Playboy (The Trident Series II: BRAVO Team #4)

CHAPTER TEN

The waiting room felt suffocating as Playboy paced restlessly. He was fighting to keep his emotions in check while his team sat in silence, the tension palpable as they waited for any word on Gabby.

Everyone was equally on edge, feeling the weight of what had happened. Gabby had saved their lives by intercepting that boat, but it had nearly cost her everything.

“I still can’t believe that she purposely took that hit,” Aussie said, looking like he was staring off into no man’s land.

“She saved our asses,” Duke added, shaking his head as he couldn’t believe it.

“I don’t know how she’s doing it,” Playboy said quietly, finally voicing the fear that had been clawing at him. “She’s in there, fighting. She has to be.”

Bear placed a hand on Playboy’s shoulder. “Gabby’s one of the toughest people I know. If anyone can pull through this, it’s her.”

The room fell silent again, the weight of those words hanging in the air. They all wanted to believe it, but uncertainty was killing them. Playboy found himself glancing at the clock on the wall, counting the minutes and seconds. Every tick felt like a lifetime.

Every creak of the doors made his heart jump, only for it to be a hospital employee coming in to use the vending machines or get a cup of coffee.

Playboy’s mind was stuck on the last image he had of Gabby—pinned between two wrecked boats, unconscious and battered. He ran his hands through his hair, barely holding it together.

Suddenly, the door to the waiting room sprung open, and Gabby’s teammates entered, flanked by their Captain and a man and woman. Playboy froze, his heart hammering in his chest. He had never met Gabby’s parents, though she had told him all about them. But he knew just from looking at the couple and the features they shared with Gabby that these people were her parents.

Their faces were full of worry, and he could see the panic in the mom’s eyes as they approached.

Playboy met Captain Graham with a handshake as the rest of his team stood behind him in support.

“Any news on Gabby yet?” Graham asked concern etched on his face.

Playboy shook his head. “No. Nothing yet.”

Graham rubbed his jaw and then looked at the couple, his expression softening.

“Mr. and Mrs. Allen, this is Playboy and his team. They were with Gabby when the accident happened.”

He heard Gabby’s mom suck in a breath before she looked up at him. “You’re Tanner?”

Playboy almost smiled at her, calling him Tanner.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Playboy responded, extending his hand. But he was shocked when the petite woman ignored his hand and instead hugged him.

She sniffled. “Gabby has told us so much about you.”

When she pulled away, she reached behind her and grabbed her husband’s hand. “I’m Wendy, and this is my husband and Gabby’s dad, David.”

Playboy shook David’s hand. “It’s nice to meet you, Sir. I just wish it were on different terms.”

“Pleasure to meet you as well. Captain Graham said you and your team were with Gabby. Can you tell us what happened? Or how she is?”

Playboy looked to Bear, his team leader, and Bear nodded, gesturing toward the group of chairs.

Once everyone got settled and introductions were made, Playboy began to recount the sequence of events.

“We were unloading some contraband from a narco sub,” Playboy began, trying to keep his voice free of emotion. “Everything was going smoothly, and then we saw a boat coming at us, fast. Way too fast.”

Her father’s brow furrowed in confusion. “And Gabby?”

Playboy clenched his fists, the memory replaying in his head like a nightmare he couldn’t shake. “Gabby was in another boat. She saw the other boat and acted before anyone else could. She intercepted it with her own boat, making sure it didn’t hit us. But the other boat was bigger and didn’t slow down. They collided, and Gabby was thrown into the water. When we got to her, she was pinned between the wreckage.”

Her mom gasped, her face going pale. “Was she—?”

“Unconscious,” Duke finished for him, his voice grave. “Her left leg was also badly injured. A few members of the Coast Guard team drove us and Gabby to the closest beach, where an ambulance was waiting. By the time we got here, they had already taken her back for surgery.”

Gabby’s teammates were quiet. But then Graham leaned forward in his seat, his expression a mix of shock and sorrow. “How long ago was that?”

Playboy looked at his watch. “Almost two hours.”

Before anyone could say anything else, the door to the waiting room opened again. This time, it was a doctor. She was dressed in green scrubs. Her face held a grim expression. Playboy felt the room hold its breath, everyone bracing for whatever news was about to be delivered.

“Are you all here for Gabriella Allen?” The doctor asked.

Captain Graham took the lead. “Yes. I’m her Commanding Officer, and these are her parents and colleagues.”

The doctor shook Graham’s hand. “I’m Captain Ebers. I’ve been overseeing Gabriella’s treatment since she was brought in.” She looked at Gabby’s parents. “Because of HIPPA laws, before I update you about your daughter’s condition, do I have your consent to speak in front of everyone?”

“Of course,” Gabby’s dad told the doctor.

Captain Ebers took a deep breath. “Gabriella is out of surgery,” she started, but the weight of her words made Playboy’s stomach drop. “While her condition is critical, we do have her stable. However, I’m afraid I do have some difficult news.”

Playboy felt his heart drop, and a cold sweat broke out across his forehead.

“When she hit her head, she sustained a head injury. She’s currently in a coma. We are monitoring her closely and are watching for any signs of swelling or bleeding in her brain. But it’s difficult to predict how long she’ll remain unconscious.”

“Oh, God,” Gabby’s mom let out a sob, and her husband gripped his wife’s hand. His knuckles were white.

Playboy, on the other hand, felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him.

“There’s more,” the doctor continued, her voice a bit softer now. “While we are concerned about the head injury, the worst injury was to her lower left leg. The bones below her knee were crushed. We tried everything we could, but we couldn’t save it. We had no choice but to amputate below the knee.”

The doctor turned toward Playboy and his team. “She was very lucky to have you all there and that you knew what to do. You and your team saved her life.”

A silence heavier than anything Playboy had ever known filled the room. He couldn’t breathe. The thought of Gabby—so full of life, so strong—waking up and realizing she had lost her leg was unimaginable. She would be devastated.

“When can we see her?” Gabby’s dad asked quietly, his voice breaking.

The doctor nodded. “You can see her now. However, you need to be prepared. She’s hooked up to a lot of machines, and she has extensive bruising and swelling. If you all would like to follow me, I’ll show you to her room.”

As Playboy walked through the hospital, he felt like he was walking through a fog.

Once they made it to the fourth floor, they followed the doctor to the end of the hall to a room on the right.

Her parents went in the room first with the doctor. They were only in there for about ten minutes before the door opened, and they stepped back out, looking completely shattered. Both of their eyes were red. The weight of the grief they carried hit Playboy harder than he expected.

Her teammates went in next. When they all exited, Playboy could see the fear in their eyes. That alone scared the hell out of him.

When Playboy’s turn came, he hesitated at the door. His heart felt like it was beating a mile a minute. Snap out of it , he mentally told himself. Taking a deep breath, he steeled himself and pushed the door open.

As he stepped into the room, his legs almost buckled the second he saw Gabby lying in the bed. He had to blink to keep his tears at bay. His sweet Gabby, who always looked so full of life, was almost unrecognizable with all the tubes and machines hooked up to her.

The machines hummed steadily, but the room felt suffocatingly quiet.

He slowly approached the bed. He reached out and gently touched her hand. It was warm, and he held on to that, hoping it was a sign she’d come back to them.

His gaze lingered on the blanket draped over her lower body. He swallowed hard, knowing what was hidden beneath the thin piece of fabric. There was now a space where part of her leg had once been.

But as he stared at the blanket, he realized something important. Her missing a part of her leg didn’t change anything—not the way he felt about her, and it certainly didn’t change who she was. A leg, a limb, didn’t define a person. She was still Gabby—the fierce and strong woman he admired more than anyone.

There was so much more to Gabby than her physical appearance. Sure, she’d always been stunning, and her body was a testament to her drive and discipline. But that wasn’t what had drawn him to her that night they met at Leo’s party. And it certainly wasn’t what kept him by her side now. It was everything else about her. It was the way she attacked life with a ferocity that made you feel like anything was possible. It was her confidence, the way she carried herself with a kind of effortless grace and command like the world would bend to her will if she wanted it to. It was her sense of humor, the way she could make him laugh even when things were a bit complicated— Velcro Vicky came to mind, drawing a small smile from him.

He admired her for her ambition, for the way she never backed down from a challenge, no matter how impossible it seemed. She had a drive in her that made her unstoppable, the kind of spirit that wouldn’t let her sit still or settle for anything less than what she deserved. He loved her loyalty, the way she was fiercely protective of the people she cared about, always standing up for others and never letting anyone take advantage of them. And there was her heart—her big, generous heart.

None of that had changed.

Playboy exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of his own emotions settle in his chest. He knew Gabby was in for a battle and that her recovery would be harder than anything she’d faced before. But she wouldn’t face it alone. As he stood there, he made a silent promise to her that he would be by her side through every challenge and every step of her recovery.

He leaned down and kissed her softly on the forehead. “We are all anxiously waiting for you to wake up. Stay strong, sweetheart.”

He stayed there for a moment, his forehead resting against hers, wishing he could trade places with her.

Finally, when he couldn’t take it anymore, he forced himself to leave the room.

When he arrived back in the waiting room, he found his team waiting for him. Their expressions reflected the same pain he felt.

“We’re all here for you and Gabby,” Bear said quietly, gently clapping Playboy’s shoulder.

Playboy nodded. “Thanks.”

As Playboy exited the hospital with his team, the cool night air hit him, but it did nothing to clear the heaviness in his chest. Every step away from Gabby twisted his heart more.

His team walked quietly beside him, their presence grounding him, but nothing could pull his thoughts away from her. He took one last glance back at the hospital doors as the weight of everything sank in again.

Tonight was just a pause. Tomorrow he’d be back by her side.