“Jonas,” she cried as she buried her face in his shirt.
“Shhh, it’s okay now.” He pulled her tighter, needing to know she was safe. Needing to know she was alive. When he felt Deanna’s body shake so violently he thought she’d break something, Jonas looked over at Valdez and got pissed all over again. As far as Jonas was concerned, everything that had transpired could be placed at Valdez’s feet.
“I need you away from here,” Jonas said as he kissed her forehead. “I need to love you, kitten, to know you’re okay.”
“I was so scared, Jonas, but I knew you’d come. I ... I knew you’d figure it out.”
“Why were you here?” he asked, still bewildered by her presence inside Valdez’s home. “I thought you told Valdez to stuff it?”
She nodded. “I did. I’d only stopped by to get some fabric swatches I’d left here. That’s when Ray showed up waving a gun around.” She started to cry. “H-he shot him right in front of me. I don’t even think he realized I was standing there. He just shot him right in the chest. Oh, God, I’m sorry. I never should’ve come here at all.”
Jonas wanted to kill Ray, but he forced himself to stay calm. Deanna didn’t need another crazed maniac on her hands. “Shhh, kitten,” he murmured. “You couldn’t have known. It’s okay now. It’s over.”
“No,” she said, shaking her head. “You don’t understand. I could’ve gotten you killed.”
“Huh?”
“When he pointed that gun at you, I thought ...” Her voice trailed off, and she began to sob harder.
Jonas took hold of her face in both hands and forced her to look at him. “Listen to me, sweetness. You didn’t do anything wrong. Do you hear me?”
After a moment, she nodded. “I love you, Jonas.”
“I love you, Deanna.”
Suddenly the scene filled with cops and paramedics. An officer snapped cuffs on Ray and took him to a waiting cruiser as a couple of paramedics wheeled Valdez off on a gurney. Jonas could only stand by and watch as an ambulance drove off with Deanna, the woman of his heart. He’d never felt so utterly helpless.
“Shock, Jonas,” Wade said. “That’s all. They just want to make sure she’s okay.”
“I know,” he growled. Her life was so precious to him. It sickened him that she’d been so afraid. “I should’ve seen the signs.”
“Signs?”
“Ray. I should’ve known he wasn’t okay. He was too calm at the hospital.”
“Ah, hell,” Dean said. “No one could’ve seen this coming, Jonas.”
Jonas shook his head. “She could’ve died. If I’d only looked a little harder at Ray. Paid closer attention.”
“But she didn’t die,” Wade said as he slapped him on the shoulder. “She’s alive and she needs you.”
Jonas nodded. “You’re right. I’m heading to the hospital.”
“See you there.” Wade said as he and Dean started for their cars.
“Wait,” Jonas yelled. When they looked back at him, he asked, “Did either of you call your mom?”
“Yeah, she’s heading to the hospital now.”
Jonas thought of the last time they’d had to call Mrs. Harrison to the emergency room. It had been a few months ago, when Wade had been shot trying to rescue Gracie from a stalker. “Dude, your mom deserves a vacation.”
Dean nodded. “This is the second time in less than six months that one of her kids has landed in the emergency room.”
Wade cursed and shook his head. “We should send her on a cruise or something.”
“Good idea. Maybe she’ll meet some nice, handsome older man,” Jonas said, tweaking the brothers a little. “You know, a companion.”
“Go to hell, Jonas,” Wade growled as Dean flipped Jonas the bird.