her. She said something against his lips and held herself stiff for just a moment or two before she melted. When he pulled back, she stared at him.
“I guess we have to talk about my money.”
“I knew. First, we need to get things cleared up.”
“Get off my sister,” Ian said. Autumn smiled but said nothing. Seth rolled to his feet and then helped her up. His shoulder was throbbing, but he was sure the bullet had just grazed him. It was then that both of them heard the sounds next to them.
Rami was over by Peter, going through a bag and looking for things.
“Hold on, Peter. We’re going to get you out of here. We had medical transport on standby.”
Autumn hurried over and kneeled on the opposite side from Rami. Peter’s shirt was dark, but it was easy to see the blood that soaked through it. Fuck, the bullet must have grazed him but then hit Peter.
“Autumn,” Peter gurgled. She took his hand and held it tight.
“Hold on. Rami will make sure you get through this.”
Seth wasn’t sure that was the case because of the amount of blood the man was losing, but he let it go for now. There was no reason to say different.
“Make way,” a booming voice said. He turned and saw the EMTs make their way through the room.
She stepped back, closer to Seth, and he fought the urge to pull her into his arms. She would never admit it, but he knew this had been hard on her emotionally.
Joseph was openly weeping like a little boy, but Autumn ignored him. Instead, she was taking complaints from her brother as they wheeled Peter out of the room.
“What do you think you were doing?” He growled the question.
“My job.”
“That,” Ian said, pointing toward where Joseph stood, his hands zip-tied behind him, still crying, “isnotyour job.”
“Do you need my help?” he asked.
She looked at him, surprised, but then a slow smile curved her lips. She was kind of a mess. She had a split lip—which had probably hurt when he kissed her, and she had a bruise on her jaw. But she was the most beautiful woman in the world to him.
“I got this, but thank you.” Then her gaze zeroed in on his shoulder. “What the fuck, SEAL? You’re shot?”
He opened his mouth to tell her he was fine, but Rami was on him.
“Take your gear off, Seth.”
He wanted to argue, but Del gave Seth a look that told him the commander would order him to do it if he didn’t.
Rami said something in Spanish under his breath before he pulled out some gauze and cleanser. It stung, but he didn’t say anything. He just kept looking at Autumn, whose face had gone white, and her lips were a strange hue. It was odd because while he knew she cared about him, she had to have seen it was only a graze. He opened his mouth to reassure her, but the words died as he watched her eyes roll back in her head before she crumbled to the floor.
sixteen
Seth paced backand forth behind the last row of seats in the waiting room at Tripler Army Medical Center. The rush to get Autumn into the hospital and figure out what was wrong felt like it had taken hours, but it had been quick. Thanks to quick thinking on Del’s part, they had medical teams standing by, ready for any kind of wound.
Peter hadn’t made it. The bullet had pierced an artery, and the blood loss had been too much. He knew that Autumn would probably take it hard. Not that she felt anything for the young man, but he was sure she would see him as another victim.
“You’re making me dizzy,” her brother said. It was about the fourth time in the last couple of hours that Ian had complained about his pacing.
