When they reached the door, Paris gave Clint a nod.
“This is Officer Baker. Detective Paris is here, too. It looks like we’re in the clear, although other officers are in the process of verifying that. We’re coming in.”
Scuffling noises from the other side were followed by the door opening.
Keyes was standing just inside, a shotgun in hand. He stepped back so they could enter. “It’s been quiet out there for at least six or seven minutes, but we didn’t know if that meant he’d left or if he was coming in closer. With all the windows… Well, it’s not a great place to be stuck, but a whole lot better than being out in the open.
Holden was helping an older couple get to their feet. “We never even saw him, but it was clear the fire had been set to lure us here.”
Leslie was still sitting on the ground. Cho was beside her, pressing a cloth against her upper arm. Blood had dribbled all the way down to her fingers.
Clint strode forward and lowered to oneknee beside her. He placed a hand against her upper back, thankful to feel her breathing and have that physical proof she was alive. “How are we looking?”
“The bullet grazed her, but she’s definitely going to need some stitches.” Cho pulled the cloth back to reveal a nasty gash that oozed blood the moment there wasn’t any pressure.
“Here, I’ll take that.” Clint switched positions with Cho and took over keeping the cloth pressed against her wound and continued to keep one on her back. He raised his head and looked around. “Was anyone else injured?”
Except for a few small cuts from falling glass, everyone else seemed to be fine. Paris called out to have the ambulance, which was waiting on the road just off the property, come on in.
Leslie rested her head on his shoulder. “I’m so glad you’re here.”
“And I’m glad you’re okay. You scared me, Granger.” He let his forehead fall to rest against her temple. “Can you stand?”
“For the record, it was pretty scary in here, too.” She let him help her to her feet. “Yeah. I think I’m okay now.”
Confused, Clint looked to Keyes for an explanation.
“We thought she was going to pass out earlier, between being overheated in the gear and losing blood.”
“I wasn’t about to pass out,” she objected.
But the look Keyes gave him over her head said differently.
Clint put an arm around her for extra support. The cloth he held against her arm was sticky with blood.
Carrington’s voice came through the radio. “The area is clear, and the ambulance is approaching now. You’re good to exit the barn.”
“Come on. Let’s get you to the hospital.”
Paris opened the door, and Clint led the way with Leslie. He was going to tell Paris that he planned to ride in the ambulance with her, but he didn’t need to. His friend simply clapped him on the shoulder and said, “I’ll keep you updated.”
Cho, Keyes, and Holden promised they’d check on her soon and take care of her gear in the meantime.
Within minutes, they got settled into the back of the ambulance. An EMT he knew, Rory, pressed a stack of clean gauze to Leslie’s arm and gave her a comforting smile. “Once we get to the hospital, they’ll have you stitched up in no time.”
Clint sat on the bench nearby and held her hand in his. Her skin was chilled. She shivered, and Rory pulled a blanket out of one of the storage compartments and spread it out over her patient.
He knew the shaking was likely due to the adrenaline fading, but he was also worried about blood loss. He’d feel better once the doctor examined her.
“Hey.” Leslie’s soft voice drew his attention to her face. “I’m okay.”
“Yeah. It was the not knowing for a while there. Just promise me you won’t put me through anything like that again.” He was making light of it, but seriously, she’d been hurt, and he had no idea how bad the injury was. It had been one of the worst ten minutes of his life.
“I can promise that I’ll never do it on purpose. Besides, now I can take ‘getting shot’ off my bucket list. So there’s that.” She smiled then, her eyes glittering with humor.
“That’s not even funny.” He leaned forward and brushed his lips against hers. “Seriously, you and I need to sit down and go over your bucket list.”
He rested his hand on her forehead and lightly brushed his thumb over her hair. The shooter could have easily killed Lesley today.
