Shae sat back on the pancake-flat gurney, arming herself with a full-on scowl as she looked at the paramedic-in-training in front of her.

“Seriously, Slater. Do we really need to go through the entire concussion protocol?” All she wanted was a hot meal, a hotter shower, and about a week in bed. Preferably not alone. But since protocol was protocol, here she sat, in the back of Ambulance Ninety-Three, where Slater just happened to be riding along tonight.

Hell if the rookie didn’t look far more pleased than he should. “Considering you have a head injury, and I’m your paramedic?” he asked, barely containing his smile as he recorded Shae’s vitals. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You know what, Slater? You go ahead and take your time,” Capelli said from his spot beside her in the ambulance, and Shae threw her hands up in defeat.

“It isn’t fair when you two gang up on me,” she groused. “But fine. Whatever rocks your cradle, boys.”

Under the watchful eye of the senior paramedic on duty, Slater completed a thorough exam and pronounced her—shocker—just as fine as she’d claimed to be, thank you very much.

“That cut is pretty nasty, but I don’t think it needs stitches, and your concussion protocol is all clear.”

“So am I good to go?” Shae asked, and Slater nodded his nearly shaved head.

“I can clear you for release in about fifteen minutes. You’ll need to sign the waiver just like regular people, but…yeah. I can’t find anything wrong with you,” he said.

She laughed, and okay, yeah. She might not have a concussion, but her head still smarted like crazy. “I know you’re in training and everything, but don’t sound so disappointed.”

“I’m not.” The rookie surprised her with an expression of sudden, sincere gratitude. “I’m really glad you’re okay, McCullough.”

Her heart squeezed unexpectedly. “Thanks. And hey, Slater?” When he looked back at her from the back door of the ambulance, Shae said, “You’re a great firefighter, but you’ve got a real knack for this paramedic thing, too.”

“Thanks.” He smiled, a blush creeping over his light brown cheeks. “I’ll give you a few minutes to rest before I write up those release waivers.”

“Thanks, Slater,” Capelli said, staying quiet until the guy was out of earshot. But then he turned back toward her, and God, she loved his sweet, serious face.

“You scared the hell out of me, Shae. Putting your cell phone down to keep Vaughn from bolting was risky as hell.”

“I know,” she said, because she really, really did. “But I didn’t just do it impulsively, without thinking. I knew we had a backup plan, and that you’d follow it to the letter to find me and bring Vaughn down.”

“Let me guess.” Capelli lifted a brow. “Another gut feeling?”

Shae shook her head. “No. Fact. You’re smarter than he is. I knew you’d form a strategy that would work.”

Capelli braced his forearms over his thighs, his gaze dropping just slightly as he nodded. “Yeah. Moreno and Sinclair brought Vaughn down to the precinct. He’ll be charged with your kidnapping and attempted murder, but we also found a key to an apartment in South Hill on him. Hollister said techs just recovered several laptops, along with a ton of other evidence that can link him to both of our other crime scenes and a ton of other crimes, too, so…”

“He really is going to rot in jail for the rest of his life.”

“Looks that way,” Capelli said.

Shae looked at him, weighing her words in her mind for only a second before giving them voice. “You let go.”

Capelli frowned. “What do you mean? I’m right here.”

“Not of me. Of Vaughn, in the tunnel. You had him by the throat. You could have easily killed him. But even before I said your name, you let him go.”

“Not really. I mean, physically, yes. I let go of his neck. But Vaughn took away the thing all of his victims held the most valuable. It only seemed fitting to take the thing he needed most in return.”

“His freedom,” Shae whispered, reaching out for his hand and squeezing tight. “It was a hell of a risk.”

He squeezed back with equal measure. “Yeah, well, a very beautiful, very brash person taught me that sometimes, risks are worth taking.”

“Beautiful, huh? Should I be jealous?”

“Nope. Because I am completely, insanely, irreversibly in love with you.”

Shae’s heart swelled in her chest, but wait. Wait. Capelli couldn’t have possibly said… “You what?”

“I love you, Shae.” Shifting forward, he cupped her face gently in his hands. “You saw parts of me that I didn’t even see, and you showed me who I am. You make me laugh, you frustrate the hell out of me. You drive me the very best kind of crazy, and I don’t ever want to be without you.”

“Oh.” The word collapsed past her lips, happy tears wobbling on her lashes, and she pressed forward to hold him close. “Well, when you put it that way…I love you too. God, I love you so much.”

He brushed the softest of kisses over her mouth, then pulled back with a grin.

“Okay,” he said. “I’ll be Starsky. But only if you’ll be Hutch.”