He looks at me over the top of her head. He’s mad. I know he is. He blames me for this because I promised I would protect her. “This is your fault,” Hollywood says.
I don’t try to argue with him. I’m already eaten up with guilt. “I know.”
“No!” Karina says and then pushes out of Hollywood’s arms and stumbles into mine. I grab her and hold her up. “No! It’s not Knox’s fault. I snuck out. He didn’t know.”
“Karina, baby—” I tell her, not wanting her to get upset.
“No, Hollywood, look at me. I’m alive. I’m okay.”
He nods and takes a deep breath. “Let’s get you cleaned up. You need to call your sister.”
She refuses to go to the hospital, so we sit her in one of the ambulances that is here, and I have Logan sew up the cuts on her hands. He’s the most meticulous of all of us, and when he was in the military he was a doctor, so having him around comes in handy.
We all stand around at the back of the open doors watching her, and she doesn’t even flinch as she gets sewn up.
“She’s tough as hell. Always has been,” Hollywood says.
“Hell yeah, she is,” Fish agrees.
“I know.” I turn to Hollywood. “I swear, Hollywood, I would die before I let something happen to her. She wanted to save the girl, and I should have known she wouldn’t have been able to sit by while someone else was getting hurt.”
Hollywood shakes his head. “No, I understand. She’s stubborn... just like her sister.” When he realizes he said that out loud, he looks over at Fish. “Don’t tell Kassie I said that.”
At that moment, Karina lifts her head up. “Oh, I’m going to tell her for sure.”
“Come here, you,” Hollywood tells her, and she climbs out of the truck into his arms. I know that Hollywood and Fish are both married, but it still bothers me seeing them with their arms around Karina or when Fish is rubbing her back with his prosthetic arm.
I almost reach for her, but I don’t have to because she walks willingly into my arms. “Thank you, Knox.”
It’s almost like she’s telling me goodbye or something, but that’s not happening.
“You need to come back to the house and get cleaned up, shower, then you can call Kassie. You guys are welcome to come, of course.”
Hollywood looks at Fish, and he’s nodding his head. “Sure, let’s do that.”
I talk to Bear and watch as Karina gives him a hug and thanks him. Bear smiles at her—at least it’s supposed to be a smile, but it looks more like a cringe. There’s paperwork and everything else that needs to be done, but Nash is on his way, and he’ll make sure that cleanup is handled.
I hold my hand out to Karina. “Let’s go.”
Karina
I’ve showered and talked to Kassie. After her first initial yelling, she was okay when she discovered I wasn’t hurt except for the cuts on my hands. She asked me if I was coming to Texas, but I don’t know what I’m doing at this point. I know what I want, but I don’t know if that’s possible.
Hollywood is sitting across from me on the couch. “You need to come home... to Texas. Your mom and dad need to see for themselves you are okay. And Kassie and Kate. Your family needs you.”
Knox has barely left my side since we got here. I thought Hollywood was going to lose it when Knox told him he was going to help me in the shower. But Knox wasn’t backing down, and when I told Hollywood it was okay, he finally let it go. Knox hasn’t said much, and I know he feels guilty for everything, but he shouldn’t.
I look over at Knox, who’s sitting next to me. His thigh is warm and pressed against mine he’s sitting so close. I want to stay with him, but we haven’t talked about any kind of future. I’m still feeling tied up in knots about lying to him and seeing him so close to that bomb all because of me.
How can I already care about him so much? The way he sees me, like he knows me better than anyone else. Why didn’t I take the chance and tell him that sooner?
Knox puts his elbows on his knees and leans forward. “You should go to your sister.”
I open my mouth, but I’m speechless. I try to hide my disappointment and despair.
“Uh, okay,” I whisper.
Hollywood is looking at us, and even he is surprised.
Knox puts his hand on my knee. “But I’m going too.”
I raise my head to look into his eyes. Did I just hear him right?
“I can station anywhere. There’s an office in Texas. I can get transferred there.”
My mouth drops. “You’d do that? Just to be with me?” I can’t help asking. “What about your house?”