Blaecleah Brothers 5: Cowboy Up (13 page)

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Ruben’s heart stuttered in his chest when he heard the gunshot from outside. He knew something horrible had happened to Elijah. He just knew it. He thrust Alani into Ma’s arms and ran for the front porch, yelling for his brothers to watch after his daughter over his shoulder.

“Ruben, no!” Lachlan shouted as Ruben’s shoulder hit the front door, slamming it open.

Ruben ignored the man and pushed right on through the doorway.

He needed to get to Elijah, but he wasn’t stupid. The second he was out on the porch, he crouched down low and hid himself behind the porch railing.

“Elijah?”

“He’s down, son.”

Ruben’s gaze snapped to the left. Da was hunched down behind one of the chairs. Elijah lay on the porch floor just inches from Da.

Dark red blood pooled under Elijah, and he wasn’t moving.

“Is he…is he…” Ruben felt tears start to stream down his face.

“Da?”

“He’s alive, Ruben, just unconscious.” A small sob of gratitude to the powers that be escaped Ruben’s lips. “How badly is he hurt, Da?”

“He’s been shot, Son. He needs an ambulance.”

“We need to get him into the house.”

“Just give it a moment, son. I saw Elijah’s friend take off in the direction the shot came from. Let him track whoever is shooting at us before we move. If the shooter is still out there, he might not miss next time.”

Ruben nodded, but all he wanted to do was get to Elijah’s side and hold him, reassure himself that his love was alive. He looked around the darkness and tried to see something, anything.

Nothing.

Snow was falling to the ground just past the porch roof, but it fell silently to the ground. It was eerily silent. Under normal circumstances, Ruben would have enjoyed the quiet night. He might even have brought Alani outside to see it.

Nothing about this situation was normal.

Ruben screamed and swung out with his fist when he felt a hand come down on his shoulder. He heard a grunt then his hands were suddenly caught and held behind his back.

“That fucking hurt!”

“Yancy?”

“Who in the hell did you think it was?” Ruben slumped against the huge man. “Oh my gods, Yancy. You scared the crap out of me.”

Yancy chuckled. “I do tend to have that effect on gorgeous men, honey.”

Ruben snorted and pulled away from Yancy, slugging him in the shoulder. Yancy yelped, even though Ruben knew he hadn’t hurt the guy. A bus couldn’t hurt Yancy. Ruben just rolled his eyes and turned back to Da and Elijah.

“Did you find anything?” Ruben asked as he glanced over his shoulder. “Is it safe to go to Elijah?”

“It’s safe, honey.”

That was all Ruben needed to hear. He scrambled across the porch and settled down next to Elijah. He had had a bit of medical training while in Africa, most of it from Mahra. He’d seen more than his fair share of gunshot wounds. As he looked at Elijah’s, probing around the edges with his fingers, he felt his heart start beating again.

“Did someone call an ambulance?” he called out without looking away from Elijah.

“Your ma did,” Da answered.

“I need towels and a blanket to cover Elijah. He shouldn’t be moved until the paramedics get here.” Ruben pressed his hand down over the wound to stop the bleeding. It wasn’t much, but a drop was more than Ruben could handle. Elijah shouldn’t be bleeding at all.

This was his fault, and Ruben knew it. He had brought this down on his family. He should have stayed in Africa. It was safer for his family. Maybe it would be better if he just left and went back, or to one of the other hundreds of places he had visited during his time away from the ranch. He had met and made friends with a lot of people all over the world. They would help hide him and Alani.

“Now, son,” Da said as he moved over to kneel on the other side of Elijah, “I can see where your head is going, and you just need to forget about that. We’re your family, and we’re here to help you.” Ruben shook his head. “Da, I—”

“You didn’t do this, Ruben.”

“But I did, Da. I might not have pulled the trigger, but this is my fault.” Ruben swallowed hard as he held up one bloody hand in the porch light. “This is Elijah’s blood. It never would have happened if I had stayed in Africa.”

“Son—”

“It’s true, and you know it.”

“That’s like saying what Clem did to me was my fault.” Ruben’s eyes snapped up to see Billy standing in the doorway wrapped in Rourke’s arms. He stared at the man for a moment and shook his head. “It’s not the same thing, Billy.”

“It is the same thing!” Billy shouted. “You didn’t do this.

Someone else did this. You have no control over what other people do. You know it, and I know it. If you did, Janice never would have shown her face around here.”

Ruben blinked. Billy wasn’t one to speak out a whole lot. He either kept things to himself or spoke through Rourke, his husband.

The only people he really felt comfortable around were the members of the Blaecleah clan. With Yancy standing there, a total stranger, Ruben was surprised that Billy had spoken at all.

Still…Ruben shook his head. He knew Billy was trying to help, but he was wrong. Janice was off her rocker, and she never would have shown up at the ranch if he hadn’t been there, or created his darling daughter, or—

“Aaawww!” Ruben rubbed his thigh where Elijah had pinched him. He—“Elijah.” Ruben’s head swung down to look at his love.

Elijah’s deep-blue eyes were staring up at him, and they were not happy.

“I love you, Ru, but you’re being an idiot.”

“Elijah—”

“Do you honestly think that Africa is any better?” Elijah asked.

“You lost someone you cared about in Africa because people were shooting at you. What if it had been Alani? At least here she has family all around her that cares about her.” Ruben’s shoulders slumped. He knew when he was beat. He was still going to do everything within his power to put Janice behind bars and keep his family safe, but he wouldn’t leave.

Elijah started chuckling as he patted Ruben’s arm. When it turned into a groan filled with pain, Ruben forgot all about his argument and leaned over the man, pressing on his chest again. “I swear, Elijah Adrian James, if you ever get shot again, I won’t speak to you for a week.”

“Now, there’s a threat.” Rourke snickered.

“Rourke!” Billy exclaimed.

“I’m just saying, baby.”

“It’s not nice. Elijah is family now.”

“Yeah.” Rourke grinned. “And that means I get to treat him like family.”

Ruben blinked up at the two men for a moment. They felt like Elijah was family now? He glanced around at the rest of the faces of his family. Some were worried, others amused, but every last one of them was surrounding him and Elijah—with the exception of Ma, Lachlan, and Asa. Ruben assumed they were inside watching over his daughter.

Ruben started to smile as he looked back down at Elijah. He was worried about how pale Elijah’s face looked. He had suffered a lot of blood loss, and he had to be in unimaginable pain.

“The bullet was a through and through, Eli,” he said. “And it doesn’t look like it hit any major veins or bones. The doctor should be able to stitch you right up. I’ll bet you’ll be home by tomorrow.” Ruben didn’t believe a word of what he was saying, and the small smirk on Elijah’s face said he knew it. True, no major veins or bones had been hit, and the bullet had gone right through Elijah’s shoulder.

But he wouldn’t be home tomorrow. The doctor was sure to keep him for a few days at least.

“I’m going to be fine, Ru,” Elijah whispered.

Ruben swallowed past the tears clogging his throat and nodded. “I know.”

“The ambulance is here, Ruben.”

Ruben glanced up at Da then down the driveway. He could see the red-and-blue flashing lights as three vehicles drove up the driveway—

one ambulance and two police vehicles. Ruben sighed deeply. He knew there would be questions. He doubted he would be allowed to go to the hospital with Elijah.

“Elijah, I—”

“Right breast pocket, Ru.”

Ruben blinked. “Da, there’s something in Elijah’s right breast pocket. Can you get it out? I don’t want to let go of the pressure on his chest.”

Da reached into Elijah’s suit pocket and pulled out a piece of paper a moment later. He opened it up and started reading. Ruben frowned when Da whistled low in his throat. “What is it?” Da glanced down at Elijah. “Do you want to tell him or should I?” Elijah winced. “You.”

“What is it?” Ruben snapped. He was going out of his mind wondering.

“It’s a copy of a paper that Elijah filed with the court system this morning. It’s a living will and power of attorney giving you complete control over any and all medical decisions concerning Elijah Adrian James. It also states that in the event of his incapacity, you have any and all legal rights to him and everything he owns.” Ruben’s eyebrows shot up as he listened to Da. He glanced down at Elijah in shock. “Are you serious?”

“Hell, yeah.” Elijah started to chuckle then grabbed his chest, groaning loudly. “Damn, I have got to stop doing that.”

“Elijah, why would you do that?”

Elijah’s blood-splattered hand covered Ruben’s where they were pressed over his chest. “Love you.”

Before Ruben could reply, the paramedics arrived and he was pushed out of the way. He stayed close, bouncing from foot to foot as Elijah was worked on. When they loaded him up on a gurney and started wheeling him toward the ambulance, Ruben hurried after them.

He waited until Elijah was loaded and the ambulance was about to pull out before stepping forward. “Can you give me just a minute?” he asked of the paramedic. “I need to speak to him before he goes to the hospital.”

The woman stared at him for a moment then nodded. “But just a minute. We need to get Mr. James to the hospital.” Ruben nodded and climbed into the back of the ambulance. He scooted forward until he could grab Elijah’s hand and stare down into his eyes. He smiled weakly and smoothed back a curl of black hair from Elijah’s face.

“Hey, you.”

“Hey.” Elijah’s response was muffled by the oxygen mask over his face, but Ruben could hear him.

“I love you,” Ruben whispered.

“Love you.”

“And I’m going to marry you when you come home.” Even with the oxygen mask on his face, there was no way for Ruben to miss the smile that covered Elijah’s face.

“Okay.”

“I’m sorry, Mr. Blaecleah, but we really need to get Mr. James to the hospital.”

Ruben nodded at the woman then leaned down and kissed the top of Elijah’s hand before setting it down on his chest. “I love you, and I will be to the hospital as soon as I’m done with the sheriff.”

“Alani.”

Ruben grinned. “Don’t worry. I’ll bring our daughter.” That answer seemed to satisfy Elijah. He exhaled softly, and then his eyes fluttered closed. Ruben glanced up to the paramedic in concern. She just smiled at him.

“He’s going to be fine.”

Ruben reluctantly climbed out of the ambulance and shut the doors. He wrapped his arms around his stomach as the ambulance pulled out and drove down the driveway. He felt like his heart was leaving with the red-and-blue flashing lights. He should have been allowed to go with Elijah, and he wanted to. Desperately.

But finding out who shot Elijah was a better use of his time, and he knew it. He didn’t want to bring Elijah home to someplace that wasn’t safe. The quicker the shooter could be found, the better.

Ruben felt an arm wrap around his shoulders and looked over to see his da standing next to him. He leaned into him for a moment, giving in to the tears that had been threatening to fall since he heard the gunshot.

“He’ll be just fine, son.”

“I know, Da.”

“Come on. We need to go talk to the sheriff.” Ruben wiped his tears away and then nodded his head. He drew in a fortifying breath then turned to look at the people standing on the porch staring out at him.

It was going to be a damn long night.

Ruben paced back and forth in the living room, gently patting Alani’s back as he walked. He was going out of his mind. After three days in the hospital, Elijah was supposed to be released today.

Lachlan and Asa had gone into town to pick him up and bring him back to the ranch.

He hadn’t been allowed to go to the hospital after Elijah like he had wanted to. It had been decided, and not by him, that the safest place he could be was out at the ranch. There had been phone calls between him and Elijah, but that was it. Ruben wouldn’t be happy until he set eyes on Elijah and knew he was safe for real.

When he heard a vehicle pull up in front of the house, it was all Ruben could do to stop himself from running over and parting the dark fabric that had been placed over the windows to keep others from looking in. He just had to sit and wait. He felt like a prisoner in his own home, and he was dragging everyone else into his own personal hell with him.

“Here, you’d better let me take her.” Ruben turned to see Ma standing beside him, her arms held out for the baby. He felt his face flush because he knew Ma knew exactly what he was thinking. The second Elijah was through the door, Ruben would be all over him.

“She’s a little fussy today, Ma,” Ruben said as he handed Alani over. “I think she’s teething.”

“Right.” Ma smirked. “And it has nothing to do with her feeling your stress or missing her other da.”

Ruben blinked. Her other da? Ruben felt like a train had just slammed into him at Ma’s words. He had never thought of it that way.

As soon as they got married, Elijah would be Alani’s other da. Ruben started to grin, suddenly feeling better.

Ma just shook her head as she smiled down at Alani. “I’ll just get her a bottle then lay her down for a nap in my room. Take all of the time you need.”

“Elijah is going to want to see her.” Ruben knew he would.

“And he can,” Ma replied. “Just get him settled first then come get her. I imagine Alani wants to see Elijah just as much.” Ruben frowned, wondering. “Do you think that’s possible, Ma?”

“What, son?”

“For Alani to be attached to Elijah so soon?”

“Of course it is. Elijah loves her just as much as you do. Babies know these things. They can feel it when people hold them, feel their intentions. Elijah’s only intentions are to love Alani and keep her safe, and she knows that.”