“It’s her job, Kat. She would have to come and check you out anyway.”
“I know. But it’s Christmas. I hate for her to have to leave her family on such a special day.” Being married to someone whose holidays were often interrupted—and having led that life herself in the past—she knew how disappointing it could be for those who wanted you around.
Johnny reached over and gave her shoulder a soft squeeze. “Honey, she delivers babies. Babies don’t adhere to timetables. This won’t be her first interrupted holiday, I promise.”
“I know.” Another pain ripped through her, and fluid gushed out. “Oh shit,” she moaned as pain and fear swirled together. Elena wasn’t waiting. She wasn’t going to be like Roman in the least. She was coming a lot quicker. Too quick. Had Kat really thought five or six hours only moments ago?
“Jesus, Kat. Hang in there.”
“I’m hanging. But I think we need to get there soon, Johnny.”
His knuckles whitened on the wheel. “We will. I promise.”
13
Fuck.
He’d promised her they’d get there soon, but what if he was wrong? It was snowing and anything could go wrong. Hadn’t he been worried about this for days? Worried something would go wrong and he’d fail somehow.
Except he hadn’t failed yet. They were on the way to the hospital. Kat was moaning beside him, her face white with pain. He hated seeing her that way, knowing she hurt because she was giving birth to their child.
Mendez pressed down on the gas just a bit, wanting to get to Riverstone but also aware road conditions weren’t the best and he needed to be careful. They were on a two-lane road, but soon he’d reach the highway and zip the rest of the way to Riverstone. They rounded a corner and he had to slam on the brake, cursing as he steered away from the truck that had overturned in the road.
“Oh,” Kat moaned. “You’re fucking kidding me, right?”
“Firetrucking kidding, right baby?” He was trying to make a joke, but she glared daggers at him. Not that he could see them since he had his eyes on the road and his heart in his throat, but he felt the murderous intent in her gaze. “Sorry, honey. Say what you want.”
“I’m sorry too, Johnny, but I’m progressing too fast. The contractions are much stronger than they should be at this stage. Sonofabitch!”
“I’ll turn around,” he muttered, looking for a way to spin the truck without danger of going into the ditch. He hoped she was calling her contractions a son of a bitch and not him, but who knew? He’d been around women in labor, part of the job sometimes, but he’d never been the focus of their rage for making them pregnant in the first place.
He put the truck in reverse and carefully guided them backward until he found a little spot he could make the turn. In the opposite direction he could see headlights blocked by the overturned truck, but there was nothing coming from the direction he’d been traveling just yet. He made the turn and headed back the way they’d come. He’d have to swing by their subdivision and then hook a right onto a different road that would lead to the highway. It wasn’t the most direct route, but it wasn’t too much farther than the way he’d intended to go. Not what they needed right now, but the only option they had.
“Johnny,” Kat gasped. “Elena doesn’t want to wait. I think she’s coming.”
“She can’t come yet,” he said in the tone of voice he used to order his subordinates around. Not that he expected it to work with his baby girl, but Jesus, he had to try.
Kat snorted despite the pain she had to be in. “She’s not listening to you. Hurry, please. I’m trying not to push.”
“I’m hurrying.” He pressed the gas and they flew down the road. He raced past their subdivision, and then took the turn toward the highway.
“How much farther?”
“Twenty minutes this way.”
“I can’t wait twenty minutes. I think you need to pull over.”
Mendez felt as if she’d punched him in the gut. Fear and denial rolled over him. But then he dug deep and found his control. He had a huge well of it. Precise, deadly, focused control. He would do whatever it took for Kat and Elena.
He aimed the truck at an empty pull-off spot and skidded to a stop. Then he hit the button for voice command as he jumped out of the truck and went around to pick Kat up and put her into the back seat. She moaned as she clung to him. He hated to move her and yet he didn’t have much choice. He couldn’t maneuver his way to help her in the front seat.
“What’s up, General?” Ian Black asked, sounding way cheerier than he ought to.
“I think I’m about to deliver a baby, Ian.”
“No shit? What do you need?”
“An ambulance to take us to Riverstone.”
“You got it. Where are you?”
Mendez sent his coordinates with a tap to his phone. He could have called Ghost or any of the operators on duty at HOT. He could have called 9-1-1. But calling Ian was like going straight to the front of the line. Ian was his equivalent in the civilian world, plus he knew Kat better than most. Besides, it was better for a civilian to make heads roll to get his
