Chapter 43

Lia was sure she'd never run so fast in her life. She didn't even care if Mike saw her naked when she shifted back and yanked on her clothes. She raced for the house, barely getting the back door open before she heard the ringing of the front doorbell. Scraping her hair back from her face and catching her breath, she flung open the door to see a tall, blond man in jeans and a pullover.
"Lia?" His voice was kind. Almost too kind, she worried.
"Yes, I am."
"Charlie Ramos, Riley's partner." He held out his hand to her. "Riley's had a little dustup tonight. He'll be fine, but he's asking for you."
"Where is he?"
"On his way to the hospital. I came to fetch you."
"Let me just grab my purse and I'm ready."
All the way on the drive to the hospital, she prayed Charlie was right, that Riley was going to be okay. And that she'd used up her allotment of bad luck.

*****

Lia didn't know what she would have done without Charlie. He was a calming influence as he drove her to the hospital, assuring her Riley would be fine, never losing his cool.
"He'll probably get a commendation for tonight," he said. "That took some guts."
"I hope he's around to receive it," she told him in a slightly hysterical voice.
"He will be. He's pretty tough."
He got her past all the guardians at the hospital and into Emergency where they were examining him. He introduced her to the man he said was their lieutenant, who also assured her Riley would be fine.
What do you all know, she wanted to rage at them.
The lieutenant got her into the room where doctors and nurses were working on him. She nearly fainted at the sight of him, his face so white, pressure bandages strapped to his chest, machines beeping around him. A plastic bag of blood was hooked to an IV pole, its dark red fluid running into him through a needle in his vein. But, astonishingly, he was awake and managed to reach out a hand toward her.
"I told you to stay safe," she blurted and burst into tears.
"I'm okay, sweetheart." His words slurred, and she was sure they'd given him medication for the pain. "Especially now that you're here."
"Are you his wife?" the doctor asked.
"His f-fiancée." As of two whole days.
"Well, your man is damn lucky. The knife nicked an artery, but his partner got a pressure bandage on it right away. We need to take him to surgery to stitch him up properly, but I think you'll be stuck with him for a good long time."
"Oh!" Another flood of tears, but they were of relief. "Thank you so much."
"We have to take him to the operating room right now, but someone will show you the surgery waiting room. I'll come find you as soon as he's all taken care of."
Charlie kept his hand on her arm, guiding her to the waiting area, the lieutenant on the other side. But when Charlie had to debrief on what happened and they had other police business to take care of, he called the Volkas to come sit with her and didn't leave until they arrived.
She was overwhelmed by their kindness. She didn't think she could stomach coffee, so Jamie kept her supplied with dreadful hospital tea. Mike talked to her, stories about Riley to help pass the time and occupy her mind, but she barely heard a word he said. Finally, when she thought she would go out of her mind with anxiety, the doctor came into the waiting room. And thank the lord he had a smile on his face.
"He's fine," he told her. "He's young and healthy with a great constitution. He'll be sore for quite a while. That knife wound was pretty deep, and we had to do a lot of repair." Then he winked at her. "But I'm sure with you to take care of him, he won't mind staying at home."
More tears of relief coursed down her cheeks. "Can I see him?"
"We need him in recovery a little bit, but then the nurse will come and get you. His lieutenant arranged for a private room so you could stay in there with him."
She silently thanked the man she'd just met tonight.
"Thank you, Doctor. Thank you so much."
Jamie hugged her, and then Mike did and kissed her forehead.
"He had luck on his side," he told her. Then he winked, and Jamie laughed.
Lia was sure Mike had told her exactly what happened.
"You guys can go home," she told them. "I'll be okay."
Jamie shook her head. "Not until they come to get you for Riley."
Lia couldn't believe they were doing this. She'd only met them a few short days ago, but she felt now as if she'd known them forever.
Finally, when she'd nearly chewed her bottom lip to shreds, a nurse came into the room to fetch her. She thanked the Volkas profusely then followed the nurse to the room where they'd put Riley.
"He'll be out for a while," the woman said. "He came out of the anesthesia just fine, but he's got plenty of medicine for pain. We'll be in and out during the night to check his vitals and change his meds. He's still getting blood as well as an IV drip, but, otherwise, we won't bother him." She smiled. "Or you."
Lia pulled a big armchair as close to the bed as she could get it, slid a hand through the rails to take Riley's free one in hers, and sat down to wait out what seemed an endless night. She watched him throughout the hours that stretched interminably, her gaze glued to the rise and fall of his chest with every breath he took. She had the unreasoning fear if she looked away, that breathing would stop. At some point, she fell asleep, still holding his hand.
"I dreamed a white wolf saved me."
The deep voice, sounding rusty and still a little slurred, roused her to wakefulness.
She blinked her eyes open, shook her head to clear the cobwebs from her brain, and realized Riley was awake.
"Oh, thank god." Still gripping his hand, she put her head down on the rails and wept until she was sure she had no more tears.
"Hey, hey, hey." He tugged his hand free and used it to smooth her hair. "I'm fine. I'm alive, stitched up, and I'll be around for a good long time."
"Riley, I was scared out of my mind."
"I know, and I'm sorry." He grinned at her. "Do you think people would believe me if I told them a white wolf saved me?"
Her laugh was just this side of hysterical. "Mike helped, too."
He sobered. "I know, and I need to thank him. I don't know whether to give you hell for not staying in the house or give you a medal for not listening. I wouldn't be here without you, Lia. You know that."
"I would have killed that guy if Charlie hadn't shown up," she said in a fierce tone. "You belong to me, now. I gave you my heart, and I didn't do that lightly."
"I know." He kept stroking her hair. "And I promise to always take good care of it."
His face was lined with pain, so she showed him how to use the self-administered machine and give himself a good strong dose. The nurse bustled in to check his vitals and his drips again. And then they were alone once more.
"Don't ever leave me, Lia," he said, as he was fading again. "Promise."
"I promise. You're stuck with me forever."
"Good." His mouth curved in a goofy grin. "I'm a lucky guy. I have my very own white wolf."
Yes, you do, she thought, as he went under again. And we have each other.