Ridin' Solo (Sisters From Hell Book 1), Marika Ray [librera reader txt] 📗

“You’re gonna need to explain that to me. Right now.”

There was nothing friendly in her tone. It was an order I couldn’t ignore or joke away. Without saying the words, I knew our brand-new relationship was at stake based on the next thing to come out of my mouth.

“Oakley. He’s—”

“Out of the way, Deputy. We need to treat her wound.” Ace, a firefighter and EMT from Auburn Hill, pushed me out of the way and got to work on Oakley’s leg. Two other paramedics joined him, and Oakley’s attention was diverted as they cut off her pant leg.

Which was probably a good thing. I needed to get my explanation just right. She needed to know that my past was far behind me and wasn’t who I was any longer. She needed to understand that the thing we had between us now meant everything to me.

“Oakley!”

In a daze, I turned to see Chief Waldo lumbering into the barn, his face the color of his mustache, his eyes wild with fear. He moved quicker than I’d ever seen him, squatting down behind Oakley and barking questions at the EMTs as he gripped her shoulders. Her stoic face, the one that hadn’t flinched at the bullet wound or the shots fired at us, melted at the sight of her father. Her eyes misted over, but she didn’t let a single tear fall. Chief Waldo murmured to her the whole time the EMTs worked on her.

All around me people ran in and out of the barn, the place crawling with law enforcement as they secured the scene, rounded up suspects, and bagged evidence. I’d had plenty of out-of-body experiences in my youth thanks to illegal drugs, but I’d never experienced it dead sober. Until today. Until I’d watched Oakley get shot and my past mistakes run roughshod into my present, wrecking everything I was trying to build.

I should be the man supporting Oakley while she was hurt and scared. I should be the officer helping to collect evidence or arrest the assholes who thought it was okay to shoot at law enforcement. I should do something—anything—except standing here staring at the best thing in my life like she was going to vanish out of thin air.

“Let’s get her in the ambulance.”

Ace’s voice penetrated my stupor. He and another EMT lifted Oakley off the ground and led her to a gurney. She objected, of course, because she was Oakley and couldn’t just take the easy route.

“Get on the damn gurney, Oakley,” Chief Waldo barked, softening the blow by kissing the top of her head.

Oakley gave him a side-eyed look I’d been on the receiving end of plenty of times, but she let them set her down. The second the wheels started moving, taking Oakley out of the barn, I unfroze. I couldn’t let her leave without me.

“Oakley! I’m coming with you,” I said, rushing to catch up.

Chief Waldo gave me a look I’d see in my head until I died. “I think you’ve done enough, son.”

I swallowed hard, not because I was afraid of the anger pouring off the man in waves, but because I was suddenly nauseous at the thought that all of this had been my fault. Somehow, some way, I hadn’t been there to protect my partner. Maybe if I’d paid more attention when we got the call, or stayed with her instead of splitting up. Maybe if we’d patrolled the outside first, she wouldn’t have been shot.

“Dad!” Oakley admonished him.

Ignoring her father for now, I reached her side and touched her arm as she was led outside. The sun was glaring overhead, making me blink. “He’s right,” I muttered, knowing I had no right to be by her side.

“No, he’s not. We did everything right, and I still got shot. In my calf, by the way. I’m not going to die from a tiny wound.” Oakley shot her dad another look. “Can you give us a second?”

Chief narrowed his eyes at me, but walked a few yards away to chat with Sheriff Locke as he gave orders to the rest of the team. Not once did he take his gaze off the two of us, though. The paramedics looked exasperated, but they didn’t lift Oakley into the back of the waiting ambulance just yet.

“Two minutes,” Ace snapped, then walked around to the front of the rig.

“Listen,” Oakley started, but I cut her off.

“No. I know I need to explain some things to you, and I will, but first you have to get your leg stitched up. Then I promise you, I’ll tell you everything you want to know.” I held her hand and she let me, her eyes flitting across my face like she was looking to see if I told her the truth.

She gave a quick nod. “Okay. I trust you.”

I sucked in a huge lungful of air, breathing normally for the first time since we took this damn call. She’d handed me a lifeline and I wouldn’t squander it. “Thank God.”

“Dolby? Wyatt Dolby?” a voice called from the gravel driveway.

My head shot up. Two guys with cameras came running, snapping pictures of Oakley and me as they moved. I’d taken too many hits in too short of a time period. I was numb. Utterly confused and discombobulated from the rapid-fire turn of events. Nothing made sense.

“What the hell?” Oakley muttered, staring in confusion.

“Wyatt Dolby! What are you doing working as a cop? Is this a movie set?” The one guy kept shouting questions even as he held the camera in front of his face.

Sheriff Locke ran over and stood in front of them, blocking their path to Oakley’s gurney. “This is an active crime scene. Unless you’d like to be arrested too, I suggest you get off this property faster than I can snap my handcuffs.”

“Wyatt?” Oakley whispered.

I looked down at her, seeing her eyes clouded over with doubts. Doubts about me. Doubts about us. By me not being honest