Page 15 of Silos and Sabotage

He leaned closer for a quick peek and was relieved to see the residue of antibiotic ointment covering it.

She hurriedly smoothed the bandage back in place, looking so forlorn that he sensed what he said and did next would be doubly important.

He reached over to run his thumb around the edge of the bandage. “You’re on the homeward stretch, soldier.” She’d survived a horrific attack on her life. Now was the time to focus on healing and rebuilding her strength.

She made a face at him. “Most guys would be grossed out by what I just showed you.”

“I’m not most guys.” He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes at him. “Because of your combat experience?”

He snorted. “That, and the fact that I was raised with a younger brother. No sisters. We prided ourselves on trying to outdo each other on grossness.”

Ella wiggled some more against her pillows, emitting a groan of pain. She flapped a hand at him. “Is there any chance your royal grossness would help me roll my very sore and tired self to my side?”

Though he assisted her as gently as he could, she still had to stifle a gasp of pain as she rolled to her side. “Just let me die,” she sighed with her cheek against the sheet.

“Not a chance, beautiful.”

Though she smiled at his words, another tear dribbled over her nose and plopped onto the bed linens. It was a long time before she spoke again. “What if I don’t ever get the last five years back, Gage?”

“Then we’ll just have to make the next five years really epic.” The moment he spoke, he hoped she wouldn’t mistake his words for flippancy. He wasn’t trying to downplay her suffering. He’d only been trying to underscore the fact that he wasn’t going anywhere.

“You’d really stick around that long?” Her voice grew bitter.

“I can be stubborn like that,” he informed her lightly. “Just ask my brother.”

“You sound so stinking noble,” she muttered.

“I’ve been called worse.” He reached over to give a strand of her hair a playful tweak. “A lot worse.”

She swatted his hand away. “I’ve probably taken up enough of your time for one day. Don’t you have a wife or a girlfriend to go bother?”

He waggled his eyebrows at her. “Is that your way of asking if I’m single?”

“I thought I was being subtle.” Her voice was dry.

“Nope, you weren’t very subtle. Yep, I’m single. What about you?” He tossed the question back at her without thinking and instantly regretted it. She was missing five years of her memories, which meant she might have no idea if she was involved with anyone. Or had been. He was really hoping she wasn’t, though.

“Can I get back to you about that?” She fluttered her fingers wearily at him. “Right now, I can’t remember what I ate for breakfast.”

“Want me to order something?” he offered quickly. “Or go grab some takeout for us?”

She yawned. “Not a big fan of hospital food, are you?”

“Not really.” Since she had an IV going, he wondered if it would be better to simply let her rest. “I kinda had my heart set on pizza for dinner. That, and sticking to you like a cocklebur for the rest of the evening.” His stomach rumbled at the mere mention of dinner. He glanced at his watch and saw that it was nearly seven o’clock. The day had flown by. So had the lunch hour, which he’d missed entirely.

“I never say no to pizza.” Ella yawned again, and her eyelashes fluttered down against her cheeks.

“I also think we should call the local police.” He was careful to stress the local part, since he wasn’t confident her father’s case was being given much priority by the Corpus Christi police. “I’d like you to tell them everything you’ve told me.”

“Okay,” she mumbled and closed her eyes.

She was asleep long before the pizza arrived. Gage ate alone in the chair by her bed. Then he rang both Gil and Luke again to update them on Ella’s condition. Both calls rolled to voicemail, so he left them messages, letting them know they were no longer dealing with a Jane Doe.

Instead of calling him back, Luke showed up in person. He took note of Ella’s sleeping form and motioned Gage into the hallway.

Gage pulled the door to, without shutting it all the way, and leaned against the wall beside it. “Her name is Ella Lawton. Her dad grew up in this town.”

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