Page 103 of Found in Wild Sage

I only hear a muted scream from Evie behind the duct tape, but I’m down. My gaze on the sky. It looks like Evie’s eyes.

“You’re okay. You’re okay. EMTs are almost here. You hold on, okay?” It’s Grant, shoving his hand over the wound in my belly.

I can feel that his hand is covering mine. Pressing under my ribs. Won’t be a lung puncture. Could mean the bullet nicked an organ. Shots to the gut can be messy.

“Bad news.”

He shakes his head. “Nope. You’ll be fine. We’ll get you to the hospital. You’ll have a fancy scar.”

My breaths feel like they’re coming fast. Too fast.

“Dec! Oh my god, Declan.”

I shut my eyes at the relief hearing her voice brings me. My head swims, but I fight to get them open again. I’m rewarded by her face hovering over me.

“I love you so much.” It’s the most important thing to say. “I love Charlie. Tell him for me.”

She shakes her head, and I think Grant grunts.

“No, you’ll tell him. You tell him in just a minute, okay? You saved us.” She sobs, but shakes that off. “I love you, Dec. I’m so glad I’m your wife.”

My breath’s coming fast. Too fast. And Evie’s pressing her hands on me, too. She’s—I don’t know. “I’m sorry.”

“No. No you don’t have anything to apologize for. You’re amazing and I love our life. I love our marriage. I—” She cuts off with a gasp. “What’s happening?”

I feel it. God, it’s different to feel it than to see it. Treat it.

“Hypovolemic shock. Too much blood.” Bullet must’ve come out the other side. Maybe it hit a kidney. I’m losing too much blood. That’s why my breath is short.

There’s chaos. I knew it, but it hits again. This is bad.

“Thank you, love. Thanks for finding me. You… found… me.” Talking is hard.

Evie is crying. “I love you. Thank you. I love you.”

“No more talking,” Grant barks. “Time for a little bird ride. Your favorite.”

I catch his eye when a group surrounds me. They’re counting, lifting. It’s almost done.

“Take care. Of them.”

He grabs my shoulder and leans over me on the stretcher where I’m getting strapped in. “You’ll do it yourself, dammit. I’ll see you soon.”

I keep my eyes on him until I lose focus and then let the darkness crowding in at the edges swallow me whole.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

Evie

Four hours later, I’m sitting in the Silverton Hospital surgical waiting room surrounded by family.

Charlie is strapped to my chest, asleep. I know I should let someone take him home, but I don’t know how to convince myself to be apart from him. Half of my heart is in the operating room and the thought of being separated from Charlie after what we’ve gone through is incomprehensible.

After Declan was life-flighted to Silverton Hospital, Charlie and I were brought in an ambulance. They transported Katrina in a separate vehicle since she had, in fact, been shot.

But she shot Declan twice, and I’m not sure how I’ll ever recover from seeing him losing so much blood while still trying to show me his beautiful heart.

I sniffle and press my hand over my mouth. My eyes are red and swollen from crying at his side, then crying as someone handed me Charlie, and on and off until this very minute.