She should help.
Megan pulled her gun from the holster, thankful itwas her left arm that had been injured. She started to shift aroundso she could fire. Pain ripped through her arm. She hissed out abreath, swallowing back bile.
“Stay down!” His voice was absolute command.
But he needed help.
She tried to shift again but only ended up with herback to Adrian and facing the street. People were hunkered down.Good. Her head swam, her vision blurring. She couldn’t see a thing,let alone focus enough to figure out where the threat was and aimwith any kind of precision. She blew out a breath and tried tosteady herself. She was the wrong way around. If she leaned againstthe car now, she’d be leaning on her injured arm. That wouldn’t doany good.
You’ve been shot again.
She pushed aside that unhelpful thought and got herlegs bent under her so she could at least try to stand.
“I said, stay down!”
She gritted her teeth. Sirens could be heard in thedistance. There was something to be said for being downtown, wherepolice response was fast. She prayed no innocents had been hurt.They didn’t need more deaths because of this guy’s selfishness.
A car engine revved and then tires squealed as itsped away. A few more shots slammed against the building behindher. Megan ducked her head, even behind the cover of the car.
The sound dissipated, and she blew out a breath.
“Who’s hurt?” Adrian’svoice boomed over the near-silence of the aftermath. Like everyonewas afraid to breathe.
A woman screamed a man’s name, over and over.
Megan shut her eyes against the flood of wet. Her armburned. She was alive and Adrian was okay.
Police showed up. EMTs. Megan waited while theytreated those who’d been injured more badly than her.
Adrian didn’t like it. “I’ll drive you to thehospital.”
She sucked in a clean breath of air. Enough to say,“I’ll get blood all over the car seat. Again.”
“I don’t care.”
She kind of didn’t know why she was arguing. She didneed to get to the hospital, and the ambulances were being loadedup. “Give me a jacket or something, to wrap it with.”
When he pulled one from the trunk, she shifted herelbow away from her body. Swayed. Everything went dark for asecond, and then Adrian’s arm was around her waist.
“Okay?”
Megan nodded, unable to do anything else. “Wind itaround my arm.”
He frowned the entire time. And went way tooslow.
“I’m fine.”Liar.
He didn’t even react, just finished up and pulled thedoor open. Helped her to the seat like she was an invalid. He evenlifted her legs in.
She watched him talk to one of the officers and handover his business card, and then he got in the driver’s seat. Sheshut her eyes on the way to the hospital, not wanting to talk.Adrenaline just made her mad, and her heart was still racing. Herbrain rushed to process the conversation with Almonde, everythingat the think tank, and what had just happened in the parking lot.All past the pain in her arm.
The doctor jabbed her with a needle, and then it gotbetter. She felt the pull of stitches. The slide of thread throughher skin. Her brain snagged on that detail. As though it wasimportant in the grand scheme. Or simpler to ponder over thaneverything else in her life. An interesting detail she wouldn’thave otherwise paid attention to.
Adrian stood by the bed the whole time, hands on hiships. Jacket splayed wide. Fury on his face. She honestly hadn’tknown a man to do that before, but evidently extreme circumstancesbrought out reactions like that. Everyone knew putting hands onyour hips was serious.
His gaze shifted to her face. “You’re staring atme.”
“You’re stareworthy.”
Adrian blinked. Beside her the doctor huffed out aquick laugh. Like he wasn’t sure if he should think that wasfunny.
She glanced at the doctor. “Not that you’re not. It’s just…” She didn’t even know what shewas saying.
He shook his head. “Don’tworry about me.” Then aimed his bushy gray eyebrows at her woundagain and twisted his mouth as he concentrated on the stitches.
She moved her head again to look at Adrian. She neverwould’ve thought she’d find herself attracted to another man. Notafter what happened to Will. It was nice to know that part of herhadn’t gone completely dormant when he’d been killed. But it didn’tmean she was going to do anything about it.
If Adrian wanted a relationship with her, he wouldhave to make the first move. Maybe she was old-school, but that wasthe way things were supposed to go. Or, so she’d always thought. Itwas how her dad had won over her mom. By making the effort toconvince her she should take a chance on him.
If Adrian did that, she would kindly let him downgently. This was a one-woman show.
She didn’t mean that in a mean, or self-absorbed way.It was just that life was a whole lot simpler if it stayed justher. The apostle Paul even said it was better to stay single—so youweren’t distracted with having to please a spouse and take care ofkids. Sure, they were nice distractions, and there wouldn’t be this naggingloneliness all the time. But she only had to worry aboutherself.
See? Easier.
And it meant she could focus better on findingZimmerman.
Adrian shifted and pulled his cell from the insidepocket of his jacket. “Gotta take this.”
She nodded and watched him leave the room. He reallywas nice-looking. And a nice guy. Who was even like that anymore?So many men were sweet on the surface and toxic underneath. Womentoo, if she were honest. She’d spent enough time with Adrian thepast few weeks to know his outward manner went all the way to thecore.
He was genuine.
“Okay.” The doctor secured the bandage down.“All done. I’ll send the nurse in withinstructions.”
She nodded, her mind still mulling over Adrian beingin her life. And then she was alone. The way things were supposedto be.
So why would she rather Adrian was back in here?
What was taking him so long anyway?
Okay, that was the meds. They’d given her somethinggood for the pain. Maybe it was making her loopy.
She didn’t need a man in her life. Not when
