It wouldn’t be long before the water invaded the cab, and they would be forced to get to the surface or die.

Aidan had already thought about that. It hadn’t been an accident. It hadn’t been some drunk. That car had a purpose, and it was to take out everyone in his truck. He’d caught a glimpse of it. A dark SUV. Karen drove a dark SUV. He’d never imagined she would go so far. But her husband had owned many guns. If she was waiting to finish the job…

He felt so fucking helpless sitting in the dark, waiting for the cab to fill up. His heart raced because even though he knew he had to wait, his primal brain was screaming that he was going to drown, and Lexi and Lucas would drown, and it would all be over. It couldn’t be over.

The water reached his chin. He tried to push Lexi up, putting off the inevitable time when she would be submerged.

“Lucas goes first. He’ll get out and pull you through. He’ll get you to the surface and swim for the other side. I’ll deal with whoever is waiting for us. Lucas, you understand? You take her and run. You don’t look back.”

“Yes, Master.” Aidan heard Lucas take a deep breath, and he went under. There was nowhere left to go. Lexi took a breath and then she went under, too. It was the hardest thing he’d ever done, but he let go of her hand. It would be all right. Lucas was here. Lucas would take care of her.

That was the comfort of this arrangement. He always had a partner. He’d cheapened it by calling Lucas his partner in Lexi’s pleasure. It was so much more. Lucas was his partner in her joy, her love, her needs, and her comfort. Now he was Aidan’s partner in saving her life. Lucas would be there. He would do what needed to be done. Aidan wouldn’t be alone because Lucas was here.

As he felt his way to the window, he caught a glimpse of them swimming, their hands tangled together. Lucas pulled her along, doing everything he’d promised. Aidan would be able to do what he needed to do—take out the person who was trying to kill his woman.

His whole body tensed for battle as he reached the surface, but he was assaulted by lights. A bright one shined right on his face.

“That you, O’Malley?” Aidan recognized Sheriff Lou Mark’s voice.

The bright light disoriented him for a moment. He shielded his eyes. Now he could see the red and blue lights of the squad car flashing their signal of safety. He took a deep cleansing breath. The air had never seemed so clean, so pure.

“Yeah, it’s me. My truck’s at the bottom of the damn lake,” Aidan shouted.

Lucas was treading water next to him. Lexi was beside him. They seemed strong and secure. They were alive and whole, and Aidan felt an overpowering sense of relief threaten to take him under again. His eyes watered at the sight of them. In the distance, he heard an ambulance.

Aidan nodded at Lucas and all three began to swim for the shore.

* * *

Lexi hated hospitals. She loathed them with every fiber of her being. They were too bright and always so cold. The clinic in Deer Run was no different. It was small, with only two exam rooms, but it had all of the applicable machinery. And it had an efficient nurse and a doctor. Luckily, she’d managed to convince Lucas not to call her mother. She had enough to deal with. Lexi was fine without dragging her family into yet another attempt on her life.

She sat on the narrow hospital bed and wondered just how long they were going to keep her here.

“Just a little bit more, angel.” Aidan seemed to be reading her mind tonight.

He stood there looking surprisingly masculine in the green scrubs they had given both he and Lucas to wear. She was in a damn hospital gown because she’d hit her head at some point in time during the accident, and Lucas and Aidan were demanding the doctor run every possible test.

“I feel fine.” She had a bit of a headache, but overall she felt physically well given the fact that she’d been in an accident. It was worse than the other accident even though…

Lexi lay back on the hospital bed. She wasn’t going there. She didn’t have to go there no matter how hard Lucas tried to make her. Some things were best left in the past.

“After they get the test results back in, I have no doubt they’ll let us head home,” Aidan explained. “The truck is being towed in as evidence. I already called Bo. He’s on his way up here.”

Lucas smiled a little. “I’m glad you called him. He loves you. He’s just a little lost. When he makes a comment that upsets you, knock him on his ass. He’d prefer that to you ignoring him. You’ll see. He’ll get used to us.”

Lucas was talking like they were going to be here awhile. Lucas was getting invested in this whole threesome thing, and Lexi wasn’t sure what to do about it. What the hell did she want? When she was in the water, she’d clung to Aidan. She’d been utterly terrified that she could lose him after she’d just gotten him back. She’d known how much she loved him, that she’d never stopped loving him. Lucas had pulled her out of that car, and she’d looked behind to make sure Aidan followed. All that had mattered in those moments was the fact that they were together. Her anger and pain had fallen away, and all she’d been left with was love.

And then she’d been forced to come to the hospital. The easy love had been pushed aside as grief bombarded her again.

Lucas and Aidan were talking quietly.

“I’m willing to try if he is,” Aidan was saying. “He just seems so mad. It’s been that way ever since I got back.”

“He missed you,” Lucas insisted. “He missed his brother, and he doesn’t know how to say it.”

She listened to the two of them talk and couldn’t help but wonder. Was that what was wrong with her? Lucas seemed so willing to forgive. She remembered back to the day Aidan had left. She’d cried, and Lucas had told her that he would be back.

It might not be tomorrow, but he’ll come back. He loves you. Deep down I think he loves me, too. When Aidan gets used to the idea, he’ll come back, and we need to be ready to forgive him.

He’d held that line until the accident. After that, Lucas had stopped talking about when Aidan would come back. He’d shut down and focused on her. He’d subjugated his own needs.

What if the accident had never happened? Would she be as willing to forgive Aidan as Lucas was?

Who was she scared of forgiving? Aidan or herself?

“I’m going to go and talk to the cops.” Aidan leaned over, and his lips brushed the top of her head. “I won’t be long.”

He strode out of the room.

“He knows something,” Lucas said, watching the door as it closed. His hair was rumpled, and an air of weariness hung over him. He’d avoided meeting her eyes since they had made it to the hospital. “Did you get a look at the car that hit us?”

“No.” It had been too dark. Everything had seemed like someone had hit the fast forward button until the roll. That had taken forever. Still, she had her suspicions. “Does anyone know what Karen drives?”

Lucas walked to the window. He pulled the curtain back and stared into the night. “You think Karen did this?”

“Well, I think she hates me. I think she was in Dallas on the day I got shot. I think she smokes. You found cigarette butts where you think the shooter stood, right?” It made sense. She couldn’t think of anyone else who might want her dead. She was obnoxious, but most people didn’t want to kill her over it.

“I don’t know. She seems like a woman who wouldn’t ruin her manicure, much less her car. I wasn’t surprised she tried to queen bee you, but actual murder? I don’t know. And I don’t know how much we can count on the cigarettes leading us to a suspect. Lots of people smoke. Hell, most of Aidan’s ranch hands smoke. I already put in a call to Ben and Chase. They’re going to start working with the police here.”

“Well, I’m sure the Wonder Twins will figure it out eventually.” She sighed. “I guess I won’t be let off the ranch for a while.”

“No,” Lucas replied. “But I have to go back to Dallas for a few days. I have loose ends to tie up. If I’m going to be in Deer Run, then I have to find a way to do my work from there.”

The room fell silent. Though it was quiet, there was nothing peaceful about it. It was awkward and heavy. Lucas let his head rest against the window pane.

The argument in the truck played back in her brain. The words assaulted her, but more than that she was starting to listen to what was underneath those words. Her head hurt, but her heart was aching.

“Do you really think I pretend he didn’t exist?”

Now he was looking at her. His green eyes bore through her. “You never talk about him. He’s always there, but you never mention his name. I can see that it’s killing you, but you shut down the minute I try to talk. I was there, Lexi. I held him, too. I ache from that night, but I’m not allowed to talk about it. Not even with you.”

She wanted to shrink into herself. She’d avoided this for so long. How could she have not seen that it affected Lucas, too? She’d selfishly believed she was the only one who really hurt, and she’d shut him out of her grief. She’d made him her accomplice in forgetting, in refusing to move on.

“I thought if I didn’t talk about him, I would forget.”

Lucas nodded. “I know. But you won’t and you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t forget him. Can’t you see that?”

“It hurts too much. I don’t want to tell Aidan.” Her eyes were heavy with tears. She looked down at her hands, but Lucas was suddenly there, his palms sliding over hers.

“He deserves to know.”

“The hard part is, I can’t figure out why I don’t want to tell him, Lucas. Am I trying to spare him the pain? Am I punishing him? Am I just terrified that he won’t ever forgive me?”