Page 50 of The Hunt

Chad found her.As they were wheeling her toward the elevators. Toward surgery.

He met them there. Caine shot him a pointed look. “You can go up with her, but not in, Fields. You know how it works. You can watch from the window, along with her brother. Neither of you are to step into the OR or I will have your hides. It’s a stable injury, and relatively minor. She’s lost some blood, of course, but it hasn’t hit any arteries. She’ll be fine in two weeks or so. Don’t fall apart. Dathan’s already scrubbed up and waiting for her. He’ll take care of her, I promise.”

Dathan Carrington was good at what he did. But… Chad didn’t want her to go in there alone.

Chad put his hand on her hair, lightly. He shifted over a bit. To make room for Guthrie. He leaned down and kissed her forehead just once, slipping her glasses off her face and into his pocket, then looked up at Caine. “Take care of her, Caine. She’s… my world, this woman.”

“Understood. I have one a great deal like her at home, you know. And I know exactly how you are feeling right now. Both of you.”

Then the doors opened and they were taking her away. Leaving Chad alone with her angry older brother.

“What the hell was it about?” Guthrie demanded. “Why did he attack Genny?”

“Hodges was pissed over Genny. He wanted her. And she kept turning him down. He thought she was turning him down for me, rather than because he is an asshole.” And the man had taken it out on her. Just because he could. “So he came after her. And he hurt her. He just hurt her, to get to me.”

Because of Chad.

He turned, barely resisted punching the wall. “It’s my fault. I should have realized the guy was that angry with me; that unstable. I should have protected her. All I want in the world is to be with her, Guth. And I caused this. You must hate me.”

Guthrie stared at him for a long time, with eyes the same color as Genny’s. Then her brother’s hands were on Chad’s shoulders and he was forcing Chad to look at him. “Quit falling apart, man. Sounds like you’re hating on yourself enough for both of us. You didn’t make that prick do this, Chad.”

“Didn’t I? I should have been watching more carefully. I should?—”

Guthrie slapped him on the forehead. Not hard, but enough to shut Chad up for a moment. He hadn’t expected that.

“Hell, you idiot. What are you supposed to do, wrap every woman you date up and protect her from someone or another you might have pissed off by dating her? That’s crap and you know it. You couldn’t have predicted this.”

“She should have been safe here.”

“Yes, she should have. But you can’t control everything. Even with the women you date.”

“I’m not just dating your sister, Guthrie. That’s nowhere near what I feel for her. I love her. And as soon as she’s through this, I’m not letting her get away from me again. Even if it meanspursuing that woman to the ends of the earth and back. I can’t let her go. I won’t. You have my word on that. I love her. And I always will. When she’s out of this, I’m going to make sure she knows that every single day.”

He didn’t say another word, just stood at the observation window and watched men he respected take care of the woman Chad loved.

“I’m going to hold you to that.” Guthrie put his hand on Chad’s shoulder. “That’s… all a brother wants for his sister, after all. A man to love her like she’s the entire world.”

“I do. More and more with each breath.”

They waited. All they could do was just wait.

44

She had never really seenthe hospital rooms on the third floor from this angle. It took Genny a few minutes of panic to remember why she had ended up here, flat on her back. Someone was holding her hand. She turned her head slightly. The lights were dimmed, but light was coming through the crack in the window. Morning, then.

Her entire body felt like lead. It took more energy than she wanted to think about to turn her head the other direction to see who held her hand.

No surprise, her mother was right there. That woman did like to hover over her babies whenever she got the chance. “Mom…”

Genny squeezed her mother’s hand.

Eyes the same shape as her own opened. “Genesis, Genny, honey… you’re awake. And you’re okay.”

“I… remember… what happened. Is Aubrey okay?”

“Your friend is fine. A few bruises, and I believe he cut her arm when she was trying to get to you. They said she was trying to protect you. I adore that child. Guthrie and Gunn took her and her sister back to the ranch. Guthrie’s keeping an eye on her.” Her mom gave a soft smile. “I think he’s wanting to get morethan just his eyes on her, though. We should probably warn her, if she hasn’t figured that out already. But I think that’s rather wonderful, personally.”

Genny smiled, then a sound had her looking toward the second chair, off in the far corner. She was in room 312, she thought. It was one of a dozen private rooms.