Chapter Thirty-Four
Sam stared at Garret in horror. “Oh, God. Seriously?”
“Have you ever sewed anything?” he asked with a small smile.
She bit her bottom lip nervously. “I once made a pillow that was supposed to look like a pencil, but everyone thought it was a school bus.”
He chuckled. “So, not too bad, then.” He positioned the work light directly on the wound, which didn’t help her queasiness, at all. Her hands shook as she held them out to accept a bottle of antiseptic and a large pack of gauze.
“Clean it out. Dry it off.”
She nodded and went to her happy place, which was far, far away from here.
The bloody peroxide made a foamy, sizzling puddle on the floor by her feet, but she kept going. Even when he moaned in pain, she kept going.
He would keep bleeding if she didn’t close the bullet hole. It may not have been a fatal wound, but if she didn’t stitch it up so he could heal, he would most likely end up dead.
She had to do this…to save both their lives.
She patted the wound off with the gauze and it looked only slightly less intimidating. “Tell me what to do next,” she prompted.
He took another swig of juice from the bottle, then pulled out a small curved needle and a pair of pliers. Thankfully, he threaded the needle. His hands were actually steadier than hers. The man must have nerves of steel.
After rinsing off with the peroxide, she took the needle and turned toward his arm. “Are you numb?” She hoped it would make it feel less real. If he couldn’t feel it, maybe she wouldn’t, either.
“Just pull it together and stitch it up.”
“Is there some special stitch?”
“Just do your best.”
He closed his eyes and leaned back against the workbench. His skin was pale and clammy. She needed to hurry.
The next fifteen minutes were the second most horrible in her life. The best she could say was that Garrett wasn’t bleeding anymore. The job she’d done on his arm was awful.
She apologized profusely for her inept medical skills.
“Sam, you did better than could be expected under the circumstances. You shouldn’t have to deal with any of this shit. You are so strong. I can’t believe how brave you are. I don’t know many people who would’ve been able to handle any of this.”
Whatever had been in those shots had turned him into a relaxed teddy bear. Too bad she didn’t have a ready supply of that stuff.
He went back to the Jeep and pulled out the manila envelope and the GPS. As she put away the supplies in the first aid kit, she noticed a bottle of Vicodin. Good to know.
“Since it appears I’m going to live, we need to get moving.” He tugged open the envelope with his teeth and dumped out the contents on the workbench.
Two passports, driver’s licenses, and a few other papers fell out. But what really caught her attention was a small bag that contained two gold circles, glistening in the bright light.
Holy crap. Wedding rings.
He handed the smaller of the two rings to her, then unceremoniously slipped the other one on his left ring finger.
She stared at the ring on her palm, and looked up at him questioningly.
“They’ll be looking for you alone. Not a couple. It’s our cover.”
She picked up the driver’s licenses. One was for a Carter Bingham. It had Garrett’s picture on it. The other was in the name of Jenna Bingham with the same address as Carter’s. The photo was one of her from an old driver’s license, but it had been changed to show her new haircut, and the height had also been changed.
With a frown, she slid the ring on her finger, not surprised when it fit perfectly.
“Get your bag and load it in the other car,” he said as he punched a new destination into the GPS. “Are you still all right to drive?”
“Yes.” She nodded, but she wasn’t really sure. Not at all.
He went to the trunk of the car and opened it with the key fob. Inside was a small carry-on bag containing men’s clothes. She helped him out of his bloody shirt and into a black button-down shirt, taking a moment to appreciate his muscles. Her hand drifted and moved across his skin as if it had a mind of its own.
Was it only a few hours ago they’d had sex? It felt like years.
Probably because he’d become a completely different person. She understood this hardcore marshal was here to keep her alive, but at the moment, she could use a hug from the other guy he’d been earlier. No such luck.
As if reading her mind, he grasped her wrist and shook his head. “I didn’t say it before, but we both know the countertop thing was a bad idea. Proven by the fact that you completely disregarded my instructions because of your emotions. That won’t happen again. I’m being paid to keep you safe. Nothing more. Got it?”
Hard not to.
Without answering, she walked off and put her backpack in the trunk next to his bag.
“Hold on,” she said before he could shut the trunk. She went to the Jeep and got the chain from the back.
His brow raised. “Seriously?”
She wasn’t about to argue. Where she went, so did the chain. “My good-luck charm.”
He rolled his eyes and hit the button to open the garage door. “Ready now?”
“Yes.”
“Follow the directions. I’m going to get some rest. Wake me if anything happens.” He slouched down in the seat and used a sweatshirt as a pillow.
“Okay.” She wasn’t sure if it was safe for him to sleep yet, but she decided she wasn’t going to be able to stop him.
She focused on the road and the radio. The time on the clock showed after eleven and she was exhausted, but she kept going. According to the GPS they would be arriving at twelve eighteen. That seemed so far away.
Garrett slept the whole time. Occasionally, she would reach over and check his pulse, happy to feel it throbbing against her fingertips. Then she would let her fingers trace the edge of his jaw. Once, she touched his lips.
She understood the rules, and had even seen firsthand why they were so important. Unfortunately, it was difficult to get on board with a plan that meant she was no longer allowed to touch him. Or kiss him. Or…more.
Letting out a breath, she forced herself to focus on driving.
A car behind theirs was gaining on her quickly. She clenched the steering wheel and sped up slightly. It didn’t help. The other car was soon right on her bumper.
She adjusted the side mirrors and could make out the vehicle.
A black sedan.