“Danni, what is it?”
“My wrist is broken.” Her forlorn, childlike voice was not like anything he had heard from the feisty woman.
“Oh, sweetheart.” He tucked the hair hanging over her eyes behind her ear, then tenderly brushed his lips over hers. “I hate seeing you in pain.”
Danni’s soft lips clung to his for the briefest moment. Her eyes locked with his. Heat and need flooded him, urging him to lift Danni off the bed and hold her in his arms. His need to be comforted by her, after watching her be almost killed, was as strong as his need to comfort her. He could’ve lost her today.
Lars pulled back when he realized that Eric had stood and was walking toward them.
“You have an amazing setup here. I’ve never been called to treat anyone before and am quite impressed with the newest technology and equipment. This could pass as an ER.”
Lars didn’t want to hear the guy talk. Or share comparisons of Richard Dean’s trauma centers at strategic places throughout the world.
“Why didn’t you give her the pain meds?” Lars gave him his best I-can-kill-you-in-less-than-ten-seconds look for making Danni suffer.
Eric looked at his watch. “I was about to give her another dose…after I got the brace on.”
Lars might not be an MD, but he had enough experience with injuries to know that you needed to stay ahead of the pain. “This woman is in pain. You could’ve stopped and given her another dose before putting on the frickin’ brace. What the hell does it matter if you finished?”
“Part of pain management is to immobilize with a brace,” Eric countered, not intimidated by Lars’s menacing stance or his raised voice.
“Don’t blame Eric. It’s not his fault. It’s mine. He asked me earlier if I wanted another dose. I hate the out-of-body feeling of pain meds, so I said no. The pain just hit me a few minutes ago.”
“I warned you.” Eric stepped around Lars to give Danni the drug. The dude showed no situational awareness for someone trained to observe people. In no way would Lars stand by and allow Eric any closer to Danni.
Lars blocked Eric before dispensing a pain pill, then providing water in Danni’s free hand. He stabilized her injured wrist on the pillows and then reapplied the ice packs that had fallen on the bed. He needed to touch her, soothe her, to make her feel better. He seethed at the sight of indomitable Danni beaten down. If Eric weren’t hanging around, Lars would kiss her tears and hold her.
“Tell me about her wrist.” Lars turned toward Eric, crossed his arms, and widened his stance.
Eric backed away as Lars moved closer to the door. Now the guy was showing some sense.
“Her X-ray demonstrates a simple radius fracture. A common injury from falling on an extended hand. I’ve put her into a cast that shouldn’t be removed for three weeks. And at that time, she should be reevaluated to decide if she’s ready to come out of it. If her pain or swelling increases over the next few days, you should contact me. I’m confident that this is a simple break.”
“Doesn’t feel simple to me.”
Danni’s intense glare targeted at Eric lightened Lars’s mood. Danni giving Eric attitude was a positive sign.
“And what about her ankle?” Lars needed every detail to shape his plans.
“Basic sprain. No indication that she needs any further care other than a standard R-I-C-E approach: rest, ice, compression, and elevation. As you can see, I’ve placed a neoprene compression brace on her ankle. No weight bearing until the swelling and pain subside, which shouldn’t be more than twenty-four to forty-eight hours.”
“You know I’m right here. And am very capable of explaining everything to Lars.”
“I’m sorry, but you’re going to need someone to take care of you.” Eric’s voice gained a stern edge. “You need to remain immobile. And with your dominant hand in a splint, you’re going to need assistance for everything. I want to make sure that he understands your injuries to be able to take care of you.”
“My friend is on her way. She’ll be helping me until I get home.”
Lars didn’t plan to inform Danni about the change he had made to her plans until Eric left. He wanted to avoid dealing with Eric, who, like every male, would want to protect Danni.
Lars had to steel himself not to be swayed by Danni’s loss of her spunky energy and the bruising and swelling on her forehead that had intensified dramatically. He must not be swayed by the way she chewed anxiously on her lower lip or the swelling of her fingers under her cast, or he’d be agreeing to let her friends surround her with all the attention and care she deserved. Bringing the Dean sisters or anyone else into the equation wasn’t the right move for many reasons besides Aiden’s and Finn’s wrath. Miro, the psychopath killer, wasn’t getting close to Danni or her friends.
Lars would try to make up for her friends, but she’d have to wait to be pampered until Miro was in custody or hiding in Mexico.
“I’ll make sure she’s well taken care of. She isn’t going anywhere soon.”
Danni’s watery eyes flashed to life.
“Continue with the hydrocodone for the next two days or so. But let’s get you started on an anti-inflammatory, which should cover your pain in the days ahead now that you’re splinted and icing.”
“Thanks. I think we’ve got it covered.” Lars was ready a half hour ago for Eric to make his exit. Lars had come into the room planning to read her the riot act, but now he wasn’t sure how to proceed. She needed to sleep, but he had to be upfront about canceling Sophie’s trip. He didn’t want her to wake up and be disappointed.
“Danni, I know this sucks, but I promise you’ll be out on the dance floor before you know it.” Eric took a step toward the bed. “And when you’re back in LA, don’t forget to give me a call and we can go to Boulevard Three.”
Lars’s head nearly exploded—this asshole was hitting on a distressed woman when she was most vulnerable. Lars would have punched him, but he didn’t want to upset Danni any further. Eric had just completed his one and only visit to the Dean’s safe house.
“You’re going to love my wife, Tammy; she’s an incredible dancer. I’ll watch the two of you from the sidelines. I’m sure you have all the moves. I’m really sorry about your fall, but you’re strong and healthy, and you’ll heal quickly.”
Lars swallowed hard, trying to relax, but that wasn’t gonna happen while his body was flooded with take-no-prisoners hormones. Fortunately, his military discipline kicked in to prevent him from acting like a number one asshat. His protective instincts toward Danni had turned into a ridiculous Neanderthal parody. Thank God Sten wasn’t here to witness the farce. His twin would never let him live it down if Lars took out the MD.
“If you have any questions, you have my pager and my cell, Lars.”
The dude started toward the door, then turned and grinned. “By the way, thanks for the restraint in not hammering me. I happen to be a very happily married man.”
Lars hated his Scandinavian fair skin, which read like a road map to his emotions. Heat deluged his face and the tops of his ears. Nothing covert about blushing.
He gave Dr. Eric another frown and urged him out the door. Maybe Lars wouldn’t strike him off the list.
Chapter Eleven
Lars rearranged Danni’s leg on the pillow, all the time avoiding eye contact to hide his embarrassment. He made a big production of fluffing the pillows, waiting for his skin to cool. No other woman had him twisted into acting totally batshit crazy. He had never cared enough to feel protective, jealous, or possessive of a woman—damned if he would start now. His off-the-wall reaction was because of the guilt over his failure to protect her. She had almost been run down on his watch. He couldn’t shut out the image of the SUV slamming into her.
“Is the medicine starting to kick in?”
“The examination ramped up the pain, but I’m starting to feel some relief now. Maybe I just needed Eric to stop messing with my ankle and wrist.” Danni sighed and closed her eyes. Her head
rested on the headboard, her gorgeous, tangled hair flowing around her shoulders.
Lars needed to talk to her before she fell asleep. He moved to her right, careful to avoid her injured ankle. Aware of his size, he gingerly sat on the bed by her hip, trying not to jostle the pillows. Aware of how much he wanted to take her into his arms.
Her eyes fluttered open. He wasn’t sure if the bruising from her forehead was causing the smudges of black under each eye or if it was just her smeared mascara. The beautiful woman was a mess from the angry red, almost purple contusion on her forehead combined with her black eyes. He knew enough about women not to say a word. The mirror would tell her soon enough.
“Must be bad news by the way your jaw is clamped shut, and you’ve got those scrunchy lines around your eyes like you’d like to laser someone to death with your glare.”
“Should I be grinning after what went down today?”
“I bet if Sten were in this bed instead of me, you’d be cracking jokes, not looking like a puppy died.”
It took a minute for him to catch on since he couldn’t imagine wanting to replace her with Sten. She didn’t want his pity. Danni hated anyone seeing her vulnerable.
“You don’t want me to be pissed that some dimwit tried to run you down?”
“I can always read when the big bad marine is about to take over.”
Lars wasn’t sure he should feel happy that she read him so well. Although, it did mean that she paid close attention, didn’t it? And he was close to the edge, needing to find the bad guys who had come after her. She had almost been captured by a psychopath.
“Stop looking at me as if I’m some sort of fragile flower that you have to tiptoe around. Give it to me straight.”
But she did look like a crushed flower. Not that he would tell her since he loved his “boys” too much, and she was in range to do some harm.
“You were right about disrupting a money exchange—definitely cartel money laundering.”
“It didn’t take a genius to put it together. But did you find out anything about Miro, the guy in charge?” Her words and her stare were direct, but he didn’t miss the quiver in her voice when she said Miro’s name.
“Miro is well-known to the DEA. He’s a second lieutenant, fairly high in the Sinaloa Cartel. I spoke with a DEA agent who was in charge of tracking the Sinaloa. He was surprised that Miro would take the risk of showing up in LA. He’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. Usually, someone lower handles the transactions in the US. The cartel has plenty of low-level couriers to do the exchanges. Agent Powell didn’t say, but he has to be concerned that Miro has someone on the payroll in the DEA. Or Miro is ballsy enough to not believe he could be apprehended.” Lars thought both were likely for the narcissistic psychopath. Nice combination for one sick bastard.
“Miro didn’t hesitate when he thought I was a federal agent. Thank God his lackey is out of shape.” Her left hand gripped the bedcover so tightly her knuckles were turning white.
She would never admit to being frightened. Lars didn’t want her terrified, but her fear might give him some leverage to gain her cooperation. He hoped she’d see that she was in no shape to be on her own.
“Agent Powell felt his appearance probably indicates that the cartel was having trouble with their contact. I don’t know who would be insane enough to double-cross the cartel. But it happens over and over again. Greed makes for idiots. Powell doesn’t think it’s a coincidence that the Chinese woman can’t be found. He believes her disappearance means that Miro likely had come to the US to eliminate her and get their money secured.”
“He was furious and shouting and taunting her with one-hundred-dollar bills. When he spotted me…the way he looked at me…” A visible shudder went through her body. “Not the usual male asshole stuff.”
“He’s a brutal man. And known for…liking women.” Lars stumbled on the words. He didn’t want to tell her that Miro was known for becoming obsessed with women and had tortured an undercover blonde female DEA agent before killing her. The DEA wanted Miro badly. His appearance in LA reflected how untouchable the cartel leader was. It didn’t take much imagination to think the guy could easily make Danni his next target, a beautiful woman who had seen him and then escaped his capture. Macho psychopaths never tolerated failure well.
“Until we confirm that Miro has realized you’re not a Fed but were there by chance, he remains too much a threat to allow any contact. No one can know where you are, especially your girlfriends.”
“Did Reeves already squeal on me?”
He expected more of a reaction. He had braced for the fireworks.
She was distracted and obviously in pain. She tried to shift her position without dislodging her wrist and ankle. “Something is going on with Reeves. He would never have divulged.”
“Can I help you get more comfortable?”
He examined her face, looking for signs that the medicine was starting to kick in. She wasn’t chewing on her lower lip, which he saw as a good sign.
Her blue eyes narrowed.
“And how do you plan to make me comfortable, huh? Is this another one of your bullshit come-ons like ‘I excel at making women happy?’”
“What kind of dildo do you think I am?”
Danni snorted. “Dildo?”
“I was trying to avoid being gross. I know you think I’m a hound dog.” Not quite as bad as hearing her call him a “manwhore.”
“You haven’t exactly been discreet in sharing your opinion of my dating life.”
“You call that a dating life?”
He avoided falling into the no-win trap.
“For your information, I intended to rearrange the pillows behind you, help you change your position, or change your ice—whatever would make you feel better.”
“You playing nurse?”
“You did it for me. Fair turnaround. I’m really grateful that you stayed and helped me in the hospital. I’ve never had anyone take care of me before. My brothers aren’t exactly the nurturing types.”
Danni’s warm eyes locked onto his with an arrested look before she quickly glanced away.
“Maybe your reputation as a lover isn’t deserved if none of your ladies were grateful enough to visit you in the hospital. You had to jump in front of a bullet to get a woman to take care of you.”
He was getting the drift of her game. Whenever he got too close, she shut him down by bringing up his reputation.
“Until all this gets sorted out, I’m here to help you. You’re a beautiful and brilliant woman, and I won’t deny that I want you. But whatever my feelings are for you will stay on hold until we are out of this mess. Unless, of course, you ask me real nice.” He grinned, knowing that would really piss her off.
“As if I’d ever…” Her eyes flared, and her fingers tightened on the bedsheet. “Your conceit is enough to turn off any woman who might be interested. And to be clear, I’m not interested.”
“Oh, I think you are, but you don’t want to give in to this smoldering connection between us.”
“Your smoldering connection. Not mine. And it will be a cold day in hell before I ever consider touching you.”
“Is that a bet?” Even when she was exhausted and frightened, she wouldn’t give an inch about the chemistry between them.
“You’d lose your money.” She flicked her hair over her shoulder. “How about getting me a cane?”
“We’d both win.” He waggled his eyebrows, knowing how easily he could get her to react.
“The cane?”
“Eric said not to put weight on your ankle for two days.”
“And how do you expect me to get to the bathroom?” She started to lift her ankle off the pillow. “Hop on one foot? The idea of losing my balance and falling on my wrist doesn’t agree with me right now.”
“I’ve got an easier solution.”
Lars stood and scooped her up into his arms, placing his hands under legs. Her bare skin was smooth and warm to touch. Luckily, his ea
rlier race to reach her hadn’t reinjured his own wound. But to have Danni in his arms, he wouldn’t mind the current twinge in his thigh.
She gasped.
“Did I hurt you?”
“No, but you might want to warn a girl when you’re going to go all caveman.”
He took the ten steps to the bathroom door. He didn’t ask her how she would manage the mechanics of using the toilet.
“Do you want me to sit you on the toilet?”
She hit him on the chest with her cast. “Do you know nothing about women’s sensibilities?”
“With four brothers, taking a leak isn’t exactly a big deal.”
“I’ll manage fine without your help. Just set me down by the sink.”
Reaching around her, Lars twisted the door handle and then kicked open the door. The dark marble bathroom had an enormous walk-in shower, a sunken tub, and double sinks. One wall was covered in mirrors.
Lars was pivoting toward the sink, careful not to bump Danni’s ankle, when his ears throbbed from her sudden high-pitched scream.
Danni stared into the mirror, horrified at her reflection. “Why didn’t you tell me that I looked like a monster out of a B-grade horror movie?”
“Baby, you look like you’ve had an accident. And you—” Lars caught himself from uttering his usual glib line: “You’ll always look good to me.”
He slowly lowered her, enabling her to balance with her left hand on the counter. He kept his hands on her waist to make sure she was steady.
“I’m fine. You can let go.” She batted at his hands until she suddenly jerked and grabbed the edge of the sink. “Oh, my God.”
“What is it?” Lars didn’t know whether he should touch her. “Talk to me. What can I do?”
Mission: Impossible to Protect (The Impossible Mission Romantic Suspense Series Book 6) Page 7
