Chapter 4 - Stay With Me
The ambulance took eleven minutes.
Vincent thought it took eleven years.
He rode with Emma.
Aaron stayed with the twins.
A paramedic cut through Emma’s sweater.
Vincent stared at the blood.
“Her pressure is dropping,” the paramedic said.
“Fix it.”
The man looked at him.
“We’re trying.”
“Try harder.”
Emma suddenly coughed.
Her eyes opened.
“Vincent?”
He leaned closer.
“I’m here.”
“Kids?”
“Safe.”
“You already said that.”
“Then stop asking.”
Her mouth moved slightly.
“You’re bossy.”
His hand closed around hers.
“You noticed.”
The paramedic glanced between them.
“Sir, keep her talking.”
Vincent leaned closer.
“You still owe me a replacement for that six-thousand-dollar blanket.”
Emma’s eyes barely stayed open.
“Noah spilled juice.”
“You allowed it.”
“Fire me.”
“Absolutely not.”
“Then… stop complaining.”
Her eyes closed again.
“Emma.”
The monitor changed.
“Emma!”
Doctors were waiting when they reached the hospital.
Vincent followed the stretcher until a nurse blocked him.
“You can’t come farther.”
“I’m going with her.”
“No, sir.”
Aaron arrived twenty minutes later with the twins and four security men.
Noah ran toward his father.
“Where is she?”
Vincent crouched.
“Doctors are helping her.”
Lily’s face crumpled.
“She pushed me down.”
“I know.”
“She got hurt because of us.”
“No.”
Vincent took both children by their shoulders.
“Listen to me. What happened is because a bad man made a terrible choice. Emma getting hurt is not your fault.”
Noah looked toward the operating-room doors.
“She saved us.”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
Vincent looked at the closed doors.
“Because she loves you.”
The answer came too easily.
That frightened him almost as much as the shooting.
Hours passed.
Finally, a surgeon approached.
“Mr. Calder?”
Vincent stood.
“The bullet entered near the right shoulder and caused significant damage, but it missed her heart.”
Vincent exhaled for what felt like the first time all night.
“She’s alive?”
“Yes.”
Lily began crying.
The surgeon continued.
“She lost a dangerous amount of blood. The next twenty-four hours matter.”
“Can I see her?”
“One person.”
Vincent looked at the twins.
“Let them.”
The surgeon shook his head.
“Not yet.”
So Vincent entered alone.
Emma looked impossibly small beneath the hospital blankets.
Machines surrounded her.
He sat beside the bed.
For several minutes, he said nothing.
Then Emma’s eyes opened.
“You look awful.”
Vincent laughed once.
It surprised both of them.
“You were shot and you’re insulting me.”
“I’m consistent.”
He leaned forward.
“Why did you do it?”
Her expression changed.
“What?”
“You knew what would happen.”
“No.”
“You saw the gun.”
“I saw Noah.”
“You could have been killed.”
Emma stared at him.
“So could he.”
“That doesn’t answer me.”
“Yes, it does.”
Vincent looked away.
Emma watched him.
“You’re angry.”
“I’m furious.”
“At me?”
“At everyone.”
“That sounds exhausting.”
He looked back at her.
“You almost died.”
“But I didn’t.”
His voice dropped.
“I barely trusted you.”
Emma’s eyes softened.
“I know.”
“And you protected them anyway.”
“They’re children, Vincent. Trust had nothing to do with it.”
That sentence stayed with him.
Because almost everything in Vincent’s world had a price.
Loyalty had a price.
Silence had a price.
Protection had a price.
Emma had asked for nothing.
Outside the room, Aaron received a call.
His face darkened.
He entered quietly.
“Boss.”
Vincent looked up.
“We identified the shooter.”
“Elias?”
Aaron shook his head.
“No.”
Vincent stood.
“Then who?”
Aaron hesitated.
“Someone on our payroll.”
Emma heard him.
Vincent’s expression turned deadly.
“Who?”
Aaron closed the door.
“Your head of estate security.”
Vincent stared at him.
“Martin Shaw?”
Aaron nodded.
May you like
“And he wasn’t working alone.”
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