A Good Day for Chardonnay (Sunshine Vicram #2) by Darynda Jones

She ordered Quincy back to her cruiser with her laptop and other essentials. Considering he had a mountain to get down, he could be in Albuquerque in a little over an hour if he double-timed it then drove at the speed of light. Thank God for emergency lights.

Auri and Cruz were still en route as the team at the medical center would’ve had to stabilize them before the flight. Sun and Levi were ordered to wait inside the building, but they refused. They saw to Agent Wilcox, then watched from the parking lot as the helicopter came in for a landing.

Sun ran to it the second it touched down and tried to talk to Cruz over the whir of the blades. Levi pulled her back so the staff could do their jobs, which made sense though she didn’t appreciate his efforts in the least. They unloaded him just as a second helicopter crested the horizon.

He looked so pale, so ashen, Sun was reminded just how fragile life could be. He lay shirtless with a clear wrap covering his wounds. Three of them. Blood had pooled beneath the wrap, his normally flat abdomen distended with internal bleeding. Despite all this, he was fighting them. They were having a difficult time securing him.

Sun ran forward and took his hand, yelling over the sound. “Cruz! You’re okay.”

He looked at her and tried to focus, but she could tell he was struggling. His eyes rolled back and he pushed at their hands as they tried to get his arms back under the restraints.

“Where’s Auri?” he asked, as though they’d taken her.

Sun brushed his hair out of his eyes and got close to him. Gave him something to focus on. “They have her, baby. She’s right behind you.”

That seemed to calm him. His pupils dilated as he looked at her. They hung the IV and rushed past her to get Cruz into surgery. Sun had been assured they’d called in their best surgeon.

They stood back and the first helicopter took off as another medical team rushed forward. The second helicopter touched down. They lifted Auri out and Sun’s world fell away.

Auri’s hair was caked with blood, her head wrapped in gauze, and her neck in a brace. Her arms were strapped down, her hands folded at her waist, and her face—her perfect face—was swollen and pale, punctuated with scrapes and bruises of all sizes and shapes.

Sun didn’t realize she was falling until Levi caught her. Her bones had dissolved, and his solid arms clamped around her midsection, holding her upright. She watched as the team secured Auri’s IV and rushed her inside.

Quincy flew into the parking lot, lights blazing, with Cyrus and Elaine Freyr right behind him. He’d caught up to them and escorted them all the way through town and to the hospital.

Levi and Sun followed the gurneys, but were stopped by a nurse who looked like she could handle herself in a wrestling tournament, and quickly shown to a waiting area.

“She has a subdural hematoma,” someone in a lab coat said. Sun’s mother cried out. Sun stood in shock. “We’re going to have to operate, Sheriff. On both of them. Do we know where the boy’s father is?”

“I’ll try to get a hold of Chris,” Quincy said, talking about Cruz’s dad.

“Quincy, what happened?” Sun asked, staying him with a hand on his arm.

He sank into a chair. She followed. “As far as we can tell, the kids walked in on a robbery.”

Sun blinked in confusion. “A robbery? At Mrs. Fairborn’s?”

“I’m getting the footage from Salazar. She was first on the scene.” Quincy’s eyes were red-rimmed and Sun could tell he was barely holding it together as well. “It looks like Auri ran right into the middle of it. She tried to stop the suspect from hitting Mrs. Fairborn, so he hit her instead.”

Sun’s stomach clenched around shards of glass in response.

“All we know for certain is that Cruz and the suspect fought. Cruz won but he took one hell of a beating. According to Mrs. Fairborn, Cruz had the upper hand until the perp found a knife on the floor. He’d been tearing through her drawers. Clearing off her shelves. He was looking for something.”

“Do we know what?”

“Not yet.”

Sun nodded. “Have Zee go through Auri’s cell phone and laptop. I want to know if anyone has threatened her in any way.”

“You got it.”

“Quincy,” she said as he stood. He sank beside her again. “Thank you. For my parents. For everything.”

“Of course, boss. I’m going to make some calls. Text me if they come out with an update.” He squeezed her hand and took off.

They were in Pres, the same hospital as Seabright.

Levi scrubbed his face. He seemed to be in as much shock as she was, but he was also angry. With everyone and everything, including Sun. “Why would she rush into the middle of a robbery?” The accusing glare he cast her way knocked the breath from her lungs. “Haven’t you taught her better?”

“Yes, I have.” Her vision blurred. “At least, I thought I had. She’s so hardheaded.”

“She’s you, Shine. You incarnate.” He stood and stalked out the sliding glass doors, leaving her dumbfounded. Leaving her bereft. Leaving her. His words stung far more than she would’ve liked, and she fought a telltale quivering of her chin.

“Sun,” her dad said, “if this is anyone’s fault—”

“No, Dad. No.” She held up an index finger to stop him. “This is not your fault.”