Page 78 of Raven's Nest
“Back? She’s reenlisting with the Coast Guard?”
Damn.
And she’d told him that?
Had he balked? Begged her to stay? Done anything to show how much he cared? Had she left anyway?
Kash grabbed his arm. “Easy, brother. You look like you did last night before you tanked.”
Zain palmed the bed, forcing in a few shallow breaths. “I need someone to start talking.”
Kash sighed. “Technically, it sounded as if they were considering this past six months as her being on leave or something. I don’t think she really knew. But you told her it was okay.”
Dread punched Zain in the gut, and he had to close his eyes to keep from puking. “I said what?”
“You told her you didn’t want her to look back in ten years and feel like she’d settled. That if you loved someone, you had to set them free.”
“And you let me babble on like that?”
Kash shrugged. “It caught us all off-guard. But the real question is… are you gonna just let her walk away?”
He grunted, wishing he could move without screaming. “It sounds a lot like she already made her decision.”
“Bullshit.” Mac pushed past Foster. “She didn’t leave because she wanted to. She went because she’s scared there’s nothing left for her here. Her business. Her loft. Everything’s gone. Except you, and you apparently wished her well.” Mac held up her hand. “I know. Morphine. But she wasn’t asking you if you thought she should go. She was asking you to give her a reason to stay.”
Zain met her glare. “Which I would have if I couldhave strung two thoughts together.” He paused, working out the next few steps in his head. “Mac, do you still have connections at the Coast Guard? Maybe a few chits you could call in?”
“What have you got in mind?”
“Clearance.”
She grinned. “I think that I can help you out with that.”
He waved at Foster. “I need pants. And a hoodie. A lift, too.”
Foster held his ground. “Zain. The doctors would like you to stay a bit longer?—”
“Chase?” Zain looked over at the man. “Am I going to drop dead if I leave?”
Chase groaned. “Not as long as you don’t pop a blood clot.”
“Then, what are we waiting for? I’ve got something I need to say, and I’m not letting her go until she tells me to bugger off to my face.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
Saylor sat in the interview room, wondering what the hell she was doing. She’d only been in Portland five hours, and she already wanted to leave. Go home and climb into Zain’s bed.
Except where he’d all but pushed her out the door. Sure, he’d been a bit loopy from the meds, but he’d been coherent enough to tell her not to settle. Some bullshit about setting her free.
Pain pulsed through her side, the last of the drugs already wearing off.
Greer shoved a glass of water across the table, along with a couple pills. “You look like shit. Take those. Drink.”
She sighed. “If I’d realized we’d be stuck in the same room all day, I would have told them to shove their debrief up their collective asses.”
Greer smiled. “Sounds like a plan. Not sure you could have avoided this, though. But that doesn’t meanwe have to stay. They’ve got your statement. I’ve got leverage. Just say the word, and we’re gone.”
“You didn’t have to call in some markers for me. You know that, right?”
