The Girl Next Door (Shadow Agents 6)

His gaze was open. Empty.

Gone.

“G-Gabrielle...” Cooper reached her for her.

Her wonderful, strong, alive Cooper. She hugged him and held on to him as tightly as she could.

More footsteps raced into the room.

“Mercer?” she heard one man demand sharply.

She didn’t look over at the new arrivals. She was too busy holding tight to Cooper.

“I’m...fine,” Mercer told them. “Get Cooper—he needs...hospital...”

Cooper was sagging in her arms. “Cooper?” Tears slipped from her eyes. No, no, he couldn’t do this. The killer was dead. This was the point where everyone was supposed to be okay.

But Cooper was too pale. His clothes were soaked in blood, and he was so cold.

Too cold.

She held him, as tightly as she could.

When the EMTs rushed in, she was there.

So was Mercer.

Mercer’s body trembled, but he glared at the EMTs. “You keep him alive. Keep him alive.”

“And you damn well better follow his orders!” Gabrielle heard herself shout. Tears thickened her voice.

“Annalise’s son won’t go out like this. He won’t,” Mercer vowed.

Then they were in the ambulance rushing toward the hospital. Mercer was in the back of that ambulance with her. EMTs were trying to work on him and on Cooper, but Mercer kept shoving them away and demanding that they focus on Cooper’s wounds.

“D-don’t worry...” Cooper whispered.

She barely heard his words over the hum of the machines and the scream of the ambulance’s siren.

“I’m not...leaving you,” he said. His eyelids flickered then his eyes opened. The blue was hazy, weak, but he was looking straight at her. “Not...ever...”

“You’d better not,” she told him, not able to hold back her tears. “Cooper, I’ve got plans for us. Do you hear me? Lots of plans. Spaghetti dinners and cherry pies and more breaking and entering. We’re just getting started. I just found you.” She could taste the salt of her own tears. “I don’t want to lose you.”

It almost looked as if he smiled. “Promise...” A bare breath of sound from him. “You won’t.”

He’d said that he wouldn’t break any more promises to her. No more lies. No more secrets.

Only truth.

I won’t lose him.

Hope began to grow inside of her.

Hope that her secret agent was as strong as she’d always thought. Strong enough to cheat death—and to stay with her.

Forever.

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