Despite the politeness, his tone was clear – it wasn’t a suggestion. If she didn’t go along voluntarily, they’d haul her out of here. Lia slid off the table on to her feet and started towards them.
“Take your bag, ma’am.”
She detoured to grab it off the chair and clutched it tightly. Were they putting her in a real jail? Is that why they wanted her to bring the bag that contained her clothes?
Each man grasped an arm as she reached them and escorted her down the hall. Damn, she hoped they weren’t returning her to that colonel. He was terrifying, and she wasn’t ready to deal with him again. Not yet.
Lia tried to ignore the way the doctors and nurses stared as she went by. To her surprise, she felt shame. It was stupid, she hadn’t done anything wrong, but realizing that didn’t lessen the emotion.
They reached the front of the clinic and her guards put her in the waiting room near the entrance. “Have a seat,” the polite one told her and Lia took the first chair she reached.
The MPs flanked her on either side, positioning themselves so that they could watch her, the door to the infirmary and the clinic itself. There was only one other person present, a young man who sat behind a half-wall with a counter on top of it. The check-in area, Lia guessed. He gaped at her for a moment before looking away.
Her nerves pulled taut as the silence lengthened. It was obvious they were waiting, but she had no idea why and bit her tongue to keep from asking. They wouldn’t tell her anything.
With the exit in view, the idea of making a run for it was almost too tempting to resist. Almost. Luckily, she was smart enough to know she wouldn’t get far. Lia couldn’t outrun her guards – she was only five and a half feet tall and they were much bigger. And they had guns. That colonel had probably told them to shoot her if she tried to escape. Even if she somehow did get free, she had nowhere to go and nobody to help her.
Clasping her small canvas duffle bag, she wished there were a pair of ruby slippers inside that would take her home again. That would make everything much easier.
Her stomach was churning when the door to the infirmary opened. Almost afraid to look, Lia glanced over and did a double take. She’d never before, not in her entire life, seen a man this beautiful – not even in the movies. Her tension left her like an ebbing wave. “Wow, ” she mouthed silently.
He was dressed in camouflage fatigue pants, boots and an olive-green T-shirt that stretched across his broad shoulders and muscular chest. Imprinted on the left side of the shirt was the insignia for a sergeant – she’d watched enough TV to identify that – and although she didn’t see a holster or any other sign of a weapon, she’d bet he was armed.
One of the MPs went to talk to him, but Lia couldn’t stop staring at Sgt Gorgeous long enough to pay attention to what was being said. He wore his dark hair short – no surprise given his military affiliation – had a strong chin with the slightest hint of a cleft, and when he smiled at something the MP said, she saw that his teeth were perfect.
His golden skin suggested a mixed heritage, but she couldn’t guess what it was and she didn’t care. Vivid blue eyes met hers foran instant and a shiver of awareness went through her. He looked away and she was left feeling bereft.
As stunning as he was, Lia wouldn’t use the word “pretty” – he was too rugged, too sharp-edged for that – and damned if that didn’t make him even more appealing. Who was this guy?
When the men finished their conversation, the two MPs left and the newcomer walked over to her. Sgt Gorgeous smiled and held out his hand. A small shock went through her at the contact, but she savoured the warmth of his fingers. As they shook hands, he said, “Ophelia—”
That knocked her out of her stupor and she interrupted him. “Lia. No one uses Ophelia more than once, got it?”
His grin widened and she forgot to breathe. “Understood.” He released her hand. “I’m Troll Maglaya. I’m assuming escort duty from Dunn and Gomez.”
It took a moment for the words to sink in because she was lost in his deep voice and the way it seemed to swirl over her body and caress it. This man was potent. “Troll? Seriously? That’s what your mom calls you?”
He shook his head. “No, she calls me Chris. To everyone here I’m Troll, understood?”
Lia nodded. “Got it . . . Troll.” She looked at him from beneath her lashes and smiled. “Should I be insulted that I’ve been downgraded to a single guard?”
“You could take it as a compliment. You’ve gone from two MPs to a Special Ops soldier, and one of us is like a team of twenty regular troops.”
His wink had her heart picking up speed. Oh, my God, she’d flirted with him and he’d flirted back. It was probably instinctual for a guy who looked like him and not a big deal, but the instant man-woman attraction she felt had Lia alarmed. “What happens to me now?” she asked and managed to sound normal.
“I thought we’d get you settled and then have some lunch. You must be hungry.”
“Settled?” Her fingers tightened around the canvas. “In a jail cell?”
“Nah,” Troll said easily, “not unless you insist on it.”
She felt a flutter in her belly and had to remind herself not to fall for this. Maybe some people underestimated him because of hisappearance, but she wouldn’t be one of them. She didn’t know a lot about the military, but Lia was aware of how hard it was to become a Green Beret or whatever they were called. Troll might be showing her his nice-guy facade, but below the surface he was formidable and she needed to remember that even if she was wondering how his lips would feel against hers.
“Are you ready to go?” he asked.
With a nod, Lia stood. She expected him to grab her arm the way the MPs had, but instead Troll put his hand at the small of her back. Heat unfurled, running through her body like a jolt from an electrical wire. Definitely potent, and he had manners – he held the door for her.
Lia stopped and gawked as soon as she stepped outside. Last night it had been dark before the MPs had gotten her to the bottom of the pyramid and she’d hardly seen anything of the city. She looked now, fascinated by her surroundings. There were wide, graceful walkways and plenty of grass, plants and flowers. Most of the buildings were marble and stunningly beautiful. Not quite in the same league with Sgt Gorgeous, but still worth a second glance. “Wow.”
