Long Road Home(60)

He glanced over as Tony got up from his seat, shut his phone and walked over to where Manuel stood.

“They’ve got warrants for the senator’s office and home. I’m going over. I don’t want anyone touching his computers but me. I’ll let you know what I find out.”

Manuel nodded, red fury washing over him all over again. While Jules fought for her life on an operating table, the senator was undergoing surgery to remove a bullet from his shoulder. The bastard was expected to make a full recovery.

He finally sat down, fatigue taking over. He leaned forward and buried his face in his hands, and for the first time in longer than he remembered, he prayed.

He’d lost the Trehans to the senator’s machinations. He couldn’t lose Jules too. He prayed she wouldn’t give up.

Hours came and went and still he sat, refusing to budge. Finally, fifteen hours after Jules had been rushed into surgery, the doctor appeared at the door.

He looked tired, haggard, and worst of all, there was no spark of hope in his eyes.

Tears stung Manuel’s eyelids, and he swallowed back a moan of despair as he rose to hear what the doctor would say.

“I’ll be honest with you, Mr. Ramirez. I expected her to die in surgery. But she hung on. I have no explanation.”

“Will she…will she make it?” Manuel asked, his voice cracking.

“She made it through surgery, so I’d say she has a better than average chance of recovering. She’s in ICU, where she’ll remain until she’s stable. The bullet missed her heart, but she lost an enormous amount of blood. She’s got a long recovery ahead of her, but she’s made it through the toughest part.”

Manuel’s heart began to pound. His knees shook and threatened to buckle underneath him.

“Maybe you should sit down.” The doctor said gestured toward the chair closest to him.

Manuel sank into the chair and stared at the doctor in disbelief. “She’s alive?” He needed to hear it one more time.

The doctor nodded. “She’s very fortunate. When she came in, I gave her less than a five percent chance of pulling through. With the amount of blood loss, it didn’t seem likely she’d survive the first hour of surgery.” He shrugged. “But then in this profession, I’ve witnessed some pretty amazing things. I’d say Miss Trehan has friends in high places.”

“Thank you.” Manuel reached out to shake the doctor’s hand. “I appreciate all you did for her.”

The doctor smiled. “You should get some rest now.”

“When can I see her?” Manuel asked, ignoring the doctor’s suggestion.

The doctor’s face softened. “You can go up to ICU and see her for a few minutes. But I warn you, it will be a shock. We’ll have her hooked to a respirator until I’m comfortable she can breathe on her own.”

Manuel nodded then got up and walked past the doctor. He followed the signs to the intensive care unit and checked in with the nurse at the desk.

She escorted him back to the corner cubicle. He sucked in his breath when he saw Jules lying there, so still, so pale.

“I’ll give you a few minutes,” the nurse said. “Then you’ll have to come back tomorrow.”

Manuel nodded and moved closer to the bed. The respirator echoed eerily in the otherwise quiet space. Jules’s chest, heavily bandaged, rose up and down with the sound of the machine.

A series of tubes and wires extended from her to a heart monitor and an IV pump. He could see the steady rhythm of her heart displayed on the small screen. She was alive.

He stood at her bedside and reached down, curling his hand carefully around her fingers. They felt cold. He rubbed her hand soothingly, wanting her to somehow know he was there beside her.

“Jules? Baby, I’m here.”

Silence greeted him in response. Only the steady whooshing of the respirator could be heard.

He leaned closer in, afraid to touch her. He brushed his lips lightly across her forehead. “I love you. Come back to me. You’re safe now.”

A single tear rolled down his cheek, and he sucked in his breath to control the grief that threatened to explode from him.

“Mr. Ramirez,” the nurse said softly from the end of the bed. “It’s time for you to go now. You can come back tomorrow.”

Reluctantly, he removed his hand from Jules’s and backed away from the bed. He didn’t want to leave her. Not even for a minute.

As he walked with the nurse out of the enclosure, he saw two men standing nearby. His hackles rose, and he stopped in front of them.

“Who are you and why the hell are you here?” he demanded.

“I’m Special Agent Farrow,” the first man said. He turned and gestured to the other man. “This is Special Agent Redding. We’ve been assigned to Ms. Trehan.”

Fear churned in Manuel’s gut.

“I assume you’re Manuel Ramirez?” Agent Redding asked.

Manuel nodded.

Agent Redding stuck out a hand to shake Manuel’s. “We’ve been talking to Tony. He’s cooperating with the investigation into the senator’s participation in the NFR.”

Manuel relaxed.

“We’re here to ensure Ms. Trehan’s safety,” Agent Farrow said.

Manuel studied them for several long seconds. Then he reached for his phone. He wasn’t leaving Jules, not until he talked to Tony.