here.”
“I’m fine, Marlene,” Rachel said, a smile in her voice.
She pried herself away and leaned back, taking in Marlene’s anxious gaze.
“Ethan’s the one who was hurt,” Rachel said, the smile fading. “He was shot. He had a vest on, but it still hurt him. I wish someone would let me know how he is.”
“He’s fine,” Garrett said from the corner. “Van just came down a second ago. They’re coming in just a few minutes.”
Marlene shook her head as she stared helplessly at Garrett. “I can’t even fuss at my boys for getting into trouble because they got you out, but I swear they put more gray hairs on my head with every passing day. And now that Nathan and Joe are back home and joined up with the rest of their brothers, I’ll never sleep another night through.”
Garrett stepped forward and squeezed his mother’s shoulders. “Now, Ma. You worry too much. You know we look out for each other. And we look out for this family. No way we were going to leave things with Rachel to chance with the local police. No telling how they would have f—uh, screwed it up,” he amended hastily.
“Can we come in?”
Rachel glanced up to see Sophie peeking inside the doorway. Just behind her were Shea and Sarah. Rachel smiled and motioned them inside. Her sisters-in-law hurried in and quickly enfolded her in big hugs.
“Oh God, we were so scared,” Sophie said as she stood back with the others. “How is Ethan? We heard he was shot!”
Garrett had looped his arm around Sarah, pulling her into his side, and he was quick to alleviate the worry in the women’s eyes.
“He’s fine. He was wearing a vest. He’ll be down in just a minute.”
“Thank God,” Shea breathed.
Shea stared anxiously at Rachel, her eyes brimming with worry. Rachel gave her a reassuring nod so she’d know that all was well with the pregnancy.
The door flew open, and suddenly Ethan was at her bedside, his intense gaze burning over her. Everyone hastily moved so Ethan could have access to Rachel, and then Rachel was in his arms, firm against his chest.
She closed her eyes and clung fiercely to him. “Thank God you’re okay,” she whispered. “I was so worried, Ethan. Please don’t ever scare me like that again. I’ll never forget hearing the gunshot and seeing you go down. I’ll never get that out of my head.”
“Shhh, baby,” he soothed. “That’s why we wear vests. I was never in any danger. You, however, had no such protection, and that asshole would have gunned you down in cold blood.”
“Take me home,” she begged. “I just want to get out of here and be in our home where it’s quiet.”
He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead as she lay nestled in his arms.
“I’ll get you home soon. I promise.”
She pulled away to see that Marlene and the others had backed discreetly toward the doorway where Donovan and Frank were standing.
“They don’t know,” she whispered. “This isn’t the way I want to tell them. I want to go home, and then I want to tell them properly, when the family is together and all the worry and stress is gone.”
“Is everything okay with you?” he whispered back. “The babies?”
The fear in his eyes made her stomach knot and she hastened to ease his worry.
“I’m fine. Just reaction. They gave me a shot to help calm me down, and I’m okay now. I just want to go home.”
He flashed a rueful smile. “I can’t even argue with you because I was bound and determined to get the hell out of that room I was in too. I understand how you feel.”
She pulled him down even closer so she could whisper without being overheard.
“Tell them I’ll make a follow up appointment with my obstetrician in a couple of days and make sure everything’s okay, but I want to leave now.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead and left them there a long moment.
“I’m so proud of you I could burst,” he murmured. “You kicked ass today, Rachel. Even if you scared the shit out of me in the process. Those kids
“I’m fine, Marlene,” Rachel said, a smile in her voice.
She pried herself away and leaned back, taking in Marlene’s anxious gaze.
“Ethan’s the one who was hurt,” Rachel said, the smile fading. “He was shot. He had a vest on, but it still hurt him. I wish someone would let me know how he is.”
“He’s fine,” Garrett said from the corner. “Van just came down a second ago. They’re coming in just a few minutes.”
Marlene shook her head as she stared helplessly at Garrett. “I can’t even fuss at my boys for getting into trouble because they got you out, but I swear they put more gray hairs on my head with every passing day. And now that Nathan and Joe are back home and joined up with the rest of their brothers, I’ll never sleep another night through.”
Garrett stepped forward and squeezed his mother’s shoulders. “Now, Ma. You worry too much. You know we look out for each other. And we look out for this family. No way we were going to leave things with Rachel to chance with the local police. No telling how they would have f—uh, screwed it up,” he amended hastily.
“Can we come in?”
Rachel glanced up to see Sophie peeking inside the doorway. Just behind her were Shea and Sarah. Rachel smiled and motioned them inside. Her sisters-in-law hurried in and quickly enfolded her in big hugs.
“Oh God, we were so scared,” Sophie said as she stood back with the others. “How is Ethan? We heard he was shot!”
Garrett had looped his arm around Sarah, pulling her into his side, and he was quick to alleviate the worry in the women’s eyes.
“He’s fine. He was wearing a vest. He’ll be down in just a minute.”
“Thank God,” Shea breathed.
Shea stared anxiously at Rachel, her eyes brimming with worry. Rachel gave her a reassuring nod so she’d know that all was well with the pregnancy.
The door flew open, and suddenly Ethan was at her bedside, his intense gaze burning over her. Everyone hastily moved so Ethan could have access to Rachel, and then Rachel was in his arms, firm against his chest.
She closed her eyes and clung fiercely to him. “Thank God you’re okay,” she whispered. “I was so worried, Ethan. Please don’t ever scare me like that again. I’ll never forget hearing the gunshot and seeing you go down. I’ll never get that out of my head.”
“Shhh, baby,” he soothed. “That’s why we wear vests. I was never in any danger. You, however, had no such protection, and that asshole would have gunned you down in cold blood.”
“Take me home,” she begged. “I just want to get out of here and be in our home where it’s quiet.”
He stroked her hair and kissed her forehead as she lay nestled in his arms.
“I’ll get you home soon. I promise.”
She pulled away to see that Marlene and the others had backed discreetly toward the doorway where Donovan and Frank were standing.
“They don’t know,” she whispered. “This isn’t the way I want to tell them. I want to go home, and then I want to tell them properly, when the family is together and all the worry and stress is gone.”
“Is everything okay with you?” he whispered back. “The babies?”
The fear in his eyes made her stomach knot and she hastened to ease his worry.
“I’m fine. Just reaction. They gave me a shot to help calm me down, and I’m okay now. I just want to go home.”
He flashed a rueful smile. “I can’t even argue with you because I was bound and determined to get the hell out of that room I was in too. I understand how you feel.”
She pulled him down even closer so she could whisper without being overheard.
“Tell them I’ll make a follow up appointment with my obstetrician in a couple of days and make sure everything’s okay, but I want to leave now.”
He pressed his lips to her forehead and left them there a long moment.
“I’m so proud of you I could burst,” he murmured. “You kicked ass today, Rachel. Even if you scared the shit out of me in the process. Those kids
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