Chapter 65
Nina
“Miss Novak, all your stats look fine, so we’re ready to discharge you,” the doctor said. “I assume someone from the army of people outside can give you a ride home?” The older female doctor asked.
Army of people?
“I’ll make sure she gets home safely,” John answered before I could.
“Good. I’ll send the nurse in with the paperwork.”
After the doctor left, I said, “Mr. Sheppard, I don’t want to leave without seeing Austin.”
I wouldn’t leave without seeing him.
It’d kill me to see him in his current condition, but there was no way I’d leave without seeing that he was okay, as okay as he can be, and saying thank you.
“I know. While you do the paperwork, I’ll check in with Bryce.”
When John walked out, Ryan walked in.
“You’re looking better,” he said.
I doubt it. My face gave away my feelings.
“You look healthier, that sound better?” he asked with a chuckle.
“More accurate.” The stress and dehydration had taken their toll. While my cuts would heal and my bruises would fade, the new gray streak in my hair was permanent.
I reached up and touched the hair near my temple. The doctor had explained that sudden, extreme stress could cause hair to lose its pigment. His explanation was more complex than that, but that was what I remembered.
“I feel like I could sleep for a week.”
“Nah, you only need a day or two before you feel like your old self again.”
I didn’t think I’d ever feel like myself again. I wasn’t even sure who my real self was anymore. Nina Suzette Novak or Nina Marie Singer?
A nurse came in, took out my IV needle, shut off the EKG, and removed the pads from my chest.
“I’ll leave the paperwork with you to fill out after you get dressed.”
“Where are my clothes?” I asked, looking around the room.
“Mary brought you clean clothes,” Ryan said while bending down. When he stood back up, he had a bag in his hand. “I’ll be right outside.”
Do I still need protection? I thought all the bad guys were dead.
“Ryan, am I still in danger?” My voice went up two octaves.
“No, but you’ve been through a lot, and John, Mary, and I agree you shouldn’t be left alone.”
Not as much as Austin.
“Is someone with Austin?”
“Yes, his brothers, Bryce and Dalton, are taking turns staying with him.”
I nodded. I’m only meeting Austin’s brothers because he almost died.
My wince wasn’t from physical pain.
“Nina, none of this is your fault. Austin would’ve kept digging to solve the connected cases even if he’d never met you. Those guys, the ones that hurt you, they would’ve come after him, us, eventually.”
It all sounded so simple and logical, but I couldn’t let go of my guilt.
“Get dressed, Austin’s desperate to see you.”
“My grandmother’s still okay?” I asked. I should be rushing home to see her.
“Nina, she’s fine. It probably feels like a lifetime, but you’ve been gone less than thirty-six hours. And she’s having fun with Havoc.”
Right, the SEAL dog. I wouldn’t have thought a military dog would be fun company for Nana, but I had to take Ryan’s word for it.
“You must be Nina, I’m Bryce,” Austin’s brother said, sticking out his hand to shake mine.
He was lean like Austin, but taller. Their faces look nothing alike.
Finally remembering my manners, I stopped staring and said, “Hi. It’s nice to meet you.”
“Austin’s eager to see you, so once the nurse is done, I’ll bring you in.”
“Ryan said Austin knows about his leg now, but I shouldn’t talk about it, right?” I asked, wanting to do and say the right things so I didn’t make things worse.
“I wouldn’t unless he does. He’s still adjusting to the shock.”
“Okay.” That made perfect sense to me. I’d be crying my eyes out if I woke up and found out my leg had been amputated. Sure, I’d eventually accept it and carry on with my life, but it’d take a long time.
The door behind Bryce opened, and a young male nurse stepped out. “He’s hungry, so I’ll be back in a few minutes with some food.”
“Is that a good sign?” I asked.
The nurse looked at Bryce but didn’t answer.
“You can speak freely in front of Miss Novak,” Bryce said, giving the nurse permission.
“It is. Food will help keep his strength up.”
“I’ll make sure he eats,” Bryce assured him.
The nurse nodded. “I’ll be back.”
Bryce looked at me and asked, “Ready?”
As ready as I’ll ever be, I thought as I swallowed the lump in my throat and nodded.
“Hey big brother, look who I found.” Bryce sounded completely different as he walked in ahead of me.
“You sound too fucking happy,” Austin’s grumble turned into a smile when I stepped beside his brother. “Nina,” he whispered.
“Austin.” I closed the gap and stood next to the left side of his bed, forcing myself to look anywhere except the empty space where his leg should be.
He sat up in his angled bed, and extra blankets covered his legs despite the warmth in the room.
Leg.
“I’m glad you’re okay,” he said, reaching for my hand.
I willingly took it and squeezed as tears formed in my eyes.
“Hey, it’s okay.”
It was all too much. The damn broke and tears gushed from my eyes as words tumbled from my lips.
“I’m so sorry. If I’d just told them, then you’d be okay. They threatened to kill you.”
“Shhh,” Austin rubbed the back of my hand with his thumb.
“I’m so,” sniffle, “sorry. You’re laying here without your leg and I’m sobbing like a baby. I should be asking you if you’re okay, but obviously you’re not.”
“Cherry, baby, listen to me. None of this is your fault.”
I hiccuped as I tried to stem my flow of tears.
Austin deserved better than my breakdown. He deserved the courage he believed I possessed.
“You did everything right. You stalled long enough for Shepherd Security and SSI to save us.”
“I did?” Shock replaced a good portion of my guilt.
“You did.”
“How’d I do that? I didn’t know they were coming.”
“No, but I did.”
He turned towards his brother. “Can I have a minute?”
“Of course. I’ll wait outside.”
“Where’s Gibson?” Austin asked.
“He assigned himself as Nina’s bodyguard, so he’s outside your door.” Bryce chuckled.
He did? I feel like I’m three steps behind in every conversation.
“Good. I may need him.”
Once Bryce was gone, Austin said, “Sit.”
When I moved towards a chair, he pulled me back. “Here.” He patted the bed beside him.
I sat and waited. The fear and guilt in Austin’s eyes made the seconds feel like hours.
My frustration grew as the wait continued.
“Austin, what aren’t you telling me?”
“I knew they were coming because we asked our contact at Shepherd Security to inject all three of us with tracking devices.”
I blinked once. Twice. Three times.
Tracking devices. All three of us?
“What?”
I had a tracker under my skin? When? How?
“I’m sorry, Nina, we thought it was best not to tell you.”
“You injected… a tracker… in me?” My voice broke as it rose in disbelief and frustration.
“In all three of us. I wouldn’t have authorized it if it wasn’t completely necessary.”
“Why?” Couldn’t they have just injected him?
“You were their primary target. I didn’t want to risk losing you if they separated us.”
I stared out the window. Too frustrated to cry. Too sad to scream.
Those three steps behind I’d felt earlier had turned into miles. So much had happened, and I was clueless.
“When?”
“The night before we left. We did it while you slept.”
“It wasn’t a dream…” I reached towards the back of my shoulder.
“I’m sorry. If there’d been any other way...” Austin squeezed my hand and begged, “Please forgive me.”
“Why didn’t you just ask me? I would’ve said yes.”
At least, I think I would have.
He sucked in a deep breath and winced. “I know.” He released my hand and reached for my chin, forcing me to look at him. “I was afraid if you knew, you’d accidentally give us away and they’d kill us both before our rescuers came.”
He was right. I wasn’t trained like him and Ryan. Fear would’ve caused me to slip up and say something stupid.
One thing I’d learned from the police procedurals my grandmother loved—the ones I’d never enjoy watching again—was that maintaining the element of surprise was the key to success.
If I’d slipped up and warned them, the guys who’d kidnapped us would’ve set a trap and killed everyone.
“Can they take it out?”
“Yes. I’ll ask Gibson to reach out to Rogers and arrange it.”
Rogers was the guy who saved us. His was the only name I remembered. I never say his face. Paint covered it when he helped me after his guys untied me.
“Will it hurt?”
“It’ll probably pinch a little.”
“This is surreal. It’s like I’m in one of those movies where the main character goes into a coma and has all these crazy things happen, but none of it’s real. Will I wake up and be boring Nina again?”
“You’re not boring, Cherry, you never were.”
I was. I was just a boring college student who worked in a coffee shop and lived with her grandmother.
“You’re an ambitious woman who’s working her ass off to make something of her life while taking care of her grandmother. You’re not boring,” he brushed his thumb along my chin, “you are remarkable.”
Now my eyes were leaking for a different reason.
“Nina, I know I’m a tough guy to deal with.”
“You’re not.”
“I can be.” He laughed. “Bryce calls me a robot.”
“Okay, you seemed a little emotionless in the beginning, but since then you’ve taken care me.”