Page 64 of Defenseless
“Anyone else?” Chad asked.
Teague shook his head. “It was just Vitor.”
Ten minutes of silence passed when Sabina’s phone vibrated with a text. She pulled the device out and read the message from Ava. Her team was tracking their phones so knew they’d all gotten out, but she’d still wanted to check in. Not wanting to get into the details of Chad’s wound via text, Sabina sent a confirmation that all was well. Then, on a whim, she asked her to look into Vitor no-last-name. Ava would be able to pull a picture from somewhere and start the process. If he was employed by one of the other families, maybe it was the family who had current dealings with Jacobs. It was a long shot, but long shots sometimes paid off.
An hour later, they were taxiing down the runway and lifting off for Miami. As soon as the pilot gave the all-clear, Sabina insisted that Chad take one of the beds so that Kara could tend to him. The first thing Kara did was give him some pain meds from the well-stocked medic kit on board. Then once he was stripped out of his jeans, he lay on his stomach and submitted to her ministrations.
Sabina, not usually a big fan of blood, hovered over her sister. Thankfully, Kara didn’t seem to mind. She even put her to work getting cleaning supplies together, gathering up used ones, and generally acting as her unskilled nurse.
The “graze,” as Chad had called it, was more than a graze. The bullet had cut across the wide part of his calf, from left to right, leaving a gash an inch and a half at its deepest. By the time Kara was done cleaning and suturing it—with eleven stitches—Chad had succumbed to the pain medication and fallen asleep.
Sabina covered him with a blanket then rose and stood beside her sister. “He’s dead,” she said, knowing Kara would know to whom she referred.
“No big loss,” Kara replied. “I hate to say it, but our mother did not pick the right man to share her life with.”
Sabina chuckled at that. “At least she got us out of it.”
“Only for eighteen years,” Kara replied, her voice tinged with sadness.
“I think if you love someone, you’re grateful for whatever time you’re given with them,” Sabina said.
Kara was silent as they watched the rise and fall of Chad’s back as he breathed deeply in his peaceful slumber.
“I think you’re probably right,” she finally said, and Sabina knew her sister was thinking of the soldier she’d loved and lost. “Maybe when this is all over, we can finally visit Mom’s grave.” Uncle Mike had attended the funeral but for obvious reasons, neither of her daughters had. He’d also overridden his stepsister’s wish to be cremated and her ashes spread at various archaeological sites. Sabina and Kara had been mad at the time, but now she understood why he’d made the decision he had. He’d known that someday, they’d be free, that they’d be able to reclaim their lives. And when that happened, he wanted them to have a place they could go and say goodbye to their mother in a way they hadn’t been able to when she died.
“I would like that,” Sabina replied, then stifled a yawn.
Kara turned and smiled at her. “We have eight more hours until we reach Miami. Why don’t you get into bed with him and take a nap?”
It was only early afternoon, but the lure of curling up next to Chad was strong. She probablywouldsleep, but even if she didn’t, she’d be happy tucked up beside him.
“I think I will,” she said, starting to undress. She’d leave her shirt and panties on, but she didn’t want to wear her jeans, socks, and bra to bed. She paused before climbing under the covers and turned to her sister again. “Thank you,” she said. “I know Ethan and Killian have medic training but thank you. Seeing him stitched up wasn’t something I’d like to repeat, but knowing it was you doing it helped me…to, well, not freak out entirely.” She offered Kara a wry smile, and an answering one tugged on her sister’s lips.
“I’d say any time, but I hope it’s never again. For both your sakes.” Kara leaned forward and wrapped her arms around her. Holding her sister felt as though a piece of her had come home, and it settled something deep inside.
Kara gave her one more squeeze then stepped away. With a last look at Chad’s calf, she slipped from the room, shutting the door quietly behind her. Sabina didn’t waste another second. Crawling over Chad to the other side of the bed, she pulled the blanket over them and tucked herself against his warm body.
* * *
When Sabina and Chad emerged from the bedroom seven hours later, she was wired. Except for about a thirty-minute stretch, when Chad had woken her in the most delicious of ways, she’d napped the entire time. She was rested, probably too much, and knew that meant she’d be awake long into the night.
“How’s the leg?” Ethan asked as Chad took a seat at the table and reached for his computer.
“Leg is fine, but those pain meds put me out,” he answered.
“They always have,” Ethan commented, and Chad nodded. A little something Sabina hadn’t known about him.
“I don’t think we should go back to Mystery Lake yet,” Chad said, drawing everyone’s attention. “I’ve been thinking about it, and I think it would be best for us to go to DC for a few days. Jacobs has to be feeling the heat by now. Sabina and Kara have stepped into the spotlight, and HICC has all the evidence from the case,” he said, looking at her and Kara, who were sitting beside each other on the couch. “And now, with the attack on your father, I’m guessing it’s going to start getting around that Benicio might have said something that warranted his death.”
“But he didn’t,” Sabina pointed out.
“Jacobs doesn’t know that,” Ethan said. “All he’ll hear is that we met with him and right after, he was assassinated. He’ll believe that we were intended targets as well, but that we got away. Any updates from Tess or the Zatoros?” he asked, directing the question to Chad, who’d opened his computer.
“Give me a minute,” he responded.
“So we head to DC and what?” Kara asked. “Stalk him? Make him feel the pressure?”
Ethan grinned. “Not a bad idea, but no. Like C said, he’ll be feeling the pressure. Knowing you’re in town and under HICC protection will make him even more nervous.”
