“You’re okay. Let the EMT check you out,” he whispered without leaving my side.
“Hit my head,” I stuttered, my hand seized in a painful spasm at my side. “I . . . I killed Emil.”
“Shhh, you didn’t kill him. Just relax. We’re going to get you to the hospital, but the boat ride back might be a little rough.” He glanced up at the EMT to explain my situation. “She’s going to get a whopper of a headache if you don’t get her some medication.”
“Too late,” I moaned, crying out when someone touched my hand. “Something’s wrong with my fingers.”
Mattie nodded and gave me a pained smile. “I know, baby. Let the EMT do his job. He’ll get you some relief.” There was a prick in my arm where they started an IV, and I stared into the beautiful lake-blue eyes of the man I loved. “You found me.”
“I’ll always find you, honeybee. Always.” His wink and smile were the last things I saw before the medication sent me into dreamland.
CHAPTER 22
My fingers hurt and so did my head. That was all I could discern at the moment as I lay on an uncomfortable bed in a quiet room. I could sense Mattie next to me, stroking my forehead and murmuring to me.
I opened my eyes, and he wore the saddest smile I’d ever seen. “Hi,” I whispered, my mouth dry. “Thanks for finding me.”
He kissed my forehead softly before he spoke. “I told you, I’ll always find you, honeybee. I love you.”
A small smile came to my lips. “I love you, too, but my head hurts. What did they do to my finger?” My hand was throbbing, and I brought it to my face to see a splint covering it.
“Your head had a big gash in the back, so they stitched it. You’ll have to lay on your side until the swelling goes down,” he explained, adjusting the pillow behind my back. “You don’t remember what happened to your finger?”
“No, did I fall?” I asked, holding my hand gingerly.
“No, you had a seizure, but your hand muscles spasmed so hard it popped the finger out of its joint. The doctors popped it back in when you were out from the medication.”
I frowned, trying to see the finger, but it was too wrapped up. “That’s new,” I sighed, my tone discouraged.
He rubbed my forehead to keep me calm. “Dr. Newsome is on his way to chat with us.”
I went to shake my head but thought better of it immediately. “He doesn’t have to do that. I’ll be okay.”
He offered me an eye roll, but he was smiling at the same time. “Mor called him the second I hung up with her. He’s coming. No argument.”
“You called Mor?” I moaned, agitation making me squirm. “Mattie, you shouldn’t have called her.”
“Shh, honeybee. I had to. Did you want them to hear it on the news? I’m not that man anymore. I own up to my mistakes. Getting involved with Milas was a huge mistake.”
“It wasn’t your fault,” I promised him, a fat tear dripping down my cheek. “It wasn’t your fault, but I don’t want to worry Mor so soon after her surgery,” I cried, and he wiped the tear from my face with a soft towel.
“I promised her that you were okay; then I sent her a picture of you peacefully sleeping. I told her we’d call her after Dr. Newsome left, and you could talk to her. Okay?”
“Okay. I’m sorry. He was in the woods. I just remember someone behind me, but I thought it was you. I didn’t even have time to yell before he hit me.” My voice got louder with each word until his finger came down on my lips.
“Shh, this wasn’t your fault. This was my fault. He wanted me, not you. He took you because he knew I would do anything to get you back.”
“And you did.” I grabbed his hand from the bed. “You saved me.”
He shook his head, his gaze falling to the floor. “No, you saved yourself. If you hadn’t given me the clues like the name of the boat and Devil’s Island, I wouldn’t have known where to start looking. You saved yourself. I don’t remember what Milas told me that night. The doctors tell me I never will.”
I nodded, caressing his face with my good hand. “I know, and that’s why I took a chance and said what I said. I knew you’d catch the clues because we’re a team, Mattie. We’ll always be a team. Was the boat by Devil’s Island?”
“No, but you were close. It was anchored on the backside of Bear Island. The SWAT team was able to locate it using a drone, and they sent the Coast Guard. They weren’t too happy about bringing me along, but I suspected the stress of being on the boat was going to give you problems.”
I rolled my eyes to the ceiling. “That’s me, the problem child.”
“I love that you’re a problem child. My problem child, right?” he asked, holding his breath until I nodded. Then his lips kissed mine in a sweet and tender affirmation of love. “Do you need a drink, baby?”
