“What did Doc Woods say? Have the specialists arrived yet? Alex, Zach, have you called our parents yet? Do you have the jet and chopper standing by?” Jenna’s voice sounded strained, and she appeared to be as tightly wound as Katarina. Colt stepped forward then knelt in front of her, wrapping his arms around her shaking shoulders, pulling her into his warm embrace.
When she started to hyperventilate, he pulled back so that she faced him. When her eyes didn’t come up to his, he spoke quietly to her. “Jenna, look at me.” When she still couldn’t bring her focus back to him, he spoke more firmly, using the Dom tone he knew she always responded to. “Pet, look at me right now.” Her eyes immediately met his.Mine, she is mine, all mine. God, but I love this woman with everything in me. I can’t wait to collar and then marry her.“Good girl, now breathe with me, nice and slow.” It only took a few seconds for her to settle down. “Very good, now, let’s hear the rest of what Dylan has to say, shall we?” With that, he picked her up and sat her on his lap so that her back rested against his chest and his arms stayed wrapped firmly around her chest, anchoring her with his warmth and support.
Dylan continued. “They are both still unconscious, and that is not a good sign, but we’re holding on to the hope that the combination of fear, being shot, and falling one on top of the other onto a concrete surface…Well, hell…Please say prayers for them both.” He turned on his heel and walked out into the hall knowing Mitch Grayson and Bryant Davis were right behind him. Without even looking back, he simply said, “Follow me.” His voice was gruff with emotion, but he knew the other men wouldn’t be able to settle in the waiting room until they’d seen Rissa for themselves. Mitch had been trying to claim the elusive little redhead for a year or more and Bryant was drowning in guilt for letting her walk out the door without an escort.
* * * *
Melita felt like she was listening to a conversation from underwater, must have been deep, too, judging from the feeling of pressure on her chest, and her head felt like a freight train was rumbling through it. Straining to make out the words, she knew one of the voices made her feel safe while the other didn’t sound familiar to her. “No, I’m staying here again tonight, I have deputies to cover for me. I’m not leaving her alone. Her cover has been compromised, she isn’t safe. Doc doesn’t know why she isn’t awake yet, I can’t even tell you how worried I am about that. Goddamn it, Alex, she was right there, right within my reach and now she may slip through my fingers yet again.” She’d recognize Dylan Marshall’s voice anywhere, the low timbre, the rough edge even in his lightest moments teetered on the edge of the role of Dominant that he filled so well. God, she had missed him and the lifestyle they had enjoyed together. Her love for him had never been in question. Vowing that if she ever surfaced, she’d tell him what a foolish mistake she’d made, she let herself drift back into the inky blackness.
* * * *
Mitch and Bryant stood on opposite sides of Rissa’s bed staring down at the fragile woman lying too still. “Jesus, could they plug her in to anything else?” Mitch’s exasperated question was rhetorical, but eerily echoed Bryant’s exact thoughts. Bryant had always been awed by Mitch Grayson’s special gift, but he’d understood the inherent challenges it presented also. They’d spent many nights on the deck at Pomola watching the river making its way down to the mountain valley below, drinking beer, and talking about anything and everything, including their views on long-term ménages. They had known it would take a very special woman, one who ignited electricity in both of them, and without even speaking the words, they knew that woman was lying right between them.
“Letting her walk out that back door alone will haunt me until my last breath, brother.” The sadness in Bryant’s voice had Mitch looking up at his friend. When Bryant looked up, Mitch’s eyes held nothing but compassion. Bryant Davis had been a geeky college freshman trying to find his way around a campus larger than his entire hometown when Mitch Grayson had seemed to materialize out of nowhere with answers to questions Bryant hadn’t even had the courage to ask. Bryant had laughed to himself many times about how he’d wondered if the other man could read his mind, as it turned out, that wasn’t all that far off from the truth. “Her beautiful green eyes sucked me right in. God, what a bonehead mistake! Christ, Mitch, I fucking know the rules. I knew what all was going down, all the extra security in place that night.” Sighing and running a frustrated hand through his hair before continuing, he added, “I nearly fell into her gaze. All I could think about was how much I wanted her and that she obviously belonged to someone else. Fuck.”
Mitch understood how Rissa could scramble a man’s thinking. Hell, she’d been wrecking havoc with his for nearly eighteen months. His voice was low but strong, his words sounding more certain than he felt. “Hang in there, she’s going to be fine. The bullet is out, and she’ll have to do some rehab on her shoulder, but we’ll have fun helping with that and the massages afterward.” Smiling down at Rissa, he was struck by how small she really looked lying there. Her personality was always so large, it was easy to forget how truly tiny she was. He knew some of the staff referred to her as Tink, short for Tinkerbell and it was certainly an appropriate nickname.
“I have to tell you though, when she is all healed up, we’ll be having a serious session on a spanking bench, she’s racked up some rather significant punishments.” His soft expression and warm voice were a contrast to his words. Oh, he’d make her pay all right, but it wasn’t going to be as much about punishment as it was about getting his hands on her sweet body.
Leaning down right near Rissa’s ear, Mitch’s voice was pitched low and full of authority. “Clarissa, you need to wake up and face the music, sweetheart. You have some serious explaining to do. Master Bryant and I are waiting to hear what you have to say. Alex and Zach are also waiting for your explanation. If you don’t come back soon, I’m going to let Katarina in here, and you don’t want that, do you?” Smiling up at Bryant, he said, “You haven’t met Alex and Zach’s pregnant tornado yet, have you? She’s their wife and sub, well, at least she lets them think she’s a sub.” He chuckled to himself and then his eyes widened and his grin spread clear across his face as he watched Rissa’s grass-green eyes flutter open and her mouth twitch into a smile.
Her mouth felt like she’d eaten all the stuffing out of a good-sized sofa, blah! She blinked at the bright rays of the setting sun that were streaming in through the window of her room. Bryant immediately closed the shades and dimmed the room lights so the bright light wouldn’t aggravate the headache he was sure she’d have after that nasty fall. The goose egg on the back of her head had been so bad old Doc Woods had brought in a donut pillow for her. “Awww, sweetheart, welcome back. We’ve been mighty worried about you.” Mitch was speaking to her so sweetly, and his knuckles softly caressing her cheek were the most soothing thing she thought she’d ever felt.
“C–can I have a d–drink? My mouth is so dry, and my throat hurts.” She felt tears stinging her eyes, damn her throat was so sore and her head was throbbing. “What happened? Where am I?” She turned her head just slightly and when she made eye contact with Bryant, she gasped in surprise.
Bryant just stood perfectly still and watched as her mouth formed anOand then her face flushed bright red.Oh yeah, babe, you know exactly who I am and that you are in big trouble, oh little one, this is gonna be a mighty fine ride, indeed.
* * * *
When Mia finally opened her eyes, the room was dim, but the first thing she noticed was that there was a very large warm body lying next to her. God, she’d recognize Dylan’s unique scent anywhere, all dark musk and clean outdoors. She had no sooner opened her eyes and looked toward him than he came instantly wide awake and smiled a lazy smile and his drawled, “Well hello, darlin’, glad to see you finally decided to return to me,” warmed her heart through. Mia knew his words held a wealth of double meaning, and for the life of her, she couldn’t think of a single reason to protest.
“I love you, I’ve always loved you.” She felt the first tear slide over and trace down her temple by the time she continued. “I just couldn’t wait another second to tell you. I’ve made some very selfish decisions, but I never stopped loving you.” She searched his face for any thread of hesitation or anger and saw nothing but sincerity and hope for the future reflecting the depth of love she’d walked away from. She’d hurt him so badly she had had no idea how she was ever going to be able to make it up to him.
“I know, I heard it all, and you aren’t slipping away from me again, my sweet love. As soon as you get the all clear from Doc, we’re heading out for some much needed R & R. I need to know you are safe while some things are wrapped up here, but more than that, I just need you. I’ll always need you. Why I let you go so easily is a mystery I’ll never unravel. I think I was just so stunned my brain went into neutral and didn’t reengage for almost a year. And by that time you were so deep undercover I couldn’t get to you.” Dylan was gently stroking her silky hair back from her face, his touch tender, but his callused fingertips were sending sparks of desire pulsing through her entire body.Oh boy, some things never change, his touch still sets off a five-alarm panty drenching.
Mia was looking at him as if he held her entire world in his palms, God how he’d missed this sweet woman. Fire and ice, he’d always teased her that she was fire in bed and ice on the job, an irresistible combination, there was not a single thing he hadn’t loved about her. His total devotion and deep love had made her sudden decision to divorce him even more devastating. Had he been able to really step back and analyze the situation, he would have known something was seriously wrong. And he’d have never signed those fucking papers that night, but the time for looking back was over. He knew he was going to have to tell her that Petrov had eluded them and that her career with the DEA was all but over, but right at this moment, he just wanted to touch her, to make sure she knew exactly where she belonged…and to whom.