Page 17 of Covert Obsession

The owl overhead called out, his wings smacking tree branches as he lifted and flew into the sunrise. The next thing she knew, something hard hit her on the top of her head.

Pain exploded in her skull. Her vision went black and she tipped forward.

Moe cursed. “Parker! Shit!”

As the ground came up to meet her face, darkness took her under.

ELEVEN

Parker was down and he had no way of communicating with the rest of the team. The branch had come out of nowhere, hitting her in the head and knocking her unconscious.

Moe scooped her up and returned to the clearing, laying her next to a boulder that resembled an old man’s face. He felt around on her skull, his fingers coming away wet and sticky with blood.

Head wounds always bled a lot, he told himself, trying to assess if this was a normal amount or not. Her pulse was strong and her breathing even. As he unzipped the pack, searching for a first aid kit, he spoke her name over and over, a prayer. A plea. “Parker. Wake up. Don’t you dare think you’re getting out of this mission. Come on, luv. Open those pretty green eyes.”

There. His fingers found the plastic case, and he jerked it out and flipped the lid. He sorted through the contents, locating a package of gauze squares, and tore it open. Her hair was matted, and he pressed a stack of them to her wound while using his free hand to stroke her cheek. “Wake the fuck up.”

She groaned, and the relief that flooded his chest nearly felled him. If he hadn’t already been on his knees, he might have dropped to them.

“Ow!” She reached to shove his hand away, sucking in a breath when her fingers brushed her head. “What happened?”

“No need to worry about the terrorists getting you. A stupid bird did.”

She screwed up her face, from his pronouncement or the pain of her injury, he wasn’t sure. Either way, he rummaged through the case to find a package of hemostatic wound dressing as she rolled sideways, attempting to sit up. Another intake of breath and she fell back to the ground. “What bird?”

“The owl that has been dogging us for the past two miles. When the git lifted off, he must have shaken loose a dead branch. Here.” He handed her a clean stack of gauze. “Let me put some of this on the gash, then press these to it.”

It took some maneuvering, but once they were done, they’d stopped the bleeding and Moe propped her against the boulder. He flipped the beam of the flashlight into her left eye, then the right. “Hold still.”

She knocked it to the side. “I’m fine.”

“You were knocked silly and lost consciousness. You probably have a concussion.”

“How long was I out?”

He checked his watch. “A minute? Maybe two?”

She waved it off. “That’s nothing. Let me catch my breath and I’ll be good to go.”

Stubborn woman. “I have to get you back to the ranch.” He handed her a bottle of water. “You can barely sit up. How are you going to ride a horse?”

“The mission comes first.” She drank and set it beside her. “Seems like you’re getting your wish. You get to go find Lydia on your own.”

He closed the case and stuffed it inside the backpack. “The hell I am. I’m not leaving you.”

She grabbed his wrist, forcing him to look at her. “I’m ordering you to. Locate Lydia and get back here as fast as you can. The team is waiting for us to radio in. We are not blowing this mission because I took a smack to the head. Surely by now, you know I’m tougher than that.”

Why was everything a sparring match with her? “You’re tough as nails. No one’s disputing the fact. With a head injury, it’s complicated. You could go into shock and die before I get back.”

“I’m quite familiar with head trauma. You’re being dramatic.” She felt for the pulse in her wrist. “I had a moment where it was hard to sit up, but I’m fine now. I’m not dizzy or nauseous. I’m also not in shock. My vision is clear, my pulse is normal, and the bleeding has stopped, thanks to your quick actions. The longer you sit here and argue with me, the more likely Lydia is going to die.”

She pushed herself to a standing position, and he held onto her, even though she seemed stable. Adrenaline could mask symptoms of shock. “We should wait for Cal and Trace.”

“I’ll have a doozy of a headache for a while, but I will do as you suggested—locate the highest point around the mine and establish communication with the others. I’ll use the binoculars to watch the exits, and the moment you come out, you give me a sign and I’ll call in the cavalry.”

“That blow has made you bonkers. Are you serious right now?”

She tugged her hand out of his and patted his cheek. “Moe, I’m okay. If I wasn’t, you of all people would know.” She placed his palm over her heart. He couldn’t feel her heartbeat through the layer of clothes, but as he stared into her eyes, he knew she spoke the truth. “As soon as we get back to the ranch, I’ll have Emit call his physician to check me over, but I assure you, I can handle this. The question is, can you? If I were one of your male teammates, would you be fussing over me like a mother hen?”

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