baby can be checked out. I’m fine. Now cooperate with Donovan and let him get you the hell away from here.”
“Impossible, stubborn man,” Maren growled.
Donovan chuckled. “As much as I agree with your assessment, he’s right. You’re the priority here. They’re working on Hancock and doing what they can to save him. Med flight should be here any minute to take him away. But you’re next. Steele can wait. The bastard is too stubborn to die anyway, so you don’t need to worry about him. No way in hell he’s going to leave you and the baby.”
“Damn straight,” Steele bit out. “Now stop the chitchat and get her the fuck out of the chopper and do an assessment of her injuries. She needs to be treated for shock and transported to a hospital stat.”
“I’m the medic here,” Donovan said dryly. “And Maren is an MD. I think between us we can handle this without you taking charge. You have zilch in the way of medical training.”
Maren sucked in a deep breath as she looked up at the warm encouragement in Donovan’s eyes. There was concern, yes, but she didn’t see fear or doubt. He was at ease, doing his best to keep her calm and to keep Steele from completely losing it. She appreciated that. She reached for Donovan’s hand and squeezed, surprised at how little strength she had.
Garrett pushed into the already cramped space, and he and Donovan put all their strength and effort into freeing Maren from the crumpled metal. She winced but refused to cry out, biting into her lip until she drew blood. She refused to add to Steele’s worry. He was already losing his mind over not being able to get to her.
Garrett’s entire face grew red, the veins distended in his brow and his lips and jaw clenched tight. His muscles bulged and strained and he let out a shout as he pushed at the resisting metal that had folded over her legs.
As soon as there was enough of a gap, Donovan roughly yanked her from the seat, and this time she couldn’t halt the scream of pain as agony shot through her shoulder and up into her neck.
“What the fuck?” Steele raged.
She sucked in steadying breaths, blinking back the tears of pain. Her chest heaved with exertion as she tried to get it together so she could reassure Steele.
“I’m fine,” she gasped.
Donovan looked agonized, regret brimming in his green eyes. “God, I’m sorry, Maren. I had to hurry. Garrett wasn’t going to be able to hold it forever.”
He lifted her gently and crawled awkwardly up the floor of the helicopter to the side facing up, where Sam waited. Donovan passed Maren to Sam, who enfolded her in his arms.
Ethan wrapped a blanket firmly around her, taking care not to bump her shoulder, and Sam carried her toward a waiting vehicle.
“Steele,” she protested. “You can’t just leave him. He’s hurt.”
“Shhh, Maren. We aren’t leaving him. Donovan, Garrett and Ethan are working with Steele’s team to get him out. It’s possible we’ll have to wait for a rescue crew with the right tools to cut him out of the cockpit, but they’ll be with him every step of the way.”
“I need to be with him,” she whispered. “I don’t want him to think I left. He needs me.”
Sam eased her into the passenger seat of the SUV and wrapped the blanket more firmly around her. The engine had been running and the heat was going full blast despite the sultry temperature outside.
“EMS has already airlifted Hancock. They landed while we were getting you out of the chopper. You need to be in the hospital, Maren, and Steele would be the first person to tell you so. He’s going to cooperate a hell of a lot better if he knows you’re being taken care of. So do us all a favor and let us get you to the hospital so you can get checked out.”
Through her muddled thoughts, guilt surged. She hadn’t even asked about her parents. Fear knotted in her belly and the words stuck in her throat as she tried to ask what she dreaded most.
She clutched Sam’s sleeve, clutching it and bunching the material into a fist.
“My parents, Sam. What about my mom and dad?”
He touched her cheek and stroked soothingly. “We have a team on the way. Donovan was able to get a lock on the location when Caldwell made the call. I’ll let you know the minute we hear anything. Now,