“Don’t worry,” the doctor told him. “Your Cassidy is fine.”
Then the doors flew open and banged against the wall.
“Cale!”
No voice had ever been sweeter, even if it was clogged with tears. He turned his head. Saw Cassidy standing in that doorway, with Mercer just a few feet behind her.
Cassidy rushed toward him. Her face was too pale, her eyes too wide. He hated for her to be afraid.
Especially when that fear was for him.
“I’m...okay...”
“He’s lucky to be okay,” the doctor muttered, plenty loud enough for him to overhear. “If that bullet had been another inch over, he would have—”
Cassidy’s lips shook.
“Out!” Mercer’s order. “You can tell me outside, Dr. Longtree.”
Then Mercer dragged the guy away, barking an order for the male nurse to stay in the room and keep an eye on Cale.
Cale stared up at Cassidy. She was inches away but not touching him. That wasn’t good enough. “Closer.”
She shook her head. “I don’t want to hurt you.” But then she crept a little bit closer, as if she couldn’t help herself. Her fingers, soft and light, feathered over his arm.
His heartbeat started to calm down. Cassidy soothed him. Cassidy made him feel at peace.
He studied her a moment. Machines were beeping around him, the nurse was trying to blend in with the wall and Cassidy had dried tear tracks on her cheeks. “Is Genevieve...dead?” A blunt question, but one that had to be asked.
“Yes.” Cassidy licked her lips. “She’s gone.”
And he’d been the one to kill her. “She was going to...shoot you. I remember that.... I had to take the shot....”
“What else do you remember?” Her fingers had stilled over his arm.
“The sound of gunshots. A scream.” Cassidy’s?
“Nothing else?”
Was there something? The hesitation in her voice told him that there was.
Her lashes lowered, then lifted so that her gaze could hold his. He loved her eyes—so deep and green and shining with emotion. So—
“You told me that you loved me.”
The machines beeped a little louder.
“Cassidy, I—”
“Don’t tell me it was the blood loss or delirium or anything like that.” Her voice had sharpened. Her eyes narrowed. “Because I’ll know that you’re lying to me.”
He didn’t want to lie to her.
Cassidy’s shoulders straightened. “You said you loved me because you thought you were going to die, and you didn’t want to pass without telling me.”
He stayed silent.
She glared. “Next time, don’t wait for death, okay? Just tell me.”