Page 77 of Raven's Nest
Her lips twitched, those voices in his head warning him, again. “So, you’d be okay? If I went back?”
Hell no.
Had he said that out loud? Imagined it?
“Commander O’Conner.”
She turned when Fleming’s voice echoed through the room, stabbing pain through his temples. “I’ll be right there.”
Fleming tapped his watch. “We need to go. Now.”
She glared at the guy, then focused on him. “Zain, I…”
Zain forced a smile, secretly wondering if he was simply sneering. “It’s okay. If you love someone, you gotta set them free, right?”
Her mouth gaped open, her eyes wide. “What?—”
“Commander.” Fleming took a step into the room. “We’re out of time.”
She took a step back. “I’ll call you as soon as I’m done. I just didn’t want you to wake up and wonder where I was.” She darted back — planted a soft kiss on his lips. “Thank you. For everything. I’ll call.”
She walked out, favoring her left side, arms wrapped around her waist. Zain stared at the door, all the words getting jumbled in his head as he faded into that numbing warmth, drifting until the voices in his head started screaming, startling him upright.
Pain arced through his chest, his next breath nearly dropping him.
Kash tsked, moving in beside him as he held him in place. “Are you nuts? You broke your ribs, jackass. Don’t move like that unless you want to spend another night in the hospital.”
Zain relaxed against the bed, images colliding in his head until one finally took shape. He glanced around the room, a shiver weaving down his spine. “Where’s Saylor?”
Kash pursed his lips, glancing at Foster and Mac when they ambled through, coffee cups clenched in their hands. “She’s at the Coast Guard office in Portland.”
“Portland?” Zain pushed Kash’s arm aside and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “What the hell? What if those assholes come back? What if the doctors missed something? Was she even cleared to leave?”
Foster darted forward, blocking Zain from actually slipping off the bed. “Seriously, Zain. You’re gonna give yourself a concussion on top of everything else. In fact, I’m sure you all have one from that stupid sonarweapon. Saylor’s fine. Greer went with her. Atticus, too.”
Zain coughed, nearly puked. “Atticus? Isn’t he still hobbling around?”
Mac joined Foster. “He didn’t go as her bodyguard. He went because he’s got connections, and he wanted to make sure everyone involved checked out. Greer’s there for protection.”
“Chase had better have Greer’s back or we’ve got a problem.”
“Greer went as the sheriff,Einstein.” Chase limped into the room, looking as bad as Zain felt. “I offered, but…”
“Should you be out of bed?”
“I got a second opinion.”
“Whose? Yours?”
Chase sank onto one of the chairs. “At least, I didn’t break any ribs. Just a mutual bruised lung. Spleen, too, but nothing I can’t handle myself.”
“Christ.” Zain raked his hand through his hair, embracing the sharp stab through his chest. It helped him focus. “Why is Saylor in Portland?”
Kash frowned. “You don’t remember?”
“Remember what? I was strung out on morphine.”
“She came in here a few hours ago. Told you she’d been recalled for a debrief regarding theVigilant. All the shit that went down with Maddox. That they wanted her back.”
