Mine To Keep (Love By Design 7)

Evan

“Holy shit, man, you get into a fight or something?” I glanced downward after hearing Andy, who grabbed me by the shoulder, shaking me. My head felt like it was in a foggy tunnel, and I checked myself. Stiff clothes covered in, well, I didn’t want to think about what I was covered in. At least there wasn’t much in the patrol car. My hands patted my body as I realized I had to go back in there. I was making rookie mistakes like an idiot that could get me suspended from duty.

“Sir, you left these behind.” Turning back, I didn’t see the original nurse that was there when we came in, but another who was stuffing my arms with my vest and belt from Remi’s room. My service weapon was holstered and practically an extension of my body. I had forgotten them in the chaos, and my shock was nowhere near wearing off. I was thankful to have my gear back and glad I wouldn’t have to explain that to the chief.

“Thanks,” I muttered, following my friend into the waiting room.

“You okay, Rooney?” Andy led me to where I saw the rest of the crew. Pensive looks crossed their faces, and I knew I didn’t look any better.

I wasn’t sure how Andy got this far back in the maternity ward unescorted. The security around there was pretty top-notch with infant sensors and a guard at the door. I kind of thought having a baby was a prerequisite. Even I wasn’t supposed to be there technically, but since I brought in the patient, I didn’t think anyone was going to give me a hard time.

Damien Hart stood a few feet away from me and kicked the coffee machine. “Apparently, just fuck me up isn’t a selection from their fine cappuccino bar.” He turned to see me, his face scrunched like he smelled something awful. “What’s up with the hazmat look?”

Everyone stood there staring at me, waiting for me to say something. I glanced down, taking in the carnage. The words didn’t come, but the shock made me stumble. A hand shot out, keeping me from falling to my knees. It was David this time, who greeted me with his typical grunt.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, sinking down into the closest chair to bury my head in my hands, attempting to catch my breath. I’d helped Remi bring her son into the world, and now I didn’t know what happened next. The doors behind me shut, locking me out. It was like cliff diving and the bottom hadn’t hit yet, but you knew it was going to slam you hard. I expected it, even if I was not ready for it.

David’s hand rested on my shoulder as if my friends knew I needed their strength to get the words out.

“She’s okay?” Andy hunched down on his knees in front of me.

I blurted out the first thing in my head. “It’s the after birth.” My uniform was going straight to the fire because no dry cleaner was going to get this thing operational again. I didn’t care, though, because I left my heart back in the room with two people who unexpectedly entered my life and wrapped themselves around me with an anchor-bearing chain.

“Our girl is tough, you know that.” Andy patted my knee and stood back up, almost guarding me from the rest of them rushing in.

“Evan, Jesus Christ!” Kristen ran to me with open arms, about to hug me until her jackass boyfriend tugged her out of reach. Damien Hart was not on my welcoming committee. David moved forward between us, but I waved him off.

“Not so fast, sweetheart. Mr. Halo here just delivered a baby.” He held her back, and that was fine. It would feel weird hugging her now, especially in front of everyone. We didn’t have that relationship or connection anymore, despite being good friends with history.

I deliberated how much Remi would want me to say. There wasn’t much privacy since any of this began, and I felt a protective need to give that back to her. Basic details seemed the best route, especially things they would likely learn soon enough anyway, no matter who told them.

“Remi gave birth to a little boy. Ethan is his name, but she hemorrhaged and they’re taking care of her now.” I shook, saying the last bit feeling defeated when a nurse popped her head outside the double doors that barred me from getting back to Remi.

“If anyone here is blood type B positive and doesn’t mind donating, we’d appreciate it.” She looked worried, which made me anxious. My stomach clenched from apprehension, and I didn’t do well with this feeling.

I reached for her arm, holding her back from leaving. “What does that mean?”

The nurse glanced back to the corridor before speaking again. “Ms. Kennedy lost a lot of blood, and she tried to get out of the bed.”

I was ready to stalk back there. “What the—”

“Down boy.” Andy clutched my arm, preventing me from breaking away and pushing myself past her and into borrowed trouble.

The nurse continued. “She needs a transfusion, so any of you that blood type, head over to the nurses’ station down there.” She pointed at the other end of the hall, and I tried following after her, but Andy detained me. Shrugging him off was useless, and I was making an audience behaving like a cave-idiot.

“Are you that blood type?” he asked me, shaking the reality back into me.

I shook my head no. “Fuck.” The word roared from my chest in frustration. How did she manage to move herself? Maybe I didn’t get there fast enough or

maybe I did something wrong and now I couldn’t even donate blood because I wasn’t the right blood type. I felt utterly helpless and impotent with my rage.

“Ease up, Evan.” Andy forced me to sit back down, and both he and David held me in place by my shoulders.

I huffed out enough oxygen, feeling light-headed under the stress. “I just can’t.” I leaned over in the chair, resting my head in my hands, rubbing the exhaustion from my face. The scruff on my cheeks emerged quickly, leaving me looking like I was on the verge of a breakdown.

Kristen stepped up to my seat and then kneeled down, resting her hands on my knees to look at me. “They probably need more for the blood bank.”

“Well, I know Damien is B positive,” Hunter Hart, Damien’s cousin and the owner of Hart Construction piped up. I didn’t even realize he was there. I bit back a retort. If Remi needed blood, I wasn’t exactly in a position to refuse anyone as much as it might gall me to accept help from Damien. I wasn’t even going to let my mind go down the path of him tainting her, because it was childish, and this was about saving her life not my weird territorial possession of a woman who wasn’t even mine.