Bow Down(185)
My mind flashed back to what had happened in that house. It had seemed so quiet, so normal. I hadn’t seen anybody or sensed any movement as we went into that kitchen. I’d grabbed the tape and slipped it into my bag, and as soon as I walked back toward the living room, someone hit me and shoved a bag over my head.
That was when the world exploded.
He had forced me to run. I hadn’t wanted to leave him there to fight for his life, but he’d been right; they hadn’t tried to kill me. And when they pinned me down in the alleyway, they weren’t trying to hurt me. They were trying to recruit me.
I could hear their voices. “Cassidy,” she had said, “you can join us. Leave those monsters. We need reporters like you to spread the good word.”
“What are you talking about?” I had asked.
“Join us,” she insisted. “Before it’s too late.”
That was when Rafa appeared and scared them off. He was already bleeding at that point, but he still managed to get them away. I didn’t waste a second. I just ran and got the car as fast as I could.
He had saved my life twice. And now he was going to die, all because I had forced him into a situation he hadn’t wanted to be in.
My child was going to grow up without a father. That thought hit me like a ton of bricks to the chest. I had a baby growing inside me, and Rafa was the father. If he died, my baby wouldn’t have a father, and I’d have one death on my hands.
I didn’t know what I was going to do.
Hours slipped past. I must have fallen asleep at some point, because I was gently shaken awake by a handsome man in his mid-forties.
“Cassidy?” he asked.
“Yes? Is Rafa okay?”
He nodded. “Rafa is going to be okay.”
I wanted to cry. “Thank you.”
“He’s only alive because you got him here so fast. The bullet nicked his posterior tibial artery, and he lost a lot of blood. We were able to repair the damage.”
“Can I see him?”
He nodded. “He’s asking for you.”
I got up and followed the doctor into the back rooms. He led me down a hall and into a side room. Sitting up in the bed was Rafa, looking pretty haggard but alive.
“Rafa,” I said softly, walking to his side.
He grinned at me. “Don’t look so fucking upset. I’m not easy to kill.”
I buried my face in his lap and let out a sob. I felt so stupid, but I couldn’t stop myself. I was so relieved that he was alive, I could barely breathe.
“Okay,” he said, stroking my hair. “It’s okay.”
I cried for a second and then took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. “I’m so sorry,” I said.
“Stop.”
“It’s all my fault. I made you go there. I got you shot. I’m so sorry, Rafa.”
“Stop,” he said again. “You didn’t force me into anything.”
“I did. I did all this.”
He sighed. “Stop,” he said again. “I’m serious. I could have turned back at any time. You don’t force me into anything at all. I chose to go with you, and I chose to do what I did. It was my fault, not yours.”
That made me want to cry again, but I bit it back and nodded. “You’re right. It’s your fault.”
He laughed loudly and then coughed, looking pained.
“How do you feel?” I asked him.
“Tired. Like fucking shit. But alive.”
“How long are you going to be in this bed?”
“Not long, doc says. Damage wasn’t that bad. No broken bones.”
“Good,” I said. “I hate seeing you like this.”
He laughed. “Please. You’re dripping wet right now. Nothing sexier than a man in a hospital gown.”
I smiled and laughed, feeling a bit better. He did look good, despite having just nearly died.
“Okay,” someone said from the doorway. I turned and Vince was standing there. “Enough of all this shit.”
“Vince,” Rafa said.
Vince came into the room and took his hand. “Brother. You good?”
“I’m good.”
Vince looked at me. “You mind giving us a second?”
I glanced at Rafa and then nodded. “Of course. I’ll be back in my room.” I looked at Rafa. “I’ll come back soon.”
“And wear something sexy,” Rafa said.
I couldn’t help but smile as I left. The two men began to talk in lower tones as I headed out of the clinic and back toward my room.
He wasn’t dead. I felt exhausted, drained, and broken, but Rafa wasn’t dead. We still had a chance to get out of this mess. I put my hand on my stomach without thinking, and I only realized what I was doing when I was halfway back to my room.