Page 57 of Waiting for Him
Kat let her knees buckle, and she dropped to the ground so fast that Dryagin had no chance of stopping her. His hand released her arm, unable to hold onto her sudden dead weight. The man shouted something foreign in surprise, then roared his anger. As she covered her head, two simultaneous shots sounded, followed by shouts and running feet.
She didn’t dare look up until she heard Benny’s voice again. This time, he was right beside her. “Kat, are you okay? Please, tell me you’re okay!”
His words came out rushed as his hands quickly roamed her body. She rolled onto her side, thrilled to see his handsome face. “I’m okay, I’m fine. What happened?”
He hauled her to her feet and wrapped his strong arms around her, coming close to crushing her. “Oh, thank God, you’re all right! I was so fucking scared. Are you sure you’re okay?”
Leaning back, he searched her face for confirmation. She nodded as her body began to tremble in the aftermath of the crisis. Glancing over her shoulder, she saw both Russians dead on the ground a few feet away, surrounded by men in black. Dryagin was missing half of his head, while Pig-face had been shot in the chest, leaving a bloody gaping wound. Kat quickly spun back around, her stomach threatening to revolt. Benny wisely moved them several yards away from the dead bodies.
Ian approached and ran a hand down the back of her head as if reassuring himself she was indeed okay. “Well, Kat, I’m sorry this happened, but you can add yourself to a growing list of people who owe Master Carter their lives.”
Then she noticed Carter and a man dressed in black on the far side of the southbound lanes, handing their rifles to a uniformed officer. “What happened?”
“He and another sniper were in the woods over there, and as soon as you dropped, the Russians aimed their guns at the cops. The snipers took them out. They weren’t going to let themselves be taken alive.”
Kat shuddered, knowing it was true, and she could have also been dead.
Jake appeared next to Ian, shaking his head and jerking a thumb toward the spy and two feds. “Damn, I know they have to take my rifle for a while until the required investigation is complete, but I’m tired of going through all the paperwork to get them back. This is the second time in less than five months.”
He gently pulled Kat from Benny’s grasp and into his own embrace. “You are one kick-ass lady, you know that? Giving Beau the attack command was quick thinking. You kept your head together and helped save not only your own life but Murray’s and Colleen’s, as well.”
Her eyes widened when she realized she’d forgotten about them. “Oh, my God! How are they? Murray was shot. Is Colleen okay?”
Releasing her back into Benny’s arms, Jake nodded. “Murray’s as tough as leather—he’ll be back to work in no time. The bullet went straight through and didn’t hit anything vital. It’s also not the first time he’s taken one, although it’s the first time with us. Colleen only has a few scrapes, but she’s fine, and Ian told her to take a few days off. Reggie is with them at the hospital. Once we’re done here, I’ll check on them. Then I’m getting Beau the biggest fucking steak I can find. Thanks to him, we were able to figure out what direction they took you in and catch up pretty quickly.”
“In that case, I owe him a steak too. And you too. All of you.” Jake just grinned and waved her off. Facing Benny again, she saw the worry still in his eyes. “Are your parents okay?”
He paled, and her heart clenched. “Mom will be okay, but Pop was shot in the stomach.” She gasped and brought her hand to her mouth. “He’s in surgery, and we have to get back down there. I want the paramedics to look at you really quick, while I see if we can hitch a ride back down on the chopper.”
Kat shook her head. “I’m fine. Let’s just go. We have to be there for your mom.”
Ian stepped aside to let a female medic into their little group. “I’ll get us clearance, but I’m sure we have a few minutes before we can take off anyway, so let this nice lady check you over.”
Although she was just as anxious as Benny to get going, she knew it would be pointless to argue with a group of Doms. She was quickly learning that when it came to someone under their care, they were highly protective. A few minutes later, she was medically cleared. Aside from a hematoma on her forehead, where she’d hit the headrest, and bruising on her arm from Dryagin’s grip, the only other thing that hurt was her scalp from having her hair pulled.
After thanking the medic for the quick examination, Kat turned toward where Benny was talking to Ian, Carter, and Marco. The rest of the team had split up, with Devon and Brody heading to the hospital to check on Murray and Colleen. Jake was returning to the compound with Tanner and Beau, followed by several federal agents. There was still a dead body at the gate that needed to be hauled to the morgue and a crime scene to be processed.
She walked over to the group of four men and straight up to Carter, throwing her arms around him. “Thank you for not missing.”
The black-op spy barked out a little laugh and hugged her back. “You’re welcome, Kitty-Kat. And there was no way I was missing. I’ve grown quite fond of you. Besides, Boom-Boom would’ve never forgiven me if I let anything happen to you.”
He kissed the top of her head and then released her. Kat stepped back, and Benny extended his hand toward Carter. “Thanks again, man. My list of IOUs keeps growing. I hope someday I’ll be able to repay you.”
Taking the younger man’s hand, Carter pulled him in for a man-hug and slapped him on the back. “No offense, but I hope I never need you to repay me. I’m catching a ride back to the compound, and then I have to head out. Duty calls. But I’ll be in touch to check on Rick. Kiss your mom for me.”
“Will do.”
As their friend walked off to hitch a ride with one of the many officers and agents still on the scene, Benny took Kat’s elbow and steered her toward the helicopter behind Ian and Marco. It was time for her to start praying for one more miracle.
Chapter Twenty-Four
Kat held her breath as the helicopter descended to land at a heliport near Sarasota Memorial Hospital, where Rick had been transported. Benny had contacted his mom before they lifted off from the Tampa highway and had been told his father was still in surgery. Ian and Marco planned on waiting with Kat, Benny, and Eileen until Rick was out of surgery. The two teammates would then retrieve the other two vehicles still parked near the Michaelson house, driving the comm van back to Tampa and leaving the SUV for them. The rest of the team would take care of the cleanup at the compound, the reports that needed to be filed with both the FBI and local law enforcement, and anything else that needed to be done.
From information Ian received from the FBI, it seemed as though Dryagin had not shared the knowledge that he’d found Kat with the rest of the Russian mob. They had no idea she was the only living link to the money, so the feds and Trident didn’t think anyone else would come looking for her. She planned to give the money to charity, so hopefully, soon, it wouldn’t matter if anyone else made the connection. But it would have to wait for now.
A Florida State Police car waited at the heliport to drive them to the hospital. As soon as they landed, and it was safe to do so, they disembarked and piled into the vehicle, with Ian taking the front passenger seat. Kat was sandwiched between the other two men in the backseat, and Benny hadn’t said a word to her since he told her to let the medic examine her. She understood he was worried about his dad, so she remained quiet as well and took his hand in hers in silent reassurance that she was there for him. He gave her hand a quick squeeze and an even quicker smile, which didn’t quite reach his eyes, before turning back to stare out the window.
When they reached the hospital, the four stopped at the reception desk to find out what floor the surgery waiting room was on, then took the elevators to the third floor. Dusty and Burke were standing guard in the hallway, and Ian told them the threat was over, allowing the contract agents to head back to Tampa. Eileen and Rick’s sister, Margaret, sat in the warmly decorated room with other patients’ family members as they waited for word on their loved ones.
