“I need you to check this place out,” Sloan said. “It’s an outpatient surgical center. Slade wants to know how busy it is, how many front staff they have—anything out of the ordinary. Take Daniel with you.”
Becky noticed Kent grimace, not looking at Daniel, who just stood there staring at him. “I can handle it,” Kent said, slipping the paper into his pocket.
“I didn’t ask if you could fucking handle it,” Sloan growled. “I ordered you to take Daniel with you. Do you two still have a problem?”
“No problem here,” Daniel said, sounding bored.
“Yeah… no problem,” Kent muttered, though it didn’t look that way.
Steve appeared then. “What’s up?” He glanced around. “We having a meeting I wasn’t invited to again?”
Becky smiled when Sloan rolled his eyes. No matter how bad she felt, Steve always managed to make her smile.
“Steve, go with Kent and Daniel,” Sloan ordered, leading Becky toward the kitchen. “Make sure they don’t kill each other.”
“Seriously?” Steve called after them. “What if they team up and kill me? Daniel scares the shit out of me.”
Becky let out a soft laugh as they turned the corner, Steve still complaining behind them.
“What are you laughing at?” Sloan glanced down at her, eyebrow cocked, though a hint of a smile touched his mouth.
“Steve… what else,” Becky said as they stepped into the kitchen.
Sid stood at the counter cutting up a raw chicken. The second Becky saw it, her stomach twisted, nausea surging hard and fast. Letting go of Sloan, she turned and rushed out, heading for the nearest bathroom, but she didn’t make it.
She bent over, dry heaving so hard her vision blurred. Her knees gave, but Sloan was there, catching her.
“Hold on, honey,” Sloan said, already moving. He rushed down the hall, pushed open Slade’s office door, and set her on the exam table before grabbing the small wastebasket and pressing it into her hands. Pulling out his phone, he cursed. “Get to your office. Now.”
Another wave hit. She gagged, her body jerking as she tried to throw up, but nothing but air and pain exited her body. When it finally passed, she sagged, her body going limp.
Sloan caught her, easing her back as the wastebasket slipped from her hands and hit the floor.
Knowing he was panicking, she forced her eyes open. His expression full of pure worry and panic hit her hard.
“I’m okay,” she whispered, her voice rough. “Just… give me a minute.”
Her eyes drifted shut again as she felt his hand smooth her hair back, his body close, and solid beside her.
“I’ve got you,” he murmured.
And she knew he did, but it didn’t stop the fear curling deep in her chest.
CHAPTER 6
Kent was damn glad for the silence in the SUV. Daniel sat in the passenger seat staring straight ahead, while Steve sat in the back. At a red light, Kent glanced in the rearview mirror and caught Steve staring at him.
Great.
He looked back at the light and took off the second it turned green.
“So, anyone going to fill me in on where we’re going or is it a secret?” Steve broke the silence as he sat up, sticking his head between Kent and Daniel.
Neither of them answered.
Steve sighed dramatically. “Come on, guys. This is more awkward than the time I had to sit across from Slade and tell him about my itchy balls. You two still having issues?”
Daniel laughed, shaking his head. “You are one fucked-up dude, Steve.” He chuckled, still staring straight ahead. “And I wasn’t the one with the issue.”
