Page 40 of Her Last Hope
“I feel fucking fantastic.” She tugged him across the parking lot, following one of his brothers toward a van. “But we have no idea who Hollywood is.”
“Actually, we have a tip.”
She glanced up at him, staring into his warm blue eyes. “Logan took pictures of the files and sent them to his fiancée who worked her computer geek genius and got us a lead.”
“Then come on, Batman, let’s get you fixed up and ready to roll.”
“Whatever you say, Cat Woman.”
“Rrrrroahhh.” She laughed, shaking her head. “I have no idea how I’m going to repay you.”
“I can think of a few ways.”
8
Nick lay on his stomach on a mattress inside the small hangar of a private airport outside of Orlando while a cocktail of fluids, vitamins, and other nutrients were pumped into his veins.
“This is going to hurt,” Leandra said as she pinched his skin. “Ready?”
“Go for it.” He rested his forehead on the back of his hand, closing his eyes tight, letting out a slight groan as the thick needle pierced his skin.
Thankfully, Leandra ignored the noise and worked quickly, pulling his torn skin together. It wasn’t the first time he’d been stitched up in the field, and it probably wouldn’t be the last.
But it would be the last time Leandra mended his broken body.
Unfortunately, she’d pieced together his shattered heart, and that was going to hurt like hell when they went their separate ways.
Something wet ran over his skin, then burned.
He growled.
“Sorry,” she whispered. “Just cleaning it up so it doesn’t get infected.” She placed the gauze over the cut. “All done.”
He rolled to his side, pushing himself to an upright position, leaning against the wall. “Help me with this?” He pointed to the IV in his arm.
She nodded, pressing a piece of cotton over the needle and pulling it out. “Never thought I’d be doing this when I became a PI.”
“You’re a natural.”
“I wouldn’t go that far.” She scooted sideways, putting her foot under her ass. “You and your brothers are something special.”
“Just average men doing their jobs.”
“Nothing average about you.”
Her smile brought his warm blood to a boil in seconds. He stretched his leg out, resting it in her lap. “Next to most of the men and women I work with, I am.”
“Humble, too.” She shook her head. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Why’d you join the Army?”
“After my wife died, I needed out of Jupiter, Florida. I think I would have lost my mind if I had stayed.”
“I understand that, but you could have stayed a police officer by transferring to another city or even state.”
He fluffed up a pillow and patted it, thankful that she moved next to him with her shoulder leaning against his. “Two reasons, really. One was I saw what it did for Logan after he’d lost his scholarship and the chance to play major league baseball. It gave him purpose.”
