Jonas laughed. “Love you, too, sweetie.”
As Deanna sat patiently waiting for the nurse to finish taking her blood pressure, she looked over at her mom and smiled. Her mother looked ready to cry, and Deanna quickly reassured her once the nurse finished and left to get the doctor.
“See? My blood pressure is normal. I’m perfectly fine.”
“The doctor needs to examine you still,” she chastised. “Just sit tight.”
Wade, Jonas, and Dean all stood around, staring at her. “I feel like an idiot with you all here. Ray never touched me, I promise.” She didn’t think they needed to know about him practically throwing her into the house.
Her mom’s lip quivered. “You could’ve been shot, Deanna.” She covered her eyes with one of her hands, her shoulders shaking as she let the tears fall. “Oh, God, I couldn’t stand it if I’d lost you too.”
Deanna stepped off the table and went to her mom, pulling her into her arms. “I love you, Mom.”
Her mother hugged her tight. “I love you, too, so much.”
Wade and Dean were there in an instant, and the four of them embraced. When her mom quieted, they released each other. Wade sent Jonas a quick smile. “Heck, Mom, Jonas wasn’t about to let our girl get hurt. Believe me, she’s in good hands.”
“He’s right, Mom,” Dean said, surprising them all by offering his own complimentary two cents. “Jonas had the situation under control.”
Guilt assailed Deanna as the horrible truth hit. Jonas so easily could’ve been killed, and she’d just sat there, like some ninny, not lifting a finger to stop Ray. As if tuned in to her thoughts, Jonas crossed the few feet separating them and took her hand in his and squeezed. “You okay, kitten?”
She nodded, unable to speak past the lump in her throat. How could she ever explain in words how much she cared about him? How empty her life would be without him in it? She could’ve lost him—all because she’d needed a few swatches of material.
“Kitten?” she heard Wade ask. Jonas chuckled, which managed to drag a curse from Dean.
“Hush, the three of you,” her mother admonished. “I swear sometimes it’s like trying to round up chickens with you three boys.”
Jonas bit his lip and looked down at the floor. Wade and Dean both snickered. Deanna attempted to smile, but it felt hollow. In her mind, the scene inside Valdez’s living room played on a constant loop. Jonas walking in. Ray raising the gun and pointing it at his chest. The crazed look in his eyes as Jonas tried to reason with him. And her, doing absolutely nothing. Bile rose in her throat. The image would stay with her forever.
After a doctor examined and released Deanna, they all had to go to the police station to fill out statements and answer questions. Now, at a little past midnight, Jonas had Deanna in the passenger seat of his car. He’d promised her that he’d take her back to her place, but the silence, and her refusal to look at him, slowly tore at Jonas.
“Wade and Dean took care of your car,” he said, hoping to draw her out. “It should be at your house by now.”
“Thank you.”
Her quiet voice seemed entirely too far away. Jonas began to grow more and more concerned. “Won’t you look at me, kitten?”
She shrugged but didn’t take her gaze off the passenger side window.
It bothered Jonas that she wouldn’t look directly into his eyes. “It’s over now, Deanna. You’re safe.”
She turned finally and their gazes clashed. Her eyes were puffy from crying, and he wanted nothing more than to hold her in his arms.
“It’s not that,” Deanna said as she clenched her eyes tight and covered her face with her palms.
Jonas reached over and brought one of her hands away from her face, then gave it a little squeeze. “What is it? Talk to me.”
She sighed and slumped against the seat. “I keep seeing Ray pointing that gun at you. You could’ve died and there would’ve been nothing I could do to stop him, Jonas.”
Jonas couldn’t be more surprised. “That’s what’s upsetting you? Fear for me?”
“I panicked and just sat there,” she cried out. “I couldn’t breathe, Jonas. I thought he was going to kill you and I just sat there.”
When she started to cry big, silent tears, Jonas felt like someone was ripping him apart from the inside. “Stop, damn it,” Jonas gently ordered as he brought her hand to his lips for a kiss. “Stop beating yourself up or I swear I’ll spank your ass.”
Deanna laughed and Jonas thought she sounded close to hysterics. “As far as threats, that’s a lousy one.”
“Why, because you think I won’t do it?”