He nods and I take a step toward her. She looks up at me with puffy red eyes and I reach out to her …

A loud bang cuts off whatever I was about to say. The floor-to-ceiling glass behind me shatters. I leap forward, wrapping my arms around her, and push her to the floor. Her scream barely penetrates my ears. All I hear is the ringing sound. Once we hit the floor, she tries to scramble out from underneath me. But I grab a better hold on her and throw my body on top of hers, “Stop fighting,” I demand. Another round of bangs ring out, and her body shakes underneath me. She cries out as I close my eyes and try to cover all of her small body with mine. I squeeze her to the point it has to be painful for her, but I refuse to let go as I continue to hear the sounds of gunshots.

All of a sudden, the shots subside, and I see Brecken jump to his feet and run out of my office door. Miller is right behind him; I look around and see my office has been destroyed. It looks like a war zone. Holes all in my walls. Feathers flying from the holes in my furniture. Papers, wood, and dust litter the floor. My desk is completely turned over and covered in holes.

Taylor’s sobs get my attention. I lean up and look down at her. She’s on her stomach so I flip her over and my heart squeezes when I see blood running down the side of her head. I grab a hold of her face, and she hisses in a breath. “Are you okay?” I demand, dread gripping my spine. “Were you shot?” I demand as I move her head side to side. Did I not get to her in time?

Tears roll down the side of her face, and she sucks in breath after breath. Her chest has to hurt from the force I used when I took her to the ground. A closer examination tells me it’s just a cut on her head.

“Blane?” I yell out when I don’t see him in front of me.

“I’m fine.”

I look over my shoulder, and he’s standing up, a little wobbly but doesn’t seem to be hurt.

Running my eyes over her chest, abdomen, and legs, I let out a sigh when I see no blood. Then I place my hands on her. She gasps when I come to her stomach. And whimpers in pain when I touch her head. “You need to go to the hospital,” I say, reaching for my phone, but it’s not in my pocket. I get up from her and start to look around. I search the floor as more bangs sound out. Blane falls to the floor again, but I know it’s just Brecken and Miller doing what they’ve been trained to do. “Where is it?” I growl.

“Blane,” I snap, and he removes his hands from covering the top of his head. He looks up at me. “Get in my top desk drawer. I have a gun in there,” I inform him.

“Case?” I look up to see Miller standing in the doorframe. “Three dead. Brecken ran after the fourth one.”

I nod my head. “Did you call Jones …?”

“They’re already on their way,” he assures me.

“Thanks.” I look away, trying to locate my phone again.

“Case …”

This time when my name is said, it’s barely over a whisper. I spin around in time to see Taylor trying to stand. She’s up on her knees; one arm wrapped around her stomach, and the other on the forehead. “I can’t …” Her beautiful blue eyes roll back into her head. I reach for her, and we both go crashing to the floor once again, but this time, I fall under her.

“What’s wrong with her?” Blane demands, running over to us forgetting the gun I told him to get. “Case?” he shouts. “What the fuck is wrong with her?” he screams in panic.

I roll her off me; placing my arms under her, I stand cradling her limp body in my arms.

“I don’t know. I gotta get her to the hospital.” I look up at him. “You need to go home.”

“What? Are you fucking crazy?” he demands. “I’m not leaving her.”

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, trying not to lose my shit. When I open them, he’s staring down at her body in my arms. “Listen to me, Blane.” I wait for his eyes to look up at me. “Someone just shot up our club, Cricket’s guys made you just hours ago. They probably know where you guys live. Go to your house and get Savannah.” As soon as I mention her name, his eyes widen. “Pack a bag. And then call me as soon as you leave the house,” I order and then run out of my office, holding her in my arms.

***

“I’m okay,” she says for the fifth time as we walk into the hospital. She was only out for a few minutes, but those few minutes felt like hours.

“You’re going to have every test done to confirm that,” I say curtly and ignore her protests as we come up to the nurse’s station. I took a chance not taking her to the hospital after she was attacked in the alley, but I refuse to make that mistake this time.

I flash my badge and speak. “I called and informed of a trauma on its way.”

The nurse who looks like she hasn’t left this hospital in days looks around the room and then at me. “Where is it?” she asks as she reaches up to cover a yawn.

“Right here.” I nod at Taylor standing next to me.

“I’m fine,” she adds with anger. As soon as she came to, she bitched me out. Even reached over and punched me in the arm a few times. I think it’s safe to say she is back to hating me.

The nurse looks back and forth between us for a few seconds, and I can see her start to open her mouth to speak. “Get her a room. Now,” I demand, and she quickly picks up a phone. When she hangs up, she points down the hall. “Third room to the right. They’re expecting you.”

“Thank you,” I grind out as Taylor protests. I grab her hand and pull her with me down the hallway. I loosen my grip when I hear her hiss in a breath.

“This is pointless, Case,” she growls. “I’m fine. And I don’t wanna be around you.”

I ignore her as I pull back the curtain and see a nurse setting up a few machines. She looks Taylor up and down and then frowns. “The trauma?”

“Yes,” I snap before Taylor can say anything. “She has a head laceration. Her abdomen is tender, and she was unconscious,” I inform her.

“For like three seconds,” she adds all but rolling her eyes. “And I don’t need to be examined.”

I look from her narrowed blue eyes to the nurse. “I don’t care if you have to sedate her or tie her to the fucking bed.” The nurse’s eyes go wide, and Taylor gasps. “You will do every test there is,” I growl.

“Oh, now you care about me?” Taylor snaps.

I turn to face her. “I’ve always cared,” I grind out. That was what got me into this situation to begin with. Trust me; it would have been a lot easier to not fucking care.

“Another lie.” She crosses her arms over her chest. “Is that all you know how to do? Lie?”

I suck in a long deep, relaxing breath. Calm down, Case. “You may hate me. You may not believe me. I couldn’t care less. But you will be checked out.” I lower my face down to hers. Her scent of vanilla makes the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. She just has that kind of effect on me. And I hate the fact that less than five hours ago, I was inside of her as she screamed my name. “You will either lie on that bed willingly or I will fucking make you,” I threaten. Her beautiful, narrowed eyes start to well up with tears. And I hold my breath, hoping they are tears of acceptance. I don’t want to make her lie on the bed, but I will if that is what it takes. I need to know that she is okay.

Her bottom lip trembles and she sniffs. Finally, she speaks and the words are like a knife to my chest. “I hate you.” She turns around and walks to the bed. She refuses to look over at me as the nurse helps to situate her.

“Case!”

I look down the hallway as I see Miller running toward me. “Did you find Brecken?” I ask, trying to ignore the pain in my chest. He left the club chasing down one of the gunman, but he hadn’t resurfaced before we took off to the hospital. I had left Miller behind to help him.

“Yes.” He comes to a stop as he breathes heavily from running. Sweat drips down his forehead. “He’s here.”

“Thank God,” I mumble.