“We’re here!” Luke yelled from the front seat.

Reagan continued to talk quietly into Carter’s ear praying he’d hear her. He’d lost consciousness one minute before they arrived, his breathing was so shallow that Ava had started breathing for him. Even though the bleeding had slowed, he’d lost so much blood over the past twenty-plus minutes that his body couldn’t handle it and was shutting down.

The tailgate was flung open and people were there. Before Reagan was ready, she was kissing her husband of fifteen minutes goodbye as they whisked him through the ER door and took off at a run toward surgery.

“We have limited blood supply on reserve here,” a nurse said to them. “If any of you want to be donors, follow me to be tested and to donate.”

Kenna and her mother took Reagan’s hands in theirs as they all followed the nurse. Porter and Parker quietly brought up the rear as Luke reassured Will and her father they had done all they could, and Carter was in good hands at this small hospital between Knoxville and Chattanooga.

“Are you the wife?” the nurse asked Reagan as she led her back to get her blood drawn.

“Yes,” Reagan said as her voice cracked.

“It’s okay, honey,” the nurse said soothingly as she set her down in the chair and tied the rubber tourniquet around her arm. “Your husband will be just fine. We’ve treated plenty of gunshots here. Hunters, ya know?”

Reagan nodded as the needle slipped into her vein. The nurse continued to talk, but Reagan didn’t hear her. Would she be a widow on the same day she became a wife? Tears began to push against her eyes, but she blinked them back. She’d cried enough. She was determined to be strong for Carter and the last thing he would want was her crying over him.

“All done, hon,” the nurse told her as she taped down a folded piece of gauze to the needle site. “Send the next one in. We’ll take everyone’s blood and have it typed and tested. Whatever we don’t use on your husband, we’ll save for the next patient in need.”

“Of course,” Reagan whispered. Talking seemed to take too much energy. But then her father was there with his arm around her as Will entered the room to donate his blood.

“Come on, Reagan. Come sit with me. Let me tell you about this one time I was shot,” Cy said, trying to reassure her.

Reagan took a seat in one of the uncomfortable chairs lined up outside the lab as her father slipped his arm across her shoulders and pulled her against him. “It was a long time ago in Russia,” her father started to tell her. Reagan may have heard it, but what she mostly heard was the steady beating of his heart as she rested her head on his shoulder. She felt the vibration of his voice and closed her eyes. She prayed. She begged. She pleaded with anyone and everyone to let Carter live.

“You poor thing, bless your heart,” Aniyah called out from the end of the hall as she ran surprisingly fast on her hot pink heels toward them. Reagan opened her eyes and sat up. Riley and her husband, Matt, were close behind, followed by DeAndre, Piper, and the Rose sisters.

“How is he?” Riley asked, taking the seat next to her sister as Will came out of the lab and Kenna went in. Reagan couldn’t talk. Instead the tears that had threatened to burst forward began to flow as she shook her head. “Oh, Rea.”

“He lost consciousness right when we got here,” their father told the newly arrived group. “They rushed him into surgery, and we’re all donating blood. He’ll need transfusions.”

The Rose sisters surrounded Kenna who sat stone-faced and pale. Did Reagan look like that? Probably worse after the crash and running through the woods for the past twenty-four hours.

“Reagan,” Ava said gently, drawing her attention away from Carter’s mother. Ava stood in front of her with blood still on her clothes—blood that belonged to her husband. “This is Dr. Monroe.”

Reagan looked up at the doctor, who seemed to be in his early sixties. His hair was still brown but had gray at his temples. He had round wire-rimmed glassed and wore scrubs. Fear strangled her voice as she responded, “Yes?”

He knelt down in front of her and clasped her hands in his. “I’m here to look you over, Mrs. Ashton. I heard you were in plane wreck and were hunted through the woods. It appears you have a facial laceration too.”

Reagan sniffed as her throat became restricted. “You’re the first person to call me Mrs. Ashton.”

“And I won’t be the last. Why don’t we go to X-ray? And while you’re there, I’ll peek in the operating room.”

Reagan nodded, and he held out his hand to her. She placed it in his, and he helped her from the chair. Her father made a move to stand but Reagan shook her head. “You all need to donate blood. I’m all right with Dr. Monroe.” As she left, the nurse came out and her father went into the lab to donate blood.

When standing, the doctor was the same height as she was. He had a gentle yet commanding presence about him that soothed Reagan. He talked calmly to her as they walked down the halls of the hospital and into the X-ray room. He pushed open the door and both she and Dr. Monroe froze at the sight of Ahmed arguing with the technician.

“I’m sorry, but I am not a veterinarian. I don’t know how to X-ray a dog.”

“I have a vet on the phone who will talk you through it. Katelyn, can you explain what to do?” Ahmed asked as Reagan saw her aunt’s face on Ahmed’s phone.

“I’m sorry, sir, but this will have to wait. Mrs. Ashton needs some X-rays and then we will see what we can do for this beautiful Vizsla. Great hunting dogs.”

“Call me when you’re ready, and I’ll walk you through it,” Katelyn said through video chat, and then she paused. “Wait, Ahmed, who just came in?”

“Reagan did,” Ahmed said, carrying Robyn to a small sitting room where the tech would press the button for the X-ray machine.

“The doctor said Mrs. Ashton.”

Reagan was going to cry again. “Kenna married them on the way to the hospital.”

“Carter and Reagan are in the hospital? She needs X-rays? Ahmed! You left out some very important details.”

“I’ll fill you in while we wait,” Ahmed said before turning to Reagan. “How is he?”

“I’ll get an update now that I’ve delivered you to Debbie for your X-rays,” Dr. Monroe told her. He gave his orders to the technicians before promising to return as soon as he had news.

“Right this way, sweetie,” Debbie said, understanding Reagan was on the verge of an emotional collapse. Everyone she’d passed in the hospital had given her a kind and understanding smile.

Reagan didn’t say a word as Debbie arranged the X-ray. While she was silent and unmoving, her mind was not. It raced as it jumped from scenario to scenario until she was sure she wasn’t going to be able to take another breath.

“All done. Come have a sit while we wait for Dr. Monroe.” Debbie gently led her to a seat close to Ahmed. Robyn limped over and nuzzled her head against Reagan’s leg. It was then Reagan noticed the bruising on the dog’s side and how she limped on her front leg. She lost her battle with tears and sank to the floor, gathering the dog into her arms. Reagan pressed her face against Robyn’s neck and wept great, big body-convulsing sobs. Robyn turned her head and licked her cheek.

“You saved us. You’re such a brave little dog,” Reagan sniffled.

A gentle hand touched her shoulder, and then she heard Dr. Monroe. “Mrs. Ashton, your husband is alive. He’s still in surgery. There was a nick to his femoral artery, and he has a pelvic bone fracture. They’ve stopped the bleeding and are stabilizing his pelvic bone. They said the fracture wasn’t that bad. The bullet was a smaller caliber. He’s needed a lot of blood, though, so some of the donations are being used. The surgeon will speak to you when he’s done.”

“Oh, thank you!” Reagan leapt up, startling Dr. Monroe as she wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him in relief. Her body couldn’t decide if it wanted to fall to the ground with exhaustion or celebrate with relief.

“That’s wonderful news, Reagan,” Ahmed said, hugging her with Katelyn still on the video call. “But, can we X-ray my Spawn now?”

“Your dog’s name is Spawn?” Debbie asked with horror.

“Her name is Robyn, but Ahmed lovingly calls her Satan’s Spawn. She’s a hero today. She took down one of the bad guys. Have they found out who shot Carter?” Reagan asked.

“Not yet. I’m sure we’ll have a report soon, though. Ryan and Nash stayed behind to coordinate everything. I’m sure they’re running his prints before handing him off to the other feds when they get there. Now, where do you want me to put my Spawn?” Ahmed asked Debbie.

“I guess, here,” she said, pointing to the X-ray machine. Katelyn instructed her on how to position the leg.

“Wait,” Katelyn said when Spawn was lying on her side. “Did she get kicked or something? Is that bruising on her side?”

“She was slammed against a tree,” Ahmed said, the anger so fierce in his voice Debbie took a step back.

“Debbie,” Katelyn said kindly as she ignored Ahmed’s deadly tone. “Place the lead blanket over her stomach and then call for an ultrasound.”

Reagan stroked the dog’s silky head, keeping her calm as the X-ray was snapped and Ahmed lifted Robyn into his arms as they waited for Katelyn to look at the X-ray with Dr. Monroe.

Dr. Monroe came out of the development room with a smile and Ahmed’s phone. “Good news all around. Mrs. Ashton, your face is bruised, but there is no fracture to your cheekbone, which is very fortunate. Otherwise we’d be sending you to Nashville or Atlanta for surgery. It’s going to be very sore for a while, though. Mr. Ahmed, Robyn’s front leg is not broken. It is dislocated and Dr. Davies can instruct me on how to set it. Debbie, while I do that, will you wheel the ultrasound machine in. We need to make sure there’s no free fluid in the abdomen and also check her spleen.”

Dr. Monroe handed the phone to Reagan as Katelyn talked him through how to reset the shoulder. Reagan would have laughed at Ahmed’s pale face, but he’d been so kind to her that she decided to wait until they were all hanging out in Keeneston with everyone safe, sound, and recovered before teasing him about his Spawn.

“Very good, Dr. Monroe,” Katelyn praised as she watched Ahmed walk Robyn around.

The little dog appeared stiff, but she was no longer limping. “This is the first time I’ve healed a dog,” Dr. Monroe said with glee. Or it could be relief from not having Ahmed kill him for hurting Robyn when he had to pop the shoulder back in place.

“For the ultrasound, this is what I need you to do,” Katelyn began as Debbie brought the device over to where they all sat. Dr. Monroe had Ahmed sit on the floor with Robyn’s head in his lap while Katelyn told him what to do.

“Do you mind?” Dr. Monroe asked as he handed the phone back to Reagan who brought the camera to the ultrasound screen for Katelyn to watch. Dr. Monroe began to slowly press the head of the ultrasound machine into Robyn’s abdomen and move it about.

“Oh dear,” Dr. Monroe said as a sack like object filled with fluid appeared on the screen. “Will I need to perform surgery?”

“Not yet,” Katelyn said with a grin. Ahmed on the other hand looked like he was going to pass out. “Keep going.”

Four more sack-like objects were seen as he moved around the abdomen before stopping. “What is it, Dr. Davies?” Dr. Monroe asked.

“Well, the good news is there’s no internal fluid buildup and her organs look great.”

“What about those cyst-like things?” Ahmed asked. Reagan noted he was now sweating.

“Those are Satan’s Grandspawns,” Katelyn laughed. Ahmed didn’t seem amused as everyone looked at the phone with confusion. “Robyn is pregnant. Six puppies by my count, and all looking healthy.”

This time Reagan was sure Ahmed was going to pass out. Then his face flushed with anger. “Who touched my Spawn?” he demanded. “I’ll neuter that dog the second I find him.”

“Ahmed, it was planned. After Robyn got those tracking titles and made the news on her search-and-rescue ability, Bridget and Sydney decided to breed her. Sydney’s donating a puppy to the Keeneston sheriff’s department and they’ve already received a list a mile long of people who want a puppy. Robyn was bred to the top Vizsla in the country. He had both his show and his master hunter title. Everyone from the show world, hunting world, search-and-rescue, to the military wants one of those puppies. I’m surprised Bridget or Sydney didn’t tell you. We didn’t know if she was pregnant yet, though. We were going to ultrasound her next week. She’s twenty-three days along by my count.”

“Excellent!” Dr. Monroe grinned.

Ahmed did not grin. Instead he hurriedly picked Robyn up in his arms and stood up. “She needs food. And more water. And a soft bed. Thanks, doc,” he said to Dr. Monroe before grabbing the phone and ordering Katelyn to send him everything he needed to take care of a pregnant dog.

“That’s a man who loves his dog,” Debbie said with astonishment as Ahmed kicked the door open and rushed down the hall with Robyn in his arms. Reagan didn’t have the heart to tell them Ahmed wasn’t the owner. After the past twenty-four hours, she was sure he had moved up from “last man on earth to watch Robyn” to “Godfather” status.

“Well, the wife will certainly never believe me when I tell her about my day. I can take you to the surgical waiting room if you’d like,” Dr. Monroe said as he opened the door for Reagan.

“Thank you for all you’ve done for me today,” Reagan said sincerely.

“You’re welcome. The nurses have filled me in on what’s going on. You and your husband are very brave. I’ll bring you an ice pack for your face as well as medicine to help with the pain. I think you should also know that the media knows you’re here and the FBI has already called, wanting updates. We did not give out any information to either of them. I want you both fully recovered before the wolves descend.”

Reagan stopped walking and hugged Dr. Monroe tight. “Thank you.”

Dr. Monroe shoved his glasses up his nose and appeared to puff up. “Well, you’re quite welcome. Surgery waiting room is right here. I’ll be back in a jiffy with your ice pack and meds.”

Reagan took a deep breath. Everything will be okay. Everything will be okay. She repeated it five more times in her head before pushing open the door to the full waiting room. She was greeted with silence and then everyone from Keeneston rushed forward.