He grimaced. “I’m sorry, Leyna. Millie and I tried the best we could. But the break needed surgery and we didn’t arrive as soon as we should have. The pain is partially my fault.”
Leyna’s brows furrowed. “I don’t care about my leg. I’m alive. What happened?”
Will glanced up, but Neena had disappeared. Not caring how the crazy woman had done it, Will took advantage of their privacy. “First, tell me who I am and what you’ve been doing for the last few years.”
“You’re Dr. William Evans and I was a mercenary.”
“Good,” he answered. “I’ll give you more tests later, but I don’t think you’re brain damaged.”
Petra growled. “I’m fine. Just bloody tell me what happened.”
Her threat only strengthened his relief at her condition. “We arrived in one piece.” He recounted him healing her as well as Kiarra blowing up the helicopter. He added, “But all that matters is that we’re safe and you’re awake. I was afraid that I’d lost you again, Leyna.”
“Will, please call me Petra.”
“But why, love? Leyna is such a pretty name.”
“Because that’s not who I am anymore. I have something to tell you, but only if you accept me as Petra, the badass mercenary-slash-scientist.”
He traced her jaw. “Of course I accept you. If calling you Petra is what it takes to win you over, I will do that and more.”
She raised her brows. “I sense a ‘but.’ Be honest with me, Will. What is it?”
He caressed her cheek. “The mercenary part may not be in your future.” Leyna—no, Petra—opened her mouth to reply, but he beat her to it. “It has nothing to do with me or my wishes, Petra. The doctor thinks you’re going to limp for the rest of your life.”
Petra placed a hand on his arm. “Then we need to find a way to ensure my brother’s safety. Without me to look out for him, he’ll get himself killed.”
“I’m already working on that. Millie owed me a favor and I called it in.”
She frowned. “But how? I haven’t told her anything.”
“Between the two of us, as well as a few other DEFEND members, we’ve figured out your brother is Dominick and the drug lord boss is Sean Reilly. Millie should be taking him down as we speak.”
Petra attempted to sit up, but Will pushed gently against her shoulders to keep her in place. “You’re not going anywhere. Deep down, you know that you’re more of a liability right now than an asset.”
Grunting, Petra relaxed against the bed. “Maybe. But I don’t like the idea of owing Millie anything. If she survives the attempt, that is.”
“Millie can take care of herself.”
Skepticism flashed in her eyes. “Maybe.”
Will growled. “Look, I’ve accepted your new name, so I need you to try and accept something as well. If you don’t learn to trust me and others, we can’t help you. More than that, we can’t help DEFEND and avoid Neena Chatterjee’s wrath.”
Petra searched his eyes for a few seconds. “I trust you, Will.”
He leaned down until his face was mere inches from hers. “Good. Now, what was it that you wanted to tell me?”
Holding his breath, Will waited for Petra’s answer.
~~~
Petra stared into Will’s brown eyes and debated telling him the truth. Sure, she’d wanted nothing more than to tell him of her feelings while she’d been stuck in that dream world. But with his scent and heat near, her heart rate increased and her palms started to sweat.
She was afraid of rejection.
Get a grip, Brandt. Take what you want or walk away. Stop dawdling. With a deep inhalation, the words rushed out on her exhale. “What I wanted to say is that I’ve never stopped loving you, Will. I know there’s a shit-ton of things to discuss and it will take time to fully become reacquainted. But over the last few days, I’ve seen enough of the man I loved to know I still love him. Changed or not, I want to try again.”
Will smiled and Petra’s body relaxed. “Good, because I’d already made my mind up to pursue you, Petra. You wanting the same thing will make things easier.”