Secrets Never Die (Morgan Dane #5)(86)

“Rylee described Evan’s wounds when she called, so I stopped at the urgent care on the way here.” Tina leaned over Evan. She straightened one arm and tied a rubber tourniquet above his elbow. She tapped on the skin, clearly looking for a suitable vein. “He’s dehydrated. I need some light.”

Lance retrieved an umbrella and flashlight from the Jeep’s glove compartment. He held the umbrella over Evan and shone the flashlight on his arm.

Tina cleaned her bloody hands with sanitizer, donned a pair of gloves, then began opening packages. She used an alcohol prep pad on Evan’s arm, then inserted a needle. Swearing, she tried again. On her third attempt, she had successfully placed the IV. She taped it down, attached a bag of saline, and held it high. “Let’s get him in the back seat of my car. I can hang the saline drip from the headrest.”

Lance hesitated. His clothes and hair were plastered down. He was bleeding from several shallow lacerations and abrasions, and he looked not quite steady on his feet. His muscles were likely weak from the massive exertion of getting Evan to shore. Yet the eye contact with Morgan made his face go even grimmer, which shouldn’t have been possible. His gaze locked on Tina’s medical bag, then met Morgan’s eyes. She followed his line of sight and knew exactly what he was thinking.

That was no first aid kit that Tina had brought in her trunk. Her bag was stuffed with a week’s worth of medical supplies. She’d planned to do more than save Evan.

She’d planned to run.

“Tina, you didn’t call 911, did you.” The words came out of Morgan’s mouth as a statement, not a question.

“No.” Tina looked up at Morgan. “I can’t trust the police. They have a warrant out for Evan’s arrest. I’m taking my son and leaving here. You can’t stop me.”

“Evan needs to go to the hospital.” Morgan glanced at the boy. His pallor was alarming. If Tina took him away, Morgan feared Evan might not survive.

But Tina was riding on her own wave of fear.

“All Evan needs is me. We’re better off on our own.” Without any more explanation, Tina reached into her waistband at her back and produced Lance’s gun. She pointed it at Lance and spoke, her voice cool. “Please put Evan into the back seat of my car.”





Chapter Thirty-Seven

“No.” Lance met Tina’s gaze without flinching. He could not believe that she would shoot him.

“Do it!” Tina gestured with the gun.

At the increase in danger, Lance looked instinctively for Morgan. She had her phone out and was inching behind the tree. Calling 911, no doubt.

He had to stall for time.

Every inch of Lance’s body ached. He’d almost drowned and had been beaten, kicked, and slammed into rocks. He’d risked his life to save Evan multiple times. From the looks of the boy, the job wasn’t done yet. Lance would be damned if he’d let Tina’s refusal to trust anyone kill her son.

“I’m taking both kids to the hospital,” he said simply. “We both know Evan needs more than a few bags of saline.”

“I have antibiotic injections,” Tina said.

Lance’s gaze cut pointedly to the teen, lying far too still on the ground, his face a mask of sickness. “That wound has been festering for days. It’s been submerged in bacteria-laden floodwater. He needs an ICU and probably surgery.”

Frustrated, Tina raised her voice. “I know what he needs.”

“Do you?” Lance accused. “What about Rylee? Are you going to shoot her too?”

“Of course not!” Tina shot back. “I can’t hurt a child, and Rylee is no threat to Evan.”

“And you think I’m a threat to you or Evan?” Anger gave Lance’s freezing body a shot of heat. “I almost died at least six times today for your son.”

“And I thank you for that.” Tina’s expression softened for a few seconds. Her eyes pleaded with him.

“You can’t get him into the car without me.” Lance crossed his arms over his chest. “He’s not even conscious now.”

Panic lit Tina’s eyes.

“I don’t want to hurt you or Morgan,” she said. “All you have to do is cooperate. Put Evan in my car, and we’ll be on our way. You can take Rylee to the hospital. She needs surgery or she is going to bleed out. The tourniquet on her leg should only be used temporarily.”

“No.” Lance shook his head. “I will not be a party to you killing your kid.”

Tina stared back at him in disbelief.

Morgan slid out from behind the tree. A small nod confirmed that she’d called for help.

Tina swung her arm around so that the weapon pointed at Morgan. “I said, put Evan in my car.”

Morgan shook her head. “That’s not going to happen.”

Shit!

Lance was OK with risking his own neck, but he didn’t like Morgan doing the same. But he didn’t interfere. She was damned good at reading people, and she didn’t think Tina was going to shoot either. But his heart still skipped a few beats as Tina’s gun hand trembled.

“I’ll handle the sheriff and the prosecutor,” Morgan said. “We know who killed Paul. It might take some time to prove it, but once Aaron’s body is dragged from the river, the case against Evan will be dropped. You don’t have to fear the police now.”