Page 84 of Seal of Honor
“Let’s just say I’m not convinced and leave it at that. I have no proof I’ve been talking to someone other than Angel Rivera. It’s just my gut reaction.”
“So because of the EPC’s rep, Perry wants to trust that the HTs will return Bryson alive after they get their money.” Gabe shook his head. That wasn’t a good idea on so many different levels. “I can see why you’d have a problem with that, Giancarelli.”
“And unfortunately, my hands are tied. It makes me sick that two little boys are about to become fatherless and it’ll be the FBI’s fault, my fault, but I still can’t do a damn thing to stop it.” He hesitated. “Marcus says I can trust you, and I trust Marcus. If you promise you can stop it, I’ll believe you and do whatever I can to help.”
Gabe looked up and met Audrey’s eyes, saw the hope and fear there, and squeezed her hand. “I can and will stop it,” he told them both softly. “I promise.”
CHAPTER 30
If a man sound of mind, if not of body, wants to walk out of a hospital, they should damn well allow him to without all this hassle. Gabe scowled at the powerhouse of nurse blocking the door of his room, speaking in rapid-fire Spanish. He didn’t need Audrey to translate. The woman’s posture and tone said it all.
You. Are. Not. Leaving.
Ha. He’d like to see her stop him.
The nurse and his doctor were not happy. Hell, Jesse and Audrey were not pleased either, but, dammit, he was going to be in on the raid. Period. He’d spent too many hours these past two days planning this raid, and had gone through too much shit this past week in the name of saving Bryson Van Amee’s life. Bitter or sweet, he would see this snafu through to the end.
Finally, the nurse backed away. Despite the language barrier, he understood Audrey had talked her down. Had to admire the woman. She had a knack for people. For talking and listening and truly caring about what they had to say. Left to his own devices, he would have steamrolled over the nurse, but man, this made things so much easier.
Audrey stood with her back to him and stared at the now-empty doorway. She wrapped her arms around her middle, hugging herself as if chilled, and Gabe ached to hold her, even took two steps toward her before he caught himself. If he held her in his arms right now, there was no guarantee he’d let go, and he had a job to do. She had distracted him enough already. To the point that he’d almost gotten himself KIA’d not once, not twice, but three goddamn times.
Audrey drew a breath, let it go in a rush, and faced him. “She’s gone to get the paperwork stating you’ve refused medical treatment.”
“All right. Now we’re getting somewhere.” He’d been in the process of changing into an olive green t-shirt and cammies when the nurse interrupted and finished now, skimming the hospital scrub bottoms down his legs. It hurt to bend over and pull them off, but he clamped his teeth together and worked through the pain.
Pain was a SEAL’s best friend.
Audrey made an exasperated sound. “Oh, for God’s sake. Sit down before you fall down.”
“I’m fine.”
“Yeah, that’s why you’re weaving on your feet.”
Shit, he was, wasn’t he? He made himself stand still by force of will, and the room started spinning around him. Two days flat on his back in bed may have helped his healing side but had done shit for his equilibrium.
Audrey planted a hand on his shoulder and gently pushed him down. The fact that his legs buckled under such light pressure did not hurt his ego. Much. But the fact that she was now undressing him like a mother did a baby, with nothing sexual to it at all, smarted big time.
“I can do it.”
She slapped away his hands and then reached over to yank the privacy curtain shut around the bed. “No, you can’t. You were shot less than forty-eight hours ago.”
“Yeah, I remember,” he said mildly, but Audrey seemed not to hear him.
“Jesse says you’re an idiot for not letting yourself recuperate and I agree, but you’re too much of a pigheaded jerk to listen to either of us.” She pulled the scrub top over his head. “You need to be careful not to rip out your stitches, or you’ll start bleeding again. You don’t need to lose any more blood. And that splint on your foot is going to limit your movements. You won’t have the mobility you’re used to, so no running or jumping out of freaking airplanes or whatever it is you do on these insane missions.”
Was she…? Shit, she was. Crying. Fat tears poured down her cheeks.
“Whoa, whoa. Aud, stop.” He reached for her, but she jerked out of his grasp and refused to meet his eyes. Damn, she might as well have shoved a stake through his heart. Would have hurt less. He rubbed the center of his chest. “I’ll be okay. It’s okay.”
“No, it’s not.” With jerky movements, she flicked away tears before yanking off the scrub pants and throwing them aside. She snapped up the cammies and stuffed his feet into the holes. Even as angry as she was, she was careful not to jar his bad foot. “You shouldn’t be going anywhere in your condition. Especially not out after dangerous terrorists.”
“My condition?” He almost laughed but wisely choked it back. “C’mon, this is nothing. I’ve done far more in far worse shape.”
“I’m sure you have.”
The bitterness in her voice surprised him. “Audrey, I’m trying to save your brother. Don’t you want him home safe?”
“Of course I do.” She stopped trying to dress him and laid her head on his bare thighs, wrapping her arms around him. Her tears felt hot on his skin, her sobbing breaths tickling his leg hair.
