Chapter 8
“Found her,” Lucky said when Lefty answered his phone an hour later.
That was the thing about Lucky, and how he’d gotten his nickname.
The man was extraordinarily lucky in just about everything he did.
From narrowly missing being hurt on missions, to finding obscure information needed to complete a job.
And Lefty had never been so thankful for his teammate’s luck as he was now.
He got the address where Lucky had found her car and turned his own truck around. Lucky had promised to call the rest of the team as well, and Lefty knew they would all race to get to her.
Lucky hadn’t said much else, just that he’d found her car and drove by once to see if she was inside.
He saw her in the driver’s seat, but he hadn’t approached.
One part of Lefty had wanted him to immediately go to her to make sure she was all right, but the other part of him wanted to be the one she saw first.
She’d met Lucky, but if she wasn’t expecting him, she might be scared when he knocked on her window out of the blue.
Lefty drove faster.
Within seven and a half minutes, he pulled his truck up beside Lucky’s.
They were in the parking lot of a local factory.
It was a smart choice on Kinley’s part. The lot was full of cars all day and night because of the various shifts, and while someone might notice her sitting there, they wouldn’t necessarily think it was too odd.
Grover, Lucky, Doc, and Brain were already there, and Trigger and Oz were on their way.
Not wanting to wait on the rest of his team, Lefty approached Kinley’s door and saw her eyes were closed and her head was resting on the headrest behind her.
With each step, his heart rate increased.
He could feel the adrenaline coursing through his body.
He tried to quietly open the door, but it was locked. He hated to knock on the window and scare her, but he didn’t have a choice.
Lefty rapped twice on the window—and he began to sweat when Kinley didn’t even move. Maybe she wasn’t merely sleeping. Maybe something was really wrong.
“Fuck,” he muttered and knocked again, louder this time.
He held his breath—and when he saw her head move a fraction, he let it out. She was alive. God, for a second he’d thought he was too late. He’d lost his chance with her for good.
“Kinley?” he called out. “Unlock the door.”
He saw her eyes squint open, then shut again.
He knocked on the window once more. “Kinley!” he shouted louder. “Unlock the door.”
Her eyes opened again, and he saw her mouth his name.
“Yeah, it’s me, Gage. Unlock the door, sweetheart.
Let me in.” Lefty held his breath as he watched her hand come up and fumble at the buttons on the armrest in the door.
She seemed to be extraordinarily uncoordinated, which wasn’t like her.
Yeah, she might be out of it because she’d been sleeping, but this seemed different.
“That’s it, baby, come on, open up,” he whispered.
Finally, just when he was afraid they’d have to break a window to get to her, he heard the locks disengage.
Lefty had the door open and was on his knees on the ground at her side in two seconds.
Kinley had closed her eyes again, and her head was resting on the seat. Lefty reached up and touched her arm, wincing at how hot she was. “She’s burning up,” he told Doc, along with the rest of his team, then turned back to Kinley.
“Hey, Kins.”
“Gage,” she whispered.
“I’m here.”
“Cold,” she mumbled, shivering.
“Shit.” Lefty heard Doc say from behind him. “We need to get her to a doctor.”
As if his friend’s words were some sort of magic elixir, Kinley’s eyes popped open. “No doctor!” she exclaimed frantically.
Lefty reached out and grabbed hold of her shoulders. “Easy, Kins,”
He knew he’d never forget the look in her eyes as she stared at him. It was panic mixed with terror. “No doctor,” she repeated. “He’ll find me…and you.”
“Who will find you, Kins?”
But she closed her eyes and sagged against him. “No doctor…” she said for the third time.
Realizing she was in no condition to answer any of his questions, Lefty relented. “Okay, no doctor.”
“Promise,” she said without opening her eyes. One hand came up and gripped his biceps with a surprisingly strong hold. He could feel her fingernails digging into his skin.
“Promise,” he said firmly.
Every muscle in her body relaxed. So much so, Lefty got concerned. “Kinley?”
She didn’t answer.
“Shit,” he muttered before scooting a bit closer and putting two fingers on the pulse in her neck. “It’s fast, but steady,” he told his teammates, who were gathered close behind him now, watching.
“Are you seriously not going to take her to a doctor?” Grover asked. “She looks bad, man.”
Lefty looked back at his team. “I’m not. I’m taking her home with me. If she gets worse, I’ll call Doc.”
Everyone looked at the other man. He’d gotten his nickname because before he’d decided to join the military, he’d been in medical school. They were all licensed EMTs, thanks to their training, but the name had stuck.
“I’ll drive her car back to your place,” Lucky volunteered.
“We’ll figure out the car situation,” Trigger said. “Just get her home. If you need Gillian’s help, she’ll be glad to be of assistance. In fact, I have a feeling she’s gonna insist on it.”
Lefty nodded. He hadn’t thought past finding Kinley and getting her back to his apartment, so he was thankful his friends were figuring out logistics. “Thanks, guys. Brain, can you help me get her out?”
Brain stepped to his side and helped Lefty stand so he didn’t have to let go of Kinley. He stumbled a bit when he finally stood with Kinley in his arms, but Brain and Doc were there to steady him. She was burning up, and she’d hardly moved except to snuggle into him further after he stood.
She moaned a bit when he started walking for Trigger’s Blazer, but didn’t protest. She was scaring the shit out of him, but Lefty didn’t let any of his concern show in his voice when he said, “I’ve got you, Kins.”
Goose bumps broke out on his arms when her lips brushed against the sensitive skin under his ear. She wasn’t doing a damn thing to try to turn him on, but his body reacted to her closeness anyway.
“Cold,” she mumbled.
Lefty tightened his hold on her and, once again, his friends helped steady him as he climbed into the back of Trigger’s car.
He knew he should let her go, should strap her into a seat belt, but he literally couldn’t make himself let go of her.
Not to mention every time he loosened his hold, she did her best to meld her body with his.
Being this close to her, Lefty couldn’t miss the fact that it had been a couple days since she’d showered. She didn’t smell bad, exactly, but neither did she have the fresh, clean scent he’d noticed when they’d hung out together in Paris.
He could feel her shivering against him, which wasn’t good, considering it wasn’t the least bit cold outside.
Trigger drove quickly but safely back to the apartment complex, and Lefty waited until he’d opened the door to try to get out with Kinley in his arms. He walked swiftly up the stairs to his apartment.
“I came by,” Kinley mumbled into his neck.
“I know. I’m sorry I wasn’t here.”
“You were off saving the world. I’m not important.”
Lefty frowned. “If I’d known you were here, I would’ve sent someone to help you. One of my other Delta Force friends.”
Kinley shook her head weakly. “No…only wanted you.”
Trigger got his door open, and then Lefty had other things to concentrate on than how great her words made him feel. He headed straight for his bedroom and leaned over to put her on his bed.
She clung to him, not letting go.
Hunched over her, Lefty braced himself on his hands. “You need to let go, Kins.”
“No,” she protested.
Lefty didn’t want to be amused, but he still was. Not able to stop himself, he leaned down and brushed his lips across her cheek. “Let go, sweetheart. I need to make sure you’re all right.”
Her eyes had been closed, but at the feel of his lips against her skin, she pried them open. “Gage?”
“Yeah?”
“Did you message me?”
Lefty frowned in confusion. “Yeah, you didn’t get them?”
“My phone was smashed into a million pieces,” she informed him. “I wasn’t ghosting you.”
Even though she was sick and had a fever, Lefty could see the worry and sincerity in her gaze. He put a hand on her cheek, and she relaxed her neck muscles until he was holding the weight of her head in his palm. “Okay, Kins,” he told her.
“But I’m glad my phone was smashed because it kept you safe.”
Lefty was confused as hell. “How?” he asked.
Kinley sighed and closed her eyes once more. “Thanks for getting me to the hotel. I’ll talk to you tomorrow when I’m feeling better,” she muttered.
“You want me to bring Gillian over to help get her changed?” Trigger asked, ignoring her hotel comment. She was obviously out of it and confused.
Lefty reluctantly stood and pulled his comforter up and over Kinley.
She was shivering again. He turned to his friend. “No, don’t bring Gillian over yet. If Kinley’s contagious, the last thing you need is Gillian getting sick too. She’s wearing a T-shirt and leggings, she should be comfortable enough in those.”
“If you need us, call.” It wasn’t an offer, it was a demand.
Lefty nodded. “I will. Thanks for helping rally the troops.”
Trigger ignored his thanks. “I’ll come over in a few hours to check on you guys. Are you going to bring her to the ER if she gets worse?”
“I can’t,” Lefty says. “Not unless it looks like I have no choice. I have to honor her wishes. Something’s wrong. Really wrong, Trigger. If she doesn’t want to go to a doctor, I have to believe she’s got a very good reason.”
“For the record, she seems more concerned about you than herself.”
“I thought the same thing, which doesn’t make any sense,” Lefty said.