by Dale Mayer
She smiled up at him. “What the hell is wrong with us?” He raised his eyebrows and started to answer, but she reached up and kissed his lips instead. “Look at us. We left the military, set up this company, and are in more danger than ever.”
Soberly he stared down at her “Are you sorry? Do you wish you’d never left?” He took a deep breath and added, “Do you want to go back?”
“It’s really not the right time to ask me when I’m lying here with a bullet hole in my arm,” she said quietly. “No, I don’t want to. Like I said, we need to sort this out. I don’t feel like I have a future here right now.”
“How is it you can’t have a future here?” he whispered. “You are the other half of me. This is who we were meant to be.”
“So then why are we sleeping in separate rooms?” She searched his eyes, for the truth. “There’s a hot and cold element here. Most of the time our relationship is on a cool professional level. Only lately it shifted … but not enough.”
Levi frowned, his brows drawn together.
She wanted to scream. “Look, I know that didn’t make a lot of sense, but it’s like I’m here, but I don’t really have a role. I’m not sure if am your partner, but I am your partner. I’m not your wife because we’re not married. I’m not your lover because we’re not lovers. I’m a friend, but that’s not the way we’re supposed to be.”
He lowered his head gently and kissed her. The brush of his lips whispered against hers. “No, you’re not my wife because we’re not married. Yes, you’re my partner because you’re my business partner. Yes, you are my friend because we are friends. But you’re also so much more. You’re the love of my life.” He shrugged in disbelief. “How is it you can’t know that?”
“How is it I would? You tell me I’m part of this relationship, and that I’m yours, yet you don’t take me in your arms and make me yours.” She let her voice trail off as she watched his face. Was it really possible that the big silent, strong Levi, the man who did the worst of the missions for the military, was afraid of something? When his eyes dropped and slipped to the side, she knew she was right. But what was he afraid of?
“And how do you think I feel when you throw Bullard at me?” he asked.
He stared into her eyes and this time it was her gaze that lowered.
She could hear sounds of the vehicle coming up behind him from the compound. She knew their time together alone was almost over. Again.
“Bullard is Plan B,” she said simply.
“Don’t let there be one,” he said. “Give me a little longer to make this right.”
“And why is it you need time?”
The vehicle pulled up beside them. He looked down at her, back at the men, then at her again, and whispered, “Could you just please give me that little bit?”
She stared into his eyes for as long as they had, and then she nodded. She had to put her plan into effect. Even if it meant the end of them. She couldn’t keep going on like this. That’s one thing Bullard’s arrival had shown her—the status quo had to change, one way or another. “You have twenty-four hours. Or else …”
His gaze narrowed, and his lips thinned. “Don’t make threats,” he warned.
He slowly backed up and helped her stand. They were behind the protective steel of the big truck.
Quietly she added, “I’m not, but if you don’t do something about us, I will.” And she turned to let Dave help her into the backseat of the truck.
Levi didn’t get in with her. He gave her a hard stare as he closed the door gently behind her. Then he disappeared into the hillside. Ice watched until he was out of sight as Dave turned the big rig around and headed back into the compound.
Rhodes sat beside her. “How bad is it?” he asked.
She gave him a lopsided grin and said, “Bad enough to feel like shit. Not enough to need more than a few days off.”
“Bullard will make that decision,” Dave said. “And this time you won’t be assisting him.”
“Then who will?” She snorted. “We’re a little short on medical personnel. Too bad Sienna doesn’t have any training.”
“It doesn’t matter. I do,” Dave said.
And sure enough, back in the compound, with their assistance, she hopped out of the truck and carefully walked into the sick bay.
She plastered a smile on her face when she saw Logan was awake. “Now that’s a sight to see,” she cried out and grabbed his fingers. “How are you feeling?”
His smile lit his face, and then his gaze dropped, seeing blood dripping steadily down her arm. “What the hell happened to you?”
She felt a little on the shaky side. She reached over, grasped the side rail of his bed, and very gently inched her way up and into the second bed Harrison had vacated. “We’ll need Bullard here permanently if we keep getting shot at.”
“You didn’t answer me.” Logan sat up slowly to glare at her. “What happened? And are you the only one who got hurt?”
Bullard arrived, rushing into the room and across the floor to her side. The worry in his face eased when he heard her talking normally. She gave them both a rundown of what happened and ended with telling them the rest of the men had gone out looking for the sniper.
“Good.” Bullard, in his calm, no fussy way, quickly cut off her sleeve. When he got to where her fingers were pressed against the wound, he said, “You have to remove your hand so I can take a closer look.”
She gave him a lazy smile. “I haven’t looked at it myself. At the moment it’s not hurting at all. The minute I see it, you know it’ll make me scream.”
Logan reached over and grabbed her dangling hand and held it gently. “And, if you need to scream, we won’t tell anyone. Promise.”
She laughed. “I think I screamed plenty on the hillside.”
“I doubt it. You were still in the war zone. No way you would have made a sound.”
She slowly pulled her fingers off her wound, and Bullard cut the shirt up to her shoulder and removed it. The blood continued to ooze, and she knew she should take a look, but, damn it, she hated this part. She turned to glance at her upper arm and could see the blood still running down in a steady stream. The hole in her arm made her gasp in shock. She opened her mouth to speak, but waves of pain crashed in on her, and her stomach heaved.
Bullard reached down and gently examined the back of the arm to see if the bullet had gone through. And the pain hit a crescendo. Greasy waves slammed into her, and her stomach rose up to her throat and filled her head. She collapsed into the bed in a dead faint.
*
It was early afternoon. Why the hell would anybody set up a sniper shot for that time of day? If it had been Levi, he would have been long gone. But these men were proving to be a different kind of animal altogether.
Four men searched the area, but, so far, they’d found nothing.
Anger still rippled through him. They’d been complacent, thinking everything was fine because they couldn’t see anything wrong in their security feeds.
And that was not good. He may not be equipped with a comm or anything else, but he had a cell phone.
He sent a text message for an update on Ice’s injury. When there was no immediate response, he shoved his phone back into his pocket and continued to search. It took another ten minutes to make it to where he figured the sniper had been. Staying close to the ground, he studied the area to see what he could find. He checked the position, realized the line-up was wrong, and moved over fifteen feet. There he crouched down to reassess.
Cigarette butts. Again. Same unfiltered brand he’d seen left behind before on the other side of the hill when they’d been reassessing the security of the compound.
So likely the same man watching them.
He picked up several butts and stuffed them into his pocket. They didn’t have the capabilities to test for DNA, but he knew who could. If this was Rodriguez, then Jackson would want to know.
He took several long looks around to see if anything else c
ould be found, like shell casings. A good sniper would take them with him. Only it wasn’t always possible. And sometimes you just missed one. But it didn’t look like that was the case this time.
Taking a seat at the same place where the sniper had been, he studied the area, wondering what the man had been looking for—what he’d seen.
His cell phone beeped.
Pulling it from his pocket, he saw Alfred’s message.
The men have checked the area. Cigarette butts, but nothing else is out there.
He quickly texted back.
I’m coming in. How’s Ice?
When it came, the response was from Dave.
She’s bleeding badly. I’m helping out, but get back here.
The words had him bolting to his feet, racing toward the compound. He slammed into the sick bay.
“Stay back,” Bullard roared. “This is a medical area. We need it as sterile as possible.”
From the doorway Levi could see the blood dripping in an ever-widening pool. Dave had hooked up an IV, moving the pole to the head of Ice’s bed. Bloody clothes were on both sides, and the place looked like a trauma room.
And he guessed that was exactly what it was.
Everyone stood in place, waiting.
Finally Bullard made a loud exclamation. “Got it.” He grinned and stepped back slightly. He turned to face Levi. “The bullet nicked a vein. Had to clamp that sucker down and stitch it up.” His grin widened. “How’s your fresh blood supply?”
And that’s when Levi understood something else. In two days, they’d needed Bullard’s medical knowledge like he never thought they would. What the hell would they do when he left? His skills were second to none. Whether out in the field or in the hospital, he knew his stuff.
And the only person he could replace Bullard with was another doctor. How the hell would they find one who would be happy to step in when needed, but not miss it otherwise?
Preferably with military experience.
He knew he had to do something … and fast.
No way could he put his men in danger over and over again and not have the right help here for them when the shit hit the fan.
His gaze locked on Ice’s pale face. She looked like her name. Cold. Still. Frozen. His heart seized as he watched Bullard and Dave efficiently bandage up the wound.
He could put her in danger.
Not again.
He’d rather die than see her hurt.
She should go home with Bullard—where she’d be safe.
Chapter 14
Ice woke up with a chill. She rolled her head to the side and smiled to see Logan, lying beside her. They were a hell of a pair. She let her gaze roam the room as far as she could see without moving her body. Any kind of movement would hurt like a bitch.
Ice really hated pain, and, for someone who felt that way, she was living with a lot of it.
Still it was imperative no one knew about the internal agony. She’d solve the problem with Levi, somehow. But it wasn’t the current priority, given that her arm hurt like hell. Slowly holding her breath, she rolled to her back and was pleasantly surprised when the rest of her body didn’t scream at her.
“There you are.” Bullard’s voice reached across the room to her.
Even though she couldn’t see his face, she smiled at his voice. He was a hell of a man. As he loomed over her, she reached up to touch his cheek. “Glad to know you were here. The right man at the right place.”
He laughed. “Only not the right man for you?”
She winced. She hadn’t planned on bringing that up.
“Just checking,” He patted her hand and smiled. “Remember the offer is always open. There is a chance that, one of these days, you’ll change your answer.”
“What’s the question?” Logan asked, then reached up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. His involuntary cry of pain had Bullard shifting from Ice’s bed to his.
She listened with half an ear as Bullard checked Logan over. Her injury appeared to be in the upper arm, but the details of how she got it were a little sketchy.
Still, she remembered enough. The pain was a huge deterrent for trying to recall much more. When he was done with Logan, Bullard turned back to check on her again. She asked, “Did they find him?”
Bullard shook his head. “No. They did a full search of the area and found more cigarette butts of the same kind found on our side of the hill, but no sign of who the sniper was.”
“That’s what I figured would happen anyway.” She turned to study her arm as Bullard gently cut open the bandage. “How bad is it?”
He shrugged. “I’ve seen a lot worse. You’ll do fine. The bleeding stopped. You will feel very tired and weak because you lost a lot of blood. Something you’re not equipped for here.”
“Is anyone, other than a hospital?”
He turned a smug look her way. “I have a full supply at home.”
“Yes.” She gave a small laugh. “But the rules in Africa versus the rules here are probably quite different.”
“There is that. But I bet you can get some if you needed to.”
She nodded. “It’s something I have to look into the regulations for. I’m not a nurse. I’m not exactly sure if we’re required to get a license for something like that.”
“I could get you one.” He laughed.
She rolled her eyes. “That figures. Like a lot of things here, it borders on the edge of legal. We’ve tried hard, but some of the rules just don’t fit with the kind of work we’ve been doing.”
After he rebandaged her arm, he brought a glass of water to her. Grateful, she drank quickly. As she handed the glass back, she tried to get up.
“You need to stay in bed, and drink lots of liquids. Your body will replenish your blood supply, but it’ll take time. I can transfer you to your room where you will be more comfortable, or you can stay here and keep Logan company. But you are not in any condition to be wandering around the place, getting into the control room, or making any attempt to show up for meals at the table.” He narrowed his gaze and wiped off a smile. “Got it?”
She glanced at Logan. “Why can’t he go to his room too?”
“I was hoping somebody would campaign for my side.” Logan looked over at her gratefully. “I sure wouldn’t mind getting back there.” He glanced at Bullard. “No offense, Doc.”
“None taken.” Bullard stood in front of the two of them and tapped his finger on his chin as he contemplated options.
“As long as I can come in and check on you every four hours, I don’t have a problem with you both returning to your quarters. However, the minute you refuse to let me enter, give me trouble about checking your wounds, or I see you doing too much, you’re back in here. Agreed?”
Logan’s face lit up. “Agreed.”
“Oh, I definitely agree.” Ice’s room was much better than this cold clinical space.
She sat up carefully and threw back the covers. Lowering her feet to the floor and putting her weight on them as she stood up, she made use of the handrails on the bed. She was proud of the fact the room only swayed a little. She kept her grip on the steel guards until she thought it was safe to take a step. She took one, then a second. By the time she turned back around, Bullard was there with a sling. “What are you doing getting up without me?” he scolded.
Gently he suspended her arm, taking the weight off her shoulder. Instantly it felt better.
“Keep that on most of the time, even while sleeping.”
“Any chance of a shower?” she asked hopefully. She looked down at her bloodstained clothes and knew the rest of her would be covered too. “It would certainly make me feel better if nothing else.”
“Not today. You’ll have to make do with a washcloth. We’ll see how it is in the morning.”
Disappointed, she nodded. She was just damn glad to go to her room. Her own bed would feel so much better. She looked over at Logan, sitting up on the edge of the bed, and asked, “Shall we limp away upstair
s together?”
He grinned. “Absolutely.”
“You’re not going without me. And we need to add a wheelchair to the list of supplies. Until then, I’ll make sure you get there safely.” Bullard walked between the two of them and held out his arms. With both of them holding on gently, they exited the medical bay.
Ice looked behind her and saw the mess. “Sorry I’m not able to help clean this up.”
“Not an issue. By the way, Alfred mentioned you were keeping Sienna in the dark about this.” He raised an eyebrow at her. “How long do you think that’ll work?”
“If we can, it would be best. I’m not sure she’ll stay. So why let her in on the secrets or the trauma she might carry away in the form of nightmares for years to come?”
“Makes sense. But she could have helped us through all this.” He nodded at the room. “But I guess it might have sent her screaming into the night.”
“Exactly.”
“Also, in case you get into your own bed today, Alfred has changed your sheets.”
Just the sound of that was incredible. All she wanted to do was lie down in her room and go back to sleep. She gritted her teeth and hung on as they slowly made their way to the elevator. This was the first time she realized just how valuable it was.
With a quick glance at Logan, realizing he was in about the same shape, the two exchanged glances and straightened their backs. No way in hell would they let anybody else know how weak they were. They went to Logan’s room first.
She dropped her hand from Bullard’s arm and said, “I’m not far away. I’ll keep going.”
“And I will check on you later,” Bullard said.
The two men disappeared into Logan’s bedroom. Finally alone, Ice had no problem placing a hand on the wall, using it for support as she made her way down to her suite.
Her door was unlocked, probably because of Alfred. She pushed the door open and leaned against the frame for a moment. She just felt so crappy. And this room was very welcoming, but also so damn lonely.
Alfred suddenly appeared at her side. “Do you need help?”
She gave him a small smile. “I should be fine. I’ll just rest here for a moment to gather the strength to make my way across to that big bed.”
