He looked back up to her beautiful, battered face, wishing he’d made Javier Cetro suffer more.
He used that rage to push forward, refusing to let the bastard win. “Damn it, Liv. Wake up!”
Moving his attention back to her left arm, Trevor began to treat and put pressure on the deep wound there. A soft moan slipped out from between her lips and a surge of hope exploded inside Jake’s chest.
“Liv? Baby, it’s Jake. Can you open your eyes?”
For one long, excruciating second nothing changed. Then, her eyelids began to flutter.
“That’s it, sweetheart. Let me see those gorgeous eyes.”
Slowly, Olivia’s eyes began to open. Her left one was so swollen, it only revealed a small slit. The other opened wider, and stared directly into his.
Jake hated the pain and fear he saw there.
“Jake?” she barely whispered his name.
He started to reach for the hand closest to him, pulling back at the last second, remembering it was broken. Instead, he gently began brushing some hair away from her forehead.
“Yeah, baby,” his voice cracked. “I’m right here.” More tears marked his face, but he made no movement to wipe them away.
Olivia closed her eyes, again, the movement sending her own silver streams down her temples. “Found...me,” she rasped out.
It took a few tries before Jake could speak again. “Of course I did, sweetheart. I’ll always find you.”
Sounds from the approaching chopper quickly filled the air, but he didn’t turn away from her.
She opened her one good eye. “C-Cetro?”
“Dead. I made sure of it this time. He will never hurt you again.”
Olivia’s lid fell shut, and her bottom lip quivered. “S-sorry, Never...should h-have...l-left...you. Under...stand—”
Jake reached across her torso and grabbed her uninjured hand. “No, baby. You have nothing to be sorry for.”
The noise from the chopper cut off anything else he wanted to say. Jake and Trevor both arched their bodies over Liv’s to protect her from the blades’ powerful wind.
When it was somewhat calm, again, Trevor stood, jogging to the medics making their way across the grass.
Jake remained glued to Olivia’s side, whispering comforting words. Loving words.
He kissed her forehead. “It’s okay, now. You’re going to be okay.”
“H-hurts,” she rasped, and Jake’s nose burned as he tried to stave off the newest onslaught of tears.
“I know it does, baby. I know. But the medics are here now, and they’re going to take you to the hospital. You’ll be good as new before you know it.”
Jake looked away from her for the first time since carrying her outside. He recognized Burns, one of Ryker’s medics. Experience told him the guy knew his stuff.
Following closely behind Burns was taller, lanky man. One that looked too damn young.
As if reading his mind, Burns said, “This is Santos. He’s good, McQueen. You can trust him.”
Jake nodded and turned his attention back to Olivia, whose eyes had closed again.
The two men hurried to them. Jake scooted over to give the younger man room to work, but refused to completely leave her side. Burns looked at him knowingly.
“Trevor updated us on her known injuries, Jake. We’ll take good care of her.”
With swift, methodical movements, Burns and the other man took her vitals and started an IV.
Jake continued to smooth the hair on the top of her head, his touch a gentle reminder to her that he was still there.
Burns looked over at him sympathetically. “We need to move her. I’m not gonna lie; it’s gonna hurt.”
Jake spoke through his teeth. “Can’t you give her something more for the pain?”
The older man shook his head. “Not without knowing the full extent of her injuries.”
The thought of her enduring even more pain cut Jake to the quick. “She’s hurting, goddamn it!”
Jake knew the man. Hell, Burns had even treated him a few times after he’d been injured on the job. That didn’t keep Jake from wanting to rip the guy’s head off, just then.
He started to protest some more, but a soft touch to his arm stopped him.
“S’okay, Jake.” Olivia’s eyes were still closed, but she’d definitely spoken to him.
“I can’t stand to see you hurting, sweetheart.” It was one hell of an understatement.
“I know”—she opened her good eye—“h-heart rate...already...s-slow. Pain meds could...m-make...worse. Probably p-pass out...anyway. Be...okay.”
She closed her eye again, the effort behind her choppy words simply too great for her to bear.
Olivia had been beaten within an inch of her life, was barely able to even speak, and yet, she was trying to comfort him. Jesus, he was gut-shot.
More tears escaped the corners of his eyes. “I’ll be right here. I’m not going anywhere, and neither are you.” Jake leaned down and gently kissed her swollen lips. “You hang on, okay? This thing between us isn’t finished. Not even close. So, you have to hang on, even if it’s just so you can kick my ass later. You hear me, Liv? You. Hang. On.”
“’K.”
He could have sworn she tried to smile, but then, they were rolling her to her side and sliding the backboard beneath her.
Olivia’s agonizing cry of pain gutted him. It was a sound he’d never forget.
As predicted, she lost consciousness. Jake was actually relieved that, at least for the moment, she’d found a short respite from the pain.
He and Trevor helped load her into the chopper, then Jake climbed in after. Trevor lifted his chin to the road where two black, heavily tinted, non-descript SUV’s were pulling up.
Yelling over the chopper’s growing roar, Trevor said, “There’s Ryker. I’ll handle things with him and meet you at the clinic.”
Because these were Ryker’s guys, Jake and his team knew Olivia wouldn’t be going to a public hospital.
Homeland used a private healthcare facility located on the outskirts of Dallas, which only a select few knew about. The staff included some of the most brilliant doctors and nurses in the country.
Jake nodded and turned his attention back to Olivia as the younger medic slid the bird’s door shut. Burns wasted no time getting them off the ground.
While he flew,
