Finley Creek General Hospital was as familiar to Ariella as her own home. She’d certainly been a patient enough times over the last two years.

Her charitable organization, the one she had started and would run indefinitely, was located right across the street from the ER. Women for Hope After Violence—W4HAV—had had a rocky beginning, but it was now up and functional, even though it was operating out of a tiny auxiliary office that was on loan to them. Helping people. Doing what it was supposed to do.

Her ultimate goal for W4HAV was that it helped women to not feel the fear and helplessness she or her friends had over the past two years. They couldn’t help everyone, but those who came to them would get the best help she could give them.

Ari spent forty hours each week working there, and another ten or so working for her brother Luc in various ways at the Lucas Tech office directly below her apartment. She suspected the tasks he had her doing were more for a way for him to keep his fingers in her life, but she didn’t mind.

For all of her found siblings, Luc and Simon were the ones she was the closest to.

The best reason she knew her way around FCGH was Lacy and Jillian. They were the two people in the world who just got her the most.

Marc was the quickest route to those two this evening. Ari was more than willing to take it.

He had his driver pull up to the private entrance near the back. Ari knew how it worked, his driver had most likely called ahead and spoken with the head of FCGH’s security department—Vincent—and made arrangements for a secure entry.

His being the governor was something she was starting to forget occasionally. Whenever they had been together he had just been Marc, Rafe and Travis’ brother.

Just a part of Jillian’s extended family. And now Lacy’s. And—in a weird way—Ari’s, too. He would always be a connection because of Rafe, she couldn’t forget that.

They were met just inside the ER by a friendly face. Jillian hugged Simon first, then Ari. The concern was clear in her friend’s gold-brown eyes. “What happened? Lacy’s in with the driver now. She and Virat pulled him.”

“He’s still alive?” Thank God. She’d been so certain Ashton was dead.

Jillian nodded. “It looks good, sweetie. He may have gotten really lucky.”

“He had his window down. Luc had shatterproof, bullet-resistant glass in the limo. But Ashton’s side window was down.”

“How did you end up with Marc?” Jillian kept one hand on Simon’s back as they hurried down the hall to the trauma waiting room. “Marc, Rafe is waiting for you in his office.”

“Thanks. I’ll head there in a bit. Ariella, are you ok now?”

Ari turned toward him. “Yes. Thank you. I was really glad to see you out there.”

“I was happy to help.” He brushed a warm hand down her arm and squeezed her elbow lightly. Ari felt the heat of his touch clear through.

It helped thaw some of the ice of fear.

And then he was gone. Leaving her with Jillian and Simon. “Jillian…I…”

She shivered.

“I’ve called Luc. He’s on his way, with Mick. They’re coming to get Simon. And to find out what happened.” Jillian studied her for a moment. “And while the gorgeous governor’s shirt looks stunning on you, you missed some blood. Simon, I want you to go to the nurse’s station and hang out with Wanda. I’m going to get Ari cleaned up, ok? Have Annie or Izzie get you something to eat, too. They’re waiting for you.”

Ari’s brother nodded. He’d been by the hospital a time or two with her. He knew his way around. And he’d be safe. Everyone knew Rafe ran a tight ship here at FCGH.

She needed a few minutes to get herself together again.

Jillian helped her scrub the blood from her skin, not saying a word. Finally, when Ari was finished and redressed in the governor’s blue silk shirt, Jillian asked a single question. “Are you ok?”

“I will be. Once we find out if Ashton is ok.” Some of the anxiety in her gut started to loosen. Jillian and Lacy had that effect on her.

“What happened?”

“I don’t know. We were driving back from Garrity—I need to tell you what happened in Garrity, don’t I?” Ari pulled in a shaky breath. There would be time for that later. Now that she’d learned that Ashton hadn’t died before making it to the hospital, she was starting to be rational again. Of all of her guards, she considered Ashton a friend in some ways. To see him like that wasn’t something she’d forget. Ever. “The car went off the road. I thought, I thought he’d had a heart attack or something. When the car stopped moving I climbed out. I opened his door from the inside to help him. Then another bullet came. It hit the windshield just behind my shoulder. Ashton pulled me down against his chest, Jillian. That was when his blood got on me. He was bleeding from his neck, yet he was still worried for me. We stayed there, I kept holding my hands over the holes in his neck. Until more cars came. One of them was TSP. Simon had called them. From the backseat.” And then it had been questions after questions. Questions she didn’t have the answers to. “Then Marc. He said he was just driving home and came up on us. I about cried when I saw him.”

“I’m glad he was.” Jillian hugged her again. “I’m glad you’re safe.”

She walked with Jillian through the hospital corridors, trying to keep her thoughts from splintering. Jillian led her straight past the trauma waiting room to the elevator.

She knew where they were going.

Rafe, her brother and the Chief-of-Medicine, had his office on the fifth floor. Jillian had almost free rein of the hospital and everyone knew it. Ari just followed along.

Rafe greeted them at the door. Ari peered around him—Marc occupied the chair next to the desk. Rafe surprised her when he cupped her cheek in his big hand and actually looked at her like he cared. And not just because of Jillian prodding at him to make more of an effort. “You ok, honey?”

She pulled in a deep breath and nodded. “I think so.”

“Elliot called. He’ll be over here shortly. He’s bringing Simon’s father.”

Ari nodded; it made sense. Mick was often more accessible than Paige, who flew all over the country on a regular basis for her job. Mick was a damned good father to Simon, too. He loved him and made certain Simon knew it.

Marc was silent. Ari slipped into the chair next to him. She didn’t want to talk, at the moment; the time was coming when she’d have to again. She just needed a quiet moment or two, to think. To process the fact that someone had shot at her again. This made the third time in two years that had happened. She rubbed the scar on her chest.

One bullet hadn’t missed her, and that was a pain she would never forget.

She wasn’t going to get that moment and would just have to find a way to get through. Once she was home in her apartment, that was when she could fall apart. Try to forget the sight of a man she cared about bleeding beneath her hands.

The shaking she’d been fighting off and on since it happened returned with a vengeance.