Page 172 of The Secrets She Keeps

Heather was not.

And he didn't know what was happening.

138

It hadn't even beenforty minutes since the moment Heather had just magically appeared in Powell's mother's place on the couch. That included Powell's drive time to the hospital. She'd ridden in with her father, keeping her hand wrapped around his.

He was conscious, trying to put together what had happened.

And wanting her mother.

No one really knew what had happened to her mother.

The helicopter had landed long before Powell’s ambulance pulled up in front of FCGH. Gunnar was already inside somewhere.

Powell was able to walk in, next to the gurney with her dad. Her arm hurt, but Bonnie had wrapped it tightly, putting some sort of bandage with clotting agents over it temporarily. She’d told Powell it was most likely just a graze. She’d require stitches. That was all—but Bonnie had told Powell she’d be checked out more thoroughly at the ER. Because of the baby.

Powell was going to focus on Gunnar’s baby for now. On her father. And finding her mother. She was just going toget through.Like she had before.

139

She was okay.The baby was okay. When Powell came out of the exam room, someone called her name. She turned.

There they were. Two of her favorite baboons. Looking beyond beautiful. Powell gave a small cry she wasn’t even aware of making, and almost leaped. Her oldest brother caught her in his strong arms and just held her. His hand cupped the back of her head. He was shaking, and rocking her, and just telling her she’d been causing him too much trouble her entire life. He was locking her in a tower somewhere, and not ever letting her out again. Period.

Powell just sort of clung there. Then he put her back on her feet and passed her to Alex. Powell hugged him next, then looked at Mac. “Where’s Mom?”

“She’s already in with Dad. She made it to the Colesons’ just fine. Eden and Joy checked her over before heading out to help with everyone else,” Mac said. “Have you heard anything about Daniel or Heather? How’s Gunnar?”

Nikkie Jean had kept her updated while she had stitched Powell’s arm. That was all—stitches. The ultrasound had shown the baby was doing okay too. The baby’s little heartbeat waswhere it was supposed to be too. No signs of distress. Viking babies were very strong and hardy, after all.

Gunnar was in surgery now. With the best surgeons they had here at FCGH. That was all she knew. Powell was just waiting. Again.

Like she had with Haldyn just weeks before.

Once she had him back with her where he belonged, she wasn’t wasting another moment being afraid to try ever again. She just wasn’t. “He’s in surgery now. Heather lost a lot of blood, Nikkie Jean said. The bullet hit something in her leg when she me and Dad out of the way. And she was bleeding really badly. That is all Nikkie Jean could tell me. I just don’t know.”

“Well, we’re not going anywhere until we find out. Gunnar’s tough, and he has everything to live for now,” Alex said, but she saw the fear in his blue eyes. “And Heather—we all know she’s a vampire goddess queen. She’s going to be just fine.”

Powell just let her brothers lead her to the waiting room.

Where they waited.

All they could do waswait.

Powell really hated waiting. She and Gunnar had waited long enough.

140

Somehow,Brianna found herself swept up with the rest of those women who had to give statements to the guys in Major Crimes. Shelby Jacobson MacNamara’s husband was in charge of taking them. They were pulled into the cafeteria of FCGH.

That girl with the two different colored eyes just gave Brianna an evil glare and told her to behave herself or she wouldn’t like the consequences, as she walked in with her little cousin that looked a lot like Leena. Megan had the same curly dark hair and freckles as Leena. She was just like ten years older.

Timothy had gotten away. The TSP had a real manhunt going for him now.

She knew what he was going to try to do. He was going to try to get to Leena, and then he would run. Taking her little sister with him. Brianna would never see her again either.

He could get himself and Leena killed. And what kind of life would it be for a little girl, running from the police? She’d never get to go to school, or play at the playground with little kids. Never get to do the things Brianna had wanted to do as a kid and her stepfather wouldn’t let her. Like go to summer camp orhave a puppy of her very own. Or sleepovers. She’d never had a sleepover. Leena deserved to do the things little kids did.

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