Francine inside, closeting her in the master bedroom for the physician to work on. The big Kodiak got shooed out by an ashen-faced Naomi who shook her head at Alejandro when he would have followed her inside.
“You’re a mess, and besides, you need to tell everyone what’s happened. She’ll be okay, Alejandro. She has to be.”
Hanging his head, moisture stinging his eyes, he prayed she spoke the truth.
“What the hell happened?” barked Geoffrey, Naomi’s father, the grizzled wolf as angry as if his own daughter lay comatose.
Javier, Ethan and the rest of Naomi’s family crowded around him, questioning looks in their eyes that turned to rage as he relayed the cowardly attack. It was when he heard about the hunter’s potshots the night before, which still kept Mitchell abed this morn, that he lost his mind and roared.
“Why the fuck did no one call me?” If he’d known, he could have…still never expected such a brazen attack.
“It’s my fault,” Javier said. “I thought since he still staked out our house that he had no clue where you actually were.”
“You thought wrong!” Alejandro growled and lunged at his brother, only to have Ethan hold him back.
“Punching him won’t help things,” rumbled the big Kodiak. “Dr. Weston is going to patch her up and she’ll be fine. What we need to concentrate on is finding the hunter so he can’t hurt anyone else. This has gone too far.”
It had, and it was up to Alejandro to fix it.
Rarely did rage come to visit him, and never before for someone not related to him, but Francine meant more to him than anyone he’d ever known. He would have gladly stepped in front of her to take the bullet to spare her pain if given the chance. Anything to ease the ache inside at knowing she hurt. A pain in his heart that could only find ease in vengeance. But he wouldn’t leave to wreak havoc until he knew she was safe.
It seemed like an eternity, but in reality was more like an hour before the doctor emerged, Naomi’s mother at his side looking pale.
“She’ll recover,” the doctor announced, easing the fear inside him. “The bullet nicked her spine and lung. The hole in her lung has already sealed over, but the bone injury will take a little longer to heal. She’s going to need quite a few days of bed rest. Oh, and lots of iron supplements, in other words, red meat to build up her blood because she lost quite a bit.”
Relief made his breath whoosh out as the terror that clung to him since he heard the shot finally loosened its grip. “Can I see her?”
“Go in, but not for long. She needs to rest. The silver made her weak and even though I’ve removed it, her body needs to regain its strength.”
Leaving the gathered men, with the exception of Mitchell whom they’d tied to a bed in his own home so he could also recover, Alejandro entered the bedroom and approached the large bed with leaden feet. Sprawled on her stomach, covered in a blue sheet folded to her waist, the white bandage plastered to the middle of her back acted like a sucker punch to the gut. He staggered, and Naomi, her cheeks tear streaked, glanced at him and tried to give him a wan smile. He couldn’t hold her gaze, the guilt making him look down where he saw her hand clutching Francine’s tight.
Flipping her head the other way, Francine’s weary brown eyes, so different from the passion-filled ones of the night before, peered up at him. It pierced him to see the happiness in her gaze when she saw him. How could she not blame him for her injury?
“Jag, thank god. Would you tell my BFF here that everything is all right? I swear, she’s trying to crush my hand.” Welcomed by his lover even though he didn’t deserve it, Alejandro moved to stand behind Naomi.
“Oh stuff it,” said Naomi in a thick voice still clogged with tears. “You didn’t seem to mind when the doctor was digging that bullet out.”
Turning back so she could see them both, Francine muttered, “Bitch.”
“Skank.” They both burst into giggles accompanied with watery eyes that they both surreptitiously wiped, Francine by rubbing her face against the pillow case.
“You’re both fucked,” he said, a ghost of a smile teasing his lips at their obviously long running joke.
“I sure was last night.” Francine winked and licked her lips. “I don’t know if the cow here was, although I bet once she’s on her back, there’s no getting her back up.”
Instead of taking offence, Naomi laughed. “Javier likened me to a turtle, which believe me, he’s paid for. His poor tongue is probably still sore from apologizing. But speaking of giant bovines, I’m going to send Ethan to fetch us a cow. The doctor said you needed to eat lots of red meat.”
An inelegant snort came out of Francine. “Ha, nice try, pregnant one. You’ve just got a hankering for a big hunk of steak.”
“Don’t forget the baked potato and Caesar salad,” Naomi added, rubbing her tummy with a smile.
“No wonder you’re the size of a house.”
“I am so getting a new best friend,” Naomi grumbled.
“Good luck with that. No one else would put up with your snarky attitude.”
“Love you, Francine,” Naomi said in a wobbly voice as she stood up before slipping out the door.
“Love you too,” Francine whispered, her voice tight.
Alejandro moved and took Naomi’s vacated seat. He clasped Francine’s just released hand. “Yours is a strange but beautiful friendship,” he said, stroking his thumb over the pale skin of her hand.
“If you mean fucked up, then yeah. But it works for us. Thanks for getting me help.”
He couldn’t look her in eye, so guilty did he feel. “Don’t thank me. It’s my fault you got hurt in the first place.”
“How do you figure that? The shot could have just as easily hit you.”
“And the shooter probably meant to, given it’s someone from my past who followed me here. I led them straight to you and now you’re injured as a result.”
“But you didn’t know they’d do that.”
“Doesn’t matter. I’m still at fault.”
“Damned fucking straight you are,” Mitchell retorted from the doorway, bare-chested with a bandage wrapped around his shoulder and his arm in a sling. “Because you couldn’t keep your dick in your pants, some fucking hunter is out there shooting at me and my family.”
“You forgot me,” Francine interjected.
Mitchell turned blazing eyes her way. “You are family, Francine. Sister or not, mate or not, no matter what you are, that won’t ever fucking change. But him.” Mitchell turned his attention back. “You’ve been nothing but trouble, sauntering into town like you own it. Seducing innocent girls-”
“One girl and the only one from here on in,” Alejandro interjected.
“You seduced Francine! And now because of you, she’s been shot. If I weren’t wearing this fucking bandage-”
“And if you weren’t terrified your mom would kill you,” Francine interrupted with a snicker that earned her a glare.
“I should beat your furry ass right back to where it belongs,” Mitchell snarled, stalking toward him.
“No need to exert yourself.” Alejandro stood. “I need to leave anyway and take care of the situation. You’re right. It is my fault, and I will fix it.”
“No,” Francine whispered. “Please don’t go. I need you with me. Who will take care of me?” It sliced him like a knife to see her looking fearful, his beautiful brat who usually faced the world with a smile and a snappy comeback.
“You’re in good hands here, and besides, do you really think Naomi’s going to let you go anywhere?”
“But I don’t want Naomi to hug me and tell me it’s going to be all right.”
His heart wrenched and if his honor didn’t dictate he make her safe, he would have caved to her plea. As it was, he bent down and brushed his lips across hers. “I need to do this, baby. I need to make you safe. You won’t
