Nodding thoughtfully, Lark said, “So they brought him back to Black Bay.” That made sense. She tipped her bottle up to her mouth for another drink.
Kong chuckled. “Oh, no. They hauled ass out of there – Grady had shut down, was rebooting or something – but he still showed up at Black Bay. He followed Doctor Dietrich here.”
Cherry Pepsi sprayed out of her mouth and all over Kong. Coughing and sputtering, she wheezed, “Doctor Dietrich is here?”
Kong shot her a glare as he swiped at his soda-spattered T-shirt. “I didn’t need the shower,” he told her dryly. “But yes, she’s here. Locked in the brig.”
“What? Why? How?” She had so many questions right now churning through her brain and twisting her tongue.
Snapping a few tissues free from the box on the nightstand, Kong handed Lark one so she could clean up her wet chin before swiping at his chest. “She thought we were all dead. Thought the government had put us down after the raid. Seeing Jace clued her in that wasn’t the case and she managed to find out where we were.” He let out a scoffing snort. “Bitch showed up here thinking it was going to be some sort of happy reunion. She considers us herchildren,” he sneered.
If that were the case, she’d win the award for worst mother ever. Lark’s venom glands tingled. She was here. Close. The brig…
“Uh, uh, uh. I see that look on your face and trust me, I get it. But we need to keep her alive. She and another doctor we brought in from the Ohio op are going to help us free the rest of the Resurrection soldiers.”
The Resurrection soldiers. The others like Grady… Pushing down her hostility and the need for vengeance, she focused on him instead. Clearing her throat, she settled back against her pillows once more. “Grady and me. Tell me about that.”
Grady was trying to be patient. With her memories affected, Lark no longer knew him, and wouldn’t feel comfortable with him hovering, so he was giving her space for now, allowing her to settle in and relying on Kong for updates as to how she was doing. But the wait was driving him up a wall. He was antsy and unable to focus. He’d tried to run it off on the treadmill at the gym but that had only allowed his mind to wander and all paths led back to Lark.
After that, he’d gone to visit his sister and her fiancé, hoping for a distraction, but like the others at Black Bay, their conversation too had revolved around Lark and her recovery. The couple had attempted to visit Lark twice at that point, only to find her sleeping both times. Paige was upset that Lark likely wouldn’t remember her – Grady knew the feeling – and Jace had been doing his best to cheer her up, so Grady made his excuses to leave.
There wasn’t shit on TV, and anytime he tried to read, he could barely get through a paragraph before his thoughts turned to the woman across the hall. Was she in pain? Was she eating enough? She’d need food to regain her strength…
Three loud bangs as a fist pounded the door and then Kong’s raised voice, shouting, “Ten-second warning, my man. If your junk’s out, cover it. I’ve got company.”
Grady nearly snorted. Like he’d be sitting in the living room with his dick out.
The door opened, and Kong was standing there with Lark by his side. Grady launched to his feet in surprise as his eyes drank in the sight of her. Her hair was pulled back in a ponytail. She was dressed in an oversized T-shirt and leggings, her feet bare, and she was pressed up against Kong’s side as if he was supporting her weight. The big man grinned. “Well, you’ll be happy to know she didn’t lose her stubbornness. She refused to let me carry her over here.”
“It’s just across the hall,” Lark pointed out with a glare.
“And yet you’re already winded,” Kong returned.
Grady rushed forward, to do what, he wasn’t sure. If she wouldn’t let Kong, who she knew and trusted, carry her, she probably wouldn’t be impressed if Grady swooped in and scooped her up in his arms. He’d be lucky if she didn’t bite him. His sternum was still bruised from where she’d hit him. His woman packed an impressive wallop and that was after she’d just woken from a coma.
Realizing he was blocking the way, standing there staring like a nimrod, he moved aside. “You, ah… Do you want to sit on the couch?”
Lark nodded, and Kong kept close to her side as they made their way over. She dropped onto the cushions with a sigh. “This weak shit sucks,” she muttered, clearly annoyed.
“I’ll make you something to eat,” Grady blurted, turning toward the kitchen only to remember the lack of food or even dishes in there. “Er…”
Kong’s big hand smacked down on his shoulder. “I’ll go grab something from the mess while you guys talk.”
Grady shot the guy a look of gratitude, and with a nod, Kong took off, closing the door behind him.
As soon as Grady turned to face Lark the awkwardness returned. Should he stay where he was? Should he sit on the couch with her? It was the only seat…
Lark decided for him when she patted her hand on the cushion next to her. “Kong’s been filling me in, but I’d like to hear it from you.”
With a nod, he joined her. “Anything. What would you like to know?”
She eyed him thoughtfully and he could practically hear the wheels in her head spinning as she contemplated what to ask first. “We’re friends?”
“We are.” He refused to use the past tense. Nor did he mention his hopes that they were becoming more than friends. She had enough to deal with right now.
She nodded, her eyes moving over his face, then sweeping lower before her gaze returned to his. “Kong said you didn’t have your memories when you came to Black Bay and I tried to help you.”
“You did. You wanted to try to mesmerize me, see if you could dig under the programming that way, but my ocular upgrades made me immune to your gift.”
