Chapter 7

“Holy shit,” Austin muttered as the ambulance doors closed and a siren began to wail. “What the hell just happened?” They’d been enjoying a party on the beach with their friends when suddenly Alexa had fainted right in front of him. Although the EMTs had found a pulse, she’d been unconscious as they’d moved her to the ambulance on a stretcher. He lifted his hands, running them over his short-cropped hair, his blood spiking with adrenaline. Seeing Alexa on the ground, limp and unmoving, had shocked the hell out of him. It felt like the entire world had stopped for a moment, pausing right there, with Austin looking down in horror at his girl. A beat had passed, maybe two, and then he’d sprung into action along with his teammates, trying to find a pulse and help her.

“I’ll drive you to the hospital,” Wyatt said, clapping Austin on the back.

Austin stood there numbly, then hitched his thumb over his shoulder. “My Jeep’s in the lot.” His voice sounded hollow. He watched, frozen in place, as the ambulance began to pull away.

“Your Jeep might be there, but you’re not driving it, buddy,” Hudson said. “You look like you might pass out yourself. What the hell kind of badass Navy SEAL are you?” he razzed, clearly trying to lighten the situation.

Austin huffed out a breath, shaking his head. His buddies were spot on. He wasn’t in the right frame of mind to get behind the wheel.

Fuck.

What if something was really wrong with Alexa? She’d been in pain earlier at her apartment, and he’d brushed it off, taking her word that she was okay. “We need to go,” he said urgently. “I want to be there at the hospital when she wakes up.”

“We’ll head over right now,” Wyatt assured him. Austin looked around in a daze, realizing his friends were already packing up. Ryan was hefting a cooler off the ground, already moving to the parking lot. Sawyer was rounding up the rest of their belongings, grabbing the beach chairs he’d just set up, and Aaron was speaking with a police officer at the scene, a look of concern on his face. A crowd of onlookers had gathered, and worry coursed through Austin. Alexa would hate being the center of attention because of this.

“I don’t know what happened,” he said as he moved with Wyatt toward the parking lot. “Lex looked a little pale earlier but otherwise seemed fine.”

“Maybe her appendix burst,” Wyatt guessed. “She was clutching onto her stomach before she fainted.”

“Shit. Yeah. They might have to take her right into emergency surgery if that’s the case.” He yanked open the door to Wyatt’s SUV, tugging on his seatbelt as Wyatt started the engine.

Ryan appeared in the passenger window, and Austin lowered it halfway down. “I’ll meet you guys at the hospital. I figure Wyatt and I can bring your Jeep over.”

Austin nodded. “Thanks man.”

“We’ll bring it to you,” Wyatt confirmed. “I doubt Austin will want to leave Alexa’s side.”

“Roger that. See you soon.” Ryan had already turned and started to jog back to his own vehicle as Wyatt shifted into reverse and backed out of the space.

“Hell. I can’t believe Callie jumped right into the ambulance with Alexa,” Austin said.

“We’ll be there soon,” he said, shooting Austin a quick glance. No doubt Wyatt realized Austin wanted to be at Alexa’s side, but that was neither here nor there. Everything had happened so quickly. He didn’t blame Callie for jumping in before they shut the doors. Although he’d have liked to be with Alexa himself right now, at least she wasn’t alone.

He nervously drummed his fingers on the door as Wyatt gunned it, racing down the highway. Seeing Alexa’s small, lifeless body on the ground had gutted him. Alexa was petite and delicate compared to him. She might enjoy hiking around Hawaii and keeping in good shape, but the fact of the matter was, she was damn fragile compared to him. Austin loved that he was so much bigger than her, but he couldn’t exactly protect her in this case, could he? She’d collapsed right beside him.

Austin closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remain calm. Austin and his teammates moved into dangerous situations all the time, taking on unknown enemies, rescuing hostages, and charging into battle. This was unknown territory for him. Alexa wasn’t even technically his girlfriend, given the ‘casually dating’ bit they’d told their friends, but he cared about her. It was damn unfortunate timing that the afternoon they’d first touched on the subject, Alexa had ended up being wheeled away on a gurney.

She was free-spirited and fun, with the deepest brown eyes he’d ever seen. A good friend. A talented photographer.

And when she was in his arms?

Fuck.

Her body fit perfectly against his. He could practically taste her sweet kiss, breathe in that honeysuckle scent from her perfume, and feel her soft curves against him. He’d been with various women over the years, some serious, some not, but nothing compared to Alexa. From the night they’d first met at Coconuts, the connection between them had been electric. They genuinely liked one another, and when they were in bed, her body writhing beneath his, his cock buried deep inside her, Austin knew he was right where he belonged.

Seeing Alexa tousled from sleep in a sexy little camisole and panties in the morning always made Austin’s dick twitch and chest fill with warmth.

She was sexy and sweet at the same time.

God. Just this morning she’d been fine. He’d kissed her thoroughly when they’d both woken up, claiming her mouth with his own before moving over her slender body. Austin had nipped and caressed her sexy curves, bringing her to orgasm with his fingers and mouth before burying himself deep inside her silken walls. Her cries had filled the bedroom, her pussy squeezing him tight, and now—

He clenched his fist.

Now she was lying on a goddamn stretcher in an ambulance.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, frustration roiling through him.

“We’re almost there,” Wyatt promised. Wyatt’s phone buzzed just then, and he pushed a button to answer as Callie’s name flashed on the screen of his SUV. “Hey sweetheart. You’re on speaker. Any updates?”

“Alexa woke up in the ambulance,” Callie said in a rush. “She’s still in a lot of pain. I’m waiting with her in a room in the ER for the doctor to come in.”

“Okay. We’ll be there in a few minutes. Austin’s with me.”

“I told her you were coming,” Callie said. “She can’t talk right now, but she knows you’re on the way. I’m sorry I jumped in the ambulance before you,” she said, sounding worried. “Alexa was my first friend here in Hawaii, and I didn’t even think—”

“It’s okay,” Austin promised. “We’re almost there, and I’m glad she’s not alone.”

“Me too,” she said, sounding relieved. “We’re in room six for when you get here,” Callie added.

“Can I talk to her?” Austin asked.

“She can listen. I’ll put my phone on speaker. Go ahead.”

“Lex? I know you can’t talk right now, but I’m on my way. Hang on, baby,” he said, his voice catching. Callie said something, but Austin was clenching his jaw, trying not to imagine the worst-case scenarios. He hated knowing that Alexa was lying there in pain, and there wasn’t a damn thing he could do to help her. “Tell the doctors to give her some meds or something,” he urged.

“They will. The nurses already have her hooked up to a few monitors, and there’s an IV drip. We’ll see you soon.”

Wyatt said something else to Callie and ended the call. “I’ll drop you at the door and then go park,” Wyatt told him, pulling off the highway and moving into the left lane. The hospital was still a few blocks ahead, out of sight. Austin almost wanted to climb out of Wyatt’s SUV and jog there himself, but once the light changed, Wyatt could get him there quickly.

“All right,” he ground out. Austin pulled out his own phone, seeing several texts from his buddies.

Sawyer: Let me know if you need anything. I can swing by the hospital.

Aaron: Text me when you know how she is. Chin up, buddy.

Hudson: I grabbed the rest of your stuff. Not sure if some is Alexa’s or Callie’s.

“Hudson has the girls’ stuff,” he told Wyatt.

“Okay. I’ll get with him later,” Wyatt said.

Austin thumbed a quick update to the guys, not that he had much to share. A few minutes later, Wyatt was finally pulling up to the doors of the Emergency Room. Austin jumped out and rushed toward the entrance, nearly forgetting to close the passenger side door in his haste. It wasn’t like him to feel so frazzled. Normally, he was in complete control on ops. They always had a detailed plan to execute. This felt like he was flying in blind.

As he rushed in to the emergency room, Austin was shocked to see Callie coming toward him, her face pale.

“What happened?” he asked.

Callie brushed away a tear. “They’re taking her for an ultrasound or some type of abdominal scan. I’m not sure what’s going on, but they forced me to leave the room and rushed Alexa away. They already drew some blood and are running a few tests. I don’t know what’s happening,” she said, her tears spilling over. Austin pulled her in for a hug, needing it as much as Callie did at that moment. Once he’d run through the hospital doors, he realized that he was fucking terrified.

“I wonder if it’s her appendix,” he said as Callie finally pulled back.

“No. She said it was the wrong side for that.”

“Shit,” Austin muttered, wondering what other types of problems could cause pain that severe.

A moment later, Wyatt and Ryan came hustling in through the doors. Callie rushed into Wyatt’s arms, and Austin looked over at his teammates, briefing them on the little he knew. A nurse came out from behind the closed doors as they were talking, her gaze focusing on Callie. She briskly walked over to their group.

“Why don’t you all take a seat, because you’ll need to wait here for a while,” the nurse advised. “We’re taking Alexa back for emergency surgery.”