The sound of a baby squalling cut through the air, and a rush of relief raced up Dominic’s spine.
“Thank god Suzanna is dead,” Ava spoke against his chest.
“Why?” he asked, tightening his hold.
“She was going to steal Mallory’s baby. Claimed the child was a gift from Galveston. Okay. You have to put me down now. We need to go help her.”
“I’m not putting you down or letting you go ever again, Ava Kanas.” Dominic strode across the road and into the woods still carrying her.
“I—”
“I quit the Bureau by the way. Of course, you ran out so fast I didn’t get to impress you with my dramatic exit.”
“Don’t quit the job you love for me,” she said tiredly.
There was blood all over his white shirt. Exactly like the day Calvin Mortimer had died.
“It wasn’t for you.” He looked into her eyes. “It was for us.”
She reached up with her good hand and touched his face. “I’m sorry I was such a terrible bodyguard.”
“You thought I was mad with you, but I was trying to control my temper and not lash out.”
“You better teach me your technique.”
“I’ve had years of training as a negotiator, Ava, and I still had to work hard not to punch the guy in the face.”
“Getting arrested wouldn’t have helped anyone.” She smiled but then her lips trembled and the smile fell off her face. “Suzanna planned this for a long time. She almost succeeded.”
Dominic’s stomach churned. “I can’t believe I slept with her.”
“You didn’t.”
“What?”
“She said you couldn’t get it up.”
“Thank god.” He narrowed his eyes as realization struck. “The bitch drugged me. No wonder I couldn’t remember anything about that night. I felt like shit all year, and it was all part of her plan to make me suffer.”
Ava’s head started to bob against his chest.
Dominic spotted a bare-chested Parker up ahead holding his SIG.
“Bernier is dead,” Dominic shouted.
Dominic walked around a huge fallen tree and saw Mallory Rooney cradling a newborn against her chest, covered by what must have been Parker’s shirt.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes,” Mallory said firmly. “We’re fine. Is Ava?”
Dominic looked down and realized she’d closed her eyes. He gave her a nudge, but she didn’t stir.
“She’s been shot,” Mallory said.
“I put a tourniquet on it.” But Mallory wasn’t pointing to her arm. He eased Ava away from him and realized there was a bullet wound on her hip, and she was bleeding steadily all over him.
Panic raced through him. He hadn’t realized she’d been shot twice and didn’t think she had, either.
“Alex. Call a medivac—”
“It’ll be faster if I drive.” Alex took the baby gently in one arm and eased Mallory to her feet with the other. Then he handed the baby back. “Can you manage Ava alone?” he asked, putting a supporting arm around Mallory.
Dominic nodded. He couldn’t speak. He turned and jogged back to the road. “Don’t fucking die on me now, Ava.”
He’d barely survived his mother’s death. He’d never survive Ava’s.
“I can’t drive too fast because of the baby, and I don’t have a car seat.” Alex grabbed a medical kit out of the Audi’s trunk. “There’s Quikclot in there and bandages. Press down as hard as you can. We’re fifteen minutes from a hospital. Twenty from a trauma center. Stop the bleeding, and we can keep her alive.”
They maneuvered Ava onto the backseat of what had been Suzanna’s car, him on his knees beside her, applying the white powder to the two bullet wounds and checking for more.
Alex got behind the wheel. Mallory climbed into the front passenger seat with her precious cargo.
“I’ll call the cops for an escort and to warn the hospital.” Mallory buckled up as fast as she was able, kissing the bundle she held to her breast.
Alex executed a quick three-point turn. “We’ll probably pass SWAT on the way.”
“I’ll call them too with an update,” Mallory assured them.
Ava was ghostly white, her lips drained of color, chest barely rising up and down.
“Drive as fast as you can safely go,” Dominic begged. He didn’t want anything to happen to the baby and knew Ava wouldn’t either. “But please hurry.”