Page 49 of Rett

“You are helpless, for now,” said Casey. “In no time, you’ll be able to do whatever you want, eat whatever you want.”

“Were you like me? Did you get beaten?” she asked.

“No. Someone was trying to get to me, but Otto, a friend of Kegger’s, made sure I was safe, along with Luc, Gabe, and a few others. Through all of that, I met my fiancé, Rett.”

“Rhett,” she said with a glint in her eyes. “Like Gone with the Wind?”

“Exactly, but without the ‘h.’ He’s actually a triplet, all former Green Berets.”

“They’re the ones he’s looking for, or the one,” she said quietly.

“They know,” said Casey, gently washing the woman’s back. She noticed some small sutures at her ribs and thought perhaps they’d extracted bone from her ribs to replace in her face. She couldn’t wash her hair yet, but she was able to shave her legs and underarms, something Ramos had vehemently denied her.

When they were done, Casey pulled a long white gown over her head and let her lie back down on the overstuffed pillows of the bed.

“I feel better already. Thank you, Casey.”

“Any time.” They heard someone at the door and turned to see Kegger and Rett. “Hi. Morgan, this is my fiancé, Rett.” The woman just stared at him.

“Hi, Morgan. I’m sorry for what you had to go through, but I truly hope you’re feeling better soon. I know that our surgical team is the best, so I have no doubt you’re going to look amazing soon.” She continued to stare at him, then closed her eyes.

“He’s looking for you,” she said. “I saw the picture. He’s looking for someone who looks just like you.”

“I know,” said Rett, nodding at her. “I’m actually here to let Casey know that we’ll be leaving in a few hours.”

“Casey, you go be with Rett, honey. I’m not going anywhere. Wilson is just around the corner, and Cruz is going to be an annoyance for the next few hours.” He smirked at the man as he flipped him the bird.

“Alright. But I’ll be back, Morgan. I’ll come back first thing in the morning,” she said. Squeezing her hand, she walked toward Kegger and kissed his cheek. “Take care of her.”

Kegger only nodded, watching as they left, leaving him alone with his now sleeping patient. Cruz nudged his shoulder, motioning for him to leave her alone.

“She’ll be alright, Kegger. You have to trust us. She was a fucking mess, but we got her fixed up. Her face may look different than it did ten years ago, but it will look infinitely better than it did ten days ago.”

Back in their own cottage, Rett and Casey spent a few hours alone, just holding one another.

“Why do you have to go?” she asked.

“Because he wants me, and I can’t let him chase down my brothers because of that. I saw something that he thought no one would ever see. That’s why he’s coming for me. I won’t be alone, Casey. My father, grandfathers, brothers, and several other men will be with me. We’re going to go in, find that art, and kill Ramos and the other man.”

She nodded her head, realizing that this was what he did for a living. This is who he was.

Bankston spoke to the POTUS, but both wanted to be sure that the Americans were not involved any more than they already were. They gave the order that VG could go in, neutralize Ramos and Barbenza and, if possible, claim the find of the lost art. The American military would sweep in, take control of the art, and allow the Venezuelan government to take credit for it.

Their plan was to get into the lake via their submersible, coming up at the northwest corner of the lake and finding the caves and underground storage areas near the mansion. With their stealth technologies, this should be a piece of cake for them. Although no one thought of it that way.

“What will happen to her? Morgan? Will she have to go back to El Paso?”

“Never. Not if she doesn’t want to. We’re checking into her father right now to make sure that he’s still in El Paso and not in Venezuela with Ramos. She can stay here as long as she wants.”

“I think Kegger likes her. I mean, likes her likes her.”

“That’s possible,” smiled Rett, kissing the top of her head. “He’s been alone a long time. I know that he was engaged when he lost his leg. He’s also got a plate in his head, so he has a lot of medical issues. They’d make an interesting pair. He was dating a church lady for a while, but I guess that didn’t work out for him.”

“I like him. I like him and Otto and Pork. In fact, I’ve not met one person that I don’t like here.” She sat up, staring at him. “If I haven’t said it, Rett. Thank you for saving me and bringing me here. Thank you for loving me.”

“Baby, Otto, Luc, and Gabe saved you,” he smirked. “I just fell in love with you, and that was the easiest fucking thing in the world.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE

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