beside them. “Kayla, Nina’s out cold. She needs you.”
“I’m coming.” Tony kept his arm around her waist, and helped her walk
with shaking legs back to her friend. “Tony, get me some scotch out of the
cabinet above the sink.” The pointy corner of her coffee table tagged her shin.
“Shit!” She staggered toward the kitchen sink, and grabbed a cloth, soaking it
with cold water.
A wave of darkness came with the telltale thumping of her heart. She
shook her head to clear it. Keep it
together. Returning to the couch, she knelt down, and pressed the cloth
against Nina’s forehead. Tony was on his phone, and Mace hovered, looking
worriedly down at Nina. “She can’t stand blood. The woman is tough as nuts, but
blood is her weak link. Her father’s a doctor. They found out early, when he
took her to work one day.”
Nina started to come to, and Mace rounded the couch and crouched down,
reaching out to glide a finger across Nina’s delicate cheek. “Hey, Red, you’re
all right.”
Huh, there was that funny little lilt in his voice again. And Red?
Mace took the cloth from her, and dabbed it against Nina’s neck.
“Oh, God,” Nina breathed, holding her hand across her eyes as she came
to.
“Come on, sit up. Let’s get the bloo…” he bit down on the word. “Let’s
get you sitting up.”
“Oh, God. I’m so embarrassed.” Nina buried her face in her hands.
A smile broke on Mace’s lips. “For what?” He grasped her delicate
fingers in his to stop them from shaking.
Tony crouched down beside them. “Team’s on the way. No doubt the
Captain is breaking all speed records to get here.” Tony ground a look at her.
“Especially after the dressing down I just took. You didn’t clear it with him
to come back here.”
“Clear it?” she sputtered. “What the fu… Tony …never mind.”
“Do you think that’s actually—somebody?” Nina choked out, staring
wide-eyed at Mace.
“Probably not,” he said, and cleared his throat.
Nina took the cloth from him, and held it against her forehead.
“You’re not a very good liar, are you?”
“Actually, I am, just not to you.” The two of them gazed at each other.
Kayla felt uncomfortable, as if she was interrupting a moment, and backed away.
Mace reached over to the side table where Tony left the glass of
scotch. “Here,” he tucked it in Nina’s hands, curling his fingers over hers to
help her steady it, and take a sip.
“I think I’ll need a few more ounces than this.”
The front door crashed open. Lieutenant Cobbs, Thane and Greg came
barreling through it, their faces as severe as if they were going into a
hostile situation. The look on Thane’s face would scare the four horsemen of
the apocalypse.
Tony rose, and jerked his head. “Down the hall, bathroom.”
Fox, Caleb, Nathan, and Clay weren’t far behind. Lieutenant Law,
followed by two others from team three, were only steps behind. Thane and Greg
aimed for her.
Greg pulled her to her feet. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she said, trying to keep it together. The darkness probed at
her again.
“Like hell you are. You’re shaking all over,” Thane said. He gave Greg
a look to back off, but Greg wasn’t letting go of her.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming back here?” Greg asked,
folding her in his arms. Curling a hand over his wrist, she felt the fast beat
in it. “This fucking guy is going to drown in his own blood when I get my hands
on him.”
“Police are on the way,” Tony said, reappearing with Cobbs and Law.
Cobbs gave her a long, wary glance. “You okay, Snow White?”
Everyone treated her with kid gloves since her episode at Thane’s. A PT episode wasn’t a pleasant thing to watch.
The SEALs shouldn’t be fazed, but they all were—to the point of distraction. It
ticked her off. “I’m fine, Lieutenant Cobbs.”
Greg wasn’t intending to give her over to Thane, and she could see it
grated his nerves. “I’ll be right back.
“I’m coming.” Tony kept his arm around her waist, and helped her walk
with shaking legs back to her friend. “Tony, get me some scotch out of the
cabinet above the sink.” The pointy corner of her coffee table tagged her shin.
“Shit!” She staggered toward the kitchen sink, and grabbed a cloth, soaking it
with cold water.
A wave of darkness came with the telltale thumping of her heart. She
shook her head to clear it. Keep it
together. Returning to the couch, she knelt down, and pressed the cloth
against Nina’s forehead. Tony was on his phone, and Mace hovered, looking
worriedly down at Nina. “She can’t stand blood. The woman is tough as nuts, but
blood is her weak link. Her father’s a doctor. They found out early, when he
took her to work one day.”
Nina started to come to, and Mace rounded the couch and crouched down,
reaching out to glide a finger across Nina’s delicate cheek. “Hey, Red, you’re
all right.”
Huh, there was that funny little lilt in his voice again. And Red?
Mace took the cloth from her, and dabbed it against Nina’s neck.
“Oh, God,” Nina breathed, holding her hand across her eyes as she came
to.
“Come on, sit up. Let’s get the bloo…” he bit down on the word. “Let’s
get you sitting up.”
“Oh, God. I’m so embarrassed.” Nina buried her face in her hands.
A smile broke on Mace’s lips. “For what?” He grasped her delicate
fingers in his to stop them from shaking.
Tony crouched down beside them. “Team’s on the way. No doubt the
Captain is breaking all speed records to get here.” Tony ground a look at her.
“Especially after the dressing down I just took. You didn’t clear it with him
to come back here.”
“Clear it?” she sputtered. “What the fu… Tony …never mind.”
“Do you think that’s actually—somebody?” Nina choked out, staring
wide-eyed at Mace.
“Probably not,” he said, and cleared his throat.
Nina took the cloth from him, and held it against her forehead.
“You’re not a very good liar, are you?”
“Actually, I am, just not to you.” The two of them gazed at each other.
Kayla felt uncomfortable, as if she was interrupting a moment, and backed away.
Mace reached over to the side table where Tony left the glass of
scotch. “Here,” he tucked it in Nina’s hands, curling his fingers over hers to
help her steady it, and take a sip.
“I think I’ll need a few more ounces than this.”
The front door crashed open. Lieutenant Cobbs, Thane and Greg came
barreling through it, their faces as severe as if they were going into a
hostile situation. The look on Thane’s face would scare the four horsemen of
the apocalypse.
Tony rose, and jerked his head. “Down the hall, bathroom.”
Fox, Caleb, Nathan, and Clay weren’t far behind. Lieutenant Law,
followed by two others from team three, were only steps behind. Thane and Greg
aimed for her.
Greg pulled her to her feet. “Are you all right?”
“Yes,” she said, trying to keep it together. The darkness probed at
her again.
“Like hell you are. You’re shaking all over,” Thane said. He gave Greg
a look to back off, but Greg wasn’t letting go of her.
“Why didn’t you tell us you were coming back here?” Greg asked,
folding her in his arms. Curling a hand over his wrist, she felt the fast beat
in it. “This fucking guy is going to drown in his own blood when I get my hands
on him.”
“Police are on the way,” Tony said, reappearing with Cobbs and Law.
Cobbs gave her a long, wary glance. “You okay, Snow White?”
Everyone treated her with kid gloves since her episode at Thane’s. A PT episode wasn’t a pleasant thing to watch.
The SEALs shouldn’t be fazed, but they all were—to the point of distraction. It
ticked her off. “I’m fine, Lieutenant Cobbs.”
Greg wasn’t intending to give her over to Thane, and she could see it
grated his nerves. “I’ll be right back.
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