“Where is she now?”

“Treatment room. They’ve been in there for ten minutes working on her.” I eyed the heavy-looking wooden door, watching for signs of news, but there was nothing.

“I was told Carter was killed, is that correct?” President Spencer inquired.

I nodded weakly. “Yeah, he’s dead. She’s safe now.”

He seemed to breathe a sigh of relief as he nodded. “What were you doing there? You aren’t assigned to her anymore. Why were you even there?”

I smiled weakly. “Sir, I love your daughter. I couldn’t very well stand back and do nothing.” I shrugged, immediately wishing I hadn’t because the pain tripled. “I’m just sorry that I couldn’t protect her. I couldn’t even stop her being hurt. I’m so sorry,” I croaked, looking down at the floor. I bowed my head. He could do what he wanted to me, it didn’t matter anymore; all I cared about was in that room, fighting for her life. I was probably going to be in trouble for getting emotionally involved with my charge, but I couldn’t care less.

“You mean, you and my daughter are really together?” he asked quietly, running a hand over the back of his neck.

I nodded. “Yes, sir. I love your daughter more than anything in the world. None of that matters though if she doesn’t make it!” My legs gave out, and I slumped into the chair, putting my head in my hands as I squeezed my eyes shut.

Melissa scooted up next to me, wrapping her arm around my shoulder. “She’ll make it. Annabelle is one of the strongest people I’ve ever met. She’ll make it,” she cooed.

I bit my lip, not believing a word of it. Anna was going to die, deep down I knew it, and there was nothing anyone could do about it. While we were all sitting there in silence, the door to Anna’s room flew open and she was wheeled out on a gurney and rushed up the hall with four medical staff running along at her side. I gasped and jumped to my feet. “Where are they taking her?” I cried, shaking my head.

As I went to follow after her, a doctor stopped in front of us and held up his hands, smiling sadly. “Annabelle’s had extensive blood loss. The knife didn’t penetrate cleanly and has caused a lot of internal damage. The team are prepping her for surgery right now because she has some internal bleeding.”

My heart sank at his words. Melissa burst into sobs next to me, and President Spencer stepped forward, confidently asking the question that I didn’t dare ask because I wasn’t sure I could handle the answer. “Will she be alright?”

The doctor’s face was unreadable – probably from years of practice. “Honestly, it’s touch-and-go at the moment, Mr President. She’s lost so much blood that the surgery is going to be extremely dangerous, but we can’t not do it. By all accounts, we almost lost her in the ambulance, but luckily she has a strong heart and the medic was able to resuscitate.” He nodded behind him where Anna had been wheeled up the hallway. “I’d better go and scrub up, I’m assisting. As soon as there is any news, someone will be out to you. Please just wait here.” Without another word he turned and dashed up the hallway. Wordlessly, we all sat back down, just waiting.

“Agent Taylor, have you had treatment? You look like death warmed up,” President Spencer observed a few minutes later.

“I’m fine. I want to wait for Anna.” My whole body hurt, but I wasn’t leaving her again.

The agent that I’d walked in here with stepped forward, looking at the President. “He’s refusing to leave here, sir. I’ve tried to get him to have some treatment but he won’t.”

President Spencer sucked in a breath through his teeth. “Go get a doctor, tell them to come now, they’re needed,” he ordered one of the agents.

I shook my head. “I’m fine, I just need to be here for Anna,” I protested. They would have to drag me kicking and screaming away from here, there was no way I was walking away from her room of my own accord. He didn’t say anything in response.

The doctor arrived a few minutes later. President Spencer nodded to me. “My daughter’s boyfriend needs some treatment please, Doctor,” he requested. My head snapped up to him at the words. Did that mean he was giving me permission to date his daughter? He wasn’t going to have me shipped off to Antarctica or something?

“Okay, well, let’s get you to a treatment room,” the doctor suggested, holding out his arm to help me up.

I frowned. “I’m fine; I’m not going anywhere until I know she’s okay.” I flinched away from his hand.

“Doctor, please treat him here,” the President stated.

“But we don’t treat in the hallway,” the doctor replied, frowning.

“Treat him here,” President Spencer repeated sternly. The doctor hesitated for a few seconds, then nodded and walked off to fetch supplies.

I looked at President Spencer gratefully. “Thank you, sir.”

He nodded. “That’s okay, son. You really should go and get looked at properly, but for now, they can just check you over,” he replied, nodding.

The doctor came back with a nurse and a little cart full of medical supplies; they pulled a chair slightly off to the side and motioned for me to come over. “Take your shirt off,” he instructed, helping me to pull it over my head. I heard Melissa gasp behind me, and I grimaced apologetically, thinking of what I must look like.

“Sorry,” I mumbled.