Page 86 of Battered Moves

“Can you stand?” River asks, and I nod, so he lets me down.

“I need to talk to Gunner, alone,” I whisper, and all three of them nod, faces ranging from understanding to frowning.

The paramedic finishes treating Gunner’s shoulder and steps back, giving us some privacy too. Gunner stands, his hand gripping mine tightly as he pulls me into a hug. I feel his body shake with sobs, and I hold him closer.

“You made it count,” I whisper, trying to comfort him.

He pulls back slightly, tears streaming down his face.

“I’m so sorry, Livy,” he says, his voice cracking. “I never thought he would hurt you. I never would have let him get near you if I knew what he planned. I only wanted to get you back together. I thought he loved you like I loved him. I’m so sorry. As soon as I am patched up, I’m going to turn myself in to the police.”

I can feel the weight of his words sinking in. He was caught in the middle of all of this, trying to do what he thought was best for me, and now he’s going to make himself pay for Liam’s actions.I can’t let that happen.

“No,” I say firmly, looking up at him. “You can’t do that. You didn’t do anything wrong. It was Liam’s choice to take things this far. You were just trying to help me.”

He looks at me, his eyes full of sadness and regret.

“I put you in danger,” he sobs.

“It’s not your fault. I know Liam, and I know how manipulative he is, how he can gaslight you into anything,” I insist, holding his gaze. “We’ll figure this out together. I’m not going to let you pay for loving a deranged man. I was there too. Right now, we need to focus on you and Jaxon, and make sure everyone’s okay.” He nods, taking a deep breath.

“Okay,” he says, squeezing my hand. “Let’s get you checked out too.”

He nods to the paramedic, who then comes over again and ushers us into the ambulance, both of us still in shock from what just happened. We’re together, though, and that’s all that matters right now. I only hope Jaxon is going to be ok.

* * *

Gunner and I sit in the hospital waiting room, his grip on my hand tight and comforting. Despite the pain in my bruised ribs, a laceration on my temple, and my swollen eye, I’m grateful to be alive. My clothes are ruined, so I’m sitting here in scrubs and Chase’s hoodie that he lent me.Thankfully, Gunner’s wound didn’t require surgery, just a cleaning and some stitches, which is a relief.

We’re both exhausted, physically and emotionally, from everything that’s happened. We’ve been here for hours, waiting for news about Jaxon. Every time the door opens, we both tense up, hoping it’s a doctor with good news, but so far, we’ve heard nothing. The waiting is unbearable. I can feel Gunner’s hand shaking in mine, and I know he’s just as scared as I am. I lean my head on his shoulder, trying to find some comfort in his presence.

River, Chase, and Ryder are at the cafeteria, getting us all a coffee and some food after hours of waiting by my side. Gunner has been quiet since we left the warehouse, lost in his own thoughts. I know he’s blaming himself for what happened, but I can’t let him do that.

“Hey,” I say, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. “We’re going to get through this. Jaxon’s going to be okay. We just have to believe that.”He looks at me, his eyes full of pain.

“I hope you’re right,” he says softly.

“I am,” I insist, trying to sound more confident than I feel. “We’re going to make it through this, all of us.”

Finally, after what feels like an eternity, the doctor comes in. We both stand up, holding our breath.

“Jaxon Tanner,” he calls loudly.

“We’re with Jaxon,” I say, clutching Gunner’s hand even tighter.

“Mr. Tanner is out of surgery,” the doctor says, looking at us both. “He’s stable, but he has lost a lot of blood. I suspected a punctured lung, but luckily, the bullet only grazed it. He’ll need to stay a while in the hospital and physical therapy afterwards, but we’re hopeful that he will make a full recovery.”

I feel a wave of relief wash over me and nearly fall to my knees. Gunner puts an arm around my waist, supporting me.Jaxon’s going to make it. We’re all going to make it.

Tears of relief are running down my face. I look over at Gunner, and he’s smiling for the first time since this nightmare started, his eyes watering too.

“Thank you,” he says to the doctor. “Thank you so much.”

We make our way out of the waiting room to find the guys, and I can’t help but think about how close we all came to losing each other. We’re still here, though, and we’re going to be okay and, most importantly,together.

EPILOG

FIVE YEARS LATER

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