“I have to get you to a doctor, lass, so calm down.” Cain held her as tight as she dared and exhaled into her hair as she shut her eyes to try to keep the tears from coming. But she couldn’t deny the swell of emotion that actually having Emma in her arms brought from her heart.
“I’m sorry I left the house and let this happen,” Emma said, as if trying to comfort her. “He told me as he was tying me up that he’d killed Merrick. Please tell me that’s a lie.”
“She’s hurt but she’s alive,” Cain said, hoping it was still true. In all the excitement she hadn’t had a chance to call and check on Merrick’s condition. “Lou, give me your gun and bring the car closer.”
“Cain,” Shelby said from the next room, “they’re gone. They ran out the back the moment Lionel and I arrived, and didn’t have time to take Emma with them. If you want, we’ll escort you to the emergency room.”
“I don’t want to go to the emergency room,” Emma said, but as she stood up a sudden gush of blood ran down her legs. “No,” she said as she doubled over.
Cain picked her up and cradled her in her arms and headed for the door. “Muriel, call ahead and see if Sam or Ellie will meet us at the hospital.” As they headed away from the house, Cain promised herself to come back and burn the damn thing down. She needed no more monuments to the past, and the walls of that horror house had seen the last of its share of cruelty aimed at her family.
“Hang in there, lass,” she whispered to a whimpering Emma, “we’re almost there.”
“Please, don’t let us lose this baby,” Emma said as she breathed hard. “Not now, we were so close.”
“Just relax and I’ll take care of you.” Cain kissed her forehead and pressed the square of gauze Lou had handed her out of the first-aid kit to the side of Emma’s head. “We’ll be fine as long as you’re okay.”
“I don’t want to lose—” Emma didn’t finish the sentence and screamed before passing out again.
“Lou,” Cain screamed in turn, “step on it. Emma.” She held her so she could see her face, but the green eyes were closed and her features had softened. “Don’t you dare give up on me,” she told her as she lifted Emma into her lap. “Please, lass, don’t give up on me.”
Sam Casey was waiting outside as they drove up, and her partner Ellie was inside getting a room ready for Emma’s arrival. “We’ll take it from here, Cain,” she said as Cain laid Emma on a stretcher. “Go have a seat in the waiting room, and I promise either Ellie or I will be out in a little while and tell you what’s going on.” It was the only explanation Cain got as they ran into the hospital with Emma.
The wait was excruciating, and as Cain sat and watched the clock, she vaguely realized those with her were watching her. They had a lot to discuss about what had happened today and what they needed to do about it, but right now none of it mattered. She willed Ellie or Sam to walk through the door, and when it opened she pulled her back away from the seat cushion only to see Shelby standing there. But Shelby approached Muriel instead of her, and her cousin didn’t push her away when she sat next to her and took her hand.
“Cain,” Ellie said from the door a short time later. “I need to talk to you before you go in to see her.”
Ellie and Sam talked softly to Cain, neither of them smiling through the exchange. When Ellie stopped, Cain dropped to her knees and sobbed, Sam following her down and held her throughout her rare show of emotion. As she cried, Sam continued to talk.
“Let’s get you cleaned up before you go in there and scare her, okay?” Ellie said to her when Cain stood up. She took her to the bathroom and gently wiped Cain’s face with a towel. “Emma’s a lucky woman,” Ellie told her as she rinsed the towel in cold water again. “It’s not often that a woman knows she’s loved this much, but you’ve never kept it from her. That’s what saved her today, and what will sustain her as she deals with the aftermath.”
“Thanks,” Cain said, feeling so tired she wanted to curl up beside Emma and sleep for a week. She stepped into the room and locked eyes with Emma. To Cain she appeared lost.
“I’ll leave you two alone for a minute, then I’ll come in and talk to you together,” Ellie said and stepped out.
“I’m so sorry, lass,” Cain said, going to the bed and taking Emma’s hands in hers. “I’m sorry that the darkness of my life touched you like this.”
“I knew you’d find me. Juan and Anthony kept taunting me and telling me you’d never figure it out in time, but I knew. Just like that day with Danny, you made it before I could get hurt.”
“Shelby found you before I did.”
“She didn’t tell you where she was, though, did she?” Emma brought their hands up and kissed the back of Cain’s. “You figured it out and you came for me. There’s nothing else that means anything to me but that.”
“Did Ellie talk to you?”
“If this one’s a boy, I want to name him William, and I have a feeling it’s going to be a boy.” Emma kissed her hand again and tugged her forward to lie with her on the bed.
“What makes you so sure?” Cain asked, feeling the same relief as she had in the hall when Ellie had told her that Emma would be all right and so would the baby, with plenty of bed rest and peace.
Emma stayed on her back and smiled at Cain as she propped her head in her hand and placed the other one on her hip. “Because I’ve given birth to two Casey children, and this one strikes me as a William, but we’ll only call him that when he’s in trouble. The rest of the time he’ll go by the name Billy Cain Casey, a charmer who’ll skip through a blessed life because of what happened today. Sort of like two other Casey siblings I know and love.”
“What happened today is something that won’t be repeated, if I can help it.”
“I know that, and he knows that.” Emma took Cain’s hand and placed it on her middle. “He’s a Casey through and through, which means he’s a fighter. He can’t help it—he’s ours.”
“I love you, and you’re no slouch in the fighter department.” Cain kissed both cheeks and gently tweaked the tip of her nose. “And your number-one son is going to think you’re the coolest with two black eyes.” She tried to joke it off, but the sight of Emma so banged up was tearing at her heart.
“Can you do something for me?” Emma whispered.
“Anything you want is yours.”
“Find him,” she said with authority. “Find Juan and kill him. I don’t care how you do it, or when you do it, but I do want you to tell me that it’s done. I want him dead.”
“That’s my promise to you.” Cain stayed until Ellie and Sam came by again and talked to them about Emma staying in the hospital for a few days, as a precaution. After that, Cain posted a man outside the door and Nick inside, in the chair she’d been using, so she could go check on Merrick.
Katlin was asleep in the chair next to the bed holding her lover’s hand, but Merrick’s eyes were open. “I owe you my life,” Cain whispered to her after she kissed her forehead. “Thank you for taking care of what’s most precious to me.”
Merrick shook her head, not able to talk yet. From her expression Cain could tell she didn’t believe her. “When you get out of here, you’re coming to stay with us until you’re back on your feet. The day that happens, Emma will expect you at eight as usual with that surly attitude in place. She wanted me to make sure and mention that last part to you.” Merrick finally smiled and nodded. “You take care and I’ll be by tomorrow to check on you. You bear no blame for what happened today.” Cain shook her head and placed her hand against Merrick’s cheek. “You did your job, got her out alive, and took a bullet for her. I owe you whatever you ask.”
“We just want to do our jobs and be happy together.” Katlin voiced what Merrick could not.