found no pulse, a wave of relief nearly knocked him on his ass. He removed the chain from around Aranza’s neck, shoved him aside with his foot, and then rolled onto his back.
Rain pelted Wade’s face and body, but it barely registered in his mind. The adrenaline crash had hit him harder than expected, stiffening his limbs and sapping every last ounce of energy he had in reserve. His whole body ached. It hurt to breathe. He was too exhausted to even enjoy the fact the fucker was dead.
Somewhere in the distance, a door slammed. Running feet splashed in the rainwater.
“Aw, shit. Wade, talk to me!” The sound of Hope’s voice registered in his mind. “Nate, go check on Aranza while I take care of your brother.”
With a bit of effort, Wade pried his eyes open and saw her leaning over him, soaked to the skin, concern lining her brow. “I’m fine, Bones, just tired. Let me sleep.”
“You can sleep later.”
She pressed two fingers to the inside of his wrist, the look on her face making it perfectly clear that she had no intention of listening to his protests. All the while, her gaze moved over his body, cool and assessing.
Doctor mode. Even in his current condition, he found it sexy as hell.
Seconds later, she let go of his wrist, reached into her bag, and pulled out a small, slender case. Inside were a pair of hypodermic syringes and several vials of liquid. “You’ve been shot, stabbed, have multiple contusions, a possible concussion, and God only knows what else.”
“Like I said, I’ll be fine.”
He could have sworn she growled.
“Don’t start with me, Tiny. You’re not going to win this one.”
Wade’s eyes narrowed, though he really wasn’t all that annoyed. To the contrary, he enjoyed sparring with her. “Are you always this pushy when you’re treating patients?”
Hope snorted at that as she rubbed a small cloth pad over his arm. She picked up one of the syringes. “If I were a man, you’d say I was assertive.”
“No, I’d say you were an asshole—ouch! What the hell was in that?”
She pulled back the syringe and dropped it into the case. “Painkiller with a mild sedative. Now, relax. I need to take a better look at your injuries before we move you. I promise to be careful, but you’ve got to put on your big-boy britches and let me do my job.”
It was all he could do not to smile. He’d always been a sucker for smart, strong women, and she fit the bill perfectly. If she let him, he’d spend the rest of his life with her, and love every single minute of it.
Whatever was in that syringe was already starting to do its thing. The pain wasn’t nearly as bad as before, and his brain felt a little fuzzy. He relaxed and let her poke and prod, wincing only when she gently probed the bruises on his face.
“Sorry, just making sure nothing is shattered.” She looked up at his brothers, who stood a few feet away. “He should be safe to move.”
Wade tried to get up on his own, but between the drugs and his injuries, his body refused to cooperate. Begrudgingly, he allowed a couple of his brothers to help him stand. Nate gave him a shoulder to lean on, which was good, because the short walk to the idling SUV wore him out. After this, he might sleep for a week.
Exhausted, he leaned his head against the rest. Hope slid onto the backseat beside him.
“How are you feeling?” she asked. “Do you need another shot?”
“No, I’m good.” More than good. The medication had fully kicked in, dulling his pain to the point where it felt more like a mild inconvenience. He’d probably hurt like hell tomorrow, but right now he didn’t give a shit.
He turned his head, and the mere sight of her made everything right in his world. “Christ, I love you so much.”
Shock widened her eyes for an instant, and then she practically beamed at him. “I’ve been wondering which one of us would say it first.”
He gave her a look. “What made you so sure I felt that way about you?”
“Honestly, I didn’t.” She shrugged, her eyes glinting with mischief. “I suppose it was more of a case of wishful thinking.”
Seconds passed while he waited for her to reciprocate his declaration of love, and he frowned when he only heard silence. “Aren’t you going to say it?”
“Say what?”
“You know what.”
“Yeah, I do.” Her grin widened to