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Fletcher fought the fire. He knew what had happened, and he was having a damned hard time catching his breath. Dylan was still in his arms. They were on the hard, wet ground. He heard people yelling.

He looked down. Into green eyes he would love forever. “How bad you…hurt?”

“He shot me. One of those buttheads shot me. In the leg, but I don’t think it’s that bad. And I broke my arm when I was escaping Bruce.” He could hear the pain in her voice, but she was alive. And he had her back. He had her back now.

He coughed. His lung was on fire, but he could wait a minute. He needed to get help for her. She’d been hurt. She needed help.

Her hand pressed against his chest. He groaned. She froze. “Fletcher?”

“I think I am going to take you home and never let you out of my sight again, Dylan Talley. I love you. Remember that no matter what. You are the kind of woman a man fights to the death for. Remember that.”

“Your hurt! He hurt you! They hurt you!”

“Yeah. But I got you back. And that’s what matters.”

Dylan started screaming. For help.

For both of them.

Then people were there.

“Damn it, bro. Always getting in trouble. You trying to copy Gil now? Always were trying to do whatever we did.” Ben was there. Lifting Dylan away. Fletcher tried to hold on to her, he just couldn’t. “How bad, Fletch?”

“Not sure. Her?”

“She’s going to be okay. You both are. We’re going to make sure of it,” another voice said. He thought he recognized it. Nate, his cousin Perci’s husband.

“Take care of her,” Fletcher said.

“Nope. You first. I’m good, Fletchie. I’m good.”

“Josh is right here. He’s going to take a look at Dylan. She’s in better shape than you are, Fletch.”

“You swear? I need to see her.”

“She’s right here. She’s bleeding a little, but we’re going to take care of that. And she’s hurt her arm, but it’s fixable. For now…choppers are coming in now. Nate ordered them special,” his cousin Josh said. Josh was a paramedic. Nate was the head of the hospital.

And Ben was there. “Take care of my girl, Ben. Until I can take care of her myself.”

“Of course, baby bro. No questions asked.” His brother patted him on the shoulder. People were around, people Fletcher knew would take care of her.

He could just hear the sound of helicopters in the distance.

Fletcher closed his eyes. She was going to be okay. He could rest now.