Page 78 of Explosive Vengeance

She made a face. “I don’t need a sling.”

He caught her chin and brought her eyes to his. “I know you’re tough. I know you’re badass and pretend not to feel pain like the rest of us mortals. But right now, I need you to do as you’re told and let me take care of you.”

Her eyes softened. “I am letting you.”

“Well, let me do more of it.”

She flopped down on the pillow with something between a sigh and a growl. “You’re spoiling me. If I was on my own, I’d have to just suck it up and deal.”

The image that conjured was too awful to contemplate. “Well, you’re not on your own now. And if anyone deserves some spoiling, it’s you.”

She looked up at him in surprise. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” Planting a hand beside her head, he leaned down and fit his lips to hers in a soft, slow kiss.

She’d scared the shit out of him today. When he’d seen her get hit, he’d wanted to bellow in denial, his only thought to get to her. Protect her. Save her. Throw himself on top of her to shield her if necessary.

Her lips were soft and pliant under his, her restless energy subdued now. He stroked her hair and straightened. “You squeamish about needles?”

She stared at him a moment, thrown by the abrupt shift in topic, then snorted. “Please.”

Yeah, that’s what he’d thought.

He gave her a shot of antibiotics in her uninjured hip, then secured her left arm across her chest with a sling and kissed her once more. “No moving that until I say,” he warned.

“So bossy,” she said with a huff. He could tell the pain and fatigue were getting to her now. She was still and quiet, two things she rarely was.

“Damn right. And you’re going to take all three of these too.” He handed her the tablets and a bottle of water.

She looked up at him. “Can I have a—”

“No energy drinks. Just water.”

Pouting like a sulky child, she took the tablets and swallowed them with a sip of water. Then her phone beeped. “It’s Megan. She’s on her way up.”

Heath let her in a minute later. “How’s our patient?” she asked.

“Being as difficult as you’d imagine.”

“Hey,” Chloe protested with a frown. “I’m lying here being good, not moving my arm.” Then to Megan. “They ruined my Valkyrie mark.”

Megan stepped to the side of the bed and peeled the edge of the bandage back. “Bastards, they did too.” She tutted and covered it back up. “I’ll rebrand you later if you want.”

“Over my dead body,” Heath growled, horrified.

Both women looked over at him with startled expressions. “She wasjoking,” Chloe said.

“Joking,” Megan confirmed, clearly fighting a grin. “Her mark’s way more badass this way. More badass than mine. I’m kinda jealous.”

All these women were insane.

“Anything from Trinity?” Chloe asked.

“Oh yeah. She’s up to her eyeballs in bureaucratic tape and bullshit, but she’s handling it. Rycroft’s working on securing all video that might have captured us there. Basically, they’re in full damage control mode. They’re the best. By the time they’re done sanitizing everything, it’ll be like we were never there.”

“And the women?” Chloe asked.

“Were all checked out before being taken to temporary housing. Trinity supervised it personally, and two of Fleur’s colleagues were there to take over. They’re going to be fine.” She reached into her pocket. “Brought you something. I got it at the—”

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