Page 32 of Flint's Battle

Carter snorted. “Oh, they’re all hiding something. No doubts there. I overheard Blake talking to someone named Porter. Something about a connection. I couldn’t quite make out all the words and she stopped when one of the nurses stepped into the corridor. But I don’t think they’d keep it a secret if it put Emery’s life in danger.”

Flint nodded, bracing more of his weight against the wall. Praying his legs didn’t buckle from the fatigue burning through his muscles. Carter was right. No one on Kian’s team would harbor secrets if it meant Emery might get killed. Though, Flint made a mental note to have a chat with Kian, later.

Flint fisted his hands in an effort to stem some of the restlessness still coursing through his veins. “So, basically, we’ve got nothing. No leads. No suspects.”

Carter gave him a pat. “Emery’s still breathing, brother. That’s more than I thought would be the outcome when you laid her on that surfboard.”

Flint ignored the image that flashed in his head, not that it stopped it from taking root. Or from reminding him how he could still lose her if they didn’t figure out who’d tried to kill her — or when the bastard would strike, again. Because he bet his ass this wasn’t close to over. “You and me, both.”

He straightened when Emery groaned, blinking her eyes a few times as she started to come around, again. “Does Milligan have the added security in place?”

“Cop at the door. More patrolling the floors. Not that it matters because you’re definitely suffering from lack of oxygen if you think we’re leaving you alone to handle this.” Bowie motioned to the waiting area through the glass wall not far from Emery’s room. “We’ll be camped out there until you can bring her home.”

Quinn nudged him. “You’re aware this place is a nightmare to secure, right? Even with a list of people allowed into the room, there’re too many variables to guarantee her safety. We need her at the Brotherhood ranch. Hawk’s precautions, alone, have this place beat hand’s down.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. But I don’t want to jeopardize her recovery just yet. Let’s make sure the doctors are right — that she’s not going to suddenly relapse or pop a blood clot to her brain. Then, we’ll get her the hell out of here.”

“You guys know I can hear you, right?”

Flint snapped his attention to Emery, her raspy voice carrying through the room. Not loud, but simply hearing it eased his tension a bit more. Proof he hadn’t been too late. That maybe the doctor wasn’t lying about her pulling through.

He pushed off the wall, making his way to the edge of the bed before sliding onto it — brushing some hair back from her face. “Welcome back. Again.”

“I didn’t go anywhere. And if it weren’t for all the meds the doctor keeps pushing my way, I’d be up and out, already. I’m starting to think the man’s a drug dealer in disguise.”

Flint clenched his jaw, biting back the truth that she’d definitely been gone. And not just to get tests. “I’m pretty sure you’d be far less happy if he withheld all the pain meds. You look like someone tried to use you as a piñata.”

She snorted. “What every woman wants to hear.”

“Emery. You’re stunning. But this wasn’t a simple bar fight where some college kid got in a lucky swing.”

“I realize that. And I’m not trying to make light of the severity of what happened. But everyone’s acting as if I’m going to drop dead at any moment.”

He bit back the growl clawing at his chest, cursing when it broke free. “No. They’re acting like you already died.”

Her gaze flew to his buddies, then back to him. “Flint?—”

“Two minutes. That’s how long you were down before Kian brought you back.” He pointed to his team. “The four of us could scale a wall, access a secure site and extradite an asset in two minutes. So, no. No one’s overreacting.”

He did his best to pull it all back. Find even a hint of inner calmness. “You scared us, sweetheart. And not just a little. This was soul deep. Twenty years’ worth of missions. We’ve been ambushed, lied to and left for dead. I need more than one hand to count the number of times I didn’t think we’d all make it back. And yet, being pinned on that damn ocean floor, seeing you…”

He swallowed, nearly puked as that hollowness returned, beading his skin with goosebumps. Replaying every second he was stuck watching her drown. The one word he still couldn’t sayout loud in case this was some kind of dream and uttering the truth let reality break through. “I thought…”

Emery pressed her lips together, reaching out to touch his jaw with her left hand. “It’s not like I wasn’t terrified. But just before…” She paused as she closed her eyes, allowing her forehead to rest against his. “I saw you, and I knew if anyone could bring me back, you would.”

She lifted her gaze to his, eyes glassy. A few tears on her cheek. “Thank you. That’s the second time you’ve saved my life, and I still don’t know how to repay you.”

Flint caressed her jaw, loving how she nuzzled into the contact. “That’s easy. Live. Because I need an anchor, sweetheart. A reason to keep fighting. And I was really hoping you’d be up for the job.”

Her chin quivered a moment before more tears slipped down her skin, a direct contrast to the stunning smile she flashed him as she leaned in — kissed him. Not desperately the way he would have kissed her. All that pent-up tension from the past few days coloring his actions. This was soft and sweet and so telling, it would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn’t been sitting on the bed. Maybe given him a concussion. Even grounded, he felt it all the way to his toes.

Love.

That’s what it was.

For him.

And if the door hadn’t rattled then opened a second later, he would have cupped her face with both hands, looked her directly in the eyes and confessed his love in return. Prayed it didn’t send her running for the hills. Though, based on the way her eyes softened as that smile widened, he doubted she’d actually run.

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