“What the fuck is going on in here?” The equivalent of a category five hurricane, the woman who entered swept across the room, the eye of her storm landing directly in front of Becca. “Don’t make me regret this,” she said, looking at the raised scissors before turning her back and planting herself between the two armed combatants like she was bulletproof.
One quick strike to the jugular and she’d be bleeding out from a mortal wound.
“Grace! Move.” Where he hadn’t exhibited any signs of agitation before, now he barked the order, his eyes still locked on Becca as his hand moved toward the gun on the opposite side of his body.
In response to his aggression, the crazy lady crossed her arms and widened her stance. “Knock it off, Adam. She’s scared, and you’re being a dick.”
Adam? As far as choosing an alias goes, Adam was about as lame as it could get. And she wasn’t scared. Confused. Yes. Scared? No. Okay, lies. Whatever. Confused. Yes. Scared? Also, yes. Big time shitting her pants scared. So what? Didn’t mean she wouldn’t cut a bitch. Okay, fine. Another lie. She couldn’t stab the woman who seemed determined to die in the neck.
“Enough.” Sunshine through a broken window, the woman who entered next brought a sense of calm to the tense situation. “Everyone, take a deep breath and chill out. Adam, honey,” she patted the killer on the forearm. “Put your hands in your pockets. You’re scaring the children.”
Adam? Honey? Children?
“Eve—”
Eve? As in Adam and Eve? What in the holy beginning of creation had she been dragged into?
“Do it,” Eve ordered, and he complied, but not without argument.
“It’s not safe,” he huffed, lowering his arms but keeping his hands pocket-free.
“What’s going on?” A third woman entered. “Is Jay awake?” Her blond hair tipped with pink, she looked about twelve, but the baby in the carrier strapped to her chest said otherwise.
Baby?
Oh God! There were babies here?
What in the hell? Why? She couldn’t channel her inner Maya when there were babies around. What if?—
“Rebecca’s about to stab Gray in the neck,” Adam snapped, and blushing like a schoolgirl caught running with scissors, Becca dropped her hand to hide the offending weapon behind her back.
“She is not,” the woman, Grace or Gray or whatever, responded without any reasonable assurance as to whether her statement might be true or not. “Adam’s being a total dick, and he’s scaring the new girl.” She hooked her thumb over her shoulder, an unnecessary gesture to designate Becca as the newbie.
“I’m not scared,” she huffed, feeling the need to defend herself in ways that didn’t make sense or involve bloodshed. “I’m?—”
A loud meow preceded the entrance of the Grand Duchess, and hot on her heels, a four-pawed block of chocolate-covered dog barreled in behind her. Full speed ahead, the cat took a flying leap to land on the end of Jay’s bed, while the dog skidded headfirst into the rolling table, knocking it sideways and sending the metal tray and its contents tumbling to the floor.
“What the fuck?” a new addition to the party said as he stopped short to take up residence in the doorway. The scratches on his cheek indicating they’d met earlier, the much less intimidating out-of-uniform soldier grinned at a spot somewhere above her shoulder. “When did you wake up, asshole?”
“About two seconds ago.” From behind, Jay wrapped his hand around hers and pried the scissors from her fist. Shocked into submission, Becca couldn’t resist if she wanted to, and pulse going wilder than the first time she laid her eyes on his, she whirled to face him, her nose coming within an inch of his bare pecs.
And yeah—any plans she had for resistance—physical or otherwise…
Abandoned between one rushing beat of her heart and the next.
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
On his feet with his chest less than an inch away from the woman he loved, Jay felt remarkably good for someone who should be dead. Amazing what Becca’s proximity did for his well-being. Yeah, his shoulder hurt a bit. Okay, more than a bit, but after a couple of physical therapy sessions with Eve, he’d be patched up in no time.
Fuck. Becca stood so close he could feel her heat, smell the shampoo in her hair, see the pounding of her heart through the vein in her neck, and he wanted to kiss her. Just bend his head, plant his lips over hers, and ravage her mouth. He didn’t give a shit how many people were around to witness their reunion.
“Oh, my God! What’re you doing? Get back in bed. Right now!” Becca ordered in a rush of words, louder than the rest of the group, or maybe he didn’t have attention for anyone else because she was the only person he could hear in the explosion of voices around them.
“Where’s the doctor?” Blood draining from her face, she looked around for help. “The one with the long hair. Jamie something or other. Someone go and get him!” she shouted as she grabbed onto his uninjured arm.
“I’ll go!” Summer replied, turning around and speed-walking for the door as fast as she could with Halia on board. If Jay could’ve stopped her, he would’ve. But in the ten seconds it took for his one-track mind to activate his vocal cords, she’d already left the crowded room.
Sure, he may be swaying back and forth, and one hundred and ten percent ready to pass out, but he didn’t need Jamie. He didn’t need a doctor, or a surgeon, or a nurse. Nope. The one person he needed had already healed him, and now she was trying to force him back onto the hospital bed.
