Head On (Strength And Love)(46)

Luka and Liam sweep the garage, picking up all the weapons, which Luka takes out to his car. If they search the cars, he’s fucked. I don’t have time to argue though. Liam is going over what to say with Dave and Rick, who are both agreeing.

Rick and I will be having private words at some point in the future. Fucker tried to kill me, but worse, he and Dave put in place a series of events that seriously hurt Isla. They won’t get away with it.

She moans in my arms and I sweep her hair back from her forehead. She’s clammy, but not cold or too hot, which I think is a good sign. There’s blood loss, it’s seeping out over my fingers, but not a concerning amount. My worry is her spine. She’s been through too much already.

There’s screaming sirens and screeching tires, and then all hell breaks loose. Firemen, ambulance people, and police pour into the garage. Two of the police are suited up in all the gear and holding weapons. We all raise our arms, and one of the tooled-up cops sees Liam and quirks an eyebrow.

“Long story,” Liam says wearily.

“I can only imagine.” He lowers his weapon and gestures for his partner to do the same.

“I need help here. She’s been shot. Bullet wound to the lower back. Still in there. Not too much bleeding. She’s in tachycardia, and she passed out a while back.”

“You a doctor?” One of the paramedics asks as he kneels to look at Isla while his colleague runs back to the ambulance – probably to fetch a board and the other equipment.

I shake my head. “Special forces, have some medical training for out in the field.”

“Oh, okay. Let’s take a look.” He’s gentle as he examines her, and I’m praying they’ll keep her stable until they get her to accident and emergency. I’m also praying she doesn’t need any major surgery on her organs, because she’s already gone through way too much in her young life.

They get her on a board, and use the whole neck stabilising shit, even though I don’t think they need to.

I go to get in the back of the ambulance with her, but one of the police puts a hand on my arm. “Sorry, you need to stay here. We’ve a lot to clear up.”

I grit my teeth in frustration, but he doesn’t let go. “We’ll be as quick as we can. But you can’t go yet.”

I look to Liam in annoyance, but it seems his influence only goes so far, because he gives me a subtle shake of his head.

Five fucking hours later, and I’m finally heading to the hospital. They took Isla into surgery immediately, and she’s now in recovery. I’m in Liam’s car, and Luka’s taken mine home. Both men insisted I wasn’t in a fit frame of mind to drive. As if. But they ganged up on me, and here I am. Liam pulls up outside the doors of the hospital’s emergency admissions ward.

“I hope she’s okay.”

I turn to him. “Thanks for everything. It’s not adequate enough, but thanks.”

He laughs. “You can pay me back when you come work for me.”

I frown at him. “I still don’t get how you need my specific skills, running a security firm here in the UK. Close protection can’t carry here, and they sure as hell aren’t going to allow you to have a sniper onboard.”

He turns serious. “We don’t only do private protection work. We also do some very specific work for certain government agencies. Dignitaries’ visits, that sort of thing. Since the July terrorist attacks, our government likes to make sure things are as well covered as possible. It’s one of the many jobs my firm handles. We’re private yes, but we’re also contracted to the government.” He gives me a considered look. “That going to be an issue for you?”

I know what he means. We were screwed over by the government when things went south on our last mission. We were effectively hung out to dry and then to add insult to injury, investigated over what happened.

I sigh. “Not in this context. I’ll never fight for those fuckers again, but if they want to pay me stupid amounts of money to watch over some Bishop when he visits, then it’s fine by me.”

“My sentiments exactly. I use them now, not the other way around.”

He claps my shoulder. “Go get her.”

“If she wants me.”

He grins. “How can she resist the great Ethan Foston’s charms.”

Quite easily, I think to myself. She might still be too insecure about what I used to do to give this a go.

The antiseptic smell of the hospital hits straight away, and the reception area is packed. There’s not one seat empty.

I go to a window of thick Perspex with a grill in the bottom, and ask for Isla Rose. The receptionist looks on the computer screen for a long while, tapping at her keyboard with neatly trimmed nails. “She’s back on the ward now. Floor E, general surgery.”

I head for the bank of elevators but there’s a ton of people waiting, so I turn and blast through the double swinging doors to head for the stairs. I run up the four flights easily enough, and reach the ward quickly.

This is much more serene than downstairs. Softer lighting, nurses chatting at their station. And a long corridor with about five bays off it.

“I’ve come to see Isla Rose,” I tell one of the nurses. She looks up and immediately sits up straighter. Her eyes brightening.

“Are you her father? You got here quickly.”