“Rosie?” Blaine puffed as he faltered to a stop beside her.

She was touching her stomach, murmuring about being wet.

“It’s okay. Don’t move.” His heart jackknifed as he shone his flashlight over her abdomen and spotted the growing red circle.

No!

Panic tried to crawl up his throat and debilitate him.

But he couldn’t let it.

He shrugged out of his jacket and pressed the fabric against the growing red circle. He gave Rosie a shaky smile. “You’re gonna be fine,” he whispered fiercely, his eyes ablaze, his jaw set so tight it hurt. “You are going to be fine.”

She whimpered at the pressure added to her wound but didn’t fight him off.

By the look of fear in her eyes, she’d no doubt worked out that she’d been shot.

Brushing the hair off her forehead, he tried to reassure her. “It’s okay. It’s going to be okay.”

“Dispatch, we need an ambulance at the outdoor rink on Banner, ASAP.” Kellan was already talking into his radio as he ran across to them. “Victim has been shot.”

Dispatch replied while Kellan crouched down beside Blaine and assessed Rosie.

“I’ll stay with her. You go back up Nate.”

“No, I…”

Blaine had never refused his boss before, and Kellan gave him an odd look before repeating, “Go back up Nate. You’re faster than I am. I’ll stay with her. Don’t worry.”

Blaine grimaced, shooting Rosie a pained look before jumping to his feet.

She gave him a weak smile but it did nothing to hide her pain.

Anger shot through him, the adrenaline sending him in pursuit of Nate and Matt. Pulling out his gun, he careened around the squad car in the direction Matt had fled.

He couldn’t believe the guy had been the secret mole this whole time. Like an insidious virus infiltrating their peaceful town, spreading those blue pills around and infecting everything Blaine held dear.

He paused between two buildings to listen for noise and to track where his brother had gone.

“Billings, freeze!” Nate shouted again.

There was more gunfire, and Blaine charged after the noise.

As he drew near, he pressed his back against the wall and prepared for battle. Taking deep breaths to slow his heart rate, he followed procedure and carefully approached the scene.

He spotted Nate first, tucked around the edge of the building. He was reloading his gun when he glanced up and saw Blaine. With a little sign language, he told Blaine where Matt was taking cover and then instructed him to head down the alley to their right so they could box him in. Nate would distract him while Blaine crept up from behind.

“I’d rather take him alive if we can,” Nate whispered.

Blaine only just caught the words and nodded as he snuck down the side alley and worked his way around to Matt. Nate kept shouting and drawing Matt’s attention to him, the perfect distraction while Blaine snuck up from behind.

It wasn’t until he was a few feet away that he spotted the rookie. Matt was crouched behind a row of trash cans, breathing hard as he gripped his weapon. Blaine could feel the guy’s panic. He was twitchy and tense, like a ticking bomb ready to blow.

Shooting Rosie had been a knee-jerk reaction…and a huge mistake.

Blaine fought to keep his anger in check as he calmly approached the suspect and surprised him from behind.

“Matthew Billings, you’re under arrest.”

The rookie flinched and went to spin.

“Lower your weapon or I’ll shoot.”

Blaine stood over him with the perfect shot. He wouldn’t miss. Matt would be dead before his head hit the concrete.

And Matt knew it.

His hand trembled as he wrestled with the fact that he’d lost.

“Lower your weapon and put your hands behind your head. I’m not gonna ask again.”

Nate’s slow footsteps made Blaine glance up. His brother approached from the other side, his weapon drawn and ready to fire. “Give it up, Billings. Don’t make it worse.”

Matt sucked in a ragged breath, his shoulders slumping as he lowered his weapon and followed Blaine’s instructions.

He knew the drill, laying down on his front with his hands behind his head. Blaine cuffed his wrists while reading him his rights.

Nate called it in and they marched back to the squad car.

When they arrived, the area was lit with flashing lights. Two officers were chatting with Kellan while an ambulance pulled away.

Blaine jerked, scanning the area for Rosie, desperate for an update.

Kellan glanced up as they walked Matt forward. He didn’t say anything, just tipped his head at the squad car and indicated that they take Matt to the station.

“Wonder if your Rosie made it,” Matt muttered.

It took everything in Blaine not to punch him. Shoving him roughly into the back of the car, he leaned down and seethed, “You better pray she does. Your life is already over, but if anything happens to her, I’m gonna make it a hell of a lot worse. You hear me?”

Matt swallowed but put on a tough facade. “I’ve got friends in higher places than you, man.”

“Oh yeah? Then why do you look so worried?”

Blaine didn’t wait for an answer. He slammed the door and spun to find Kellan.

His boss finished up with the two officers, directing them to follow Nate and the suspect to the station.

Blaine tensed, ready to argue if Kellan directed him there too.

But the police chief held up his hands before Blaine could say anything. “She’s on her way to the hospital.” A muscle in his jaw twitched. “I can’t tell you if she’s going to make it. They’ll be rushing her into surgery.”

Blaine closed his eyes, nausea sweeping through him as he bent over.

Kellan patted his shoulder. “You can go wait at the hospital if you need to. I’ll deal with this mess. We’ll get your report and official statement tomorrow.”

Blaine nodded, standing tall on legs that felt like the skinny twigs he used to run on in high school. He stumbled forward and Kellan grabbed his arm to steady him.

“Come on, I’ll drop you at the hospital first.” Steering him to the van, Kellan took charge in that silent, calm way of his.

They didn’t talk much on the way to the hospital.

Kellan murmured a few things about the case, saying how he’d check in with Brookvale PD and make sure Detective Monroe was arrested immediately. Hopefully Matt would give up the connection between them.

“Nate will get it out of him,” Blaine murmured.

Kellan snickered. “Oh yeah, he will.”

They pulled up to the emergency room and Blaine jumped out.

“Keep me posted,” Kellan called after him.

Blaine didn’t answer, just ran to the entrance, nearly taking out a mother with a wailing baby.

“Sorry, sorry.” He caught himself against her and steered her to a seat before running up to the counter. “I need an update on a patient who was just brought in.”

His voice shook and he breathed in, willing his heart to slow the hell down.

“Officer Hartford,” the receptionist greeted him. “If you’re talking about the woman who was brought in about ten minutes ago, they’re prepping her for immediate surgery. I can’t tell you any more than that because I don’t know.”

Blaine closed his eyes, gripping the counter to keep himself steady.

“Take a seat. I’ll keep you posted.”

Twenty torturous minutes later, Sally appeared from out back. She gave Blaine a kind but sad smile as she quietly approached him.

Her waves of golden hair were tied back in a messy ponytail. She looked tired, but still managed to radiate a sweetness that was all hers. Blaine had never met such a big heart or kind soul.

“Nate texted me and told me you might be here.” She squeezed his arm as she sat down beside him. “How you holding up?”

“Tell me something good, Sal. Please.”

She glanced down the hallway and then brought her head in close to Blaine’s. “She’s lost a lot of blood, and the bullet nicked her bowel. She’s in surgery now and… Look, I don’t want to promise you anything. We’re just going to have to wait and see.”

Blaine let out a strangled groan and held his head.

“She’s with the best surgeon we have. As long as everything goes smoothly in the operating room…” Sally’s smile turned hopeful.

Blaine sniffed and nodded, his throat too swollen to say anything.

Sally leaned her arm against his. “Rosie Sweet. I remember her.”

“Yeah. She was…” Blaine couldn’t finish.

“She was always stronger than she looked.” Sally smiled when he turned to look at her.

Her bright green eyes shone with kindness and before he could stop himself, he pulled her into a grateful hug. “So glad you’re my sister.”

She laughed softly in his ear. “Yeah, well, maybe one day…if Nate can ever stop working long enough to marry me.”

“He loves you. He says you’re perfect.”

She squeezed his shoulders before pulling out of the hug. A look of torment flashed across her face, her eyes glistening before she blinked the tears away. She opened her mouth to say something, but then changed her mind.

With a little swallow, she shook her head. “I need to get back to work, but do you want me to call someone. Your dad?”

“No, I’m cool.”

“It’s going to be a long haul, Blaine. Minutes feel like hours in this room.”

Blaine sighed and scrubbed a hand down his face. “I might give Lucas a call.”

“Okay.” She rubbed his shoulder and stood. “I’ll be back to check on you again soon.”

Blaine watched her walk away, her sneakers squeaking on the shiny floor. Slumping back against the hard plastic chair, he stared up at the ceiling and whispered under his breath, “Please make it, sweet Rose. Please be strong.”