Page 25 of Guarding the Singer

He turned on the water and put her hand under the rush.

He heard her hiss from the pain and his teeth ground together. "Don't look."

Mary was very studiously looking up at the skylight in the bathroom.

As he cleaned off her cut, he heard her hiss, and he wanted to take her mind off of the pain.

He darted a look at the ceiling and grinned. "Who ever thought we'd like a skylight in the bathroom?"

She stiffened for a moment and then laughed. "The only time I've ever really thought about it was when there was snow piled on top, and it was dark in here."

He nodded and reached for the antibiotic cream. "Crazy, right? I guess I could see it if we were in a tropical place, or in the woods."

She nodded. "We'd have some trees to look at."

He wrapped a bandage around her finger and secured it with tape. "I'm guessing it was a part of the design of the era."

He let go of her hand and gave her a one-armed hug. "Go outside. I'll clean up in here."

He heard her sigh of relief and leaned into the kiss she put on his cheek.

"Thanks, bro. You know I hate... the red stuff."

He chuckled and waited until she was out of the room before he said anything.

"I'm not a big fan of it either."

And he wasn't. But blood, sometimes, was just a part of what he did.

Just like loss was the part of a family. It was the worst part, but it was there.

His phone rang and he pulled it out of his pocket.

He gestured at the phone and saw Mary's disappointment written clearly on her features. "Sorry, squirt. I have to take this."

She sighed and poked him in the gut. "I know you're being called away," she managed a smile. "I'm okay with it as long as you're not leaving for months and months like your deployments."

"We'll get used to this new normal, okay?"

She shrugged. "Maybe you'll end up married like that guy you work with."

He shook his head, walking toward the door, his sister's laughter trailing behind him.

William answered the call. "Alex?"

Sadie Patterson opened the door to the hotel room and William found himself a little star struck. He'd met Sadie Patterson before but every time he did, he was a little tongue-tied. It was more like brain tied. She wasthatfamous.

"I'm William-"

"I know who you are William. We have met before."

Oh? Well that was fucking embarrassing. "I'm... sorry."

Hank Patterson, Sadie's husband, walked into the living room area of the hotel suite with a smile and a sigh. "Dazzling another man, sweetheart?"

William watched as Sadie sighed right back at her husband. "I'm sure he didn't expect me to show up today."

William nodded. "I got the message that Alex had a new assignment for me."

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