“Let’s get Mateo stitched up,” Dr. Asgood says as she stands.
“You got hurt?” Rose asks, and I think that’s the strongest her voice has been since we found her.
“Just a flesh wound,” Mateo says with a wink. “Nothing to worry about.”
“Gunshot wounds aren’t nothing to worry about,” Dr. Asgood says and points to the kitchen. “Let’s go.”
“You’d think you’re the boss or something,” Mateo says. “Don’t forget who pays you.”
“Yes, yes, I’m intimidated.” She rolls her eyes, and they move into the kitchen.
“I’m sorry he got hurt,” Rose says to me. “You got married?”
“Just the other day,” I confirm. “But don’t worry, we’re going to have a bigger ceremony later so you can be my maid of honor.”
Her face softens into a small smile, and my lower lip quivers again.
“I’m so fucking happy we found you, Rosie.”
Later, after I helped Rose in the shower and got her settled and sleeping peacefully in the guest room closest to my bedroom, I walk down to the kitchen where Mateo and Diego are quietly talking.
“Is she asleep?” Mateo asks as I walk right into his arms and start to cry.
I nod and feel his arms band around me, holding me so tight and finally makingmefeel safe.
“Is it real?” I ask through the tears.
“She’s here, baby,” he says quietly as he peppers kisses on my hair. His strong hands move up and down my back, soothing me.
“I found her in a bedroom,” Diego says, “that looked like it was her own room. Not a primary suite, just a simple bedroom, but she wasn’t sharing it with anyone.”
I nod and brush the tears away.
“She was hiding in her closet,” he continues. “Probably because of the gunfire. We were just coming down the back steps when the explosion happened, and thank fuck it was in the front of the house or we wouldn’t have made it out.”
“Thank you.” I look up at my husband. “I’m going to hug him now. Don’t kill him, okay?”
“I’ll allow it this one time.”
I cross to Diego and hug him hard. “Thank you for getting her out. Thank you for saving my sister.”
“It was my honor,” he replies quietly, and I pull away and sniff.
“I’ve spent so long looking for her that now that she’s here, I don’t know what to do next. Now that she’s with me, what happens? She’ll need counseling for sure, and I’ll have to take her shopping for clothes.”
“Clothes are on the way,” Mateo informs me. “We have personal shoppers for the girls, and they already have a list of things to start with.”
“How do they know her sizes?”
“They’ll send a bunch of stuff in different sizes, and she can keep what she wants, and the rest will go back.”
I stare at him, unable to form words.
Finally, all I can come up with is “Wow.”
“You’ll take it minute by minute,” he continues. “You won’t know what she needs until she needs it, and then we’ll take care of it.”
I take a ragged breath, but then an ear piercing scream sounds from upstairs, and I go running, flying into Rosie’s bedroom, where she’s sitting up in bed, freaking out.