Page 6 of Atone in Darkness
For a few seconds, she turned her attention away from the rows of neat and tidy numbers on her computer screen to study the man they represented. His tan skin had developeda sheen of sweat as he pounded along on the treadmill. There was such power and predatory grace in the way he moved. This wasn’t the time for her hormones to kick in, but he was so quintessentially male that she couldn’t help but wonderwhat it would be like to have all that strength and intensity focused on her. Even now, her cheek tingled from his touch. Such gentle power.
A doctor wasn’t supposedto lust after her patient, not to mention that Chase was there against his will. Luckily for her, he seemed blissfully unaware of her scrutiny as he kept pounding along. Did he think he could somehow outdistance his demons while running in place? She hoped it worked for him.
But now he was slowing down, taking a cooldown lap or two before moving on to the exercise bike. She immediately draggedher attention back to her computer screen. A real live man couldn’t really be reduced to rows of numbers. Regardless, she tried to pretend it was possible. Anything to maintain some measure of emotional distance from him and the predicament they were both trapped in.
She might have been naïve to take this job without looking beyond the glitter of the offer, but that didn’t mean she was alwaysa fool. It was doubtful their captors would ever lower their guard long enough for Chase to escape. They couldn’t risk him getting free to testify against them for kidnapping him in the first place, not to mention the multiple assaults that might have killed a lesser man. Following that logic, they couldn’t afford to let her walk away at the end of her year’s employment for all those same reasons.
As if her dark thoughts summoned them, the lab door slid open and six of the guards filed in. Chase had just stepped off the treadmill, barely breathing hard. He glanced at her and then at the men forming a semicircle around him. She set down her clipboard and started to position herself betweenhim and the guards. Chase shook his head, telling her without words to stay out of it. When she did,he gave her a look of approval before calmly walking toward his escort.
“Don’t wait up, Doc. I’m guessing my dance card is pretty full today.”
The closest guard gave him a hard shove toward the door. “Shut up, Number Five.”
Chase turned back long enough to pat the guard on the cheek. “You’re just jealous, big guy, because I’m a much better dancer than you are.”
Marisol wanted to kick Chaseherself for not controlling his mouth, as the doors slid closed behind him. She might admire his fearless nature, but he had to know he would pay for taunting them with his blood and extra pain. Considering the bad shape he was in after his last session, she wasn’t sure how much more he could take and survive.
Now all she could do was finish analyzing the new blood test results and study theEKG recordings. Afterward, she’d grab a quick dinner in the cafeteria and then continue working for another few hours. She was in no hurry to return to her quarters. It was doubtful she’d get much rest tonight anyway. How was she supposed to sleep knowing the guards were beating the hell out of Chase for no reason other than they were sadists and enjoyed it?
Come morning, she’d do what she couldto help him, although she wasn’t sure she was doing him any favors in the long run. But giving up on helping him recover from his injuries would be like signing not only his death warrant but hers as well.
God help them both.
