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“Stop moving, you big muscle man,” Amelia says, pressing harder with the dish towel on my side.
“I’ve got to safe…keep you...” My words are all jumbled now.
She grabs my shirt and looks up at me. “I am safe, Caleb. Because of you.”
That’s all the confirmation I need. I’ve been praying for this moment all day. I grab onto her waist and dip my head toward hers. Her lips part—
“Are you guys really about to kiss over top of a dead guy?” Leah’s voice breaks through the moment.
I pull back so fast I get dizzy. “He’s not dead,” I reassure her.
“Leah!” Amelia smacks her forehead. “We should, uh, probably continue this discussion,” her eyes flick to my lips, “later.”
“Later,” I agree. When the bleeding stops. When the emotions aren’t so high. We’ll talk. And we’ll kiss. Maybe not in that order.
Amelia runs to Leah’s side, letting go of me. Maybe it’s the gunshot wound, maybe it’s the woman, but I nearly fall over when she lets go. Amelia brings me balance. And imbalance. But somehow it works.
“I’m so sorry,” Amelia says, working to free Leah from the ropes. “I didn’t forget about you, I promise.”
“You totally did, but I forgive you.” Leah lets out a shaky breath.
Amelia gets her untied and the two girls embrace until the real backup arrives. Cruz enters first, then the EMTs. I motion them to the girls first. Cruz walks right up to me and punches my arm on my good side.
“Ow, what was that for?”
“Don’t do anything stupid and get yourself shot again. That’s the second partner of mine who’s been shot.”
What now? I must have missed something. I’m about to ask for more details when she continues.
“I guess I was wrong,” Cruz says. “Your girlfriend is innocent.”
“I knew you liked me, Rena.” Amelia turns her octopus arms on Cruz who jumps backward.
“Do not call me Rena.” Cruz glares at her.
“Come on, admit it.” Amelia inches closer to her. “You. Like. Me. We are going to be besties someday.”
“Control your woman, Harris,” Cruz says.
“If only he could.” Amelia cackles.
And then she faints.
Chapter 51
Amelia
It turns out, even if you only ingest a small amount of poison, there will still be side effects. I started feeling nauseous and dizzy around the time Caleb got shot, but I figured it was due to all the blood and trauma. But then I passed out in Gary’s house, hit the corner of a coffee table, and now have ten stitches in the back of my head. It hurt like the devil. But the doctors gave me pain meds, and fluids to flush the poison, and the combination of the two has me feeling loopy.
Apparently, I told my doctor that I was an FBI agent with only one leg. Maddie even got it on video. Which she’s currently watching in the corner of my hospital room with Connor.
They’ve been here for the last two hours, by my side as I gave my statement to what felt like an endless number of people.
I love them so much, but I can’t wait for them to leave. Not because I want them gone. After the last twenty-four hours, I’m holding them closer than ever. But not right now. They won’t let me go see Caleb, so they are enemy number one…and two. No one will even tell me how he’s doing. Did they have to amputate a rib? Did the bullet crawl to his heart?
Apparently, my thoughts are still a little loopy. But one thing remains clear. He promised we would talk later. And guess what...it’s later!
Something catches my eye in the opposite corner of the room. My parents' painting, the good one, is propped up on a chair, facing me.