Lie to Me (29 page)

“How is he?” she heard Sam ask, in a worried voice. His words barely penetrated the thickness of her fogged head.

As calmly as a nurse with a patient, she checked Damian’s vitals and heard herself saying, “Pulse weak, and breathing slow and shallow.” She tried to fight panic. “You called the paramedics?”

“Yes. For both of you! Christ, Case, you’re bleeding!”

At his words, the sting in her shoulder exploded into full-fledged pain and she gasped as tears flooded her eyes. She reached up to touch the sore spot and her fingers came away covered in blood. She’d been so focused on saving Damian, she hadn’t noticed.

“Shit. I can’t pass out.” Her shoulder started to burn and throb, but she fought to stay awake and alert, telling herself that Damian needed her.

“Don’t worry, Case. Help is coming for both of you,” Sam said, his voice distraught. “Catch this!”

Something like a cloth hit her in the back of her head.

“That’s my shirt! Use it! Wrap your arm!” It was an order and a plea. “I have to hold the gun on Reese. Please, Casey, wrap your arm.” He kept urging her on, but she ignored his words and her own pain. She cradled Damian’s head in her uninjured arm and stared down at his handsome, peaceful face. She knew she had to try to get him to respond to her. Kissing his face, speaking endearments to him, she tried. “Talk to me, Damian. It’s Casey. Please say something, love. Please.”

Sometime, while held in her embrace, his eyes fluttered opened slowly and he stared at her. “Casey?”

She choked on a sob and nodded.

“You’re bleeding,” he said, in an agonized whisper. “Casey, I’m sorry.” His gaze looked dull, tortured. “I love you—so much. Remember that—if I die.” His breathing seemed labored, and then his eyes shut. She shook him, calling his name, begging him to come back to her again.

He remained limp and unconscious and the world finally flipped to normal speed. As the full force of her emotions and physical pain flooded her body, hot tears spilled down her cheeks.

In the background, Sam urged her to wrap her shoulder, and Reese moaned in pain, cussing, and screaming at her for stealing her man.

Casey cared only about Damian, who seemed to be struggling for every breath. She never took his eyes off him, ready to administer treatment if his condition worsened.

“How’s he doing?” Sam asked. His words seemed so far away.

“Not good. I’m afraid he’s going to—”

“No.”

“I won’t let him die, Sam. I know what to do, but, damnit, won’t the paramedics get here?” She stroked Damian’s hair. “Keep fighting, baby. Come on.”

Her tears slid off her cheeks and rained on his pale face as she begged him to hang on. Seconds later…or hours… the police and paramedics burst into the room. Suddenly it swarmed with swift, efficient, no-nonsense professionals. She fought and kicked as they gently pulled her from Damian, talking about a gunshot wound. She even tried to bite them, but, in the end, the world faded from her grasp and she drifted into blackness.

Chapter Sixteen

A bump roused Casey to a world of noise, bustle, urgency and her own hot pain. She opened her eyes, finding herself transferring from a paramedic’s gurney to an ER bed. The entire nightmare flooded back to her in one horrific rush. Lord, how long had she been out? Her last thoughts had been of desperation when she and Damian had been loaded into separate ambulances.
Where is he? He needed her. Didn’t they understand?

She moaned as a nurse cut off her bloodstained blouse, while another took her vital signs. If she’d had the strength, she would have jumped down and looked for Damian, but she could barely move. Her shoulder, arm and chest raged, stung, and tore at her. Somebody gave her a shot. “For pain,” the faceless man said.

Casey lifted her head as the needle stuck in her thigh, trying to move dry lips to speak, when she suddenly saw paramedics rushing a gurney by just as a nurse closed the curtain on her cubicle. “Damian!” she cried out, although it came out garbled. “Please! Let me go with him!” Even more garbled. She dropped her head and shut her wet eyes.

People garbed in medical attire worked on her, ignoring her cry. Casey whimpered in pain, frustration and fear as they poked and prodded.

The doctor, a tall gray-haired man, came around to stare down and talk to her. “Casey, we’re going to have to take you to surgery. The bullet nicked an artery. Our vascular surgeon is on his way to operate. Meanwhile, your dad is flying in from Washington and your mother is on her way over here.”

His words overwhelmed her. “I can’t have surgery. I’ve got to check on Damian, and my son will be so scared. I need to see them both.” Her words had sounded thick and unintelligible to her ears, but at least she’d managed to say them.

“Your boy needs a mama with full use of her right arm,” the doctor scolded. “Don’t worry about Damian Ballantine. A top specialist is taking his case. He’ll get the best of care.”

She lost it and screamed at them, telling them she needed to see him. Nobody seemed to care. They were a blur of soft, understanding smiles and reassuring, meaningless words, attempting comfort. When she tried to bite an orderly who held her down, she heard people mumbling things about her hysteria and soon felt a sting in her uninjured arm.

As hard as she fought to stay conscious, darkness engulfed her again.

An unknown span of time later, she awakened with a start, in a strange bed, dressed in unfamiliar nightclothes. As her eyes fluttered opened, the first person she saw was a man sitting next to her on a straight-backed chair. He looked a lot like Damian. Her vision still fuzzy, she felt a wave of euphoria as she whispered, “Damian! Oh, Damian! You’re here! I knew you couldn’t die! Come into my arms, darling!”

He took her hand and squeezed it. “Hon, it’s Alex.”

The words shocked her and she jerked her hand out of his grasp.
No! This has to be Damian…has to be.
But as she blinked quickly to clear her vision, she could see him, and her first reaction was to slap him with her one arm that didn’t hurt. To her surprise, she couldn’t muster the energy to move it. “Bastard!” She spoke with a viciousness that matched her disappointment and fear. “I don’t want it to be you. I want Damian!
You’re not Damian, I hate you, where is he
?” She clenched her teeth as her chin quivered, and her voice suddenly broke, as she came to her senses. “Alex, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it.”

He looked devastated and defeated and dropped his gaze.

“Babe, I’m crazy right now.” She heard her voice shaking dangerously. “I really am sorry—you look awful.” Suddenly, her stomach clenched. She’d dreamed about something—something scary—something terrible. As Alex refused to meet her stare, she reached under the hospital bed’s guardrail and grabbed his arm. “Alex—please— Damian isn’t—he’s not—he’s—” She stared at him as he lifted his half-shut, dead looking eyes.

“He’s not dead.”

A relieved sob and tears engulfed her.

“It’s all right, Case.” In spite of his obvious exhaustion Alex stroked back her hair once and she could feel his trembling fingers. “Damian’s in ICU. He’s having a rough time, but he’s alive.”

“What kind of rough time?” She could see Alex’s eyes watering as his Adam’s apple bobbled up and down. Alex rarely got this upset and it fueled her gut-wrenching fear.

“His heart stopped.”

Somehow she’d known and terror bathed her. She tried to get up, but Alex grabbed her shoulders and pushed her back down. It wouldn’t have mattered; she had no strength. “I need to see him.”

“They brought him back.”

Her cheeks were wet. “I need to see for myself!”

“Sweetie, you got shot, remember?”

She did remember. Vaguely. Her shoulder throbbed, but not as much as it should have. “They gave me pain medication?”

“In that IV.” Alex’s gaze rose and she glanced at it. She hadn’t even noticed.

“We’ll just take that with us,” she heard herself saying from afar. She again tried to sit up, but still had no strength. Her gaze rested on her friend. “Please, Alex.”

“I can’t. I wish I could.” He dropped his head and tucked her hand inside both of his. “They won’t even let me in there, and I’m family. Dad practically owns the hospital—he has Damian under very close watch. No visitors except him.” He paused, and then spoke hesitantly. “Damian’s in precarious condition and not even conscious.”

Casey saw the world turning black. “I heard a Code Blue over the loudspeaker in my dreams—I know that means somebody needs resuscitation—I knew it was for Damian!” Her entire body trembled and an explosion of tears spilled all over her face. “Alex, he can’t die. He can’t.”

“He won’t.” Alex wiped his eyes, not trying to hide the degree of his pain and fear. Gently, he reached for her uninjured side and gripped her hand once more.

“Alex, I need him. Miles needs him. Miles!” She thought of her little boy with a start. “I have to get to my little boy!”

“You can’t leave the hospital yet. Your mom is with Miles. She was here most of the night.”

“Mom?” She felt a lump choking her. “Who stayed with Miles last night?” Her poor son…

“Sam did.”

Casey sniffed, trying to remember. “I was so out of it, I didn’t know she was here.”

“She understands. Your dad was here too, but your mom was so distraught, he left with her. They’ll be back to see you soon.”

Suddenly she wanted both of them, just like a child wants her parents, but they were better off keeping Miles calm. They couldn’t help her one bit. Nobody could. She sniffed again and wiped her eyes. “I hope Miles doesn’t know everything, isn’t scared. Oh, God, Alex
I’m
terrified! Hold me! Please.”

Alex lowered the guardrail on her bed and moved from his chair to the edge of the bed. He looked into her face, his emotions mirroring hers, then lifted her head a little and leaned down to get close to her. As he pressed his cheek against hers, she felt his tears on her face.

Casey collected herself enough to pat his back. It scared her to feel Alex’s tears. “After—the scares…” She couldn’t bring herself to speak in more explicit terms. “Is he doing better?” She felt a shudder through her body, killing her sore shoulder, but she shook off the pain. “Alex? Tell me all you know.”

Alex let out a breath and gently set her back on the mattress.

She stared at him hard, waiting.

“Dad told me they’re monitoring all his vitals.” Alex tried to steady his voice. “They’re giving him oxygen and slowly administering an antidote to help bring him around. He’s throwing some irregular heartbeats and they’re watching that with the utmost caution—” He cut it off.

At that moment, a dazed looking Sam shuffled into the room, looking ready to collapse. Alex shot to a stand. “Any news?”

“Dad just caught me in the cafeteria.” Sam spoke in a hoarse voice, but managed a fleeting smile that comforted Casey. If Damian were worse, Sam wouldn’t have smiled. “He actually regained consciousness for a few minutes—”

“That’s great!” Casey’s eyes flooded with tears again, this time of relief.

“Dad said he asked about you.” Sam leveled his half shut eyes on her.

She froze. “I hope he doesn’t remember I was shot.”

“He remembers seeing blood, but doesn’t know you were shot. At least—Dad told me that.”

“Poor Damian.” She took in a shuddering breath.

Sam nodded, fatigue dragging his features down. “Look, Dad’s back in ICU with him now, and I’m going to head there to sit outside and see if he comes out with updates.” His gaze moved to Alex. “I’ll let you know if anything changes, but you stay with Casey.”

Alex nodded.

Sam looked at her again. “I know you want to see him, Case, but it really is best for his health if you don’t. And for your health too. When he does see you, he needs for you to be in good shape.”

She saw kindness in his eyes, and knew he was right. “Thank you, Sam. By the way, thanks for watching Miles when my parents were here.”

But Sam had already left.

Alex sank down in the chair beside her bed again, his eyes shut. “What a relief,” he mumbled. “What a damn relief.”

Casey slid her good hand, which was nearest Alex, onto the denim covering his thigh. She thought about all that had happened, and couldn’t completely believe it. It seemed unreal to her, made no sense. “Why did Reese do it?” she asked him, in a whisper.

Alex patted her hand without opening his eyes. His head rested on the back of the wooden chair, his face tilted toward the ceiling. “You take another nap, love. I’ll tell you all I know when you wake up again.”

“But I’m not tired,” she said, knowing she was lying to herself. Really, she wanted, needed to know the whole story, to make sense of something that made no sense at all.

Alex squeezed her hand. “Go to sleep, dear. I’ll tell you later,” he said. “I’m going to take a nap myself. Haven’t slept all night.”

Casey lay awake, forcing her lids to stay open, but when she heard Alex’s quiet snores she finally let herself rest. Blackness took over, but she had dreams, all of them nightmares. She finally woke with a start and found Alex watching her.

“You were moaning in your sleep,” he said. “I was going to wake you.”