Chapter Seven
This wasn’t a good idea.Liam knew it from the moment they drove out of Aleksei’s building. Was it the shadow he’d guessed at earlier that triggered his gloomy thoughts and raised his shield?
As they walked inside the hospital, Liam hated the fact they were so exposed, not knowing if any risks were lurking, and most of all, still having the pain in his knee that made him limp and reminded him of his wound with each step.
It was obvious Catriona was adjusting her gait to his, and that pissed him off even more. The only blessing was that it was daylight in a public place, and the last thing Finch needed was an unwanted spotlight on himself.
Lazarus’ room was at the end of the corridor on the tenth floor, which gave the brothers a defensive position. Not perfect, but the best they could do until they could move him to a safer location.
Sam was standing guard outside the door. Leaning against the wall, he didn’t appear to be looking their way, but his cool, almost bored demeanor could fool anyone but him.
When they almost reached the door, Sam pushed himself off the wall and nodded at them. He looked tired and pale when he finally acknowledged their presence.
“I guessed you’d show up after Sasha’s last message.” Sam nodded at him before turning his attention to Catriona. “And this is the numbers genius who is willing to help us stop this madness.”
If they’d been said in another tone, the words would’ve been mistaken as praise, but there was enough disbelief in Sam’s voice to see he didn’t have faith in her. His stance was almost menacing as he approached them, towering over her. Liam instinctively moved closer to Catriona, even though intellectually he knew his brother wouldn’t hurt her.
Sam arched an eyebrow at him, a clear question on his face. Liam frowned, not willing to offer an explanation.
They must have stood there staring at each other longer than he realized because Catriona stepped between them.
With her angelic face, Liam thought she’d have cowed away because she was at a disadvantage between the two of them, but instead, not showing any signs of fear, and even taking Sam’s big hand between the two of them.
“You’re either Sam or Kai, from what I’ve been told. I guess that you’re Sam. I was told Kai was a bit of a joker, but I see sorrow and so much hardship in your eyes. I hate to see you in so much pain.”
Liam was amazed to see several emotions cross Sam’s face, as if his brother had been caught with his emotional pants down.
The tough man he knew, the one who’d indeed experienced a hard life at Finch’s hands as a child, and even more tragedy during his time in the special forces, suddenly looked vulnerable.
Sam seemed unsure how to react to Catriona, and that was a first. It was apparent he felt like a deer caught in the headlights and was searching for a way out.
“I am Sam. Sam Sarkhan. And you’re Catriona Walsh.”
Liam smirked. “Sister Walsh to you. Our money sniffer extraordinaire.”
Baffled, Sam looked at his brother, and even though Liam thought his remark would piss the little nun off, she laughed, and made her way to the door without bothering to correct his statement.
Liam would have to find another manner to dim her light because he found it more difficult to resist her siren song, and it seemed it was the same with his brothers.
When Liam followed her into the room, his heart dropped like a block of granite, and he felt nauseous at the sight of his brother immobile on the hospital bed, hooked up to even more machines than before. Being wounded or killed was a daily threat in his line of work, and the pain in his knee was a constant reminder of the risks he encountered. However, this wasn’t a coworker or a friend, but his brother; the only family he had left. Pale and drawn under his black beard, Oz looked too vulnerable, and it made him even angrier at Finch.
A soft hand on his hand brought him back to where he was, and he had to rein in his emotions as Catriona moved closer.
“Liam.”
His name spoken so softly wrenched his heart and, instead of answering her, he looked around. “Where’s Sasha?”
He knew the blond doctor hadn’t been far from Oz’s side from the moment he’d been wounded. Sasha Landry wasn’t only Deva’s cousin and thus family to them, but she’d been an asset to his brothers and himself, offering medical attention when they’d needed it. She understood how important this mission was to their survival.
As if on cue, Sasha came back into the room, a hot coffee in her hand. The Cajun woman looked as if the spark that defined her character had dimmed. With dark circles under her eyes and her skin a sickly green, she looked nothing like the vibrant woman Liam had first met. For a doctor who’d worked in war zones all her career, it was clear that Oz’s latest setback had been worse than what she’d communicated to them.
“Hey, Liam. I didn’t know you were coming, or I would’ve brought you a coffee. I’m not feeling generous enough to offer you mine.”
He could detect her usual sarcasm, but it had lost most of its bite, and that was another cause for worry. Before he could ask if she was okay, Sasha turned to Catriona. “Hi, I’m Sasha Landry. I’m these guys’ personal doctor, or so it seems at times.”
Catriona brightened. “I’ve heard a lot about you from Gabrielle.”
“Nothing much to tell nowadays. I don’t think I remember my life before I met the brothers.” She took a sip of her cup as she went to check the monitors and adjust something on one of the screens before gently touching Lazarus’ brow. “He still has a fever, but it’s not as high as last night. If it doesn’t go down or spikes again, there’s a risk fluid will accumulate in his lungs.”
