Page 83 of Cooper

“Fuck him. I’ll drive him up to the prison in the morning. He can rot there for all I care.”

“You really want to die for this?” I ask quietly, opting to try something different for a few minutes. It can’t hurt, after all. “My country has nothing to do with yours… we’re not enemies. So this has to be personal. You don’t even have to tell us who you’re working with—just tell us what you’re after. Is it the king? The throne? Oil? Give us something, anything, and we’ll get you some help.” I drop to my knees in front of him, trying to appear soft, vulnerable. Sandor’s armed to the teeth, and this guy is not only weak from blood loss, he’s restrained, so I’m not worried.

He meets my eyes. “You love a man who will die soon.”

“Wh-what?” He’s caught me off-guard, and though I recover quickly, it’s hard to keep my emotions in check.

He smiles, though it doesn’t reach his eyes. “Your man will die, and you with him, if you don’t return home. This is not your fight,Natalia.”

Hearing him use my name is creepy as fuck and I slowly get to my feet.

“Anyone that threatens Limaj is my fight.”

“ButLimajis not being threatened.”

“Then who is?” Sandor snaps.

He smiles again. “I have told you what you wanted to know. We have no interest in your king or your oil. This is personal.”

“Give us a fucking name!” Sandor growls.

“I did.”

Sandor looks like he’s going to hit him again, but instead shakes his head.

“Let’s get him to the hospital. Maybe we get more flies with honey,” he says in Limaji.

I nod. “Let’s go.”

We load him into the truck, and Sandor drives to the local hospital. It’s not big, but they’re hopefully taking care of Marcus. When I was shot, they saved my life here as well, though I was transferred to the better hospital in Hiskale as soon as I was stable.

Looking back, it feels like another lifetime, but it was only a year ago.

Luckily, the bullet hadn’t hit any major organs, so I’d been back on my feet sooner than expected. It was still a terrible time in my life, between getting shot and then losing Logan just a few months later. Sandor didn’t want to send me to Iraq so soon after two big tragedies, but I was itching to get away and it wound up being a good thing. Not just because it helped me heal but because I’d found Cooper in Iraq. And the other friends I’d made.

As we wind through familiar streets, I’m reminded how grateful I am not to live here anymore. Stores are scant and small, the downtown area old and in need of repair. Houses and apartment buildings aren’t in much better shape, and even the roads need work.

We arrive at the hospital in less than five minutes, and I run in to get someone to come out with a gurney. Sandor handles getting him checked in and I lean against the wall while checking messages. There’s movement at the door as more people come in, but I’m typing out a text to Cooper so I’m not really paying attention.

“Natalia! Natalia, is that you?”

My head whips around and I stare at my sister in shock.

“Luci?” I hurry toward her. “Are you okay?”

“The baby is coming a bit early.” She gives me a pained look. “When did you arrive? Did you call Mama?”

“We just got here.” I motion to where Sandor is still talking to a doctor.

“Luci, let’s go!” Her husband, Pieter, comes in huffing, his face a little red.

“Look who’s here,” she tells him.

He scowls at me. “What are you doing here?”

I don’t have a chance to reply because Lucianna moans, bending at the waist as another contraction hits her.

“Is there a wheelchair?” I yell out, holding my sister’s arm as she tries to breathe through the pain.

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