Page 18 of Last Chance Christmas

“I know, but you’re not chasing down Sosa. That’s the cops’ job.”

“I’m not trying to interfere, but she went after him alone.” He glanced back. The partner had probably climbed the fence. He would get there quicker.

“Tell me what happened.”

“I came home and Sosa was in my house. He took my gun, and when Olivia came in, he ran off. She can fill you in on all the rest.” He didn’t feel like rehashing it. What he wanted to do was contend with this urgency in his chest making his heart pound. The way he’d rather run after her than anything else right now.

Kind of like the way she’d run after Sosa.

But it wasn’t that.

It was the look on her face.

The second Sosa had dragged Izan in front of him, she’d flipped out. He’d seen it in her eyes, blazing with fire. She’d kept a lid on it and maintained control. But seeing him with a gun to his head? She’d been about out of her mind in those few seconds. He was so sure he would’ve put money on it. She’d freaked out—and it wasn’t about an innocent being in the line of fire in a dangerous situation. Or her being a cop.

It was him.

She cared about him. She’d recognized the moment he’d been about to die, and she’d had a visceral reaction. Which let him know that there was a distinct possibility she felt the same way about him as he did about her.

Something he hadn’t dared to hope before, but he could now. He’d seen it on her face.

They reached the next intersection, and he spotted the other officer, crouching. “Over here!”

Izan and the cop ran to where he knelt by Olivia, who lay on the ground. “Make some room. I’m an EMT.” He crouched. “Olivia?” He glanced at the officer. “Was she unconscious when you found her?”

The guy nodded. “No response.” He turned to his partner. “No sign of Sosa.”

“So go find him,” Izan said. “But call for an ambulance to this location.” He turned back to Olivia, whose eyes hadn’t opened. “Can you hear me, Tazwell?” He pressed two fingers to the pulse in her neck and bent to listen to the air escaping her nose, turned to see the rise and fall of her breathing.

He vaguely heard the cop asking for an ambulance for an injured officer.

She had a steady pulse, but she wasn’t awake. He lifted her lids and saw her pupils react equally. So no spinal injury.

“Tazwell, can you hear me?” He did a sternal rub, putting as much authority as he could into his voice. If she thought he was a disappointed superior, she might wake up faster.

A moan escaped her lips and she shifted.

“There you are.” He couldn’t assess her further unless she was awake. “Wake up for me, Olivia. Tell me what happened.”

She groaned again. “Sosa.”

The officers shifted closer. One said, “Ask her what happened. Where did he go?”

Izan wasn’t going to press her when she was barely conscious. “I’m not asking her anything. She’s going to the hospital. If you want Sosa, then go find him.”

He didn’t bother to see their reactions to that. He focused on her.

Soon enough, the ambulance pulled in. Trace and Kianna were still on shift right now.

When they raced over, Izan said, “Good, it’s you guys.”

“You okay, buddy?” Trace knelt, shifting immediately to assess Olivia.

“Don’t worry about me.”

Kianna touched his throat with gloved hands. “Nice bruise.”

He gently nudged her hands away. “I’m fine. Olivia was found unconscious.” And for some reason, he was still terrified. She would be fine. She was going to get taken care of.