Chapter Five #2
“Let me be the judge of that. After all, it’s what Fortress pays me to do,” Sorenson said. “Let’s see the damage.”
She turned her back to the doctor and raised the back of her shirt.
Sorenson gave a soft whistle. “That’s quite a scratch. How did you get this injury, Ms. Sloan?”
“Scooting around in ductwork. It was the only way to escape the room where my captors had put me. We would have raised an alarm if we had taken down the guards in front of the door.”
“I take it Mr. Marsh was with you.”
“Yes, sir. He doesn’t have issues with small spaces.” She stilled, then sighed. The experience had shaken her more than she acknowledged. She had scratches on her back because she’d panicked in the small space.
“I see.”
Riley could tell from his careful tone that he saw too much. She knew what that meant. She could handle it. Probably.
“Climb up on the exam table, please. Keep the back of your shirt raised while I gather what I need.”
She wrinkled her nose. That sounded painful. Oh, well. She brought this on herself by not telling Violet about the injury. Her teammate could have treated it on the jet. Riley did as the doctor had ordered.
Minutes later, Sorenson tugged off his rubber gloves and tossed them in the trash.
“Have Violet check your back in a day or two.” He handed her a bottle of pills.
“This is a stronger antibiotic than what’s in your Go bag.
Take two a day until they’re gone. I also expect you to have a conversation with one of the Fortress counselors. Am I clear, Sloan?”
“Yes, sir. Thanks, Doc.”
He motioned for her to leave the room. “I have other patients who need me more than you do.”
She grinned and got out while she could. Riley went to the recovery room, prepared to grovel to her boss and perhaps to Andre for not telling him about the deep scratches, either.
The room was empty.
Oh, man. She closed her eyes for a second. Great. She’d have to face the music with Maddox and Andre in front of her teammates.
Riley squared her shoulders and walked to the kitchen. Sure enough, all of her teammates and their boss were eating in the dining area.
Andre saw her first and came to her. “You okay?”
She gave a slight nod. Would he call her out now? Icy dread filled her. “A few scratches Sorenson treated. A stronger antibiotic.” She paused, then sucked it up and took the plunge. “And Sorenson ordered me to talk to a counselor.”
Instead of expressing horror or disgust at the required counseling session, Andre nodded. “It’s a good idea.”
She stared. “It is?” What did that mean?
“Sure. Things that happened during the kidnapping may trigger deep-seated issues you thought handled and buried. All of us have them.”
He was the strongest operative she knew, always seeming to have it together. “Including you?”
“All of us. See if you can get an appointment with Marcus Lang. He’s a good man. I think you’ll like him. I do.”
A good enough recommendation for her. “I’ll try to set something up after breakfast.”
Andre threaded his fingers through hers and led Riley to the seat next to his. “What would you like? Sorenson ordered in some of everything you could want.”
“You should sit, Andre. You’re still recovering from a gunshot wound.”
When she tried to stand up again, he rested his hands on her shoulders and gently pressed down. “I’m already up, and I can handle carrying a plate of food for a few seconds.”
Right. She would be wise not to imply that her man was weak. The sooner she gave in, the faster he’d return with the food and sit down himself. “Yogurt with granola and strawberries.”
Soon, he returned with a tray containing a bowl of vanilla Greek yogurt, a container of strawberries, and a small container of granola. He had also brought a large cup of coffee along with a bottle of water.
“This looks amazing.” Riley smiled at Andre. “Thank you.” When he sat next to her, she glanced at him. “Are you going to yell at me now?”
His head whipped toward her. “Why would I do that?”
“I held something back.”
“Baby, your holding back tells me you don’t trust me. Yelling at you won’t change what takes time.”
“You’re not angry?”
“Disappointed. I had hoped we were past that stage.” He leaned over and brushed her lips with his. “I’ll have to work harder to gain your trust.”
“Do you have something to tell me, Marsh?” Maddox asked.
The conversation in the small dining room ceased, and all eyes were on Andre and Riley.
Andre looked at her for a moment, then appeared to decide something. He turned to his boss. “Riley and I are dating, sir.”
“How long has this been going on?”
“Since the day I met her. I’ve been courting her ever since, only she didn’t know it.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re on medical leave, Marsh. Otherwise, we’d be having an entirely different conversation.”
Andre grinned. “Yes, sir.”
Maddox shook his head, his lips curving. “Our reputation in the big, wicked world of black ops will be toast if my operatives keep pairing up.”
Elias glanced at Iona, his stare intense as though conveying a message. Iona’s chin went up, and her cheeks turned red.
Riley had a feeling she knew what was being said in Elias’ silent message, although her team leader acted as though she was clueless.
Odd. Iona was a very intelligent and intuitive woman.
Had she missed the obvious interest of Elias or was she ignoring the interest for the moment?
From her reaction to The Look, Iona knew something was up with Elias, regardless of whether she acknowledged the truth.
“Just think of all the positive press we could get from that, sir.” Seth wrapped his arm around Teagan’s shoulders. “It’s the softer side of Fortress Security.”
Maddox scowled. “Pass.”
The room filled with the operatives’ laughter. Christopher looked puzzled as his gaze shifted from one operative to the next. After a beat, he shrugged and slipped to the floor to play with Rex, who waited under the table for someone to drop a bite of food for him to clean up.
Riley wanted to ask about the situation with Christopher but preferred not to do it within the boy’s hearing.
If things were bad at home, she didn’t want to call attention to it in a room filled with people.
Closed-mouthed as Christopher was, he wouldn’t want to have his home life discussed in a public setting, and she didn’t blame him.
Her gaze rested on him for a moment. He reminded Riley of herself when she was fending for herself on the streets.
At least she had Angie, a woman in the homeless community she had lived in for three years, to steer her right.
Thanks to Angie, Riley had graduated from high school and gone to college to major in computer science.
There was no doubt in Riley’s mind that Angie had saved her.
And Ben. She mustn’t forget the former Special Forces soldier also in the homeless community who taught her everything he knew about self-defense, fighting, and various forms of martial arts he’d picked up over the years.
By the time she graduated from high school, Riley could defeat Ben in their sparring matches.
All that skill had come in handy when she’d begun a career after college graduation.
Andre’s hand wrapped around Riley’s. “What are you thinking about so hard?”
“Christopher.”
He gave a slight nod. “No news yet, but I think that’s part of the reason the boss is here. He’ll want to talk to us.”
Riley hoped he had news to tell them. The idea of letting Christopher go back to his home without proof that he’d be safe made her ill.
After the operatives finished their meal, Riley accompanied Andre back to the examination room where Sorenson waited for them.
“On the table, Mr. Marsh.” Sorenson eyed Riley. “Are you here for yourself or Marsh, young lady?”
“For Andre.” The scratches on her back were minor. She didn’t need help with that. A long, hot shower would take care of her itchy back. Probably.
He turned to the operative, who tugged off his shirt. “Do you mind if she stays?”
Andre’s eyes met hers. “No. We’re dating, Doc. No secrets between us.”
A twinge of guilt made her flinch. She had more than one secret she was keeping from Andre. How did those few words make her feel terrible?
He winked at her.
“Very well. Lie back, Mr. Marsh, and let’s have a look at your wound.
” Sorenson removed the bandage and examined Andre’s arm.
After a moment, the doctor gave a slight nod.
“It’s healing well with no signs of infection.
” He placed a new bandage over the wound.
“Keep taking the new antibiotic until it’s gone.
Don’t skip doses, Mr. Marsh. Take the pain pills when you need them. Are you hearing me?”
Andre grimaced. “I hear you, Doc.”
“I know you and your teammates hate taking pain meds because it messes with your response time. While I understand, you won’t heal as quickly if you’re hurting all the time.” He glowered at Andre. “Take the medicine.”
“Yes, sir.”
Sorenson rounded on Riley. “Have you set up an appointment with a Fortress counselor yet?”
Her cheeks burned. “No, sir. I haven’t had time.”
“Get your phone out and do it now.”
Although she wanted to protest, Riley knew better than to act on her feelings. If she gave the doctor grief, Maddox would lay into her but good. No one disrespected the Fortress doctors without serious repercussions from the boss.
Riley pulled her phone out and called the number Andre had given her.
Two rings later, Marcus Lang answered. “Lang. How can I help?”
“My name is Riley Sloan. I’m with Fortress, and I need an appointment for a counseling session.”
“I can talk to you in about fifteen minutes. Will that work for you, Riley?”
Her stomach knotted. “That would be great, sir,” she lied.
Lang chuckled. “Right. I’ll talk to you soon.”
She slid her phone into her pocket and turned to Sorenson and Andre. “I have an appointment in 15 minutes.”