FREDDIE CALLED NICK as he followed the ambulance through midday traffic, bobbing and weaving around cars that wouldn’t get the hell out of the way.
“Hey, Freddie. What’s up?”
“She’s fine, but Sam got grazed by a bullet to the shoulder. At least I think she was only grazed. There was a lot of blood.”
“Grazed by a bullet? Isn’t that the same as shot?”
“She was totally fine afterward, busting the balls of the guy we were after, but she passed out and is in an ambulance on the way to GW.”
“I’ll head over there right away. Thanks for calling.”
“No problem. See you there.” After he ended the call with Nick, he called Elin, who’d wisely taken this week off from work and had encouraged him to do the same. Next time, he would listen to her.
“Hey, babe,” she said when she answered, sounding breathless.
“What’re you doing?”
“Working out.”
Freddie loved to watch her work out—and he loved to have sex with her afterward, when she was still sweaty. But he couldn’t think about that. Not now anyway.
“Freddie? Are you there? What’s wrong?”
“Sam got shot. She’s okay, but they’re taking her to GW.”
“Oh jeez. This is turning out to be quite a week.”
“That’s not all. Gonzo is out of the wedding party.”
“What? Why?”
“He’s going to rehab.”
“For what?”
“Apparently, he’s been numbing the loss of Arnold with painkillers.”
“Oh God, Freddie.”
“I know this is far bigger than the wedding, but we’re left with an opening. Sam suggested I ask Will.”
“He would do it.”
“I know he would, but I actually have someone else in mind.”
“Who?”
“Nick.”
“As in Nick, the vice president?”
“As in Nick, who was my friend long before he was the vice president.”
“Still. You think he’d do it?”
“Yeah, I think he would.”
“So, you’re going to ask him?”
“If I get the chance. He’s got a lot going on right now.”
“You want me to come to the hospital? I will if you want me to.”
“Nah, no need. I won’t be there long with the case heating up.”
“Okay, let me know how she is.”
“I will, and babe, you were right. I should’ve taken this week off.”
“Oh, Freddie. Don’t you know by now that I’m always right?”
“Jeez, I walked right into that, didn’t I?”
Her laughter made him smile. “How’s the hand?”
“Still really sore, but not as bad as it was yesterday.”
“Glad to hear it’s better. I’ll let you know what time I’ll be home.”
“I’ll be waiting for you while I wrestle with the seating chart.”
“That sounds like fun.”
“Not so much but our wedding will be. That’s for sure.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Neither can I. Love you, Freddie.”
“Love you too.” As he ended the call with her, he took one from Captain Malone. “Hey, Cap.”
“What the hell happened?”
Freddie told him what’d gone down in Jenkins’s apartment building.
“Ugh, she could’ve been killed.”
Freddie tightened his grip on the wheel of Sam’s car while trying not to think about what could’ve happened. “She got him to roll on another of Klein’s associates. As soon as I confirm she’s okay, I’m going back out to track down Klein.”
“Green and McBride are on their way to GW to check on the lieutenant and meet up with you. The three of you stay together. Crime scene got DNA off dishes in the sink that differs from what was taken from the victims and their children. That might help us put this one away.”
“I sure hope so.” Freddie agreed with Sam—whatever it took to not have to use Alden as a witness.
“Keep me posted on the lieutenant and what you guys are doing.”
“I will.”
At the GW E.R., the same nurse who’d been on duty the day before waved at him to follow her to the cubicle where Sam was being treated.
“Fucking hell,” Sam said, “that burns like a motherfucker.”
Yep, he thought. She’s fine—and thank God for that. Freddie stepped into the crowded room where Anderson and a nurse were tending to the wound on Sam’s left arm.
Sam’s gaze locked on him. “Get out of here and go find Klein! Right now!”
“That’s the plan as soon as I confirmed you’re okay.”
“I’m fine. Go. I’ll meet you in thirty minutes. Let me know where you are.”
“You need stitches, Lieutenant,” Anderson said in a long-suffering tone. “That’s going to take more than thirty minutes.”
“No stitches,” Sam said. “Butterfly it. I got shit to do, and I’m in his wedding this weekend. I don’t need a big ugly wound on my arm.”
“I’m glad to see that as always your priorities are straight, Lieutenant,” Anderson said dryly.
“I’m getting sick of people discussing my priorities today,” Sam said.
“I, uh, I called Nick,” Freddie said, wincing. “He’s on his way.”
Sam groaned and tipped her head back on the pillow.
“I figured you’d rather he hear it from me than on the news.”
“Yeah, I guess. Thanks for calling him and making sure I’ll get a full lecture before I can go back to work.”
“Sorry.”
“Go. Get me Klein, and all is forgiven.”
“I’m on it.” Freddie turned to leave the room, and as he was exiting the emergency department, Nick’s motorcade pulled up. Freddie waited to have a word with the vice president.
Nick got out before his agent Brant, who gave him a foul look behind his back. “How is she?”
“Totally fine, pissed off and barking out orders to the doctor.”
Nick smiled as he sagged with relief. “Sounds like business as usual.”
“Yep. She ordered me back on the case.”
“Thanks for the call, Freddie. I appreciate it even if she doesn’t.”
“Gee, how’d you guess?”
Nick laughed. “I know my wife.”
“She pushed me out of the way,” Freddie said.
“What do you mean?”
“The bullet would’ve hit me, but she pushed me so it hit her instead of me. She said she couldn’t let me get shot the week of my wedding.”
Nick stared at him, incredulous. “So, she got shot.”
“Thankfully, it only grazed her arm.”
“Thankfully indeed.”
“I know you want to get in and see her, but could I ask you something real quick?”
“Sure.”
“I find myself in need of a last-minute groomsman, and since you probably own your own tux, I thought I might ask if you’d mind...”
Nick’s smile stretched across his face. “I’d be honored, Freddie. Truly.”
“Really? Thanks so much. I really appreciate this and the use of the Naval Observatory, which is just the coolest thing ever.”
“Happy to do it. You know that Sam and I consider you one of our closest friends.”
“The sentiment is entirely mutual,” Freddie said, feeling strangely emotional as he extended his hand to Nick, who shook it. “Thanks again.”
“See you Saturday, if not before.”
* * *
NICK WALKED INTO the emergency waiting room, and every head in the place swiveled to get a better look at him. By now, one would think he’d be used to feeling like a goldfish inside a bowl everywhere he went. One would be wrong.
“Mr. Vice President,” the nurse at the triage desk said breathlessly. “Right this way, sir.”
Nick followed her, stopping three doors from Sam’s cubicle to listen to her bitching at the doctor to “hurry the fuck up” because she had a murderer to catch and shit to do. Nick smiled, shook his head and proceeded to her room.
She was so engrossed in her raging that she didn’t notice him at first, which gave him the opportunity to just look—and looking at her was one of his favorite things to do. Perhaps his most favorite thing to do, even when she was in a rage.
“Samantha.”
The single word from him silenced her.
“Are you giving these nice people a hard time?” he asked, moving to the side of her bed that was free of medical personnel.
“Would she give us a hard time?” Dr. Anderson asked with a grin for Nick.
“Not our Sam,” Nick said. “She’s the picture of decorum at all times.”
Anderson cleared his throat and coughed from the effort not to laugh.
“I’m in the room, you know,” Sam said.
“Babe, there’s never a time when people don’t know you’re in the room.” Taking hold of her hand, he leaned over to kiss her forehead and get a better look at the wound that Anderson was currently cleaning. Located on her triceps, it measured about two inches in length and maybe another inch deep. The tank top she’d worn under her sweater was covered in blood that made him feel queasy.
“Just a scratch,” Sam said, looking up at him with eyes that looked bigger than usual due to shock.
Nick sat gently on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle her. “Heard you pushed Freddie out of the way and took one for the team.”
“He’s getting married in two days. My goal is to keep him alive until then, but if he keeps ratting me out, I might have to strangle him.”
“My goal is to keep you alive until you’re ninety. Your goals and mine don’t seem to be lining up.”
She gave him a murderous look that would’ve cowed a lesser man. Thankfully, he wasn’t a lesser man, and her murderous looks only made him love her more than he already did. However, in deference to her badassery, he dropped the subject until Anderson finished stitching her up and left the room to complete her discharge paperwork.
“I know what you’re going to say, and before you lecture me on taking unreasonable chances, I’d do it again if I had it to do over. He’s getting married. In two days. He and Elin have already had enough nonsense this week. They don’t need more.”
Nick brought her hand to his lips. “You forgot the part where you love him like a little brother, and you’d rather die yourself than have anything ever happen to him.”
“That too,” she said in a more conciliatory tone.
“I get it. I don’t like it, but I do get it.”
“Go ahead and get the lecture out of the way so we can move on.” She rolled her hand in encouragement.
“No lecture. I’ll just say I’m glad you’re okay and that he is too. And I’ll add that he asked me to take Gonzo’s place in the wedding party, which I assume is okay with you.”
“He did? That’s awesome.”
“I think so too.”
“See, our goals aren’t out of alignment, and you shouldn’t say that stuff in public unless you want to read about our marital problems in the paper.”
He quirked an eyebrow, endlessly amused by her. “Do we have marital problems?”
“We will if you’re going to make me go home after getting scratched by a bullet. We’re this close to getting our guys. I’m feeling the nuts-on-the-block buzz that comes from closing in. No way am I going to miss that.”
Nick winced. He went out of his way to make sure his nuts were never anywhere near her so-called block. “I wouldn’t want you to miss it. I’ll only ask if you’re sure you’re up to it. Looks like you lost a lot of blood.”
“I’m fine. I swear.”
“Then I guess I’ll have to let you go do what you do.”
“How’re the kids?”
“They’re quiet. Elijah and Shelby are with them.”
“We may be able to get this done without involving Alden.”
“That’d be good.”
Sam leaned around him. “Where’s Anderson? I want out of here. Can you give me a lift to HQ on the way home?”
“Yeah. I can do that.”
“Are you going into the office today?”
He shook his head. “I did a bunch of meetings from home this morning. I wanted to be around if anything came up with the kids.”
“That’s good of you. Thank you.”
“It’s no problem. I’ve forgotten how nice it is to work from home. I used to do it once in a while when I needed to write for John. Seems like a lifetime ago.”
Dr. Anderson returned with Sam’s discharge paperwork. “I had this made for you,” he said, handing her a card that had a hole punched in it.
Nick busted up laughing when he saw what it said. GW E.R. Frequent Flier.
“Hardy har har,” Sam said. “Have your laughs, Doc. I help keep you in business.”
“That you do, my friend. That you do.”
Nick escorted Sam through the waiting room, where he again felt everyone looking at them. Outside, his motorcade waited. He ushered Sam in ahead of him and told Brant they were dropping her at HQ on the way home.
“Yes, sir,” his faithful shadow said.
He liked Brant as much as it was possible to like the man charged with overseeing his every move.
Nick raised his arm, and Sam snuggled into his embrace, whimpering when her injured arm made contact with his side. “How close are you really to getting these guys?”
“Close. We’ve had some significant breakthroughs today. I’m hoping for a win before the end of the day.” As always, their “wins” came with the hollow realization that, while they might’ve gotten justice for the survivors, their loved ones were still gone forever, and their lives permanently altered. She updated him about the latest with Piedmont.
“It’s hard to believe he wasn’t involved.”
“I agree, but Hill and his people really believe he wasn’t.”
“It would be nice to get this sewed up before the wedding.”
“That’s the goal,” she said.
“You really pushed Freddie out of the way?”
“I really did, and I’d do it again.”
“That’s going to be a problem going forward, Sam.”
“How do you figure?”
“You’ve lost all perspective where he’s concerned. You forget that he’s a decorated police officer in his own right, trained to be the best by the best. He wouldn’t want you to sacrifice yourself for him.”
“This week, I think he can live with it. But I do hear what you’re saying, and I’ll add it to the many things I’ll think about during the unpaid week off the chief is making me take to reexamine my priorities.”
“For real?”
“Yep. He’s pissed that I took in the Beauclair kids while investigating their parents’ murder. And he’s right. It’s a total conflict of interest, but something I’d do again if I had it to do over. I saw kids in need, and I stepped up. I refuse to apologize for that.”
“While I’m totally on your side in this, I do see his point.”
“So do I, but I can’t be anyone other than who I am. I wouldn’t know how to be anyone else.”
“Luckily for both of us, I love you exactly the way you are, and I’m thrilled that you’ll have a week off to reexamine your priorities. I look forward to helping you with that while we’re away.”
“The trip depends on closing the case.”
“My money is on you, babe. You’ll get it done so you can spend a whole week getting me done.”
“You’re a mighty appealing incentive package,” she said, cupping his package with her right hand as she kissed his neck.
All too soon, the motorcade pulled into the HQ parking lot. “Back to reality.” She gave him a lingering kiss. “Thanks for coming to the hospital.”
“I’d say it was a pleasure, but you know how I hate when you find yourself on the business end of a gun.”
“Everything’s okay,” she said, kissing him again. “Keep me posted on how things are going at home.”
“I will. Hurry up and nail these guys so we can enjoy the weekend and your unexpected week off.”
“I’m on it. Love you.”
“Love you too.”