Louisa sat up immediately. "You're shot? Where?" she cried.
"Doesn't matter, sweetheart. Just do what I said." He did his best to ignore the tears on her face. There would be time to hold her later, to reassure her. But now he needed to focus. "Then find Eric Lestap in my contacts, and tell him the exact same thing. He's captain of the North Coastal Station, and we served together. Tell him what happened and that I'll call him when we get somewhere safe. Tell him to contact Officer Meeks at SDPD."
He took a hard right onto the South Coast Highway, past La Paloma Theatre with its ornate ticket booth, where he'd take her one day. He weaved back and forth through side streets and then looped back to connect with the I-5. With one eye on the rearview mirror, he listened as Louisa pulled herself together enough to make the calls.
"I need to apply pressure to your gunshot wound," she said.
It throbbed like a bitch, which made him think the bullet was still in there. "Gym bag in the back of the cab. There's a towel in there."
Louisa slipped off her seat belt before he could warn her not to. He was driving right now with full-on evasive maneuvers, and he sure as shit didn't want to brake hard while she was wedged between the two seats. He wouldn't stop now, not even for the police. The kind of men who were following him were ruthless in their pursuit and would think nothing of killing cops to get what they wanted.
"Got it," she said, breathlessly as she flopped back into her seat.
"Fasten your seat belt," he said.
"When I've taken care of you," she said, leaning toward him, but he batted her hand away.
"Lou, please. Fasten your seat belt so I don't have to worry about driving like a maniac."
"For fuck's sake," she huffed, pulling the strap over her shoulder.
"Did you just swear at me, Louisa North?" Expletives coming out of those lips just seemed wrong. He looked behind them. Still no sign. He must have lost them back in Encinitas.
"I'll do more than swear if you don't let me look at your side," she said, leaning over him. She pressed the towel so hard against him that he gasped. "I have a gun sitting right here, and I've already shown I can use it," she said, her laughter sounding like it was half genuine, half nerves.
He placed his hand on top of hers.
"We're fine, Lou. Remember what I said about being alive. It's the only thing that matters."
Except you. Because she was beginning to mean more.
* * *
Mac flung open the door to Eagle Securities as Six pulled the truck into the parking lot. For somebody who usually hated people, Louisa had never been more relieved to see anybody in her life. Especially when that person was clearly armed to the teeth. She'd protested that Six should pull over and let her drive, but he'd given her a look, one that said it was never going to happen. Then she'd campaigned hard for having Six drive straight to a hospital for treatment, but Six had explained that Mac had trained as a medic and was more than capable of dealing with a gunshot wound, except, as he put it, "without the six-figure price tag."
A black car screeched up alongside his truck, and Louisa screamed. She grabbed the gun she'd placed on the floor and held it toward the window, ready to shoot again if she had to.
"No," Six shouted, snatching the gun from her hand. "It's okay, sweetheart. It's Cabe."
Tears threatened to fall as shock and relief and panic all unfurled within her. Six did something to the gun. What, she wasn't sure-probably released all the bullets or chamber or whatever the hell it was called.
"Don't fall apart yet," Six said quietly. "We're going to get inside, get safe, and get cleaned up. Three steps. I know you can hold it together to do that."
Cabe jumped quickly out of his car, hurried to Six's door, and yanked it open. "What the hell happened?"
Six killed the engine and removed her hand from the towel. "It's time to go, Lou. Step one. Remember? Get inside. But wait for Mac to come get you and give you some cover. I'm pretty sure we lost them, but we can't be too careful."
He turned to drop out of the cab, and she could tell by the way he let all of his weight hang in his shoulders and arms that he was trying to limit his movement as much as possible.
"Jesus Christ, get him inside," she heard Mac say, gun in hand, as he made his way over to her.
She pushed the door open and lowered herself to the ground. Mac shielded her with his body as he pushed her forward toward the building.
"Keys," Cabe said, holding out his hand toward Six.