And though he still felt like it was his life on the line, Jake was suddenly glad they were all together.
Chapter 16
Jake, Mac, and Coop continued talking about nothing important, doing their best to not go crazy while waiting to hear something.
Grant and Derek came back a few minutes later, and while Derek joined right in on the conversation, Grant went back to being his silent, observant self.
Trevor brought Jake up to speed on Ryker’s plan to clean up Cetro’s mess. Thankfully, Homeland had the ability to make something like that go away without anyone being the wiser.
Of course, those who needed to know would be read in, and Ryker would make sure anyone left in Cetro’s circle knew exactly what happens to those who come after innocent women. Especially on American soil.
Trevor also confirmed the other man with Cetro was, in fact, the other escaped convict. Somehow, Cetro had enticed Marcus Anthony to go with him and help with his plan for revenge against Olivia. Turned out, Marcus Anthony used to run around with Carlos Hernandez, Liv’s stalker.
The theory was that Cetro had Anthony get in touch with someone he trusted to do the dirty work when it came to stalking and attempting to abduct Liv.
When Trevor tried to apologize for what had happened, Jake shut him down immediately. They couldn’t start with the what-ifs. It didn’t change anything and would only end up driving them both crazy.
In the end, the only one to blame was that sadistic fuck, Cetro. And he was finally burning in Hell.
Hours later, A white-haired man in surgical scrubs came through the swinging double-doors. He didn’t look surprised to see them sitting on the floor, there rather than in the waiting room where they should have been.
Jake shot up, nearly stumbling in his haste. “How is she? Is she okay?”
The rest of the team got to their feet, as well, all surrounding him, ready to catch him if he fell. Figuratively and literally.
“I assume you’re Jake?”
Jake approached the doctor with an extended hand. “Jake McQueen. I’m Liv’s...we’re...together.” God, he prayed that was still true.
The man shook Jake’s hand. “Agent Ryker told me you’d be here. I’m Doctor Wyrick.”
“How is she?” Jake asked again.
The doctor removed his surgical cap and rubbed the back of his neck. “The surgery was tricky. The wound in Miss Bradshaw’s arm went deep. There was a microscopic tear in her brachial artery. The angle and location of the tear was difficult to reach, and small tears like that are much harder to repair than larger ones. However, we were able to secure the artery and repair the torn muscles. With some physical therapy there shouldn’t be any lasting impairments in that arm.”
Jake’s heart hammered against his chest. “So, she’s going to be alright.”
“Aside from the artery, our orthopedic surgeon set and cast her broken wrist. She was lucky there, too. The break was clean and didn’t require any pins. The cuts on her back were cleaned, and those that needed it were sutured.”
He paused to take a breath. “All of her scans were clear and showed no signs of internal injuries. She’ll need to stay here for a few days, but after that, I see no reason why she can’t finish her recovery at home.” The doctor looked around at the team and back to Jake. “I’m assuming she will have someone to help her?”
“She’ll have everything she needs. Now, can I see her?”
Jake felt like he was crawling out of his skin with the need to see for himself, that she was okay.
“Miss Bradshaw is under heavy sedation to give her body time to start healing. She won’t wake up for several more hours, but I’ll take you to her.” He looked around at the others, again, adding, “I’d like for it to just be you for now.”
Fine by him. Right now all he cared about was seeing Olivia.
Jake started to follow the doctor but stopped and turned back to his team. “Thank you. For being here.” He gave a quick glance to Trevor then Grant. “For everything.”
Trevor, Derek, and Coop were smiling like a couple of goofballs. Mac’s eyes looked suspiciously wet, and damn if Grant Hill’s mouth wasn’t turned up, just a bit.
Trevor smiled wide. “Go be with your girl.”
A few minutes later, Jake was standing outside Olivia’s room. He’d waited hours to see her, but now that he was about to, he found he was scared to death.
“My biggest concern is the amount of blood she lost,” the doctor said beside him. “We gave her two units and will continue to monitor her cell count over the next twenty-four hours.”
“But, she’s okay, right? You said she was going to be okay.”
“Physically, yes. I’m sure you’re aware there are certain risks involved with any surgical procedure. But, barring any unforeseen circumstance, she should be fine.”
Jake gave his thanks and reached for the door, but the doctor’s next words stopped him.
“That young woman was put through hell.”
Jake turned and spoke over his shoulder. “I know.”
“I won’t lie. She doesn’t look good. The bruises and swelling will all go away with time, as will the cuts and scrapes. Some will most likely leave scars. Her back...” The doctor shook his head. “Tell me you got the bastard who did this.”
A muscle in Jake’s jaw bulged just thinking about it. Surprisingly, the doctor looked almost as pissed as he felt.
“I did.”
Jake and Dr. Wyrick shared a look, and Jake knew the doctor understood exactly what he wasn’t saying.
“Good. Now, go be with that young lady. She’s going to need a lot of support to get through this. And I’m not just talking about her physical injuries.”
“She’ll have it. Trust me.”
With one final nod, the doctor turned and walked away, leaving Jake at the door alone.
He took a deep breath, attempting to get his emotions under control before going in. Olivia didn’t
