by Jan Graham
“We should head to the hospital,” Marcus announced as Nik’s ambulance raced away, sirens blaring.
Chapter Sixteen
Beth sat next to Marcus, his arm draped around her shoulders, pulling her into his side. He’d barely stopped touching her since they reunited at the siege site. Not that she was complaining. She welcomed the physical support, especially as they waited at the hospital for Nik to come out of surgery. They—eight men and three women—sat filling the surgery waiting room, literally filling it. For an outsider, the sight would be intimidating. Unlike her, having been able to shower and wash Nik’s blood splatter from her face and hair before dressing in clean clothes that Billy brought with her to the hospital, they were all disheveled—except Marcus who still looked like he’d just walked out of a business meeting—some blood-soaked from the battle, a few of them now stitched and bandaged since arriving at the hospital hours ago.
Apart from Nik, the injuries were minor. Sykes had a deep gash to his side from taking down a knife-wielding Charlton supporter. Red had a few cuts to his face, neck and one arm from shrapnel off splintering packing crates, and Ash limped badly, a leg brace strapped firmly in place after receiving a side blow to his knee. Doctors had x-rayed Beth’s face. The result, no fractures, just severe soft tissue damage. They’d all heal. Nik was the only question remaining whether they’d all get out of this mission alive.
Beth snuggled further into Marcus, adjusting her position, so she could look up at him. His eyes were stony, not cold, just unyielding as he held his feelings in check. He smiled at her briefly, a flicker of loving emotion filling his gaze before he reclined his head back against the wall, returning to his dispassionate inspection of the ceiling.
The elevator light illuminated, and a pinging sound chimed in the silence. As the doors slid open, Beth spotted a woman carrying a large cardboard box, her face obscured by the bags loaded up in it. She recognized the lower half of the woman, well, more importantly, the Louis Vuitton, City Streamer bag hanging at her elbow along with the platform sandals gracing her feet.
Kat Maclean was all style, even under pressure she portrayed a woman of poise and grace. Beth suspected she wasn’t always like that, no one was. Everyone had their demons, some simply hid them more than others.
“Morning. I stopped on the way to collect a few things.” Kat sat the box down on the coffee table in the center of the room to unload it, twelve large takeaway mugs, each with a name written on it and loads of food. “How are my battered band of warriors?”
Her question received an assortment of grumbled fine-and-dandy statements from the men and more honest we-could-be-better ones from the women. The truth was, they probably all felt horrid, but no one wanted to admit their concern and worry out loud in case it affected Nik’s recovery. Not that it would, Nik was in the hands of expert surgeons, but superstition always played a role for those who waited outside.
“And Nik? Have we heard anything yet?” Silent head shakes were the only response Kat received this time, and Beth noted Kat looked around the room, making eye contact with each one of them, the worry etched on her face all too clear. Kat was like the rest of them, part of the team, a member of the family, and despite her cool and calm appearance, Beth knew that Kat would be as anxious as the rest of them about Nik.
“I’m sure we’ll hear something positive soon.” Marcus leaned forward and picked up the large coffee Kat placed closest to him. He took a tentative sip before going in for a bigger gulp. “How do you manage to remember how all twelve of us have our coffee?”
“I know everything about you all, and I have a great memory,” Kat chuckled. “This is from the guys at The Drovers Run. Bacon and egg rolls, beef pies, breakfast burritos, and an assortment of muffins.” Kat emptied out a bag of plastic utensils, sugar, sweetener, and condiments onto the table, grabbing what looked like a blueberry muffin with her coffee before stepping back and watching them all descend.
The food seemed to cheer everyone’s mood. Beth hadn’t realized how hungry she was until the tempting smells filled her nostrils. She added some ketchup to the fluffy white bread roll filled with crispy bacon and a perfectly fried egg, making it the most delicious bacon and egg roll she’d ever eaten.
The food did something else apart from easing their hunger. It broke the silence. As they started talking about the night's events, sharing anecdotes of who saved whose ass and how many times, Beth felt the tension within her ease. Yes, she remained concerned for Nik, but the informal debrief she now engaged in eased the stress she’d held within. Sharing the nights' events was exactly what they all needed. Beth looked over to Kat, engaged in the conversation even though she hadn’t been present for any of it. Asking the right questions, directing a conversation about, what was essentially a night of mayhem, blood, and killing with her expert hand. Making the carnage seem like an everyday event for them all. In fact, it was. This was their normal. People injured, killed, rescued, criminals taken down. Kat helped them turn chaos into order. Making sense of the uncommon events in their lives and turning them into a normality they could live with. No wonder Marcus recruited her.
Footsteps sounded down the empty corridor. The swiftness of each step, the determined pace of them, causing everyone to sit up from their slouched positions in the hope it was news about Nik heading their way.
“Marcus Delany?” The surgeon in dark green scrubs asked from the doorway. Given the early hour, his weary expression didn’t unduly concern her. Unless in her own tired mind Beth was mistaking an expression of grave concern for weariness, which meant the news he was about to deliver wouldn’t be what they wanted to hear.
“That’s me.” Marcus stood. “Whatever the news is, say it to all of us. We’re Nik’s family.” The surgeon didn’t bat an eye at the motley crew who faced him. Some standing, others like her remaining in their seats. Beth breathed deeply, slowly, trying to achieve a state of calm while waiting for the surgeon’s update on the man who ensured her safety over the last few days.
“He’s alive.” Beth exhaled a deep sigh. Relief flooding her. “The bullet tore through his back shattered a rib and lodged in his liver. We’ve removed the bullet and managed to repair the damage. He lost a lot of blood, but we’re confident of a full recovery, providing we can get him settled. He roused after surgery, became frantic. Staff members have tried to calm him, but he remains in a highly agitated state. We’ve given him enough pain medication and sedatives to knock out an elephant, but he’s fighting it. He’s insisting on speaking with you, Marcus, which I’m going to allow, but you must calm him down. If he remains like this, he may undo all my clever work.”
The doctor’s description of Nik didn’t come as a surprise to Beth. He’d been on edge the entire time they were together, and over the last few days, he’d barely slept. The adrenaline-charged escape through the warehouse to get the women to safety pumped them up even further. The shot hit him during their escape. He didn’t see the girls escorted to safety, didn’t know what happened to her in those ultimate moments. He’d probably be wondering if they’d all been hurt or worse, killed as they tried to exit the door. When a person is in immense pain, they may not hear what’s being said to them, so even if the medics and Christian’s team told Nik everyone was okay, it may not have registered. Now he was in an environment where no one knew the outcome of the mission, surrounded by medical staff telling him to calm down. That wouldn’t sit well with the big guy. He’d need answers. Hopefully, Marcus would give him those.
“Lead the way.” Marcus strode forward following the doctor out of the room. “Kat, I want you in here as well.”
“I really can only allow you in right now, Mr. Delany and only because he’s insisting on seeing you,” the surgeon’s tone left no room for disagreement, but then neither did Marcus’ reply.
“Kat Maclean is a trauma specialist, I called her to assist Nik, and she is coming with me. You want him calm and resting, this is the woman for that job.”
; The surgeon gave a curt nod before turning and leading the way down the corridor.
Beth watched them leave, her gaze on Marcus as he strode forcefully down the hall. His physique always drew her attention, making her moist no matter what the circumstances. Even when they disagreed, her body reacted with arousal. It was the main reason she knew Marcus was her one. She remained unsure, however, whether they could ever make a relationship work.
Marcus was tough. He’d made himself that way and it was one of the many reasons she loved and admired him. Her belief being she could penetrate that tough exterior. Tempt him into a loving relationship with her. A relationship where he showed his softer side. Some days, though, she wondered whether he had one. Whether soft and gentle constituted part of his makeup. They’d fought before this all went down. Her final words to him cutting and terse, intimating he didn’t have her back, that he didn’t care. He’d said things she hadn’t liked either, even indicated he’d made a mistake in his timing regarding fucking her.
Had they both made a mistake? Yes, definitely. The question that remained was could they redeem the passion they’d started amid an impossibly stressful situation and build a relationship that could last the next round of mission pressures?
Beth was no longer sure, but she wouldn’t walk away from Marcus without a fight.
* * * *
Nik was swatting off nurses trying to help him as Marcus walked through the door to the recovery area. The big guy’s growls of annoyance accompanied by a litany of swear words filling the room.
“Enough of that shit, Nik,” Marcus said loudly. “The fine women in our presence don’t need to hear filth like that. They’re only trying to help you.”
He watched Nik gradually still. Tension visibly easing from the guy's body and an uneasy calm filling the room. Nik’s drug-soaked gaze met Marcus’. How was the guy even awake? Nik gave a lopsided grin when he spied Kat, and he stretched out his hand toward her as she approached. Kat took hold of it, and Nik squeezed hard, probably checking she was real and not merely an illusion brought on by the drugs.
“Sorry Kat,” Nik slurred. “I’m a bit out of it. Wasn’t sure where I was when I woke up.”
“And do you know where you are now?” Kat’s soft soothing tone even had Marcus feeling relaxed.
“Alive,” Nik nodded, “in hospital, drugged.”
“Then why are you making such a fuss?” she smiled down at him. The loving expression that filled Nik’s face made Marcus wonder what Nik was seeing. His adoring gaze searched Kat’s face. Did the woman appear like a resplendent angel in his medicated mind?
“I need to talk to the Boss. I have to know.” Nik’s lids began to dip. Now the guy wasn’t fighting off the effects of the meds, his adrenaline would be dropping, and the drugs would start doing their job. Marcus spoke up, drawing Nik’s gaze to him.
“The girls and Beth are safe. Nigel Charlton’s men are either dead or in custody, and Nigel’s sitting in a police cell, facing as many charges as Christian and the Feds can legally throw at him. He’ll go away for a very long time.” Marcus hoped he’d covered all of Nik’s concerns and his friend would relax enough now to sleep and allow his body to heal.
“Good,” Nik nodded groggily. “Now get the others—in the floorboards at my place—exercising—under the treads—Billy has keys. Save the others, Boss. I promised Sylvie.”
Nik reached a hand up toward his neck when he mentioned the woman’s name and Marcus noticed the chain and tiny cross he’d returned wearing around his neck was nowhere to be seen. Nik didn’t seem to notice. His hand falling short of its journey to find the tiny object.
“Is this making sense to you?” Kat whispered as she stood quietly next to the bed, still holding Nik’s hand. She appeared relieved when he nodded.
Marcus knew exactly what Nik was talking about. The information he’d collected on all the women who’d been trafficked by Oshimara since Nik had infiltrated the organization. Marcus remembered the conversation they’d had when Nik arrived back in Sydney. He’d kept a list of the abducted women and who purchased them. He’d mentioned he was going to retrieve Sylvie. For some reason, this woman was special to him. Her rescue was important to Nik. Marcus hadn’t asked why because opening a can of worms could have taken Nik’s mind off the job. He’d known they could deal with it later, and it looked like later had just arrived.
“How’s Beth?” Nik mumbled.
“She’s fine, no permanent damage.” Thank God. Marcus would have never forgiven himself if something happened to her, and he needed to ensure she never faced such danger again.
“She loves you, don’t fuck this up for yourself, Marcus. We all watched you two dancing around each other for years. So, give the team a break, make that woman your own.” Nik chuckled, “Stop being a stubborn ass.”
Marcus stared down at his wounded comrade. He no longer appeared agitated, reverting to insulting him. Yes, he was stubborn, but he was rarely an ass. Okay, he might be an ass at times but only if he was protecting his team. He’d forgive Nik for the intrusion into his personal business for two reasons. The guy was drugged off his head, so probably couldn’t help blurting out whatever thought popped into his mind. And secondly, the bastard was right. It was time to make Beth his own.
After leaving Nik, Marcus walked back down the corridor, his mind now back on the job at hand. It wasn’t until he’d finalized everything to do with the mission that he and Beth could move forward with whatever their relationship turned out to be. It was years since Marcus had combined business with pleasure, since he’d merged his personal life into the daily routine of work. Could he do it now? Time would tell, but he’d give it his best shot.
“Right, you ragged bunch of misfits,” Marcus’ statement drew the attention of everyone in the room. “Now that we know Nik is okay, it’s time to put this mission to rest once and for all, so we can all have a holiday.”
A united cheer rose from his crew, along with a few bloody-oath’s and fucking-ay’s thrown in, just to spice things up. Still, the message was clear, they all agreed it was time to move forward.
“First, go home, clean up and rest. I don’t expect to see any of you until midday. That’s when we’ll convene at the base. I want all paperwork about this filed by the day after tomorrow. Then we dismantle both Beth and Nik’s undercover houses, and we should be home free for a while. You get paid your bonuses once everything’s done and dusted.”
There was nothing like throwing in a little monetary incentive to keep everyone on track. Marcus paid his crew handsomely, no one deserved to put their lives on the line for free. Still, after each mission, the team received an extra bonus to add to their monthly wage. It was his way of sharing the financial love around.
“When do we get to visit Nik?” Ash inquired on the team’s behalf.
“He’ll be in ICU for a few days before he’s moved to a private ward where we can visit whenever we like. Kat’s going to stay with him for now, she’ll keep us updated on everything.” Marcus smirked, “And don’t think her being here with Nik will get you bunch off the hook. Your minimum of five debrief sessions with her is still mandatory. No getting out of that ladies and gents.”
“Any questions before Beth and I head home?” He sauntered over and took Beth’s hand, pulling her up to stand next to him as he spoke.
His question elicited shaking of heads, mumbled nos and bids of goodbye as the team headed out. They all looked exhausted. They all were exhausted, both physically and emotionally. Kat advised him when she joined the team that limiting the crews alone time for at least a week after the end of a mission was crucial. They could see if anyone suffered any adverse reactions, reconnect on an individual basis with each other, particularly if some of them had worked in isolation or undercover. It was why Marcus insisted on everyone coming into the base to finalize paperwork and any other strings left hanging from an assignment.
Beth stood beside him, patiently holding his hand. She hadn’t question
ed his assumption they’d go back to his place together which he was thankful for. He needed her in his arms and in his bed. As he led her from the room and down to his car, it occurred to Marcus he should have asked if she wanted to come with him. Considering she’d not been averse to his constant caresses since they’d reunited and actively sought to remain by his side throughout the night, he decided any question of them spending tonight together was redundant. Right now, Beth needed him as much as he needed her. Marcus hoped they could make the need last for more than one night.
Chapter Seventeen
The drive to Marcus’ was a quiet one, exhaustion taking its toll on them both. The walk to the upper level, something Beth had done hundreds of times before, seemed to take more effort than usual. The man in front of her pulling her forward, their hands clasped together as they had been nearly every spare moment since walking out of the hospital together. Her mind focused on him. Marcus was all she wanted, had ever wanted, but could they make this work?
Beth pulled him to a halt at the top of the stairs, the gaze he fixed on her filled with lust. Pulling her toward him without a word, she felt the brush of his erection against her body. She stared into those eyes, filled with heated desire, feeling her arousal swell inside, sure her eyes were consumed with the same heat as her lover’s. Placing her hands on his chest and feeling his arms enclose her in warmth, Beth stretched up onto her toes, her stomach stroking against the bulge at his groin. She placed a gentle kiss on his lips before pushing away from him to make her way to the bedroom, casually shedding her clothes along the hallway.
She’d give Marcus what he wanted, what they both needed tonight. Intimacy, heated sex, and companionship after the grueling ordeal they’d been through. She’d allow him to sate the desire that raged within her, the longing to make Marcus her own. With every touch and brush of her body, Beth would show Marcus what they could be, she’d show him the love he invoked within her, tempt him into committing to her like she’d always dreamed he would. Tonight, she would lay her heart on the line for him because tomorrow, they needed to talk.
