They’d wheeled Connor into the OR, and Lexi asked to go in, but there was no way that was going to happen. Didn’t matter that she was a doctor; she was also a mess. She was still arguing when the surgical team closed the doors and wheeled him away, out of her sight.
“Don’t die,” she whispered. “Don’t die, Connor.”
A soft hand closed on her shoulder, and she turned, blinking against her tears and seeing a beautiful woman with long wavy hair in every shade of blond she could think of, looking at her with big, wet eyes. “He’s not going to die, Lexi.”
“How do you know?”
“Oh trust me,” said another female voice. “She knows. It’s freaking creepy how much she knows.” This belonged to a woman wearing leather, and with short auburn hair that had scarlet streaks.
“She’s never wrong,” said another, with long dark hair that fell in curls well past her shoulders.
“Not so far, anyway,” said a fourth, a petite platinum blonde. She smiled at Lexi’s confusion and said, “Hi. I’m Caitlin and I’m your sister.”
“We’re all your sisters,” the first woman said. “I’m Joey.”
“Toni,” said the one with the dark curls.
“And I’m Kira,” said the one in leather. “We all have the same birth father. And uh, we have a lot of catching up to do.”
Lexi looked at each face, and in every one she saw something familiar. “You were there… at the warehouse.”
“Yeah. We’ve been trying to find you,” Kira said.
“And we fed your cat,” Toni put in. “Great cabin, by the way.”
“But you…you came to a shootout…with terrorists.”
“It’s kind of what I do,” Kira said.
“You could’ve been killed.”
“But we weren’t,” she replied with a shrug. “I owed White. He killed my step father and almost cost me Michael.”
“Come on.” Toni slid an arm around her shoulders. “We’re gonna take care of you until the surgery’s over.”
“And you’re gonna let us,” Cait said.
“At least until the kids get here,” Joey added.
“What kids?” Kira asked.
“Damned if I know. I just know there are kids on their way. That Agent Stryker is with them.”
Lexi blinked. “Connor’s sons. They’re alive.” She smiled and nodded. “You’re right, Joey. He’s not gonna die. His boys are alive. Oh my God, it’s a miracle.”
*****
The first thing Connor was aware of when he opened his eyes wasn't a physical sensation. It was a sense of elation. And for a second he wasn't even sure why he felt it, or what had happened to the shroud of grief that usually greeted him when he opened his eyes.
Slowly, though, he became aware of the dryness of his throat and the pain in his chest. He blinked, bringing the hospital room into focus.
And then it came back to him. Everything that had happened. And that odd fantasy-dream he'd had right at the end. It had seemed so real. God, how much of what he remembered was sheer fantasy, then? Was Lexi really all right? He tried to pull himself up, despite the pain. And he put all his strength into it when he shouted her name.
"Lexi!"
He had to clutch the mattress to keep from going over the side. And then the door flew open, and he saw her shoving her way past a nurse to get to him.
She stopped near the bed, breathless, her wide brown eyes probing his. And then she came still closer, sighing in relief. She clasped his shoulders, eased him back down onto his pillows, and then ran her fingers through his hair and said, “Thank God. Thank God, you're all right. You're really all right."
He lay there, trying to wrap his arms around her waist, to cling to her. "I'm sorry," he told her. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
"I know."
"I only wanted you out of harm's way, Lexi. I only wanted you safe. I swear it."
"I know, Connor.”
"I love you." He pulled away from her, just enough so he could look up into her eyes. "I love you, Lexi. Give me a chance to prove it to you."
She leaned over him, pressed her lips to his mouth and whispered, "I love you, too, you idiot. And you don't have to prove it to me. You told me all this when you thought you were dying. You got yourself shot trying to rescue me. There's nothing to prove."
He sighed his relief. And then he just held onto her. He needed to. Because the details of that dream were coming back to him now. A dream in which someone had told him the impossible, and he'd believed it because he'd wanted to so very badly. And he'd fought to stay alive because of it.
It hurt to wake up to reality after such a wonderful dream. Even with Lexi's healing love, he didn't think this pain would ever leave him.
She eased away from him. “There’s someone waiting to see you."
He closed his eyes. They burned. "I don't want to see anyone but you.”
She frowned down at him. One hand came up to his cheek, and she plumbed his eyes, his soul. "Don't you remember what Stryker told you?"
His heart skipped. "I... I dreamed that he told me..."
She smiled gently, tears brimming in her eyes. "It wasn't a dream." She stepped backward, reached behind her for the door, pushed it open. And then she turned her head and waved her hand at someone outside.
And a miracle happened.
His two little boys bounded through the door. Justin jumped right up onto the bed and hugged his neck and Jackson stood by the bedside, hopping and reaching for him until Lexi helped him to get on, too. “Careful, your dad’s sore. Be gentle.”
They were laughing and talking so loudly and excitedly he doubted they even heard her. And the pain of their enthusiastic hugs was the best thing he’d ever felt. For a moment he just sat there, stunned, looking down at the little boys who were wrapped in his arms.
He lifted his head to look up at Lexi, unashamed of the tears streaming over his face.
He felt them. Their soft, warm skin, and their dark curls. Alive! His little boys were alive! It hadn't been a dream.
"I missed you, Daddy!” Jackson said.
“I missed you too. Both of you.”
“I’m glad you're better now.” Justin searched his face. “We can be together again now, can’t we?”
Connor “Molotov” Romano's stony heart melted into a puddle of sheer joy, and tears burned fiery paths down his cheeks. “We’ll never be apart again. I love you, boys. I love you so much.”
The hugs gentled, but the boys didn’t seem willing to move out of his arms. And it was a good thing, because he didn't think he could let go of them if he tried.
Lexi moved to the foot of the bed and cranked it up until he could remain sitting and still lean back against the mattress. She was crying almost as much as he was.
She moved toward the door. “You guys spend some time. I'll check back in later."
"Don't go, Lexi."
She met his gaze, and he saw the love in her eyes.
"You need to be alone—"
"No, we don't," said Jackson. "I want you to stay, Lexi.” Then he turned his big dark eyes to Connor, and said, “Lexi’s been taking care of us every day since Grandpa Stryker brought us to the hopsickle, Daddy.”
“Grandpa Stryker?” he repeated.
Lexi nodded. “The boys have been staying with your friend Monroe Stryker’s parents while you’ve been…recuperating.”
“I see.”
“It wasn’t so bad,” Justin said. “They have a pool and a trampoline, and Grandma Stryker makes the best homemade ice cream. When Uncle Monroe brought us here, I was so scared at first! I thought you might go to heaven, like Mommy did.” He lowered her eyes. “But then Lexi told me you would be okay, and that she would take care of us until you were, and I wasn’t scared anymore.” He smiled adoringly at Lexi.
Connor figured his expression probably matched that. “You can't go, Lexi. Look at us. We need you."
Her smile was tremulous. But she nodded and came to join them. She sat on the only available bit of the bed, and Connor wrapped his hand around hers.
"Then I'll stay."
"For always?" he asked her, then he paused, suddenly uncertain. "I know it’s a lot to ask..."
She pressed a finger to his lips, looking at the boys as if she was looking at her very own miracle. Meeting his eyes again, she nodded. “For always, Connor. For absolutely always.”
–THE END–
Don’t miss the rest of the Shattered Sisters Series.
Continue reading for an excerpt from another Maggie Shayne suspense:
THE GINGERBREAD MAN.