Chapter Two

“Mommy, it hurts,” Lily cried, clutching her stomach.

Deep tendrils of worry curled around Laney’s heart, but she wouldn’t let her daughter know she was concerned. She rocked her back and forth, trying to comfort her. The harsh light in the hospital emergency room cast dark shadows on Lily’s sweet face, making her hollowed-out cheekbones look even starker. Her tiny mouth, usually turned up in a smile, was pulled back in a grimace that had been there for hours.

Please, God, help my baby. Please, don’t let anything happen to her.

An emergency had called the doctor away right after they were wheeled into a curtained area in the room. A full hour had passed since then. Dreadful sounding beeps and alarms continued to blast all around them. The off-white curtains hid the source of the noise, which only made everything seem even worse.

If it hadn’t been for Riser’s intervention, ordering the doctors around like they were his toys, Laney would still be sitting out in the waiting room. She had already been there for hours and hours by then, holding the lined trash can a nurse had given her for her daughter to throw up in while they waited.

But whatever magic Riser had managed to create an hour ago had disappeared with the man himself. Whoever was stitching him up needed to hurry the hell up, so he could get back in here and make things happen before it was too late.

Lily bent forward, convulsing in her arms, and Laney snatched the trash can up off the floor by the bed and held it up, even though there was nothing left for her daughter to throw up. Lily dry-heaved, her fever so high it burned Laney’s palms when she touched her forehead, her cheeks. “Hold on, sweetie, the doctor will be back in just a minute. “

She knew Lily couldn’t respond; she was too busy heaving, every little sound tearing at Laney’s heart. Dammit, what the hell was taking so long?

She kept scanning the curtains for shadows hinting at the approach of a nurse or doctor. If someone didn’t come in here soon, she was going to have to step out from around that curtain and drag them in. Sheer desperation would force her to act.

She knew the laws by heart. Had learned them the hard way. The hospital couldn’t deny Lily healthcare just because she didn’t have insurance, though it seemed they were intent on doing just that. Not on her watch. If worse came to worse, she’d steal a scalpel and hold it to the doctor’s back.

If something happened to Lily, Laney would have no reason to go on living. None.

She was getting treatment for her baby.

“Mommy’s going to be right back, sweetheart. I’m going to get the nurse, okay?” Laney eased off the bed, and her daughter immediately curled into a tiny ball, shivering and shaking.

Clenching her jaw, Laney forced herself to turn away, even when every single cell in her body was screaming at her to stay. She wouldn’t be any help cowering in here. Taking a deep breath, she ripped the curtain back hard enough that the metal rungs on the pole holding it up shrieked.

The first person she saw was Riser. He was slowly limping down the hallway, checking every curtained-off quadrant as he passed it.

A surge of hope had Laney running for him. She hadn’t touched a man in months, but she didn’t care. She latched on to Riser, her nails digging into his forearm. “There was some kind of emergency, and they haven’t come back yet. She’s getting worse. Please help us.”

Riser’s big, calloused hand covered hers, and although Laney expected him to forcibly remove her from his arm, he gave her a reassuring squeeze instead. “Go to your daughter. I’ll be back in just a second.”

“Thank you, I swear I’ll pay you back. I’ll do whatever you want.”

“Not necessary, Laney.” The gentle understanding in Riser’s eyes was nearly her undoing. The already viselike, invisible grip around her throat squeezed tighter, and she had to fight back the tears. This man was a fierce warrior—she’d seen his type often enough in her life to know that—but tonight he was fighting for her. For Lily.

“Hurry, please.” Laney rushed back to Lily without a backward glance, instinctively knowing Riser was a man who would keep his word. Lily lay exactly where she’d left her, shaking in a tight ball. Laney silently prayed as she slipped into the bed again and offered her daughter whatever comfort she could. It felt like hours passed while they lay curled up on that bed, waiting, still waiting, but logic told her it had only been minutes. Riser returned with a different doctor in green scrubs who mumbled out a quick apology, “Sorry, miss, gunshot wound.”

First, he flipped through the papers on his clipboard. “Panels show an elevated white blood cell count….” Then he tipped her daughter back and began gently probing her stomach. As soon as he got to Lily’s right side, she cried out in pain. Riser took a step forward, and Laney buried her face in her daughter’s neck. “It’s okay, sweetheart.”

“Nurse, prep the OR, stat.”

The old nurse who’d basically ignored them before ran to the charge station a few feet away and started barking out commands.

“OR? As in operating room?” All the blood in her legs and arms rushed to her heart with a giant swoosh.

“Yes, she’s got appendicitis. If we don’t get it out now, it might rupture.”

“Rupture, as in burst?” Laney’s education had stopped in high school, and she didn’t know diddly-squat about medical terms, but she knew that sounded serious.

“Yes, and if it bursts, she’ll go into shock and possibly die.” The doctor held his stethoscope to Lily’s chest and listened intently.

Die? Die? How could he say that, so calmly, in front of Lily herself?

They’d have to do it. They’d have to go through with the surgery, of course they would, but she’d never planned on anything like this when she’d run…

Riser put his hand on her shoulder and Laney jerked away. Too much pressure. Too much like Mark.

“I don’t care what you have to do, you save her.” Laney searched the doctor’s expression for an ounce of hope.

He said, without hesitation, “Every surgery has its risks, but this is one I’ve done many times. Your daughter should be fine.”

The nurse rushed in with a gurney. “Ready.”

Laney pushed the sweaty bangs back off her daughter’s forehead. “Sweet pea, the doctor’s going to take really good care of you. We’re going to another room, okay?” Her daughter kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut and nodded. Laney clutched her tiny hand as the nurse transferred Lily to the gurney. “Mommy’s going to be here with you for as long as I can.” Lily clutched her hand, her tiny fingers wrapping around two of Laney’s. Panic squeezed her insides.

“Excuse me.” The nurse snapped up the metal sides on the bed, working quickly—everything was happening so fast now—and got behind the gurney to push it out of the curtained-off area.

Laney ran right alongside them, holding on to her daughter for as long as she could. “I love you, sweetie. It’s going to be okay.”

She only hoped it wasn’t a lie.