Chapter 3
Chapter Three
S iv looked at her hands, then back up at the big, handsome male in front of her.
Seeing another side of him today got her mind churning. The sexy, dangerous-looking motorcycle definitely fit with her image of Ryder as the womanizing bad boy. But the dark-blue paramedic uniform, and joking around with kids on the street, and concern for a homeless veteran…
Damn Ryder Morgan for not fitting in the box where she wanted to shove him.
“No broken heart,” she said. “That was part of the problem. He maybe bruised my pride a little bit, but my heart barely felt it.”
Ryder pulled some latex gloves on. “He why you left Norway?”
She moved a restless shoulder. “He was part of it. I left the military and tried a few different jobs, but hadn’t found my groove. Then I discovered the man who said he loved me was sleeping with a newer, sweeter model. I needed a change.”
Ryder lifted her shirt, then peeled the bandage off. “Well, I’m glad you picked San Francisco, Siv.”
“Ryder, I’m not interested in flirting, dating, or a charming man.”
He cocked his head. “How about hot sex?”
She choked back a laugh. “You are relentless.”
“I have two brothers, so I’ve learned to be persistent.”
“I’m not against hot sex.” Sex with Johan had been good. Maybe not exactly earthshattering, but good. “But not right now, not while I’m starting a new job and taking a break from men.”
“Are girls okay then?” He waggled his eyebrows.
She huffed out a laugh, then he touched her side and she hissed.
“You need to take the damn pain pills, Siv. You have some infection trying to settle in. I’ll organize a prescription for an antibiotic.”
“Fine.”
He cleaned her injury and re-bandaged it.
She pulled her shirt down and sat up. He ripped his gloves off.
“Where’s my lollipop?” she asked.
He grinned and tucked her hair behind her ear. He made a lollipop appear from behind it.
“Oh, look.”
She shook her head and took the candy.
Then he gripped her chin, his gaze hot.
She froze and her insides went haywire. Dritt . She couldn’t let him see how much he affected her. She was done handing men any power over her.
Her heart wasn’t broken, but she still had a few dings. Some from long before Johan.
And a man like Ryder Morgan would enjoy her for a bit before moving onto the next pretty, young thing who caught his eye.
She’d seen the women around here. The men at Norcross all had excellent taste when it came to their partners.
Gia, Harlow, Haven, and hell, even a princess, were all gorgeous.
Yes, Maggie was a helicopter pilot and Vander’s woman Brynn was a cop, but they all still had far softer edges than Siv.
“Back off, Morgan.”
“You change your mind on the hot sex thing, you let me know.”
“If you don’t want me to deck you again, back off.”
He held her gaze, then stepped back.
Siv leaped off the bunk. It was time to get away from Ryder Morgan and clear her head.
He led her out of the exam room. “I’ll call you again tomorrow.”
She made a sound.
His brows drew together. “If it gets worse, you call me.”
“It’ll be fine.”
A young man in scrubs stepped out of a room. He was far shorter than Ryder but had broad shoulders. Tattoos wound around both his muscular arms and his head was shaved.
“Jacko,” Ryder said.
The man lifted his chin. “Hey, Ryder.” He shot Siv an appreciative grin.
“Siv, this is Jacko. Jacko, my friend, Siv.”
Siv nodded at the man.
“Have you seen Robbie?” Ryder asked. “I haven’t seen him around.”
Jacko frowned. “Haven’t seen him for a few weeks. Sorry, man.”
Ryder released a breath. “Okay. Thanks. If you see him, tell him that I’m looking for him?”
“Sure thing.” A pained groan echoed from a nearby exam room. “I’d better get back to it.”
Siv followed Ryder into the waiting room. A pale man staggered up out of his chair, shaking and sweating profusely.
She frowned. “Hey, are you all right?”
The man stumbled into her.
Dritt . She caught him before he crashed to the floor.
Ryder spun, cursing. He helped her lower the guy to the floor.
“Santiago, code red,” Ryder yelled.
They crouched, just as the man started convulsing.
“Jesus, what’s wrong with him?” Siv asked.
Ryder didn’t reply. He was too busy checking the man’s vitals and loosening his shirt. Ryder had gone totally into the zone and was completely focused on the sick man.
“Shit, he’s crashing,” Ryder yelled. “Santiago!”
Ryder started chest compressions. Siv sat back, feeling helpless.
Suddenly, the clinic staff raced in. Ryder barked medical terms at them, and soon they were lifting the man onto a gurney and wheeling him out.
“ Fuck .” Ryder scraped a hand through his hair. His hair tie had come loose, and his brown hair fell around his handsome face.
She suddenly realized how tired he looked. He’d worked a paramedic shift, then checked on her, and now this.
Santiago appeared, face grim. “Looks like full organ failure.”
“What?” Ryder said. “How do you know?”
“The second one we’ve had this week.” Santiago shook his head and cursed. “I know this guy. Angelo. We saw him three weeks ago and he was perfectly fine. For someone living on the street, he was in good health.”
“It can’t be organ failure,” Ryder said.
“Last one was the same. Just crashed. No prior health issues.”
Ryder frowned, staring at the door where they’d taken Angelo. “Drugs? Maybe he took something?”
“Maybe.” Santiago pulled in a breath. “I’d better go check. See you later, Ryder.”
When Siv and Ryder stepped outside, it was much warmer, but she still felt chilled. She wondered if that poor man would make it.
“Are you okay?” she asked.
Ryder released a breath. “Yeah. It’s just been a long day. I’m going to go home and have a drink. Tomorrow’s a new day.”
She wondered if it was really that easy for him to switch off.
He shot her a charming smile. “Can I get a kiss goodbye?”
“No.”
“A hug?”
“No.”
He leaned close and she saw the flecks of gold in his eyes. Damn him for being so tempting.
“What are you so afraid of, Siv?”
That I’ll fall for you, and you’ll hurt me . She didn’t know where the internal voice came from, but it made her hunch her shoulders. “I’m not afraid, I’m just not interested.”
He grinned. “Liar.”
“Go home, Morgan.” She headed for her SUV. “And deflate that big head of yours.”
“If I’m lucky, I’ll dream of you.”
She unwrapped her lollipop, then licked it before sucking it into her mouth.
He groaned. “Evil woman.”
She swirled her tongue around the sweet.
He gave a longer groan. “You’re killing me.”
“Sweet dreams, Morgan.”
She was smiling as she climbed into the BMW. She loved the Norcross SUVs. As she pulled out, she saw Ryder slipping money to the kids watching his bike.
But his gaze was on her vehicle. Making sure she got away safely.
Yes, Ryder Morgan had dangerous complications written all over him.
Complications she didn’t need or want, and that her bruised heart wasn’t willing to risk.
* * *
In the kitchen at the Norcross office, Siv filled her coffee mug. Mmm . The scent tickled her nostrils. She was enjoying all the different coffees and variations that her new country offered.
This morning, she’d spent time with their tech guru Ace, learning some surveillance ropes. Her side throbbed, but it was bearable.
She’d woken a few times during the night, mostly because she’d rolled onto her wound. And once or twice she’d woken because she’d been dreaming of a green-eyed medic.
Quickly, she sipped her coffee and burned her tongue. She cursed in Norwegian.
Cam strolled past. “That sounds nice, but I bet it isn’t.”
She jerked her chin, thinking how much he looked like his brother.
A more intense version, with shorter hair, and a scar on his cheek.
What he’d been through in the military was still stamped all over him.
Even she’d heard about the extraordinary exploits of the mysterious Ghost Ops teams of the American military. They were the best of the best.
“If my mother heard me, she’d give me a lecture,” Siv said.
“Yeah, moms, you can’t escape the mom glare. Mine has it down to a fine art.”
Siv sipped her coffee. “You’re close with your mother?”
“Yeah, dad died a few years back. The three of us keep an eye on her. She’s tough. Had to be since she was a cop’s wife, and mother of three boys who all joined the military.”
Mrs. Morgan must be made of titanium.
“She’s pretty happy now that Hunt’s loved up with Savannah.” Cam frowned. “God, I hope she doesn’t start pestering me and Ryder to settle down.”
“Your brother doesn’t strike me as the settling-down type.”
“He just hasn’t found the right one. Ryder’s got a big heart, but he hides it with a smart mouth. How about you? Are you close to your parents?”
“I’m close to my mother. Both she and my father live in Norway. They’ve been divorced for years. I rarely see my father. He sends me a birthday card each year.”
Cam nodded.
“Usually it’s a month late and written by one of his assistants. He’s had two wives since my mother, both progressively younger.”
“Ah,” Cam said.
“My mom is American, but fell in love with Norway. She loves the winter. She calls me every few days and despairs that I’ve moved to another country.” Siv sipped her coffee. “And wants me to not get mixed up with any slick, American men.” Or any man like her father.
Down the hall, Vander and his woman, Brynn, appeared.
They lived in a large, loft apartment upstairs above the office.
The detective wore a blue shirt tucked into navy-blue pants, accented by a brown belt with her handgun and police badge clipped to it.
Her brown hair was in a braid, and she looked like a woman more than capable of defending herself.
She said something to Vander, who gave the woman a smile. Siv blinked. She didn’t see her boss smile much. He hauled Brynn in for a kiss that was neither short nor polite.
Siv looked away.