Page 113 of Unleashed

Together, we race the last few feet between us and safety, dropping down just as the shots take on a different volume. They get louder. More frequent.

Then they stop completely.

“We got him.” A man calls out. “Stay where you are while we secure the area.”

Tucker sets Trevor down, tipping his head at Ruth. “Call an ambulance.”

“Already on it.” She’s got her phone to her ear, giving dispatch information as Tucker loosens Trevor’s tie. “In the leg, it looks like. Just once.”

Tucker gets the strip of fabric loose and goes to work tying it around Trevor’s thigh as I scoot in to cradle his head in my lap, smoothing my fingers over his clammy brow.

“It’s gonna be okay.”

Trevor winces as Tucker pulls the knot tight. “It better fucking be.” He reaches up, one shaky hand cradling my cheek. “I didn’t bust my ass to make you love me just to die.”

35

Trevor

“I’m fine. It was through and through.” I try to plead my case again. I know it’s a futile endeavor, but Maren has been glaring at me for the past hour while I wait for a doctor to come bandage me up. I’m starting to worry she’s actually plotting ways to get back at me.

And I’m both thrilled and terrified of what she’ll come up with.

“You should have stayed where you were.” She scowls at what’s left of my ruined pants. “Then we wouldn’t be sitting here waiting for someone to bring you a Band-Aid.”

I lift one hand, raising my pointer and middle fingers. “Two Band-Aids. Through and through, remember?”

Maren scans the room. “Do you think anyone would freak out if I screamed in here? Because I really feel like I want to scream.”

“Pretty sure that’s frowned upon.” I reach out, catching her hand and bringing it to my lips. “As soon as we’re done, I’ll take you home and you can stand in the backyard and scream your head off.” I hide my smile behind her knuckles. “I’m sure Ruth will want to join you.”

I’m not the only one in the dog house right now. Just the only one confined to a hospital bed.

Luckily, I’m also the only one who was hit by the gunfire a single shooter rained down on our lot until a member of our security team took him out. Lindsey was also injured, but Maren explained the cut through her brow was apparently the result of a spill she took thanks to Ruth’s quick thinking. Unfortunately, since I was taken away by ambulance pretty quickly, I’m not quite sure where Lindsey ended up.

Hopefully here getting stitched up.

Finally, my nurse and the doctor come in, spending an extraordinary amount of time cleaning my wound. It’s already been determined nothing of any importance was damaged, so no surgery is required. I’m a little surprised when they don’t stitch my wounds—apparently that can trap bacteria inside and raises the risk of infection. They simply slap a bandage around my calf, hand over a prescription for antibiotics and another for pain, then send me on my way.

Since my pants are now missing a leg thanks to the medics who stabilized my wound and transported me to the hospital, my dad brought me a change of clothes. Maren helps me out of my ruined slacks and into the running shorts my dad was smart enough to choose. Once my button up is replaced with a T-shirt and a pair of sneakers is tied on, I grab the hospital-issued crutches I’m required to use until my follow-up visit, and slowly make my way to the entrance.

My dad pulls up, and I angle myself into the back seat next to Maren, pulling her close to my side as we drive away.

Whatever pain medicine they gave me must have drowsiness as a side effect, because I doze off, not realizing it until I jerk awake to find we’re pulling into our driveway.

My mother opens the front door as I slowly work my way up the steps, waiting until I’m fully inside before wrapping her arms around me and squeezing tight. “I’m so glad you’re okay.”

“He’s an idiot is what he is.” Maren is still glaring, but it doesn’t hold quite as much venom as before. “Tell him to never do anything that stupid again.”

My mother releases me and turns to Maren, her expression soft but stern. “I’ll do no such thing.”

Maren’s jaw drops. “What? Why not?”

She was clearly expecting my mother to be on her side. Honestly, I kind of was too.

“Because I would have done the same thing if I was in his place.” My mother reaches out, taking Maren’s hands in hers. “And so would you.” She gives Maren a small smile. “Because when someone who matters to you is scared and needs help, you do whatever it takes to make sure they’re okay.”

Maren’s eyes flick to me before going back to my mom. “But I was fine. I wasn’t in danger until I had to go save his ass.”