Chapter 46 Lauren
Lauren
Lauren stared at the open book in her lap, but her gaze kept lifting to where Zach lay in the hospital bed. Nothing could hold her attention like the unconscious man in front of her.
Camille Harding slumped, eyes closed in the chair by the window. One arm was bent and tucked behind her head, and her laptop bag was propped against the couch at her feet.
Lauren’s chest swelled just thinking of all her friend had done in the last twenty-four hours. Not only was Camille a great boss at Blackwater Hope House, but she was a cutthroat attorney who’d shown off her intelligence and professionalism like she ate rookie lawyers for breakfast.
There was a soft knock at the door, and Lauren closed the book and stuffed it into the backpack beside her. “Come in.”
Zach’s room had been a revolving door of visitors since he came out of surgery. Before he’d been assigned a room, meetings and interviews had been conducted in the waiting room.
The door opened, and Zoe poked her head inside. Her voice was low and timid as she whispered, “Hey.”
Lauren sat up straighter. “Hey. Come on in.”
Zoe entered with a paper coffee cup in her hand and glanced at Zach. “He hasn’t woken up?”
The panic clawed at Lauren’s rib cage. “The doctor said it might take a while, but…no, not yet.” Every second he remained unconscious, the band around her neck tightened.
Zoe handed Lauren the paper cup as Anthony walked in and silently closed the door behind him.
“Thank you,” Lauren said as she accepted the cup.
Anthony pushed his hands into his pockets, rounding his shoulders forward.
Seeing him in person still held the remnants of a dream.
After years of searching for him, he was finally here.
He had the same dark hair and dark green eyes, but his features were hardened.
Life had taken its toll on him since the last time she saw him.
Zoe tucked her dark bob behind one ear and lowered onto a seat beside Lauren. “How are you doing?”
“I’m okay. How did things go?” She couldn’t focus on herself. Zoe and Anthony had been at the police station all morning for questioning. Lauren had been a part of multiple interrogations over the last twenty-four hours as well.
Zoe shrugged her thin shoulders. “Fine, I guess.” She glanced at Camille. “I’m glad she sent Bob. I didn’t know we were going to need an attorney, but it was great to have someone there.”
Lauren reached for Zoe’s hand and squeezed it. “You don’t have to do any of this alone.”
Zoe’s eyes welled with unshed tears. “I can’t believe this is really happening.”
Lauren reached an arm around Zoe’s shoulders as the sniffles continued. Anthony rested a hand on Zoe’s back and gently rubbed.
All the time Lauren had been looking for Anthony, he’d been looking for Zoe.
After discovering he had a half-sister who’d gone missing in the foster system, he’d dedicated himself to locating her.
He finally found her, but Eric refused to release her and threatened to harm her if Anthony didn’t bow to his every command.
They were all together now, but the circumstances were less than ideal. Anthony had multiple charges to face, Zoe had been Eric’s prisoner for years, and Lauren had her own legal battle to face.
Zoe sniffed and lifted her head from Lauren’s shoulder. “Thank you for everything. You’ll never know how grateful I am.”
Lauren clasped Zoe’s hand and choked back the tears. Anthony wasn’t the only one who’d needed help. All of her efforts to find him had been recovered twofold. That push in her heart had been rewarded with Zoe’s freedom and a newfound cousin too.
“I’m so glad you’re safe. Did you get a chance to go to Blackwater Restoration?”
Zoe clasped her hands in front of her, wringing them nervously. “Yes. Thank you for the money. I was able to get some great clothes and shoes.” She scratched her head. “I didn’t realize getting away from Eric would mean I’d be homeless, jobless, and have nothing.”
“You’re not any of those things. We’re going to get you on your feet in no time,” Lauren assured.
Camille turned and lifted her head, blinking the sleep from her eyes. “Hey. You’re here.”
Zoe’s eyes lit up as Camille sat up and stretched. “Thank you so much for everything. The clothes are amazing, and Bob was so helpful during the questioning.”
Anthony rested his arm around Lauren’s shoulders and jerked his head toward Zoe and Camille. “At least Zoe won’t be short on female role models.”
“She’ll look up to you too if she’s smart,” Lauren said as she leaned her head against his shoulder. He still smelled the same as she remembered, and that was a comfort in the chaos. “You’ve always been my hero.”
Anthony chuckled. “You need to get out more.”
“I have good news. I talked to a friend this morning and got both of you a place to live and jobs if you want them.”
His arm fell from around her, and he stepped back to look at her. “Are you serious? How did you do that?”
Lauren shrugged. “I have good friends. Zach works there too. It’s a cattle ranch, and the owners have been working hard to get things going over the last few years. The workload is finally picking up, and they need all the hands they can get.”
Zach shifted on the bed, and everyone else in the room froze. He tilted his head to one side and opened his eyes.
“Zach.” Lauren was by his side in an instant, grabbing his hand as she sat on the bed next to him.
He blinked a few more times and looked around. “Are you okay?”
She couldn’t help it. A single chuckle escaped, bringing a mirth to the room that was new and welcome. “You had surgery from a gunshot wound, and you’re asking about me.”
He looked around some more, noticing the other people. “What happened?”
Camille rested a hand on Lauren’s shoulder. “We’re going to get some lunch.”
Lauren stood and hugged Camille, not letting go of Zach’s hand. “Thank you for everything. I’ll call you soon.”
Everyone said their quiet goodbyes as they exited, leaving a peace in the room that Lauren could enjoy now that Zach was awake.
When they were alone, she paged the nurse who’d asked to be notified when he woke. “How do you feel? Do you need anything?”
Zach slowly shifted, and his face contorted into a strained expression. “I’m okay. I had surgery?” He tilted his head to look down at his wrapped-up shoulder, chest, and arm.
“Yeah.” The word was choked as emotion clogged her throat. “The surgeon said everything went well, but you sure did take a long time to join us again.”
A small smile lifted his lips. “Was dreaming about you. Were you worried?”
Her chin quivered as the realization set in. She could have lost him, and she fought the urge to grab him up and never let go. “Yeah. I was worried.”
With a sigh, he lifted his good arm. “Don’t cry, angel. Looks like I’m going to be okay.”
She gently lay down on his good side as the tears slid into her hairline. His body was warm, and she melted into the embrace. “I’m so glad. I’ve been praying for hours.”
He pulled her closer. “I’m fine. Really. I want to know how you’re doing. What have I missed?”
A laugh bubbled inside her. “Oh, where do I begin? First, we found Anthony.”
“I remember that part.” He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Are you happy to have him back?”
“You have no idea.” She wiped her eyes on her sleeve. “He was looking for someone too. His sister, Zoe.”
Zach squirmed at the news. “What? Really?”
“Really, really. He didn’t know about her. She’s a good bit younger than us, but when he found out she went into the foster system and then went missing, he started looking for her.”
“Man, I can’t imagine what she went through,” Zach said.
“I haven’t had the courage to ask her yet, but she’s incredibly grateful to be away from Eric.”
“She has no idea how lucky she is. You’ll get her on her feet in no time. Ask me how I know.”
She let her fingers drag along the scrap of bandage sticking out of the collar of his hospital gown. “I got an extra family member. How cool is that?”
Zach huffed. “You’ve got family everywhere you turn in Blackwater.”
“That’s the truth, but they’re your friends too. This place has been busier than Grand Central Station since you were admitted.”
“Shoot, I hate that I slept through it,” he joked.
“You’d better get used to having people care about you. The news has already spread through town.”
Zach’s hand moved slowly over her arm. After a few minutes of silence, she expected his next question.
“Did they catch Eric?”
The truth washed over her in a sickening wave. She’d never get used to telling it. “I shot him,” she whispered.
Zach’s hold on her tightened. “I’m so sorry, angel.” He let out a bone-deep sigh. “You shouldn’t have had to do that.”
“He was going to shoot Anthony. I couldn’t let that happen. You told me once to choose myself, but I had to choose someone else.”
“I hate this,” he whispered.
“Our friends have been so helpful. They haven’t left me alone, even for a second. I just…don’t know how to handle the guilt. I shot someone.”
“Where is he now?” Zach asked.
“He’s been transferred to a more secure hospital. He’s still in critical condition.”
There was a knock at the door a second before the nurse walked in. The tall, young man reached for the box of gloves. “You’re awake. I’m Todd, your nurse for the rest of the day. How are you feeling?”
“Like I’ve been shot in the shoulder,” Zach said.
Lauren tried to sit up, but Zach held her tight. The nurse took vitals and asked questions. A doctor arrived soon after to explain the surgery and what could be expected during the recovery.
They spent the afternoon resting and talking. For a while, she could focus on the future and the hope waiting there, even in the storms.
There was a knock at the door, and Anthony slowly stepped inside.
Lauren sat up straighter beside Zach. “Hey. I didn’t know you were coming back.”
Anthony rubbed the back of his neck. “I was hoping I could have a word with Zach.”
She hadn’t left his side except to be questioned, but the look on Anthony’s face said a difficult conversation lay ahead of him. “Of course.” She leaned over and pressed a kiss to Zach’s forehead. “I’m going to swing by the cafeteria, but I’ll be back soon.”
She lifted the strap of her purse over her shoulder and gave Anthony a pat on the shoulder as she passed. “It’s okay. He’s not the man you think he is,” she whispered.
Anthony gave her a single nod. “I think I believe that.”