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Her new friend laughed. "Believe it or not, but that's my real name. After the midwife placed me in my mother's arms, she took one look at my face and named me Jasmine."
Margo lifted a brow. "You looked like this as a newborn?"
"I can show you a picture." Reaching into a large tote bag, Jasmine pulled out her phone and frowned. "I'm so sorry, but you'll have to excuse me. I need to make a phone call first. I'll show you the picture after I'm done."
"The jealous boyfriend?"
Jasmine didn't smile. "Yeah. His name is not Marcello, but you must have some psychic powers because the rest of your description fits." She rose to her feet. "Can you watch my stuff while I take care of this?"
"Sure."
As Margo watched Jasmine walk away, the discomfort in her gut was a sure sign that there was a story there, and it wasn't a good one.
2
NEGAL
After scrubbing all the dirt and gore from his body, Negal stepped out of the shower and checked his nails to make sure they were clean. It was a bitch to get all the dirt and blood from under them, and he'd had to use a brush. He'd worked on them until they bled, but that wasn't a big deal for a god.
The skin healed immediately.
The clothes he had worn on the mission, though, were beyond salvageable, and he'd put them in a trash bag, but he wasn't sure what to do with the bag. The ship didn't have regular cabin service, and if he wanted clean towels and other supplies, he had to get them himself, which he might do after going down to the clinic and checking whether Dagor needed anything.
Dressed in a fresh pair of jeans and a black T-shirt, his hair washed and combed back, Negal finally felt like he was presentable enough to show up at the clinic.
Dagor, on the other hand, hadn't bothered to get properly cleaned up in his rush to see Frankie. He had jumped out of the lifeboat and had swum the last few feet to the ship. By the time the rest of them had gotten on board, he had used a hose to shower while fully clothed and had run to see the woman he loved.
It was very romantic and very unlike the crusty Dagor, but then love changed people, and in Dagor's case, it was for the better.
Hopefully, Frankie was okay. During their journey back to the ship, Dagor had called her every fifteen minutes, and she'd answered every time, so apparently, she wasn't slipping in and out of consciousness like Gabi had.
As Negal opened the door to the front room, the nurse smiled at him. "Can I help you?" Her smile was flirty, and he was about to put on the charm, but then the inner door opened, and Dagor stepped out.
Negal turned to him. "How is Frankie doing?"
"She's doing great." Dagor grinned. "Do you want to come in and see for yourself?"
Negal's eyes widened. Aru hadn't allowed them to see Gabi during her transition, so this was a very unexpected invitation.
"Are you sure she will be okay with me coming in?"
"Yeah. Toven and Mia were here not too long ago, and Frankie was very happy to see both."
"Okay then." Negal waved a hand. "After you."
When they passed through the front office, the nurse gave him an appreciative once-over, and he returned the favor with a smile and a wink.
He had to admit that being the most coveted male around was undeniably enjoyable.
Back on Anumati, Negal was a nobody. Just another guy from a family of modest means who hadn't had overly lofty aspirations. Serving in the interstellar fleet, he was content to slowly advance in the ranks, and the height of his ambition was to one day become a team commander. All positions above that required higher education that was nearly inaccessible for someone of his lowly status.
"Negal," Frankie beamed at him from the patient bed. "It's so nice of you to come visit me."
She looked so good that he had to wonder why the clan doctor was keeping her in the clinic.
"Hi, Frankie. I'm so glad to find you awake. How are you feeling?"
She shrugged. "Except for some fever and occasional nausea, I feel great. I was expecting to suffer much worse during my transition." She waved a hand at the lone chair in the room. "Please, take a seat. I want to hear what you've been up to."
