Gina's Private Police Force [Men of Montana 3] (Siren Publishing Menage Amour) (19 page)

Morgan had moved the broken windshield aside, giving him a clear area to crawl under the hood of the truck. He turned over onto his back and was now lying with his head near Jared’s. Andrew, one of the paramedics, was crawling under the hood also, a backboard in hand.

“Ok, Jared,” Morgan’s authoritative voice boomed within the tight confines of the cab. “I need you to hold onto her shoulders as much as you can while Kyle cuts her loose. We don’t want her jostled around once she becomes free. Once she’s loose, Andrew is going to slip the backboard in. We want to get her head, neck, and back onto the board first and then Kyle will pull her hips and legs down. Got it?”

“Yes,” Jared answered curtly.

Connor watched as the four men worked in unison to cut his love loose, hold her up so she wasn’t injured further, and then slowly lower her to the backboard. Once she was down, Jake, the other paramedic, squeezed in around Kyle and strapped her down to the board so she wouldn’t move during transport.

Kyle helped Jake move Gina’s prone body away from the truck as Andrew and Morgan climbed out from under the hood of the truck. Connor helped Jared out from his spot from the inverted top of the cab. Once he was out, they rushed around to their woman as she was laid out on the gurney, still strapped to the backboard.

They were both concerned with the injury to her head and how much it was bleeding. She was pale, which scared Connor as he stood and watched the paramedics perform their duties necessary before transport.

His attention was interrupted when Trey called out for him and Jared. Walking over to where he stood behind the truck, he felt his deputy and partner right behind him. Lawrence walked up to them from the opposite direction.

“Looks like she was hit from behind.” Trey pointed out the damage to the tailgate.

“Couldn’t that be from the impact of the crash?” Connor asked knowing better.

“No,” Trey said moving closer to the metal gate of the pickup. Pointing out chips of black paint on the white pickup he asked, “See this? There is nothing here with black paint on it, and this is pretty fresh. From the shape of the dents, I’m going to say it was a larger truck, probably jacked up with hydraulics and a wench on the front of it.”

Anger began to seep into Connor’s bloodstream at the thought that someone deliberately ran Gina off the road. “And there is only one person with a truck like that in the area.”

“Wilson,” Trey and Jared said in unison. Then Jared added, “But he’s out of town for two weeks. He left three days ago for his Reserve duty.”

Wilson Jameson had served in the Marines with Jared and had moved up here after his last tour of Afghanistan six months ago. Remaining loyal to his country, he continued his service with the National Guard Reserves. Married, he took his wife along with him on his two week stint so she wouldn’t be isolated by herself in a town she wasn’t that familiar with. Jared knew it could have been easy for someone to notice they were gone and steal the truck.

Trey took a few more snapshots. “I’m done here. You two head to the hospital with Lawrence. Austin and I will go check out Wilson’s place.”

Lawrence started to walk back to Connor’s Tahoe but then stopped. “Here comes Angela and Wolf.”

Like brother, like sister. Wolf’s truck hadn’t come to a full stop when the red-headed woman jumped out and ran over to Connor. Throwing her arms around him, she pulled him to her, bestowing him comfort as he had done so many times over the years.

As the two had grown up, Connor had been her cornerstone and when Owen had taken her and he thought he had lost her, he never shed a tear. Now, with roles reversed, he felt the tears rise in his eyes and he felt ashamed that he hadn’t done that for her.

Holding onto his only sibling as if she were going to disappear, he cried on her shoulder. Knowing for the first time in his life the value of family, thanks to Gina, he had a lot of errors to make up for and a lot of living to do in the future. Though, he didn’t want to go on if they lost her before they fully became a family.

“I’m so sorry, Ang,” he murmured through his tears against the parka she wore.

Not disengaging the embrace, Angela stiffened. “What for? You didn’t do this.”

Shaking his head, he said, “No, I know. I’m sorry I was such a rotten brother to you. I didn’t know what family was until now. Please forgive me.”

Arms tightened around him, not just from his sister, but from her lover also as Lawrence hugged him from behind. Angela’s voice was soft. “There is nothing to be sorry for, Connor. We survived how we could. I just want you to know I’m here for you anytime you need me. I’ll look after Nathan, so don’t worry about him. Go take care of your woman.”

Lawrence spoke. “Yes, Connor. We are all a family now and we love you. Whatever you need, just ask. Even when you want to spend time with Gina alone after she recuperates, just ask.”

Nodding, Connor tightened his hold on Angela one last time before pulling away. Turning, he hugged Lawrence in a big bear hug before he walked toward the ambulance where they were loading Gina into.

Angela took a few steps and gathered Jared into her arms. “Same for you, Jared. We are family now and you can depend on us. We’ll be praying for you guys.”

Once breaking the embrace, Lawrence threw his arm around his fellow co-worker’s shoulders and led him over to the ambulance. Andrew was letting Connor know Gina was still unconscious so they might as well ride with Lawrence to Kalispell.

Connor and Jared both leaned over and kissed her lips carefully, avoiding the several cuts there she had suffered, before Andrew and Jake pushed the gurney into the vehicle. Getting back into the Tahoe, they followed the ambulance to the hospital, both praying Gina would be all right.

* * * *

Several hours later, the waiting room at Kalispell Medical Center was filled to capacity. This was becoming too familiar to all of the occupants, while some of them were new to this process. The nurses still seemed to ogle the cowboys that sat around the room, all very interested in the masculine bodies within the mostly testosterone-filled area.

Connor, still dressed in his uniform, and Jared, in jeans and a black T-shirt, sat near the doorway while Angela sat between Wolf and Lawrence who now had Nathan cuddled up to his chest, asleep. Trey and Austin sat further down next to Wolf with James, Kevin, and David sitting with Anita, who today was childless. Glen sat across from Connor and Jared, a sad, defeated look upon his face.

When the rotund man had heard on the police scanner he kept in his kitchen that Gina was being rushed to the hospital, he hung his apron up, tossed his keys to Tanya, and left in a hurry. Now, he was furious with Connor and Jared. Not just angry as he was before for them taking Gina away from him, but furious that she had gotten hurt, especially after they promised they’d take care of her.

Anita had remembered how important it was to have support while waiting for answers from the medical staff and she wanted to show support to the people that had welcomed her with open arms into their circle. About an hour previous she had brought in snacks and drinks for everyone, for she was certain they all missed lunch. She would forever be grateful for the support of all these people in her darkest hours after her husband had died in a logging accident, leaving her three small children to raise. And in that time, she had also found three men to love her and accept her and her children as theirs.

Doc Anderson stopped at the door and looked around at the tired and concerned group. Connor and Jared jumped up and crowded around him. “I thought I told you guys a month ago I don’t want to see you in here again so soon.”

Connor knew by the doctor’s joking that things were going to be fine with Gina, but that didn’t mean they were to be less concerned. Also, they had to worry about finding out who hurt her, though he had a pretty good idea after what he saw on his computer before he got the call about Gina’s accident.

“How is she, Doc?” Jared asked anxiously shifting from one foot to the other.

Doc took a deep breath before speaking. “She’s going to be fine. The worst injury was to her head. She has a concussion and I want to keep her overnight to make sure there are no complications. There are contusions, bruises, and cuts that’ll have to heal but otherwise she’ll be fine.”

“When can we see her?” Gina’s two lovers asked in unison.

Doc Anderson chuckled. “They are taking her to her room, so wait about ten minutes before heading up there. The nurses will be able to tell you what room she’s in when you get there.”

“Thanks, Doc,” Connor said, extending his hand out to the older gentleman. Shaking hands, Connor realized how much the doctor had done for them lately. “We really do appreciate all the help you’ve given all of us in the past few months. All of us do.”

Murmurs and comments of thanks echoed behind him and Doc Anderson actually blushed at the compliment. “No thanks needed guys. I have watched most of you grow up and some of you not until recently have we met, but you actually make me feel young again.”

Extending his own hand, Jared shook hands with the doctor and Connor noticed the moisture in his eyes. A thought crossed his mind as the realization hit him. Apparently the hard-core ex-Marine had been softened by our woman.

“I just wanted to let you know you’ve been a godsend to us, Doc. Thanks again,” Connor said again.

Nodding, the Doc began to turn away but stopped. Stepping closer to Connor and Jared, he lowered his voice. “I’ll be back tomorrow to check on Gina. I’ll do that examination she wanted.” Smiling, he winked at the two younger men and walked again, leaving the group to breathe a sigh of relief at the news.

The thumping in her head was excruciating. The spot on her forehead throbbed and she felt as if her brain was going to pop out at any moment. Gina was thankful to be conscious. The entire time she was unconscious she kept reliving the truck ramming hers before she went off the road. The face behind the wheel had been familiar but she couldn’t quite place it since it seemed scarred and menacing.

Unfortunately, while conscious, she kept worrying about her son and the lovers she thought she would lose if she died. Thankfully Doc Anderson told her she was going to be fine, but now she worried about what Connor was going to say about his truck.

Fretting, she wrung her hands in her lap on top of the scratchy thin blanket covering her from the waist down. The hospital gown wasn’t much better as it was scratchy and stiff. Glancing out the window, she noticed the sun was low in the sky and she had to wonder how long she had been unconscious.

The steady thud of booted footsteps, sounding as if they were getting closer to her room, seemed to feed the little men pounding within her brain. When the footsteps stopped, she looked over at the door and found Connor and Jared standing just inside the room, strain and concern written all over their faces.

Still fearful of Connor’s anger about the truck, she was still thankful to see their wonderful faces, which helped relieve some of the pain she was enduring. At that moment, she wanted to be curled up between them, letting their bodies warm her and relieve her fears of the incident she had been through.

As if they could read her mind, both men rushed over to her on opposite sides of the bed and grabbed a hand. Mirroring each other’s movements, they picked up the dainty hand and brought it to their lips. Jared kissed her fingertips while Connor kissed the palm of her hand and while each kiss was different, the effect was the same as heat travelled up her arms and then straight down through her breasts to her pussy. Sparks ignited the fiery desire within her just being with these two men and she felt very lucky to be theirs.

A chuckle emanated from both of them, but it was Jared that spoke, which concerned her on where she sat with Connor and his truck.

“Oh, baby,” Jared’s husky voice said, reverberating against her hand. “No matter how much we want you right now or you want us, we’ll have to wait until you have recuperated before we can enjoy your lovin’.”

Wondering if Connor shared the same sentiment, Gina felt she needed to get past the destruction of Connor’s truck. Looking directly at the sheriff, she offered, trying to keep her voice from shaking, “I’m so sorry about your truck.”

When silence filled the room she feared the worst. Connor had to clear his voice twice before speaking. “Sweetness, are you kidding me? All I’m interested in is making sure you are all right, but you think I’m going to be mad about my truck?”

Tears filled her eyes at his comment as she nodded her head.

“Oh, baby, please don’t ever compare me to what your ex-husband would have done in a situation like this,” he practically begged. “It was a truck. I can move past that. I love you and you are what ‘s important to me,” he said, kissing the palm of her hand again. His voice cracked when he resumed speaking. “When I heard you scream and the crunch of the metal on the phone, I thought for certain I had lost you. Then when I went out and saw you unconscious and trapped in the truck, I thought the worst again. If I could have been in the truck instead of you, I would gladly accept your injuries as mine.”

Gina’s heart pounded within her chest at his words. She never could imagine real men speaking so lovingly and deep as Connor had. The books she had read had men spouting sentiments such as that, but she never thought a man would say that to her.