“Did they miss because our hearts are off-center?” At one point the doctors had been worried that more of their organs weren’t in the normal position, but it turned out that their off-center heart might have been a good thing.
“It’s possible.”
“And the carving on his back?”
Her dad squeezed her hand. “You saw it. It’s the Granger insignia. Not only does Will’s bar display the double G sign prominently, Josh’s Double G Ranch sign is there for anyone to see.”
“Whoever did this was aware Zach was a Granger, not just some forest ranger.”
Her dad nodded. “I’m guessing that the call for help at the climbing site was a ruse to get him out there.”
“Can you check his phone and trace the call?”
“I will do that when I have a moment. I just learned that my son was shot.”
“I know. I’m sorry. Have you told Mom?” she asked.
“Not yet. I haven’t called anyone. You know your mother, though. She’ll worry too much. When Zach recovers, I can tell her about his brush with death.”
It was a lot more than just a brush of death. “You don’t plan on letting Dan, Mason, or Brandon know either? They might be next. And what about your brothers? They’re Grangers. They have to be careful.”
“Let’s give Zach a few more hours. He’s warm and pumped full of all sorts of healing stuff. For all we know, he might walk out of that room on his own in a few hours. When he does, we’ll decide who to tell and what to tell them.”
“Okay. But if he isn’t having a beer at Will’s bar by tomorrow night, all bets are off. Don’t forget Alex and Liam will probably be training some Granger tomorrow. You need to tell them not to let anyone know what happened.”
He stabbed his fingers through his thinning hair. “I will. Look, it could be hours before your brother rouses. What do you say we grab something to eat?”
Tawny was starving. “What will Mom say when you aren’t home for dinner?”
He grunted and then pulled out his phone. “You win. I’ll call her. Knowing your mom, if I keep what happened to Zach a secret, she might leave me.” He actually huffed out a chuckle, because that would never happen. Those two were soulmates.
Tawny might have excellent hearing, but she didn’t need it to hear the anxiety and then the relief pour through the phone. The conversation was short. Her mother was coming over to Uncle Augustine’s house.
The back room door opened again, and Dr. David Weston exited. He pulled down his mask. The gloves he must have discarded beforehand. She and her dad jumped up.
“Well?” Tawny asked.
“Like I told your dad, Zach will be fine. Once he shifts, it will take his wolf a few hours to completely heal.”
“Is he conscious?” she asked.
“He is. Zach just woke up, and he’s asking for you, Tawny.”
She didn’t even ask if her dad wanted to come in. She just ran to her twin. As she neared, her heart beat stronger. It was as if the two were in sync once more. When she stepped into the room, Zach’s eyes were closed, but he slowly opened them and smiled.
“Hey. How are you feeling?” It was a dumb question. He’d just been through surgery.
“I’m alive. I thought they’d killed me.”
“Who?”
Zach coughed, and her heart nearly stopped. She should leave, but she didn’t want to.
“I didn’t ask their names, but they were a man and a woman. Both human. They said their friend had fallen at the climbing site. As I headed in the direction of the slab, they shot me in the back. I thought once I fell to my knees that I would have been able to get right up, but I think the bullets were laced with a sedative.”
“How did you get to the cave then?” Tawny asked.
Zach dragged a hand down his face and closed his eyes. “I don’t know.” His words were a whisper.