Page 79 of Avery's Hero

Tim looks up at me. His eyes are bloodshot as heck. “You didn’t hear he got hurt? It was all overthe radio.”

My lungs lock up as all of my blood goes south on an express elevator. “No. What happened?”

“There was an explosion.”

Time stands still. I turn to ice or stone—I’m not sure which—but I can’t even get my throat to work. “Is he okay?”

“He’s at County Regional right now.”

Oh god. I want to grab Tim and shake every bit of information out of him. He goes back to taking off his turnout gear with a dark expression on his face.

“Is anyone there with him?”

Tim shrugs as he hangs his coat up. “I’m not sure. It’s been chaotic.”

Surely, he’d tell me if it was serious.

But what if he doesn’t know? What if no one knows what’s really happening?

I need to see him.

I turn on wobbly, numb legs and bolt toward the stairs. Reeves jumps out of my way.

“Food’s in the kitchen,” I say, but don’t stop.

I feel his eyes on me as I bound up the stairs like I’ve been shot from a cannon.

Grabbing my truck keys, I take the steps two at a time on the way down. I don’t look left or right. I don’t say anything to anyone.

Brock’s voicemail picks up immediately when I try to call him.

Inside, I’m numb everywhere except a painful ball of fear inside my chest.

Calm down.Take a breath. Surely, someone would tell you if he was badly hurt.

But it’s futile. The train has left the station. I have to see Brock.

My truck is parked on the far side of the lot. I run likethe wind across the expanse, crossing between pools of light from the lamps overhead.

It’s a good thing my phone has voice navigation on it because my hands are shaking too bad to type in Valley Hospital.

CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE

When the blue curtain on my hospital stall whips back, I crack open my tired eyelids, expecting to see Nurse Hardass glaring at me.

My scowl instantly vanishes.

It’s Avery. Her eyes are wild. Tears have streaked down her face. She’s shaking all over.

My heart catapults right out of my chest.

Her lip trembles as we stare at each other. She exhales my name before her hand covers her mouth.

I can hardly breathe as my throat clenches hard with emotion.

When she launches herself at me, I catchher in my arms and pull her into my lap. Burying my face in her hair, I drag in her sweet scent. “Hey, it’s okay.”

Crying hard, she buries her face in my neck. “It’snotokay.”

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