Rebecca Zanetti - Sweet Revenge

Matt tuned in as his senses roared back. Seven attack squads were heartbeats away… and coming from all sides. “Get in the helicopter.” He pushed her toward the helicopter.

“No.” She tried to take more of his weight.

He turned. “Trust me. I need you on there. Please.”

She hesitated, her gaze going from Nate to the copter and back to Matt. “But—”

“ Trust me.” He meant it as an order, but the entreaty came out as a plea.

She swallowed and took a step back. Then with a nod, she turned and ran for the open doorway.

Thank God. Matt staggered over to Nate and dropped to his haunches. The world tilted. Damn it. He could do this. Sucking deep, thinking of a possible future, he dipped his head and hauled Nate over his good shoulder.

Standing up was the hardest thing Matt had ever done. Quite possibly the slowest. Inch by inch, he rose to a crouch. Turning, he secured Nate’s legs and put one boot in front of the other.

His vision fuzzed. Determination and love shot through him, giving him strength. Nate had counted on him their entire lives, and Nate had kept Matt human. He’d helped bridge the gap between Matt and the younger brothers, keeping Matt from going too cold while training.

Nate would not die.

Another boot forward. Another. And another.

Men crashed through the brush.

He reached the hatch and dropped Nate onto the floor. Laney lunged for Matt, her face determined, her jaw set. He all but fell into her arms, swinging his legs inside. His woman. “Go, Shane. Go now,” he ordered, his voice way too weak.

Bullets sprayed the side of the craft.

He turned just in time to see the commander dart out of the forest, firing wildly. At Laney.

Matt reared up, only to have Laney lean over him and shove the door into place. A spray of bullets shot through the metal above them. She ducked low, covering him with her body.

Warmth and the scent of vanilla encompassed Matt. Heaven. Laney and heaven.

The commander’s roar of outrage reached above the storm.

Take that, asshole. Matt swallowed and tried to keep his eyes open.

Shane lifted the copter, the side of his face a hard mask as he fought the wind, rain, and bullets. “Hold on.”

Laney felt for Nate’s pulse. “Steady, but he’s out cold. Definite concussion,” she said, her voice nearly shrill. Then, on the freezing floor, she gently lifted Matt’s head onto her lap. “Keep the artery elevated.” Tears coursed down her face to land on his.

He blinked, his heart lurching.

The helicopter pitched, and she cried out.

“It’sss okay.” His voice slurred, and he tried to stay alert. He had to be strong for her. “Love you.”

I love you , she mouthed and secured a hand on Nate’s prone back. “We’ll be fine.” She eyed Shane, obviously trying not to panic. “Shane looks like you, Matt.”

“Matt looks like me,” Shane said, his concentration remaining on the blackness outside. He banked a hard left, and they dropped about ten feet. Laney yelped.

Matt tried to smile to reassure her, but his jaw locked and his eyes filled with dust. He coughed. He had to get Laney to safety. Desperation competed with the need to pass out. “Stay under the storm so they can’t track us.”

“Good idea.” Sarcasm filled his younger brother’s voice beneath the tension.

Thuds and bumps shook the craft, and several times lightning split the night. Laney held Matt tight, and even wounded and in pain, there was nowhere else he’d want to be. He’d take any amount of pain to be close to Laney.

Finally, an hour later, the night quieted.

Matt relaxed into the cold floor. Now he really needed to pass out. But first, he had to tell her, “We’re safe, baby. I love you and will keep you safe.”

Laney leaned over and placed her lips on his. “I love you, Matt Dean. Forever.”

The helicopter hugged the tree line for quite a while and finally set down near a sprawling ranch house in the mountains. Rain continued to fall as dawn broke, but softly and without the tantrum. Laney’s legs had cramped an hour ago, but she didn’t want to disturb Matt.

She’d spent the trip alternating between checking his vitals and checking Nate’s. Her heart ached for both of them. Caring about people hurt, but she could never go back to being all alone. She was keeping them, no matter how dangerous life became.

As they touched down, she tried not to wince as the bounce jarred both injured men. “We need a hospital.”

Shane turned and viewed her, his gaze veiled. “There’s a fully equipped medical room in the basement. What do you need?”

A petite woman barreled out the front door, blue eyes flashing, blond hair whipping in the wind. Shane was out of the cockpit before she hit the door, and he grabbed her in a hug.

She hugged him back. “I told you not to leave me. How could you leave me here?” She shoved out of his arms and moved to open the other side door.

Shane beat her to it and yanked it open. “I needed you safe.”

“What if you weren’t safe?” She looked into the back, her eyes widening. “Oh God. Are they okay? Tell me they’re okay.” Panic lifted her voice, and she started to scramble inside, but Shane stopped her with one arm.

“Let’s get them out,” he said. “Doc? What do you need?”

Laney took a deep breath. For today, she was the only doctor they had. She dug deep for courage. “Nate needs to be inside and warmed up… and hopefully awakened. Matt needs surgery to repair his artery—tell me you have zero silk and don’t mind donating blood.”

The blonde reached for one of Nate’s arms, her lips trembling. “She’s kinda bossy.”

Laney gaped. “I just want to help.”

The woman smiled. “I didn’t say it was a bad thing.” Then she sobered. “How hurt are they?”

Too hurt. Way too hurt. Laney kept Matt’s head elevated with her hands and swung her aching legs out from under him. “I’d like for them both to regain consciousness.”

Shane hauled Nate over his shoulder. Concern tightened his mouth into a white line. “I’ll put Nate inside, and Josie can keep an eye on him while I assist in surgery.” Without waiting for an answer, he pivoted and headed toward the house.

The blonde smoothed Matt’s hair away from his face, her hands shaking, her gaze on his closed eyelids. Fear cascaded from her. “I’m Josie.”

“Laney.” Laney turned brisk and professional. “They’ll be all right.” God, she hoped that was true. She nodded for Josie to slide her hands under Matt’s head. He was too pale. Why didn’t he wake up? “Would you hold him so I can get out?”

“Sure.” Josie’s eyes softened as she glanced down at Matt, agonized love in her expression. “Please save my brother.” Desperation deepened the quiet plea.

“I will. I promise.” Laney swung to the ground just as Shane returned. She had to save them no matter what. God. She couldn’t lose Matt now. “Let’s do this.”

After cleaning up, Laney eyed Matt while he lay in an operating room that rivaled anything found in the biggest hospitals. The zero silk had done the trick, and she successfully stitched up both his artery and damaged arm. She’d fought nausea the entire time, and even now, she wanted to plunge her head in a bucket of cold water.

Shane flipped open Matt’s eyelid. “Did I give him enough blood?”

“Yes.” Laney slapped his hand. “Stop that.”

Shane grinned and looked so much like Matt she could only stare. “You are bossy.”

“Not usually.” She returned the smile even as her legs trembled. Exhaustion would soon set in after the night they’d had. “Just when I’m revisiting my doctor days.”