Liam's Witness Protection (Man on a Mission 4)

“SUV,” Cate choked out, unable to tear her gaze away from Liam’s face, willing his eyes to open. Willing him to speak. “The keys are in his pocket. If you get him as far as the SUV, you can save time by driving to the main road.”

* * *

Cate sat in the waiting room, apart from the others. Liam had been airlifted to this hospital in Sheridan and was still in surgery, even though it had taken them more than an hour to drive here after the helicopter had thundered away. Still in surgery is a good thing, she reminded herself. It meant he was still alive. She clung to that hope, but in her head she was hearing Liam’s voice telling her, “I won’t let anything happen to you, Cate...even if I die for it.”

“Don’t die,” she whispered now, wishing Liam could hear her. “Don’t die.” She stared at the scars on her wrists, remembering how Liam had kissed them and called them badges of honor. She would give anything to have him kiss her again. Hold her tight. Hold her safe. But not sacrifice his life for her. Not that. She’d never wanted that.

Cate was vaguely aware when Sheriff Callahan walked into the room, joining the other three. She knew he’d stayed behind to officially see to the disposition of Vishenko’s body, and to confer with Nick D’Arcy. She didn’t know why D’Arcy had been close by and not in Casper where he was supposed to meet her—and she hadn’t asked. She’d been too concerned about Liam to worry about inconsequential things.

Since the sheriff was wearing a shirt again—he’d used his for the pressure bandage on Liam—Cate assumed he’d stopped off at his home. But everything seemed so distant, as if she was seeing the world through a camera lens, and nothing around her really reached her. All she could think of was Liam as she’d last seen him, strapped to a gurney, being loaded into the helicopter that just might make it to the hospital in time to save his life.

Liam. Maybe he’s okay, she thought, desperately wanting it to be the truth. Maybe it’s not that bad. Or maybe he needed a miracle.

She clasped her hands together and bent her head as a sudden, urgent need rose in her, a need she tried to quash...but couldn’t. She hadn’t prayed for more than eight years. Had thought what she’d suffered at Vishenko’s hands had killed her faith...in God and in the goodness of mankind. But Liam had proved her wrong—there was goodness in the world, and he was a shining example. Her knight in shining armor. If she was wrong about mankind, then...

At this moment she fervently wanted to believe in a just and merciful God, the way Liam believed. “Don’t let him die,” she prayed. “Oh God, if You can hear me, please don’t let him die.”

Someone came over and sat down beside her, placing her hand on Cate’s folded hands. She glanced up and saw it was Liam’s sister. Keira had removed the blond wig on the way to the hospital and ruffled her red-gold curls. Now she looked just as Cate remembered her from when they’d met last year.

“What were you and Liam doing at the cabin?” Keira asked quietly. “You were supposed to be long gone.”

Cate bit her lip. “My fault,” she said, guilt swamping her. “I left my books behind.” She squeezed her eyes shut as the memory came into sharp focus—Liam turning the SUV around and driving back miles for nothing more than books that were precious to her because... “Liam gave them to me,” she whispered. “I just wanted...just wanted...” She pressed the heels of her palms against her closed eyes to hold back the tears.

Keira didn’t say anything, just waited patiently for Cate to regain her composure. Cate breathed slowly, deeply, until she had herself under control, then dropped her hands in her lap and looked at the woman Liam called his baby sister. Remembering everything he’d told Cate about her. Remembering Keira had been shot a few years back, had deliberately stepped in front of someone to take a bullet meant for him, to save his life. The same way Liam had done for Cate.

In her head she could hear Liam saying, “What do you think bravery is, Cate? It’s conquering your fear and doing what you have to do in the instant you have to do it...”

“Were you afraid?” she blurted out, needing to know what Liam had felt when he’d thrown his body over hers, shielding her from harm. When Keira’s brows drew together in a question, she rushed to clarify. “When you were shot. When you put yourself between a bullet and someone else, were you afraid?”

Keira considered the question for a moment. “If I’d thought about it, probably. I’d probably have been terrified. But I didn’t have time to think about it—I just did it. It was something I had to do...because I was the only one who could do it.”