Page 129 of Burning for You

“You’ve got this,” I say. “My Wing Girl.”

In the air, the woman who seems to be the most senior paramedic says to me, “Your brother needs blood now. He’s B negative, and we don’t have a match in our bank. Our O negative won’t be enough.”

“I’m B negative. Our whole family was,” I say.

They take a test, saying it’s a precaution, and then once the results confirm compatibility, they perform a direct transfusion from my hand to Jesse’s.

With one arm immobilized, I hang onto Carolyn with my other hand. “Carolyn, talk to me…” I say to her. With no other bed available, she’s sitting next to me.

I take off my earmuffs to listen to her.

“I’m so exhausted,” Carolyn sighs. “And sore.” She looks at her injured leg. It’s bandaged because the paramedics have left the piercing wood spear lodged in her calf, not wanting to risk further bleeding.

“Just relax,” I say, rubbing her rigid shoulders.

The leading paramedic checks on me. “How are you feeling, Mr. Holt?”

This is my second bag, but nobody needs to know about my lightheadedness. “I’m fine. How’s my brother?”

“He’s in good hands. We’ll need one more unit, if you can,” the paramedic says. “You’re doing good. If you start feeling dizzy or nauseous, let me know.”

“I’ll be fine.” I’ll give five more units if I have to.

I turn back to Carolyn, who’s dozing off. “Hey, don’t fall asleep now.” I give her hand a bit of a shake.

“No. I’m awake.” She lifts her head off my shoulder. Then she raises her eyes to me. “Levi, how did you know about the baby?”

“Carolyn…” I say, reaching out to her belly. She puts her hand on top of mine, and then I scoop it up and drive it to my chest. “I knew it in my heart.” I squeeze her weakening hand.

Then she sobs very close to my ear, “Josh... he… he tried to rape me, Levi.”

I kiss her cheek while my hand—all fingers, thumb and palm—hold onto her, affirming I’m still hers.

How I’m glad I killed that son of a bitch. I just wish he’d drawn his last breath before he’d ever touched Carolyn.

She adds, “But I’m okay. You called my name just in time.”

A victorious smile paints her face.

“I heard you,” I say as she exhales calmly on my shoulder. When Jesse and I arrived at the location, I heard her voice, and the first words I caught were what she was telling Bright about me.

Her lips curve. I know she knew which part I meant. But she suddenly coughs.

“She’s bleeding!” I shout to the paramedics.

“I’m okay…” Carolyn mumbles. “Those men hit me earlier. It’s just my mouth.”

A paramedic checks her, and then wipes her mouth and applies some ointment.

Leaning on me completely, Carolyn says, “Hold me.”

I turn toward her, giving every part of me to sheathing her, holding her, keeping the warmth in her. “I’ll never let you go.”