Chapter 18
Nolan sat on the examination table in Jace’s office as his friend cleaned the small knife wound. It had hurt like the devil when Jace cleaned it out, but then the numbing medication set in a second later and now he couldn’t feel the stitches Jace was putting in.
“Nolan?”
Jace didn’t pause in his work at Kori’s voice. “Exam room two,” Jace called out.
A moment later Helena rushed into the room with Kori right behind her. “You’re hurt!”
“I’m okay, hellion. The man who did this is dead.” He loved how fierce his girl was.
“I know. I saw the video. But how bad is it?” she asked of the wound.
“Not bad at all,” Jace said, snipping the suture. “All done.”
“See, I can still hug you.” Nolan held out his arms and Helena was in them a second later. It felt so good to have her in his arms again. It just felt . . . right. Like they were made to fit together.
“I assume you’ll take it from here?” Kori asked with a smile that told Nolan he’d be moving up his wedding day bet as soon as he left the room.
“Yeah, thanks for today.”
“No thanks needed.” Kori nodded his chin to Helena. “She was a big help today. Sorry, Greer sent her with homework.”
Helena’s phone rang and she went to silence it, but Nolan saw ‘Healthcare’ flashing across the screen. “Go ahead, it could be Bella.”
Helena answered the phone and sure enough, they all heard Bella telling Helena to come get her. She was ready to leave the hospital. “Why don’t you let me come help? My SUV has more room than your pickup and it has bulletproof glass,” Kori offered.
“You’re angling for best man, aren’t you?” Nolan teased.
“I’m very good at organizing events quickly.”
“You mean, organizing military missions,” Nolan clarified for Kori.
“Same thing. Come on. I’m looking forward to meeting Bella.”
Bella and Kori were everything Nolan wished for. “It’s mini-Ahmed!” Bella said excitedly upon meeting Kori.
“I’m at least four inches taller than Ahmed,” Kori replied.
“But your glare isn’t piss-worthy, yet. Keep working on it, little guy.” Bella patted him on the arm as Nolan wheeled her by him in her new wheelchair.
Kori practically choked and Nolan doubted anyone had ever called Kori little before in his life. “See?” Nolan heard Helena whisper to Kori.
Suddenly Kori smiled and a nearby nurse had a fit of the vapors. “She’ll make Wick cry. It’ll be amazing. I’m telling Greer to hire her right now.”
Kori sent off a text as Bella begged for a real meal.
“We can stop at the Blossom Café,” Kori suggested. “I have a feeling some people in the town want to meet you.”
“You look like you know how to eat, little guy. Is it ‘first meal after near death’ worthy?” Bella asked Kori.
“Definitely. Get the hot brown and the bread pudding. Let’s go straight there,” Kori said eagerly.
“I feel as if I am missing something,” Nolan whispered to Helena after Kori helped Bella into the front seat of the SUV.
“I met the Bluegrass Ops team today,” Helena told him as they stood outside the SUV. “You don’t seem surprised that there’s a black ops team in a small town.”
“It’s a Keeneston thing. It made perfect sense to me when they settled here.”
“Yeah, I guess I’m starting to understand that.
Bella already gets it, but she doesn’t know about the team.
She’s already in love with the town because of Ahmed and the training center.
Anyway, when I was there, Wick winked at me and Rosalie chided him for it.
That confused Xander and Rosalie told him that to flirt he should take off his shirt, which Xander and Bowen proceeded to do.
Xander told us they flirt in Bermalia by showing off the family jewels.
Like,” Helena mimicked unzipping her zipper and pulling out a man’s scepter and jewels. “Plop. Here’s my balls. Want me now?”
“If you meet their king, it will make more sense.” Nolan was struggling not to laugh because Xander was really nice and a freakishly good soldier, but had already pulled out his jewels once in the café and no one batted an eye.
They were all used to King Draven doing it.
If there weren’t a million dollars’ worth of actual gemstones bedazzling your balls, it just wasn’t worth paying attention.
Xander’s self-esteem might have taken a hit that night. And apparently again today.
“Then Wick got upset because he thought he should teach Xander how to flirt, but Greer put him in a time-out and assigned Logan and Kellen to teach Xander and Bowen how to flirt.”
“And Kori just told Wick to meet us at the café.” Nolan shook his head with amusement as he figured this out. “Yeah, this will be fun.”
Nolan opened the SUV door for Helena. Bella and Kori were already bickering, which was bizarre because Kori was always so quiet and easygoing. However, they didn’t sound as if they were mad at each other. They just sounded like siblings.
“Is that the only gun you have on you?” Bella asked as Kori slipped off the gun that had been at the small of his back and set it in the middle console.
“Do I look like an amateur? It’s the only one in an uncomfortable spot to drive,” Kori responded as he put the SUV into drive.
Bella shrugged. “Everyone is an amateur compared to Ahmed.”
“You do know he has a wife, right? She’s a complete badass herself. Bridget trains military and police K-9s.”
Bella rolled her eyes. “I’m not in love with him.
Sure, he’s a sexy silver fox, but, eew. He’s like old enough to be my dad and then some.
Also, I’ve read all about Bridget and I totally respect her and what she does.
One of my friends has one of the dogs she trained.
However, I can respect the hell out of Ahmed, which I do.
Also, you have a tail three cars back in the right lane. ”
“I know I do,” Kori said and it sounded as if he rolled his eyes by the way he spoke. “Again, not an amateur.”
“Wait, there’s someone following us?” Helena asked, worriedly.
Nolan put his arm around her and pulled her close to his side, stretching her seatbelt. He was positioning himself to put his body between her and any danger.
“Yup,” Bella said, no longer teasing Kori. “I’m beginning to feel like I’m somehow the target. But I want this hot brown thingy for dinner and no asshole is going to stop me from getting it.” Bella grabbed the gun Kori had placed in the center console.
“How dead or injured do you want them?” Kori asked.
“Very dead. I’m starving. I haven’t had a decent meal in days.”
“Bella!” Helena chided. “How do you know it’s a bad person and not law enforcement protecting us?”
“Let’s find out.” Kori slammed on the brakes and the car in the other lane was suddenly next to them.
Nolan shoved Helena down and covered her with his body as the muzzle of an assault rifle appeared. Helena screamed as the sound of bullets hit the sides of the SUV. However, not a single window was shattered. Nolan exhaled with relief. Bulletproof glass.
Kori reached under his seat, grabbed something, and handed it to Bella. “Roll down your window and shoot the car. Anywhere. But be very careful with your aim. It’ll destroy anything it hits.”
Bella looked at the little gun with marble-sized ammunition. “This little thing?”
“Trust me, it’ll destroy anything it touches,” Nolan warned as Helena pushed up to see what they were talking about.
Bella didn’t look as if she believed them as she flicked the safety off and rolled down the window enough to take her shot. She was calm under fire. Nolan would give her that. The car was firing back at her, and yet she didn’t flinch as she aimed and fired.
Splat
The marble-sized ball hit the driver’s door.
“How did that do any good?” Bella asked, but then her mouth dropped as the car, and everyone in it, just began to melt. “Holy shit! I’m keeping this gun.”
“What the hell was that?” Helena asked, turning quickly to look at the pile of goo on the road as Kori kept driving.
“That was four dead Garang soldiers. Did you see the necklace on the driver and the shooter?” Kori asked Bella.
“Sure did. I’ll give them credit. They’re good at finding us.”
“The car melted!” Helena screamed.
“Right? Wasn’t that the coolest thing you’ve ever seen?” Bella said excitedly before turning back to Kori. “What is this?”
“Ever heard of Sophie Davies Dagher?”
“The weapons developer? Of course I have. Talk about a girl crush. I have one of her guns and firing it is better than sex.”
“Sophie lives in Keeneston. Her husband, Nash, is my boss. This is one of her toys. We call it the AGD. Acid Gun of Death.”
“Do you think the Marshals have an office in Keeneston? I haven’t even been to the town yet, but I want to move there.”
Nolan sat back and held Helena as Bella peppered Kori with questions about Keeneston and the people who live there. Helena relaxed into him as she clutched her tote bag to her.
“They’re getting more brazen,” Helena said softly to Nolan.
“I know. But you have us and we won’t let anything happen to you. I know I’ll feel better once we get back to Keeneston.”
Helena nodded against his shoulder and leaned into him. It wouldn’t be much longer until they were home.