No Hero (27 page)

The nurse said, “Wherever you’re going, you need to leave here in a wheelchair. I’ll be right back.”

“The bullet?” Rick reminded her, setting the envelope on the counter and holding the bag in his outstretched hand. “You can drop it in here.”

Carol didn’t even bother looking at the warrant. Using forceps, she picked up the bullet from the metal tray and dropped it in Rick’s bag. He sealed the bag, signed it, asked the nurse to sign it, then pocketed it.

As she left, Rick said, “I hear you wrestled Dev to the ground and made him agree to have surgery.”

“Hardly wrestled him. He was—” To her embarrassment, her eyes filled with tears. “He was so weak.”

Rick nodded. “He lost some blood, but he’s tough. The bullet went all the way through his left shoulder when he put himself between that bullet and you.”

The memory of Dev diving to the floor to intercept the bullet that had been meant for her replayed in her mind. “It hit me.”

Rick smiled. “That’s what I heard. Persistent bullet. “

“What happened to Tracy? Do you know? And Mintz…I’m so sorry. By the time I found him, he was already dead.”

“Dead? Heck, no. Mintz is in surgery, too. The scalpel nicked his carotid artery, but when he fell onto his stomach, he had his hand at his throat and the weight of his head must have slowed the bleeding. It was touch and go on the way to the hospital, but I heard he was going to be okay.”

“Oh, thank God.” Relief flooded through her. At least one of Tracy’s victims had survived.

“Shareese Galloway—Tracy—on the other hand, tried to shoot herself. Dev tackled her. The bullet just grazed her head. She’s having a psych evaluation as we speak. I have a feeling she’s headed for a mental facility instead of a prison.”

At that moment, the nurse pushed a wheelchair into the room. “I’m sorry to rush you, but we need this room.” She looked pointedly at the detective.

Rick smiled at her. “Can I take Ms. Connor out of here for you?”

“You okay with leaving with him?” she asked skeptically.

“Yes,” Reghan said, standing with Rick’s help. She waved off the wheelchair and took Rick’s arm. In the hall, they passed a gurney with an unconscious patient on it. Her heart fluttered, and she let out an involuntarily noise of distress.

“You okay?” Rick asked.

She regrouped. “I just…can’t stop thinking about everything that’s happened.”

“Seeing death and violence is never easy. But it’ll pass.”

Reghan sighed. “I know. But right now it is hard,” she said as he pushed open the door to the surgical waiting room.

To her surprise, Penn and Katie were there. They both stood and rushed toward them.

“Rick,” Penn said, “were you involved in the shooting?”

He shook his head. “Hi, Penn. Nope. I’m playing candy striper today. Escorting Ms. Connor around.”

Penn turned to Reghan. “Are you all right?”

“Miss Reghan, you look awful!” Katie blurted out.

She smiled wanly at Katie. “I’ll bet I do, Katie. I’m okay, just tired.”

Penn reached for her, but for an instant Reghan instinctively drew back. She immediately held out her hands, but Penn hadn’t missed her recoil.

“Oh, Reghan, I’m so sorry,” she said. “It wasn’t until I was driving back that I realized what I said to you on the phone. I apologize. It was thoughtless and rude. I know Dev wasn’t alone.”

Reghan stopped her. “Don’t worry about it,” she said. “I understand. When did you get back?”

Penn looked at her assessingly, then apparently decided Reghan was sincere. “About ten minutes ago. I went to the center, but they had roadblocks up. One of the officers told me you and Dev were here. “

As she spoke, a nurse poked her head into the waiting room. “They just took Mr. Gautier into surgery.”

“Thank God,” Reghan said with a sigh. Penn looked at her questioningly. “He was refusing to let them sedate him for surgery. He was too worried about you and Katie, me, Tracy. Everybody on the planet.”

Penn smiled. “Naturally. After all, he’s the only one who can take care of us. How did they convince him?”

“I promised I’d take care of everyone until he woke up.”

Penn stared at her. “That worked?” she asked incredulously.

Reghan nodded, remembering his last drowsy words, wishing she could believe he’d really meant them.

Penn’s eyes filled with tears. “He was awake and talking? I’m so glad. Nobody would tell me what happened,” she said. “Why does he need surgery? Is he going to be all right?”

Rick supplied the information. “As I understand it, the bullet chipped a bone in his shoulder. They need to get the chip out, because it’s close to his heart. If it shifts it could still cause damage.”

“Oh,” Penn said, covering her mouth.

Reghan hadn’t known that either.

“Hey,” Rick said. “He’s going to be fine. Why don’t you guys let me take you to the center so you can get some rest.”

“No.” Reghan wiped her face and winced as the stitches in her side pulled. “I’m not going anywhere.”

“I’m staying, too,” Penn said. “Katie and I will go home once we know Dev is okay.”

Rick eyed the two of them, then shrugged. “I never argue with determined women.”

“Katie,” Penn said. “Why don’t you take my phone and go sit over there and play a game?”

Katie took the phone, skipped across the room, and flopped down on the couch, already engrossed in her game.

“She’s sweet,” Reghan said, smiling.

Penn looked over at Katie for a moment. “She’s my life.” Then she turned back to Rick. “What about Tracy? I don’t understand what happened. Why in the world did she shoot Dev?”

Rick and Reghan exchanged a glance. Reghan gestured for him to go ahead. So he quickly and succinctly explained about Tracy’s deception, her true identity, and the fact that she was the murderer all along.

“That’s unbelievable,” Penn said, stunned. “She killed them all?”

“Except Brian,” Reghan confirmed.

“And she’s really Fontenot’s daughter? Does Dev know?”

Rick nodded.

“He must be devastated,” Penn said, wiping her eyes. “I still can’t believe it.”

Rick glanced at the reception desk. “Seeing as you two have Dev covered, I’m going to go check on Officer Mintz’s progress and then head back to the station. I need to deliver the bullet to the lab.”

Once Rick was gone, Penn straightened. “Reghan,” she said, “I know you know Dev’s history.”

Reghan was surprised by the sudden change of subject, and in Penn’s tone. Her guard went up. Was she about to be warned to stay away from Dev?

“He’s had so much hurt in his life,” Penn said. “And he’s done so much good. But he was already at the end of his rope with the deaths of the boys.” Penn’s eyes shone with unshed tears. “I’m afraid Nicky’s death and all this with Tracy will tear him apart. I’m so worried about him.”

“Me, too.” Reghan’s throat clogged. “But at least Tracy’s been caught, so the killing will stop,” she said tightly.

Penn sighed. “I just hope Dev can let it be over. You have no idea how much he loved those kids—all his kids.”

“Tracy, too.”

Penn shook her head. “I don’t know how much more he can take.”

“I know Dev loves all of you,” Reghan said. “And I know he doesn’t like to be seen as vulnerable. But you can help him deal with this. He needs you. He’s spent all his life being responsible for other people, and he keeps losing everyone he cares about.” To Reghan’s dismay, tears spilled down her cheeks, coming too quickly to stanch.

“Not everyone,” Penn said gently.

“No. He has you.” She smiled through her tears. “He adores both of you. He depends on you more than he realizes.”

Penn stared at her for a minute, her face unreadable. “You seem to understand him pretty well for someone who did her best to destroy him.”

“I was so wrong about him.” Reghan said in a small voice. “I had no idea he’d been making up for his past all this time, by helping kids just like him.”

“Well, at least you know now,” Penn said. For a moment she studied Reghan. “So what are your intentions?”

“My intentions?” Reghan repeated, trying to figure out what she was talking about. But as she said it, Penn’s meaning penetrated her exhausted brain. “You want to know— Oh, Penn. If he would unbend enough to accept me, I’d never, ever let him go.” Her breath caught in a quiet sob.

Penn held out her arms. Without hesitation, Reghan went into them, and they hugged tightly. When Penn pulled away, her eyes were bright with moisture. “I’ve known Dev for a long, long time. I’ve never seen him even act like he was in love—until you came along.”

Reghan’s heart soared. “You really think—”

Penn smiled. “I think my poor, clueless surrogate brother is head over heels. Trouble is, I doubt he knows it yet.”

Reghan’s heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest. But her caution and control, honed over her lifetime, kept her from being able to accept Penn’s words—or Dev’s drowsy admission—as truth.

“However,” Penn said, frowning ominously, “if you hurt him, I will personally feed you to the alligators. One inch at a time.”

Suddenly Reghan was smiling, and she couldn’t stop smiling any more than she could stop the tears that were still coursing down her cheeks.

Pulling a tissue from a box on a nearby end table, Penn blotted at Reghan’s cheeks. “Now, sit down here and get comfortable. It’s obvious your injury is hurting. Rest. Take a nap, even. I’ll wake you when we know something.”

“I’ll sit down, but I can’t sleep,” Reghan said. “Tell me how you and Dev met. You knew Thibaud, didn’t you?”

For the next two hours Penn regaled Reghan with stories about Dev and Thibaud, until a doctor in blue scrubs came in, pulling off his surgical cap. Both Reghan and Penn stood.

He took both of them in with a tired smile. “Who is the next of kin?”

Tears stinging her eyes, Reghan stepped back, her knees weak with relief. Now that Penn was here, she was the more deserving of that designation.

To her surprise, Penn turned and held out her hand. “We both are.”

The doctor didn’t even blink. “He’s waking up now. The surgery went well, no problems. He should regain full use of his shoulder, although he’ll need physical therapy. But we can talk about that later. He’ll be very groggy and in some pain for at least twenty-four to forty-eight hours. One of you can stay the night, if you like.”

“How long will he be in the hospital?” Penn asked.

“No more than a couple of days, barring complications. Please excuse me. I’ve got another case.”

After he left, Penn said, “Why don’t Katie and I see Dev for a minute, then you can stay tonight?”

Reghan bit her lip. “Me? No. I’m sure Dev will want you. I’ll take care of Katie.”

Penn gave her a look. “Are you kidding? It should definitely be you.”

Reghan had to wipe more tears away from her eyes. “Thank you, Penn. Thank you.”

She just prayed Dev agreed.

…

Half an hour later, the nurse let Reghan into Dev’s room. He was lying in the hospital bed, a white bandage covering his left shoulder, an IV line taped to his breastbone. Reghan’s heart squeezed to see him so helpless and vulnerable. Asleep, with no worry to tighten his features, he looked like the child he’d never gotten to be.

She covered her mouth to hold in the sobs that were pushing at the back of her throat. She didn’t want to let him catch her crying.

But it was no use. She gave up on stopping the tears and stood there at the foot of the hospital bed, reliving the moment when he’d thrown himself in front of her to stop the bullet Tracy had meant for her. It didn’t take a degree in medicine or physics to know that if it hadn’t been deflected by its path through his shoulder, the bullet would have gone straight through her heart.

Once she was sure she wasn’t going to break down into a sobbing puddle of mush, she quietly stepped around the bed. She straightened the sheet and brushed her fingers across his tousled hair.

His eyelids fluttered, then opened. He blinked slowly, and it took him a few seconds to focus on her face.

“Hey, Connor,” he whispered, lifting his right hand. “You okay?”

She clutched his hand, love flooding through her to hear the question he’d asked her so many times. Always thinking of someone else before himself. “Yeah, I’m okay,” she said with a watery smile. “You?”

“Too sleepy.” He craned his neck toward the IV pole beside the bed. “Better without this damn morphine drip.” He moved to sit up, grunting with the effort.

She gently guided him back down on the bed. “No pain meds for Detective Gautier?”

He clenched his jaw. “Don’t start with me, Connor,” he said, his words slurred.

With a watery smile, she sat on the edge of the bed and cradled his hand in both of hers. The stitches in her side pulled, and she shifted a bit to ease the sharp pain. “You know,” she said with a trace of amusement. “I do have a first name.”

“Yeah? What is it again?”

Her smile quirked. “Very funny.”

His dark, sleepy eyes watched her. His mouth curved upward, just slightly. “I like Connor.”

She could live with that.

“Oh Dev, thank you,” she whispered. A tear leaked out of one eye, and she didn’t bother to wipe it away. She just couldn’t stop crying. She’d been so terrified for him…

His frown was a pallid ghost of his usual scowl. “For what?”

She touched his brow, smoothing away the shallow lines. “For saving my life.”

He started to shake his head. She knew he was dismissing any goodness on his part. Dismissing any heroism. Dismissing anything that would admit even the smallest measure of human vulnerability inside that tough exterior. But halfway through the gesture, his face contorted with pain.

She squeezed his hand, pushed a lock of hair from his forehead. “Don’t you dare dismiss my life, Dev,” she said vehemently. “You took the bullet meant for me. Do you know where it hit me once it went through you?” She pointed. “Right here. Do you know where it would have hit if you hadn’t jumped in front of me?”

She lifted his hand and laid it over her heart.

“Right. . . here.” More tears slipped over her cheeks. “But because of you, my heart is still whole.”