Page 76 of Trapped Truth

“Good.” The tip of her tongue juts out in deep concentration. “How do I close the suture?”

“You’re going to lift the scissors to the centre of the wound so you can loop the thread around. I’ll talk you through tying a surgeon’s knot to secure the edges from there.”

“Shit. Okay.”

“Em?” I trace gentle circles on her midsection below the hem of her tank top. “Breathe.”

“Why did I think I could do this?”

“Because you’re strong and more than capable. Take a breath, let’s close this knot.”

With some gentle coaxing, she works her way through the final step. I sense when the wound has been pulled shut, sealed by her new suture skills. She snips off the thread then tilts her head to examine the result.

“I did it!”

“Pass me that shaving mirror?”

Ember hands it over. “Please tell me I’ve done it right.”

Sure enough, it looks pretty damn perfect to me.

“Nailed it. Now start the next.”

Looking far too pleased with herself, Ember confidently moves on to the next stitch, allowing me to simply watch her. God, she is mesmerising. Even pale, exhausted and bruise-laden. The way her eyes light up with a determined fire that can’t be replicated will never cease to amaze me.

To think I wasted so much time denying my feelings, no matter how they haunted me during every deployment, every tour of a distant land where loneliness was the only thing to keep me warm at night. In those empty years, I had nothing but her memory.

And our story didn’t end there. It wasn’t enough for the torture of craving all that was forbidden between us to drive a wedge in what could’ve been. I had to lose her all over again then spend another six years longing for the chance to touch eyes on the woman I love again.

“Okay, I think I’ve got this.”

“Where are the others?” I clear my suddenly thick throat.

“Hyland and Blaine are still with our Jane Doe.” Ember sets down the scissors. “We should have an identity on her soon. I think Axel’s on his way home from HQ. He went with Gunnar to figure out what the hell is happening.”

“He’s obviously signed a deal.”

“Clearly. A little head’s up would’ve been nice.”

“Agreed.” I shift my weight. “Though if it weren’t for Gunnar, things could’ve gotten a lot uglier. We barely made it out of there as it is. You nearly fucking drowned, Em.”

“You were unconscious and covered in blood,” she counters.

“They’re little scratches.”

“I’m sewing your skin up with my bare hands. I can see how much these are not just little scratches, Warner. You’re lucky to have avoided a concussion or worse.”

Honestly, she isn’t wrong. So many things about that raid didn’t go to plan. Least of all being intercepted in the street by two masked thugs with assault rifles. I didn’t know it was possible to take Blaine by surprise, but with all our focus on tracking our team, they had the perfect opportunity to strike.

“We have two of Madden’s minions still alive for questioning, and we rescued our victim without harm,” I argue back. “That’s worth a little blood and pain.”

“Would you say the same thing if I were the one being stitched up?” Ember arches a brow.

My fingers dig into her soft skin, clenching tightly. “Not fair.”

“I’ll take that as a no.”

Another suture is snipped off. Sensing I’m not going to win this argument, I slide my palms up her sides, moving slow so as not to distract her. Her skin is so soft, supple.