“I’ve got you,” I tell her, trying to pull myself together. She needs me to be strong.
“Mouse, lift her carefully and take her to the plane. We’ve got your back, Brother.”
My hands flail in the air. “Should we move her?”
Devil’s eyes snap to mine. “Can’t stay here, Mouse. Who knows who’s out there?El Procuradorwill be behind it. It’s his country, he must have more men on his side. And he’s had plenty of time to arrange an ambush. We’ve got to get out of here now, while the plane can still fly.”
“Was it hit?”
“Not yet,” he replies grimly.
Blood loss or shock, I don’t know which, but she’s lost consciousness. Carefully picking up Mariana’s limp body, I move as fast as I can toward the plane, Viper, Dollar, Marvel, Blade and Drummer surrounding us on all sides. Blood’s flowing down my arms, and looking back, there’s a huge puddle on the ground.
She’s bleeding out. In my fucking arms. I never got to tell her I love her. Love? Yeah, that’s right. How the fuck it happened I don’t know, but the woman I’ve barely seen has got under my skin and into my heart, and I’m only fucking realising it when she’s dying. She trapped me from the moment I first saw her facing up to that bear. I loved her before I even spoke to her.
I should have realised we were still in danger. Got too fucking complacent.
You can’t leave me now. Not like this. Not when we were so close.
Chapter 35
Mouse
“Lay her down here,” Devil instructs, quickly grabbing a blanket and throwing it on the floor. “Carter? Leave Wessler. He can sort himself out. I want you looking at her.”
Carter nods, throwing an impatient glance at Wessler who’s cleaning his own wound, then wrapping a bandage around it. He must have taken a bullet too and I hadn’t noticed. Carter drops down to Mariana’s side, feeling for her pulse just like I did. “Pulse is weak, Devil. Get this bird in the air now.”
“You a medic?” I ask, hoping he is. I don’t know what the fuck to do.
“Yeah,” he replies offhandedly, his concentration on Mariana. “Mason! Get the first aid kit.”
First aid? She looks beyond that.Why aren’t they better equipped?But the big duffle Mason drops down beside him looks like it holds a lot. I can only hope there’s something to help her in there. Christ, that blood… there’s so much of it.
“Buckle up, we’re taking off.”
I glare at Devil, he doesn’t tell me to take a seat. Nothing is going to make me leave Mariana, not even for a second. Plane crashes? I’ll take my chances. Carter stays where he is too. He’s grabbed a towel and is holding it to Mariana’s leg. It becomes red fast.
It’s a six-hour flight, give or take. Six hours. Unless Carter can work magic, even with my lack of medical knowledge I can see she won’t last that long.
At last the plane levels off. “Cruising altitude,” the pilot says.
“Right. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
I growl, I don’t like Carter’s hands on my woman, especially not when he starts slicing off her clothes.
“Got a tranquilliser dart with your fucking name on it,” Carter snarls, throwing me a glare of his own. “Either fucking help or keep clear. I’m doing my best to save her here.”
He raises her eyelids, whether he’s satisfied or not I can’t tell. “I’ve got to try to slow the bleeding.” He sounds grim. “Can we get this seat moved to give me more room?”
A couple of his teammates step up. Apparently, the inside of the plane can be rearranged depending on cargo. A few bolts undone, and at last he’s got space to work.
My eyes narrow. “You know what you’re doing?” I ask. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait until we land?”
He closes his eyes as though summoning up patience. “Nothing I’d like better, man. But if I leave her like this, she’ll die. Use my limited skills to help her? Well, she’ll have a chance.”
Devil appears, and kneels beside us. “I’ll help. What do you need?”
“A bottle of whisky,” Carter drools.
