Page 63 of Tasting Fire
“We need transport now!” Cash yelled.
“Ambulance is sixty seconds out.”
They had Jesse outside and in the rig as soon as it rolled up.
Once Jesse was on his way to St. Elizabeth’s, Cash slumped against a wall. “So he wasn’t threatening anyone?” he asked one of the SWAT operators.
“The rest of the apartment was totally clear. His buddies were swatting him.”
“Why would someone do that?” Cash asked.
“Maybe he was winning, and his friends were pissed,” Emmy said. “I’ve been on half a dozen of these calls up in Maryland. They think it’s funny.”
How could Emmy be so damn calm when a so-called joke had resulted in a bullet nicking a kid’s femoral artery?
That was when she smoothed her hands over her French braid, and Cash saw that they were shaking as if she were a caffeine addict who’d gone without her four espresso shots. “What did I do?” she asked, more to herself than to him. “I…”
“Youdidn’t do anything. Jesse didn’t keep his hands visible and you were warning the team.”
“It was just fucking mints.”
“We don’t need to talk about this here,” Cash said in a low voice as he covertly squeezed her arm. “But the fault isn’t yours.” Unfortunately, he didn’t know how that would play out in the debriefing.
According to Captain Styles,debriefingwas simply another word forass chewing.And for those who’d responded to the swatting call, no one’s ass came out unchewed.
Maybe that should’ve made Emmy feel better. But it just made her feel shittier.
Of course, there would be a full investigation into the call-out because McGarvey had fired his gun. Had shot an innocent kid who was—according to Emmy’s communication with St. Elizabeth’s—still in surgery.
When the debriefing ended, Emmy broke for the conference room door before anyone else. She definitely didn’t seek out Cash. Hell, she couldn’t look him in the eye. She’d made a potentially fatal mistake. Then she’d frozen on patient care. And afterward, she’d been so rattled she was surprised her teeth hadn’t chattered.
Not Cash. He’d kept his head, even though he hadn’t known what the hell was going on.
“Emmy, wait up.” Cash jogged up from behind her before she could hit the unlock button for her SUV. When he wrapped a hand around her elbow, she felt as if her body was splintering into a million pieces. “Where are you going?”
“Where do you think? The hospital.” Click, click, click. Nothing. Why the hell wasn’t her key fob working?
“I don’t think that’s a good idea.” Cash guided her to the back of her Mercedes, putting the car between them and the sheriff’s department building.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re trying to unlock your car with your grocery store loyalty card.”
Well, that explained it. She dropped the ring of small plastic cards into her bag. “I didn’t ask for your permission.” Trying to skirt around him, she broke to the right, but Cash stepped left as if they were ballroom dancing. “I need to see Jesse.”
“In the debriefing, you told everyone that he was still in the OR and probably would be for some time. There’s nothing you can do for him.”
“I can wait.”
“Which you can also do at home.”
“I need to know.” Guilt and regret were pounding behind her eyes. It was either go check on the boy or let tears fall.
Emmy did not do tears.
“Give me your keys.” Cash held out his hand, making Emmy want to cross her arms and refuse, like a toddler might protect her favorite toy. “Please.”
She just stared at him as if sustained eye contact would somehow make him disappear.
