There was a time, back when Adrian had been working undercover, that he’d aided in Gabby’s abduction for a man of foreign political power in order for the man to attempt to steal the formula.
As was his plan, though they didn’t know it at the time, Bravo team and Delta had worked together to get Gabby and her formula back safely. Knowing that same formula was helping keep the woman he loved alive was something he couldn’t really wrap his mind around right now.
“Damn.” The man he once served with frowned.
“What?” Adrian’s heart stuttered. “What’s wrong?”
Without looking up, Matt continued working on the IV. “She’s severely dehydrated. Bastards couldn’t have given her much to drink since bringing her here. Looks like she hasn’t eaten in days, either.”
The man’s words had Adrian’s nose burning and Jenna’s prone image blurring. He watched her closely, blinking away his tears as he swallowed a giant knot down his throat.
“She’s tough.” Gabe put a hand to his shoulder and squeezed. “She’ll get through this.”
He wasn’t sure who the other man was trying to convince more.
Please, God. Let him be right.
Adrian prayed that silent prayer to a god who’d most likely given up on his sorry ass a long damn time ago. And hecontinuedpraying.
Because a world without Jenna Shaw wasn’t a world he wanted to live in.
After what felt like the longest flight of his damn life, he and the others finally landed back at the private airstrip just outside Gulfside Harbor. They’d used their time in the air to clean up and change back into their civilian clothes.
Adrian hadn’t wanted to leave Jenna’s side for a second, but the others finally convinced him to use the plane’s miniscule shower and change so he wouldn’t scare the doctors off when they got to the hospital.
Matt had managed to keep Jenna stable and her IV fluids flowing. He’d cleaned and dressed the gash on her forehead and had given her what he described as a super-dose of antibiotics often used on gunshot victims.
Once again, Ryker had come through for them by arranging for an ambulance to be standing by when they landed, as well as an SUV big enough to accommodate them all.
Following the emergency vehicle, they’d raced to the Gulfside Regional where Jenna was whisked off to surgery to remove the bullet and hopefully repair the damage.
That was four and a half hours ago.
Since then, he’d been stuck in this private but suffocating waiting room with Ryker, Gabe, and the other Bravo Team members constantly trying to reassure him that Jenna was going to be okay.
Not that he didn’t appreciate their positive vibes, but fuck. The guilt of what she’d been through was eating him alive from the inside out, and every second that passed was worse than the moment before.
I need to get out of here.
Adrian spun on his heels and was heading for the door. He needed to go into the hallway…the parking lot…someplace where he could fuckingbreathe.
Gabe stepped into his path.
“Hey, you okay?”
“Yep.” He nodded, hoping like hell the guy bought the bullshit lie and let him pass.
“Listen, Adrian. I can tell you really care about Jenna. And as much as it burns my ass to admit it—”
A tired-looking man in scrubs walked into the room, effectively cutting Gabe’s presumably supportive speech short.
“I’m looking for the family of Jenna Shaw.”
“That’s us,” Gabe informed him.
Everyone gathered in close to hear what the man had to say.
Giving the group a suspicious glance, the doctor hesitated a moment before accepting Gabe’s word and continuing on.