Page 66 of The Vigilant

Rob—Robyn—peeled open a pack of sutures and crimped the metal end in the needle holders before handing it to the doctor.

“Maybe it should be,” she agreed low, and I couldn’t help but flick my gaze to her then, surprised to see something like…knowing…in her stare.

Did she know what it meant?

Did she know something else?

“Scissors.”

A few clips, and just like that, the gaping hole in Tynan’s side was sealed.

“Do you think you can rouse him?” Rob asked, and I bit my tongue to hold back from snapping at her.

“No. He’s lost too much blood,” the doctor answered, peeling off his gloves and tossing them in a small red bag. “I’m going to start the transfusion now and then give him something for pain, but the transfusion alone is going to take a couple of hours.”

Rob stepped back with a wordless nod and then looked at me as she removed her gloves.

“Do you know the men who attacked you?”

I stiffened. Somehow, I’d forgotten there was something before this—something that caused this. Seeing Tynan injured had pulled my brain into an orbit around his trauma. Time andcircumstance ceased to exist apart from how he was doing and what I could do to help.

“They’re dead. Three of them,” I told her, recalling the bodies strewn through the bedroom. “What…happens now? Did you call the police?”

My voice tapered off, for the first time realizing the full magnitude of the scene we’d fled earlier.

Three dead bodies in the house I’d been staying in. If the police came—if they knew I was involved…after what I’d done…

“No. We’re going to take care of it internally.”

I practically choked on my relief.

She stared at me for another moment and then left her former question to fizzle, unanswered. “I need to make a few phone calls,” she said to the doctor. “Are you good?”

“Yes,” he said swiftly. “Does Harm…”

“He knows,” she confirmed and then left the cabin.

Silence settled like a haze. I remained with my arm over Tynan for no real reason except that I couldn’t seem to pull it away.

Meanwhile, Rorik had finished bandaging over the stitches he’d placed and then started the blood transfusion.

“You should go change. Get something to eat?—”

I flinched like the suggestion was an insult. “No. I’m fine.”

His nostrils flared, but he didn’t fight me. Good. Tynan would’ve fought me. He would’ve insisted. Or bribed. Or dared. He would’ve done whatever it took to get me to do what was best for me.

But I didn’t care what was best for me.

“He’ll wake up in a few hours?” I croaked.

“I gave him a strong sedative, but once that’s gone and his blood is replenished, yes,” he said, stripping off his bloody gloves into the trash and returning to the sink. “Robyn tends to push the limit when she doesn’t need to.”

I wasn’t sure what to think about the redhead, but I did identify with that particular personality trait.

“Thank you for your help…” The doctor looked to me to fill in the blank.

“Sutton Brant,” I said, regretting giving him my full name a second later.

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