Chapter Fifteen
───── ? ────
The antiseptic smell of the hospital brought Delaney back to a hundred other memories she wished she could forget.
But the one in front of her was all that mattered now.
Ava sat upright in the hospital bed, her eyes hollow with worry.
Her hand trembled against the blanket, the IV taped to the back of it swaying slightly with the movement.
The girl was obviously still shaken to the core, but she was alive.
They all were, and with all the gunshots that’d been fired at them, that was somewhat of a miracle.
Ava was the only one sporting a relieved expression. Vivian sat in the chair beside Ava’s bed. Olivia leaned against the far wall, arms crossed tight over her chest. They were safe, too, and should stay that way since there was a guard posted outside the door.
“They said if I didn’t do what they told me, they’d kill Jason,” Ava said, shifting her gaze between Eli and Delaney, who were at the foot of her bed. Ava’s voice cracked, her mouth kept trembling, something it’d been doing since she’d started telling them about her ordeal at the institute.
“They left notes in my room. Telling me what to say. What to tell you,” Ava explained. “What not to tell you.” Her tear-filled eyes drifted to her sister. “They told me I had to say you tried to kill me. If I didn’t, they’d kill Jason.”
The room went still.
Olivia pushed off the wall, her face tightening in shock and then disgust. “I knew it,” she spat out. “I knew there had to be a reason you said that.”
She crossed the room in two quick strides and wrapped her arms around her sister. Ava let out a choked sound and clung to her.
“I’m sorry,” Ava muttered, her voice muffled against Olivia’s shoulder. “I didn’t know what else to do.”
“You’re safe now,” Olivia told her, pulling back just enough to look her in the eye. “We’re going to find Jason. And we’re going to end this.”
Delaney felt the knot in her chest ease slightly. For the first time since they’d stepped into this nightmare, it felt like the sisters were really on the same side again. And Delaney very much intended to “end this” as well. First though, they needed answers and more information.
Delaney leaned in. “Do you know who left the notes?” she asked Ava.
Ava eased back from Olivia. “I assumed it was Hale. He was always watching me. Always pretending to help.”
“We’re going after him,” Eli assured her. “The warrant has gone through. A team’s being assembled now.”
Ava’s wide eyes flicked to him. “What if he already hurt Jason? What if I was too late?”
“You weren’t,” Delaney said, sliding a hand over hers. “We’re going to find him.”
Ava obviously wasn’t convinced about that. The worry was still on her face. “What about those men outside the barn, the ones who came after me? Did you find them?”
Delaney figured there was worry on her own face, too. She had to shake her head. “They got away, but there are people searching for them as well.”
In this case, people meant an entire Crossfire Ops team who specialized in tracking. Delaney hoped they could find those SOBs soon so they could learn who’d sent them after Ava.
The door creaked open and a nurse stepped inside. “Visiting hours are over,” she reminded them. “And the doctor has ordered a sedative to help Ava rest tonight.”
Olivia straightened from the chair near the bed. “We’re not leaving her.”
Vivian stood too, her chin lifted. “Neither of us is going anywhere.”
The nurse gave a resigned nod. “I figured. I’ll bring in a couple of cots and have dinner trays sent up.” She offered a small smile to Ava, then left the room without pressing the issue.
Delaney exchanged a look with Eli, then stepped closer to the bed. “We’ll check in tomorrow,” she said.
“Thank you,” Vivian said softly. “For bringing her back.”
Delaney gave a small nod, her gaze meeting Olivia’s briefly. There was a weight behind Olivia’s eyes, but also strength. They were shaken, but standing.
She and Eli stepped out into the hallway, letting the door close quietly behind them. A deputy stood to the right of the door, posture stiff and alert. He was in his early forties, tall with dark blond hair and a strong jaw. His name tag read “Griffin.”
“Deputy Griffin,” Delaney greeted. “You’ve got the detail for the night?”
He nodded. “Yes, ma’am. No one gets in or out without clearance from Sheriff Chase or Noah.”
“Good,” Eli said.
A few steps down the hall, they spotted Noah. He looked up as they approached, hands in his jacket pockets, jaw set in that way that told Delaney his mind hadn’t stopped turning since they left the scene.
“Let’s talk,” Noah said as they made their way toward the exit.
As the elevator doors closed, the low hum of movement filled the silence. Noah turned to them.
“How’s Ava?” he asked.
Delaney exhaled. “Physically she’s fine. A few scrapes and bruises, but nothing serious. Mentally? She’s shaken. Really shaken. Finding her boyfriend would help with that.”
Noah gave a weary nod. “We’ve got people on it. His name’s out to every contact we have, and we’re working his digital trail.”
Eli leaned against the wall, arms crossed. “What about the institute? How soon before the search starts?”
“It’s already begun,” Noah assured him. “We got the full warrant which means no areas are restricted from being searched.”
That was good about every part of the facility being searched because there could be patients in distress on the grounds.
“Where’s Hale?” Eli asked.
Noah’s jaw flexed, and more of that weariness crept into his expression. “Missing.”
Eli muttered a curse under his breath. “Then he’s on the run.”
“Maybe,” Noah replied. “Or maybe he thinks he covered himself so well he doesn’t need to run. Could be lying low somewhere, waiting for the heat to die down. Or he could show up as if nothing is wrong.”
Delaney shook her head in disgust because any one of those possibilities could be true. “Between what Olivia and Ava said, there has to be enough for a full investigation into Hale and his institute.”
“Oh, there will be,” Noah confirmed. “But if Hale’s as careful as we think he is, he may have buried anything that could tie him to the worst of it.”
Delaney looked away, her stomach tight. She hated the idea that someone like Hale could hide behind protocol and paperwork. That someone like Ava had been trapped, manipulated. Used.
“I want him found,” she said.
“We all do,” Noah agreed. “And we’re not stopping until we get there.”
Noah rubbed a hand over the back of his neck, his eyes scanning the hallway before landing on Delaney and Eli again. “Wade’s clammed up,” he continued. “Stopped talking the minute his lawyer showed up. But he’s still getting charged with two counts of attempted murder.”
Delaney followed his glance to the bandage on her arm. She shifted slightly, the dull ache reminding her the wound was still fresh.
Noah’s expression softened. “How’s it holding up?”
“It’s sore, but I’m fine.” She managed what she hoped was a reassuring smile. However, she failed.
Noah didn’t look the least bit convinced. “Go home,” he stated, and it sounded like an order. “Both of you. I don’t want to hear from either of you until morning. Maybe this time, you’ll actually get some rest.”
Delaney looked at Eli. His eyes met hers, and she could tell they were both thinking the same thing.
They’d try, but getting that rest was easier said than done when the pieces of the puzzle were still shifting.
Delaney followed Eli through the sliding hospital doors and outside where it was surprisingly quiet. The quiet felt surreal after everything that had happened, but she welcomed it. She needed just to catch her breath. Had to have a moment or two to try to settle the tangle of nerves.
They crossed the lot without saying much, both of them moving like their limbs were heavier than they should be.
By the time they climbed into the SUV, Delaney was sinking fast. The exhaustion hit her deep in her bones.
Eli didn’t ask where they were going. He just drove, taking them back to her cabin.
The trees passed in a blur, shadows stretching long across the road. She leaned her head back against the seat and closed her eyes, only for a moment.
“You need to eat something,” Eli said softly.
She opened her eyes, ready to argue. But the words never came. He was right. The adrenaline that had kept her sharp all day was gone, leaving her worn and hollowed out. Still, when she glanced at him, she saw the same fatigue etched into his features.
“You look worse than I do,” she said.
“Probably,” he replied, a small curve to his mouth. “But I’m still feeding you.”
At the cabin, the porch light cast a soft glow over the steps. Inside, it was quiet and warm. Familiar. Delaney let out a breath she hadn’t realized she’d been holding.
They moved around each other in the kitchen without speaking much. Eli grabbed the container of chili from the fridge, and she pulled bowls and spoons from the cabinet. She wanted to tell him to sit, that she could handle it, but he gave her a look that said Not now.
When the microwave hummed to life, Delaney finally turned to him. He was leaning on the counter, head bowed slightly, eyes dark with something more than just exhaustion.
She stepped forward and slid her arms around his waist.
He didn’t hesitate. His arms came around her, pulling her in. She buried her face in his chest and let herself feel it, the weight of the day crashing in like a tide.
For a long moment, neither of them moved. The warmth of his embrace, the steady beat of his heart—it was all she needed right then.
And maybe, just for a little while, it was enough.
Delaney stayed pressed against Eli, breathing him in. The scent of him grounded her. He smelled like soap and sweat and something sharp and steady she had come to associate with safety.
He shifted slightly, one hand moving up to cup the back of her head. His fingers threaded through her hair, anchoring her as if he didn’t want her to slip away. When she tilted her head back to look at him, their eyes locked.
“Delaney,” he said, voice low and rough, as if her name alone carried the weight of everything they had been through.
She answered by rising on her toes and brushing her mouth against his. A soft, tentative kiss at first, but when he didn’t pull back, she kissed him again, deeper this time.
That was all it took.
Eli groaned softly and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her hard against his chest. His mouth claimed hers, hot and hungry, and everything between them unraveled in an instant. The kiss turned to fire. He angled his head, kissing her deeper, tasting her like he’d been starving for it.
Delaney clutched the front of his shirt, needing to feel something solid, something real. His hands moved over her back, her waist, strong and sure. The exhaustion in her limbs vanished under the heat building between them.
She barely remembered moving, but suddenly her back landed against the wall behind them. Eli pressed into her, one hand braced beside her head, the other at her hip. He kissed down her neck, the scrape of his stubble making her shiver. Making her burn.
She reached for the bottom of his shirt, fingers slipping underneath to find the heat of his skin. He hissed softly at the contact, then leaned back just enough to meet her gaze again.
His mouth crashed into hers again. There was nothing careful now. Just fire. Hands, breath, mouths, all tangled in the heat that had been simmering between them for far too long.
And this time, neither of them pulled away.
Delaney didn’t want to stop. Her mouth was still on his, her body straining to stay molded to his. Eli kissed her like he couldn’t get enough, his hand tangled in her hair, the other gripping her waist as if letting go would undo him.
Then he suddenly pulled back.
“Shit,” he muttered, his gaze dropping to her arm.
She blinked, dazed, her lips tingling. “What?”
“Your stitches.” He looked stricken. “Did I hurt you?”
Delaney shook her head, breath catching. “I didn’t feel any pain. Just heat.” Her hand slid along his side, wanting him back against her. “Eli—”
He caught her hand gently, brought it between them, and pressed it flat against the front of his camo pants.
Her pulse jumped.
“I’m stepping back,” he said, voice low and rough, “but not because I don’t want you.”
Her hand stayed where he placed it, and she could feel the solid truth of his words.
“I do,” he added, his eyes locked on hers. “So damn much. But I’ll make you a deal.”
Delaney swallowed hard. “What kind of deal?”
“When your stitches are out,” he said, “we come right back to this spot, and we finish what we started.”
She hesitated, fighting the urge to tell him she didn’t care about the stitches or the timing or anything except how he made her feel. But deep down, she knew he was right. They were too raw, too wired, and she was still healing.
Her fingers curled into his shirt. “Okay,” she whispered.
A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He leaned in and kissed her again, soft and almost chaste, a gentle promise.
Then he stepped away and turned to the stove, lifting the lid off the pot of chili.
Delaney stood where he left her, heart pounding, lips still tingling, already counting down the days.
───── ? ────