(same disclaimer: If you know it it's Janet Evanovich)
I took a deep breath and stepped away from Ranger. He went to his car and started going through it while taking out his phone and making a call. I stayed turned away from Joe.
I wasn't really sure what to say. He hated my relationship with Ranger, whatever that was. He wanted Ranger out of my life. He hates my job. I blew out a sigh.
"I thought we were on again."
"We are."
"Then what the hell are you doing kissing Ranger?" I wasn't sure what to say to that. Ranger always kissed me, but telling Joe that would be suicide. I don't think he'd understand.
"He was just scared for my safety." Just then Jarvis burst out of the trees. He skidded to a stop then pulled a gun and shot at Joe and I. We both ducked for cover.
I checked my body looking for bullet holes, deciding I had none I looked for Joe. He was on the ground holding his leg. Oh my God! Joe got hit!
I looked around, Ranger had his gun trained on Jarvis but Jarvis was running back into the trees. Ranger took a shot but Jarvis was already in the trees. We couldn't tell if he'd been hit or not, he'd have to be tracked.
I ran to Joe and knelt beside him, tears in my eyes. Joe wasn't perfect, but I loved him. I didn't want him hurt and I didn't want him to die.
"Joe! Joe! Can you hear me…Joe!" Joe looked at me like I was insane. "Sorry, I'm just a little upset."
"I'm alright cupcake." His voice was strained, but he'd called me cupcake, maybe I was forgiven.
"Are you alright? Did you get hit? How bad is it?" He sucked air in through gritted teeth.
"No I'm not alright, yes I got hit, and I don't have any fucking idea how bad it is." Yow, I was guessing it was pretty bad. I took off the sweatshirt I was wearing and wrapped it around his leg.
He hissed through his teeth as I pressed the shirt to his leg. I pulled the shirt away and bent to look.
The sight about gagged me and little black dots danced behind my eyes. I suppose it wasn't as bad as it could have been but seeing Morelli hurt was very upsetting.
"I'm sorry, this is all my fault." I was crying, tears running down my face and I heard Morelli give a strained chuckle.
"It's alright cupcake. I'm going to be fine." He was starting to look pale. I got out my phone and dialed 911. He needed help fast and Ranger could probably use the back up.
I didn't see any of the Merry men about and Ranger didn't need to face Jarvis' gang alone. I was guessing he was on the phone with Tank getting back up but, the local cops might be faster.
I gave the dispatcher the info on the current situation and had an ambulance sent for Morelli. I asked if he'd be alright for a minute and headed over to Ranger.
Ranger had bandaged his head and was getting his equipment from out of his car. I filled him in on the situation and he gave me a hard stare.
"What? Joe needs help now. He's lost a lot of blood, I can't wait for you to finish the capture.
"Babe, I can't go in if the cops are here." He sighed and looked into the woods where Jarvis had disappeared after shooting. "I'm going in. I want to get Jarvis before the cops get here."
"Ranger…" He stopped me with a look and I sighed. He had maybe ten minutes before emergency vehicles would show up, if that. I knew Ranger though, that's all the time he needed.
Still, I was worried something would happen. I trusted Ranger though, so I put him from my mind and concentrated on Joe.
"Joe? How are you doing?" I wanted to keep him talking, keep him alert.
"I got shot in the leg, how do you think I'm doing?" He'd said it through gritted teeth, but I knew he was trying to lighten the mood, get me to stop worrying. It was a losing battle, I was worried more than could be imagined.
"Pretty crappy I guess. Stay with me Joe." I leaned down and kissed his forehead. I couldn't bear to lose him. I love Ranger, but I now realized that my life with Joe wasn't perfect, but we suited one another.
He had a legitimate job and a house in the burg near my parents. Sure, I'd been trying to escape the burg all my life, but when it came down to it, I was burg through and through.
Maybe I wouldn't settle for being a stay-at-home mom but I could be a burg wife and work right? It was the twenty-first century. I could do whatever I wanted.
Maybe I had to quit working for Vinnie but, it was a crappy job right? Maybe I could fine some common ground, that was somewhere between bounty hunting and a desk job.
I could go back to school and get a degree in something that was more suited to who I was. I could be a police officer.
Ok, so maybe I couldn't be a police officer because I was pretty sure being a police officer involved handling and shooting guns regularly and I didn't much care for guns. Maybe I could be a private investigator.
I would make it work. Joe and I just needed to set boundaries and I was willing to make sacrifices, if only he made it through.
Stop it Stephanie. I told myself. I wasn't thinking rationally. Joe would be fine. I know he would.
"Joe?" He didn't respond. I panicked. I shook him. I slapped his face. Nothing made him respond. I curled up against him and cried. I could feel him breathing and I was hoping the ambulance would get here soon.
Ranger was still in the woods looking for Jarvis and I could now hear sirens in the distance. I sent up a small prayer of thanks before I checked on Joe's leg. He'd lost so much blood.
I put my head between my legs to stop the blood pumping in my ears. I had to stay calm, I had to stay awake, and I couldn't let Joe down. He needed me.
I was still giving myself a pep talk when the ambulance arrived. Shortly after the first cop cruiser pulled in.
The EMT's hopped out of the ambulance and checked Joe. They pushed me aside, getting to work getting oxygen on him and running an IV while loading him into the ambulance.
They were asking me questions about what had happened, how he'd been shot and I told them as much as I could leaving out the part about Ranger crashing his car. I wasn't sure yet how to explain that one.
They finished loading Joe into the ambulance and I impulsively asked if I could ride with him. I bit my lip after I'd asked. I wanted to go with Joe but I was worried about Ranger.
I finally decided Ranger had the better chance, besides. I wanted to be there when Joe woke up and Ranger would find his way back.
I climbed in the ambulance and rode to the hospital with Joe. I was afraid I would gnaw a hole through my lip because there was so much they had to do to Joe to keep him stable.
He'd lost so much blood they thought he might need a transfusion but they had to wait until they got to the hospital. I'd told them Joe's blood type but they'd unfortunately didn't have that on hand.
I held Joe's hand when I could, crying and silently begging him to wake up. I loved him so much and I just now realized how much I wanted to be with him.
He was a solid part of my life. One of the few sane things in my life and I couldn't bear to lose him. He loved me and my parents liked him.
"Please wake up Joe. Don't leave me, not now, not when I haven't told you….how much…I truly love you." I started crying, tears streaming down my cheeks. "Please Joe….please."
OOO
After three hours of surgery and a blood transfusion, Joe was in critical care. If his stats held for another hour, he'd be moved to intensive care. I was sitting next to Joe's bed, holding his hand, talking softly to him.
I was telling him little things, like how much I missed him, how I forgave him for the Joyce incident, it hadn't been his fault, I knew how manipulative and deceiving she could be.
I also told how the kiss from Ranger didn't mean anything, he'd just been happy I was safe, and how much my mother would be looking forward to us coming over for dinner.
I was babbling but it was making me feel better. I didn't know if he could hear me, but I'd always heard that even when someone was in a coma they could sometimes remember what was said while they were out of it.
Joe wasn't in a coma, but he was sure out of it. I was hoping he could hear me. I was telling him things that had always been hard for me to verbalize when Joe was awake.
I had also thought a lot about Barbara. I was sure Jarvis had her and I was wondering if Ranger had found Jarvis and in turn had found Barbara.
So far I hadn't heard from him. This worried me. Ranger usually checked in with me and it had been hours since I'd last seen or heard anything.
The room phone rang and I answered it. Ranger.
"Babe" He sounded tired.
"Babe yourself what's going on?" I was trying to act calm and patient, both of which I wasn't.
"I found Jarvis, he had Barbara and the other woman you'd mentioned, Ruth. They were both severely dehydrated and locked in a bathroom. I don't think either had eaten anything for a few days."
"Wow, I'm glad you found them."
"Yeah, the police weren't too happy of my involvement. I was arrested but after talking with the chief of police and telling him everything, he'd let me go."
"That's it?" What did you tell him?"
"That I'd stumbled upon Jarvis about to shoot Barbara and Ruth and I'd talked him out of it, he'd instead shot himself." His voice was flat; I decided not to ask anymore questions. Ranger had killed for me before and I was pretty sure that's what had happened.
"How's Morelli?" He asked me casually.
"He's out of surgery, he had to have a blood transfusion. He's still sleeping but the doctors are optimistic." I let that hang in the air, I wasn't sure I could tell Ranger anything else. I still loved Ranger, but I knew my life was with Joe.
"Good. I'll check in again." He hung up. A small part of my heart constricted and ached for him, but I pushed it away. I knew what I had to do and I was finally ready to do it.
I was tired of living a double life. I wanted to settle down, I wanted kids. Oh shit. Did I just say I wanted kids? I guess I did, I hadn't really thought about it a lot.
I just wanted Joe better, I wanted a chance to be happy with Joe. Please God. I begged. Let him survive. Give us a chance!
