And now, she was terrifi ed. The very thought of Deo being hurt left her disoriented, as if she were cast out to sea, far from land with no idea which direction led to safety.

• 253 •

RADCLY fFE

She had to get to her.

The chaos around Deo had settled down to a controlled fl urry of activity, and Nita was able to get close enough to see her. She wasn’t awake, but her eyes moved restlessly beneath closed lids. A white sterile cloth with a hole in the middle covered her stomach, and just as Nita looked down, KT made a two-inch vertical incision below Deo’s belly button.

“Is she bleeding internally?” Nita felt an icy hand grip her heart.

“Don’t know,” KT responded without looking away from what she was doing. “Her blood pressure’s been a little bit up and down, and I want to make sure nothing is going on inside. We can’t rely on X-rays or CT, since we don’t have any.” She tossed Nita a grin. “So we’ll have to do it the old-fashioned way and look.”

“What about her head?” Nita asked.

“She’s got a good bump on her temple.”

As KT talked, she slid a clear plastic IV tube into Deo’s abdomen through the incision she’d made, and Sally hooked up an IV bag to the other end. The clear fl uid ran into Deo’s abdomen. Nita knew that in a few minutes, they would lower the IV bag and let the fl uid run out.

If it was clear, there was a good chance there was no internal injury. If Deo was bleeding inside, it would be pink or red. If that happened, Deo might very well die there, because as good as KT was, she couldn’t operate in the middle of Town Hall.

“The scalp laceration’s no big deal,” KT went on. “Her pupils look fi ne. With luck, it’s just a concussion. Refl exes are normal, so I think her neck’s okay, too.”

“Thank God.”

“You want to assist here?” KT asked.

“I’ll get Tory if you need help,” Nita said, her legs suddenly weak.

“I can’t. I…she’s…we’re lovers.”

“Hell, Nita, why didn’t you say something.” KT shook her head.

“I’m okay here. You should go sit down until I can fi ll you in the right way.”

“I’d rather stay.”

“Okay, then pull up a chair and hold her hand.”

“What?”

“Hold her hand. It will be good for her, and it’ll be good for you.”

• 254 •

Winds of Fortune

“I might be needed if we have more injured.”

“If Tory needs you, she’ll let you know.” KT deftly inserted a series of sutures closing the incision in Deo’s abdomen. “Right now, just be her lover.”

“Yes.” Nita reached for an unoccupied chair and pulled it close.

She sat down and took Deo’s hand. It was cool and still. She held it to her cheek. “That’s just exactly what I want to do.”

• 255 •

• 256 •

Winds of Fortune

CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

Tory assured herself that KT had things under control with Deo and that none of the fi refi ghters or paramedics were suffering from smoke inhalation or other life-threatening problems. Then she went in search of her lover.

“Nelson,” Tory said sharply, coming upon Reese and Nelson in a huddle at the perimeter of the activity. “You’re supposed to be sitting down monitoring communications. Not briefi ng with your offi cers.”

“I was just—” Nelson began.

“And you,” Tory said, grasping Reese’s sleeve, “require medical attention. Now. I don’t have time to go through our usual song and dance about this.”

Reese took one look at Tory and said, “Chief, I’ll check in with you later.”

Nelson’s eyebrows rose, but he merely nodded and hastily made himself scarce.

“Sit down right here, darling,” Tory said more quietly, guiding Reese to a wooden folding chair. Her initial relief at having seen Reese walking in under her own power had given way to alarm when she’d seen the smudged bandage carelessly wrapped around her hand and forearm.

“How are you doing?” Reese asked, obediently sitting.

“I’m not the one who’s injured.” Tory pulled on gloves and carefully removed the gauze. “How did this happen?”

When Reese hesitated, Tory pulled off her gloves, squatted down in front of her, and braced her hands on Reese’s thighs. Looking up into her face, she said gently, “I already know that you’re all right. I won’t be frightened by hearing how you got hurt. It’s important for me to know. I’m your lover.”

Reese brushed her fi ngers over Tory’s cheek. “I keep wanting to protect you, but I can’t, can I?”

• 257 •

RADCLY fFE

“You do protect me.” Tory smiled wearily. “But not the way you think. I don’t want to be protected from the truth, especially not when it’s your truth. But you shelter my heart, and that makes me strong.

That’s the gift you give me.”

“Thank you,” Reese murmured. She looked at her hand. “Deo got hit with burning debris. I pulled her away from it and got a bit singed.”

Tory waited.

“The wind came up faster than anybody expected,” Reese said, covering Tory’s hand where it rested on her thigh. “The fi re really took off, and a section of the roof broke loose. It was a fl aming torch, and it came down so fast there was no time to do anything. There was no time.

No time to warn anyone. No time to fi nd cover.”

“God, that sounds terrifying.”

“I had people on the ground and no way to warn them.”

Reese’s gaze turned inward and Tory realized she wasn’t recalling the events of an hour ago, she was back in Iraq with the night on fi re and her marines dying. Tory’s fi rst instinct was to bring Reese back, out of that place, away from that horror, but she didn’t. Instead, she held Reese’s uninjured hand more tightly, biting her lip to hold back the words of comfort Reese didn’t need.

“I couldn’t get to them in time. Some went down. I lost them.”

Reese focused on Tory’s face, her eyes fi lled with torment. “I lost them, Tor.”

“Not tonight, you didn’t,” Tory whispered, praying she was saying the right thing. She wouldn’t insult Reese by denying what Reese had gone through out there in the desert. If Reese felt responsible, nothing she could say would change that. But she didn’t have to stand by and let Reese suffer for the rest of her life for something Reese couldn’t change. “Casualties of war, isn’t that what you’re taught? That people die, no matter what you do. I know in my heart if you hadn’t been there, more would have died. I know that with everything I am. And if you won’t believe me, believe this—Deo’s alive tonight because you were here, doing your job.”

“I do believe you.” Reese tugged on Tory’s hand and pulled her up and against her body, then rested her cheek against Tory’s breast. “Tory, you are the truth in my world.”

• 258 •

Winds of Fortune

Tory stroked Reese’s hair. “Then trust you did your best, and trust it was enough.”

Silently, Reese nodded.

Catching movement out of the corner of her eye, Tory saw Bri halt hesitantly a few feet away, her worried gaze fi xed on Reese. She smiled and motioned her over. Then she gently drew away from Reese and found another pair of sterile gloves. “Let’s see that hand, Sheriff.”

Reese held out her arm as Bri joined them.

“Got a report for me, Offi cer?” Reese asked, her voice strong and steady.

“Yes ma’am,” Bri said smartly. “The fi re chief just radioed in.

Both fi res are under control. The rest of Deo’s crew is still working on the pier, but it looks good.”

“Good. What about civilians?”

Bri glanced down at a paper in her hand. “The chief got calls from a dozen families who are without power or are fl ooded out. They’ll need to be evacuated to here.”

“Who’s on that?”

“I told Smith and Allie to grab something to eat, and then start with those families with elderly or kids. Is that okay?”

“Sounds good.” Reese winced as Tory trimmed torn skin from around a blister on the back of her hand.

“Sorry,” Tory murmured. “These aren’t too bad, but they’ll do better if I get rid of some of this debris.” She sighed. “I really wish you could manage not to use your body as the fi rst line of defense.”

Bri laughed and Tory glared at her.

“Uh,” Bri said, backing up a step. “So that’s it, then. I’m just going to grab a coffee and say hi to Carre, and I’ll be ready to head out.”

“I’ll be with you in fi ve,” Reese said. “Don’t forget to restock the cruiser with emergency supplies.”

“Roger,” Bri said, hurrying away.

“How’s she doing,” Tory asked, applying burn ointment to Reese’s hand.

“Solid. She’s got a natural instinct for command.”

“That’s good, isn’t it?”

Reese chuckled. “Better than good. Someday, she’ll take Nelson’s place.”

• 259 •

RADCLY fFE

“Not you?” Tory taped the gauze she’d wrapped around Reese’s wrist and got unsteadily to her feet. She wore her ankle brace, but after eighteen hours on her feet, nothing could prevent her leg from stiffening. Reese rose quickly and slid an arm around her waist.

“These few weeks as acting chief have been more than enough for me,” Reese said. “Now it’s about time you took a break.”

“I’m all right.”

“No you’re not. Come on.”

Tory tried to protest, but Reese just ignored her.

“Sit here,” Reese commanded, indicating a bench along the wall.

“I’ll be right back.”

Bowing to the inevitable, Tory slumped down, leaned her head back, and closed her eyes. The sound of Reese calling her name and gentle shaking brought her awake. She rubbed her face.

“Oh my God, I fell asleep.”

Reese handed her a cup of coffee and a hastily assembled ham and cheese sandwich. “For about fi ve minutes. Here. Refuel, Dr. King.”

Tory took a bite because she was too tired to argue and suddenly realized she was hungry. She fi nished the hasty meal and washed it down with a gulp of coffee. “Thanks.”

“Just doing my job,” Reese said as she leaned down and kissed her.

Reese’s eyes were clear and sparkling. The pain that so often rode through them was gone. Tory brushed Reese’s hair back with her fi ngertips. “Welcome home, darling.”

“It feels really good to be here. I love you.”

“I love you.” Tory listened to the rain and the wind. The storm was not over, but perhaps the worst had passed. “You’ve got people to see to, don’t you?”

“I do.”

“You will be careful out there, won’t you?”

“I will.”

“Then go, Sheriff. I’ll see you when you come home.”

Reese kissed her one last time. “I’ll be home just as soon as I can.”

Tory watched her go, content in knowing that Reese would always do whatever it took to come home to her.

• 260 •

Winds of Fortune

❖

Deo awoke with a start and immediately tried to sit up. Something was holding her down, and for a second, she thought she was underwater again. Gasping, she struggled to get to the surface.

“Deo, baby,” Nita said urgently. “Deo, it’s all right. Lie still.”

“Gabe!” Deo gripped Nita’s arm so tightly Nita cried out. “Where’s Gabe?”

Nita leaned over so Deo could see her face and stroked Deo’s forehead. “There’s been an accident, sweetheart. You’ve been hurt, but you’re going to be all right.”

“Nita?” Deo whispered, growing still.

“Yes, baby. I’m here.”

“Gabe’s dead, isn’t he?”

Nita thought her heart might break at the forlorn sound of Deo’s voice and the terrible naked pain in her eyes. “Yes, baby, he is. It was a long time ago. It was an accident.”

Deo closed her eyes and Nita kissed her forehead.

“It wasn’t your fault,” Nita murmured. “Do you hear me? It wasn’t your fault.”

“What happened?” Deo asked, fi nally opening her eyes.

“What do you remember?”

Deo frowned. “Storm. Back then, when Gabe died.” She shivered.

“And tonight. Another storm.”

“Yes. There’s a hurricane.”

“Joey!” Deo jerked almost upright, then fell back with a grimace, clutching her abdomen. “Oh. Jesus. That hurts.”

“You have to lie still,” Nita snapped. Even though the abdominal pericentesis fl uid had come back clear and KT had pulled the tube out, pronouncing Deo stable, Nita was frantic that something serious could be going on and they’d missed it. “You’ve been hurt. Joey is fi ne.”

“He’s not dead?”

“No. No, baby, he isn’t. He might have been hurt, but you made sure he wasn’t.” Nita wasn’t certain how well Deo was able to distinguish the past from the present, and she didn’t want her to suffer through the pain of losing Gabe again. “Joey is here somewhere. In a minute, I’ll fi nd him so you can talk to him. How do you feel?”

“My head hurts. So does my belly.” Deo smiled fl eetingly. “It’s