Page 58 of Elliot

Elliot laughed. “Why?”

“Why?” Archangel echoed. “You’re family, Elliot. Don’t tell me you didn’t know that. My children call you Uncle Elliot. You’re a big brother to Faith, and you made it possible for me to do my job. I couldn’t have done anything if you hadn’t been there to take care of my family and me.”

Elliot swallowed hard. He knew he felt that way about the family, but knowing it was reciprocated was a hell of a pile ofemotions. Good emotions he wasn’t sure how to process at the moment. “Thank you, sir. I wasn’t aware.”

“Then you need your head examined.” Archangel laughed. “Do you need more assistance with this case? Do you have enough resources?”

“Con is all I need right now, sir,” Elliot said. “This case has tentacles, and every time we think we have one identified and stopped, another emerges.”

“I understand. You have the full capacity of Guardian behind you. Do whatever it takes, my friend.”

“As long as it takes, sir.”

“Will you ever call me Jason?”

Elliot laughed. “Yes, sir. Someday. But today is not that day.”

Jason laughed. “Take care of yourself.” The line disconnected.

Elliot smiled and looked at the phone. Well, hell, he didn’t expect anything like that to happen, ever.

CHAPTER 21

Maya surfaced several times before breaking through the buffer that seemed to keep her just that side of sleeping. She could hear voices and sounds, but the struggle to wake up was too great, so she’d slip into the warm abyss of darkness. Only that time, she heard a voice, and she wanted desperately to wake up. The first glimpse of light was painful, causing her to jerk and snap her eyes shut.

“Maya, can you hear me?”

She tried to nod, but that hurt, too.

“Doc, she’s awake.” Elliot’s voice was too loud, but she didn’t care. She wanted to hear it again and again, even if he was yelling.

“Maya, can you open your eyes for me?” She didn’t recognize that voice.

“Open your eyes, Maya,” Elliot said, and she felt someone squeeze her hand. She managed to pull her eyelids apart, and she shut them almost immediately. “Too bright.”

“Turn off the overheads,” the voice she didn’t recognize said.

“Okay, try again,” Elliot asked, and Maya opened her eyes into narrow slits. When the light wasn’t painful, she opened them wider.

“Hi.” A man was over her and looking down at her. “I’m Dr. Nelson. Can you tell me what your name is?”

“Why? You just said it.” Maya turned and looked at Elliot. “God, my head hurts.”

“There’s my girl.” Elliot smiled at her. “There’s a reason for your head hurting.”

She stared at him for a minute. Then, the flood of memories hit her. She closed her eyes and sighed, “Jessica.” Elliot squeezed her hand and nodded. “She wanted to kill me.”

“But she didn’t,” Elliot said, squeezing her hand again.

“You came for me.”

“I did.”

“She said she was going to kill me. She hated me. I didn’t know.” She could feel her hand shaking and couldn’t do anything to stop it. Her body seemed to have a mind of its own.

“Maya, can you please look this way?”

She turned her head, and the doctor pulled out a pen light. She hissed when he flashed it in her eyes. “Stop that, please.” She closed her eyes.

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