She glanced over at Langdon who was also being attended to. Then she turned to Ivan. “I hope they both survive. I couldn’t bear it if anyone died… Not even Langdon.”
Ivan put his arms around her, holding her tight. “You okay?”
She laughed at the craziness of it all. “I think so.”
“I’m proud of you, sweetheart. You’re a good person, and I love you so much.”
She buried her face in his chest. “Oh, Ivan. I love you too. The only person I ever want to be from now on is Samira Quinlan.”
“Sounds good to me, baby.” He kissed her tenderly. “Come on, let’s go get your passport.”
Chapter Twenty-Six
Samira held Ivan’s hand as she watched Jake lying on the hospital bed, sleeping. After he’d been rushed here from the ranch, he’d spent the last few hours in surgery to remove the bullet from his deltoid muscle, but the doctors assured them he was going to be fine. It’d been a tense night though. Mr. and Mrs. Quinlan had flown to Texas straight away, bringing little Quin with them, who was currently snoozing in Ivan’s arms, resting his head on his daddy’s shoulder. Dylan had come too, because he’d been worried about Joseph – who was fine after his concussion – and was now with them all, waiting for Jake to wake up.
The hospital décor was dull and functional. There was a large window, but it was covered by a navy curtain. The bedframe was gunmetal grey. It was gloomy and uninspiring. Samira had no idea what time it was – all she knew was she was exhausted, but relieved.
Mr. Quinlan gazed at the paper cup in his hand. “If only the coffee was better in these places. It might not seem so darn depressing.”
Joseph leaned forward. “I think he’s waking up.”
All heads turned toward Jake. His eyes flickered open and he blearily took in the faces around his bed. His biological parents were on one side, Joseph and Dylan were at the foot of the bed, and Samira and Ivan were standing on the other side.
He threw them that cheeky grin of his, still half-dazed. “Hi, everyone.”
“Good to have you back with us,” Dylan said, gently squeezing his foot.
“How are you feeling, honey?” Mrs. Quinlan asked. “We were so worried.”
“I’m okay... I think.” He turned his head and smiled at Samira. “Did you get everything fixed?”
“Yes,” she said. “I told the police the truth. They said if I can testify as a witness against Langdon then it should help my case to stay in the country.” She cringed. “And they were so pleased they caught Andreas – the drug baron. He’s going to jail for a long time.”
Jake nodded pensively. “That’s the best news I’ve heard all day… You’re a more honest person than me, Samira – you could’ve totally gotten away with stealing Mrs. Langdon’s identity.”
She shrugged. “It wouldn’t have been right. I can’t live a lie.”
Ivan kissed the sleeping Quin, and put his arm around his wife. “Jake, I still think you’re a mercenary ass, but you made a huge sacrifice for us.”
“I did?”
“Aw, come on. You must’ve known Langdon would retaliate once you shot him, but still you did it. You took a bullet to save us. Thank you.”
His expression remained blank. “Well, let’s just hope Clara’s friend at immigration can work his magic. We can’t lose Samira after all this.”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Dylan said. “We can always employ Samira at Quinlan Brothers. Sponsor her to remain in the country until she gets her visa cleared.”
Warm gratitude fizzed in Samira’s heart. “Thank you, Dylan. That would be awesome.”
Dylan shrugged. “Hey, you’re a part of the family now.”
Mr. Quinlan Senior cleared his throat. “Jacob… you did good, son. You’re a true Quinlan. Welcome to the family – at long last, huh?”
Jake nodded. “Thanks… dad.” They shared a smile, causing tender vibes to resonate around the room.
Joseph broke the moment by holding up today’s newspaper. “By the way, we made the front page…”
Samira read the headline out loud. “Exclusive! Drug-bust blaze of glory! Joseph Quinlan saves day!”