“Okay.”
Hal did feel dizzy and sick and short of breath, and the pain was getting worse. But he could take it. He was strong and tough. He was a shifter. And he’d do anything to protect his mate.
Hold on, his bear rumbled. Keep your mate safe.
Hal pressed his hand tighter against his side, and drove on.
Chapter Six
Ellie
Hal was silent as he sped along the freeway, his body tense and his rugged features taut with pain. As they passed the city limits, a hard rain began to fall. Ellie huddled in her seat, cold despite the hot air coming through the heating system. Now that the initial shock had worn off, the reality of what had happened was sinking in.
Nagle had tried to kill her, and had nearly succeeded.
If Hal was right, he’d been betrayed by one of his own team members. No wonder he was so quiet and grim. The thought of it saddened her, and she’d only just met them. It had to be ten times more of a blow to Hal, who thought of them like his family.
If Nagle could get to Hal’s own team, Ellie really wasn’t safe in Santa Martina. She might not be safe anywhere.
Ellie stared blankly out the window, lost in depressing thoughts. She barely noticed as the city streets gave way to broad highways cutting through fields, then narrow highways cutting through a forest. The rain turned to hail, clattering off the roof and windshield like thrown pebbles. Finally snow began to fall. The white flakes fell lightly at first, then more heavily. The black strip of highway became salt-and-pepper, and then pure white.
Ellie turned to Hal to ask him if he had snow chains for the tires. The road must be getting slick and treacherous with ice and snow.
“Do you—” She broke off, staring at him.
Hal’s tanned face had gone pale. Though the car was merely warm, he was sweating heavily. He stared straight ahead, eyes glassy and jaw clenched. His entire body was stiff with pain, his right hand locked around the steering wheel in a death grip and his left still pressed to his side. Now that the loud clatter of hail had turned to the silent fall of snow, she could hear him breathing, shallow and fast.
Ellie’s heart stuttered with fear. Hal’s injuries had to be more serious than he’d realized.
“You are hurt.”
“Just the cracked ribs.” His voice was strained.
“Do they normally make you sweat like that?” Ellie touched his cheek. His skin was cold, a sign of shock. She put a finger beneath his jaw, feeling for his pulse.
He tried to pull his head aside. “Stop it. I’m fine.”
She kept her fingers where they were, though they slid against the cold sweat that drenched his skin. His pulse was weak; she had to press hard to feel it all. When she d
id locate it, she didn’t need to check her watch to know that it was too fast.
“Pull over,” Ellie said. “I need to examine you. I think you have internal injuries.”
“Can’t. Have to keep going.”
Anger surged through her. Hal must have known for some time that the bullet had done more damage than cracked ribs, but he’d said nothing while she’d uselessly sat and stared out the window, refusing to let her help him even though she was completely qualified to do so. Didn’t he trust her at all?
“Goddammit, Hal, pull over,” Ellie demanded. “I’m a paramedic. I know what I’m doing.”
“I know,” Hal replied. She could hear now how hard it was for him to talk. “But I need to get you to safety. We’re almost there. You can check me when we arrive.”
“We’ve already wasted too much time,” Ellie retorted, frustrated and worried. “Hal, what part of ‘internal bleeding’ did you not understand? You need to go to a hospital. Immediately.”
He shook his head, wincing. “I can’t. Nagle’s men might be there. It wouldn’t be safe for you.”
Ellie couldn’t believe her ears. “For me? Safe for me? Forget me! You could die!”
Hal pried one hand off the steering wheel to touch her shoulder. He probably meant it to be a reassuring pat, but his hand was clumsy and graceless. It smacked into her shoulder, then slid down and hung limp at his side. He leaned forward, blinking and frowning at the road ahead.