Page 66 of The Deadly Shallows

A knock rapped on Brooke’s hospital room door, and she jolted.

Noah stood, placing himself between her and the door.

Great. Her stupid reaction caused one of alert in him.

“Yes?” Noah said, grabbing his sidearm from its case on the windowsill.

“It’s Mason.”

“Come in,” Brooke called.

Noah’s taut stance settled, and he laid his gun back in its case. He was half tempted to wear a side holster with his pjs.

Mason entered with a manila folder in hand.

Her heart thumped erratically. Was that the folder. Was he in it?

“Noah, could I borrow you a moment?” Mason asked.

Noah looked to her.

“Of course,” she said, giving Mason the closest thing to a smile she could muster.

“I’ll be right back,” Noah said.

The thumping in her chest spread to her eardrums, the sound erratic.

She hated that fear bounced in her gut whenever Noah stepped from the room, hated that what had happened during the last few days made her uncomfortable being alone. She was a soldier, a medic, and normally a strong woman, but now she felt innately vulnerable, and she hated it.

“Hey there,” Noah said, returning with the folder in his hand.

She swallowed.

“Mason thought you’d probably prefer to look at these images in here.”

“That’s very thoughtful of you both, but I’d rather come to case board.”

Noah’s brow furrowed. “Are you sure?”

“Positive.” Because she was far more likely to keep from bursting into tears in front of the whole team. “It’ll be nice to get out of this room and to see everyone and feel useful.”

She’d called Oscar to let him know she’d be discharged tomorrow and was ready to return to duty—Blotny’s objection aside. But he’d informed her she was on a two-week leave to recuperate.

She’d respectfully insisted she was fine, but he didn’t budge. Compared to Noah’s injury, her wounds were nothing—and he was returning to full duty tomorrow. Oscar was no doubt concerned about the mental and emotional effects of the trauma she’d experienced, and it flat-out frustrated her. But she had no say in the matter. The decision had been made, and she’d been sidelined.

But she could try to be helpful to Noah and his team. Anything to be useful and anything to catch the men involved.

Noah’s phone buzzed with an incoming text from Mason, letting him know the team—plus Austin, but minus Finn, who was waiting on some last-minute results at the lab—was ready for case board in his hospital room whenever he was ready.

He worried about Brooke, about the pain and nightmares the case-board pictures might trigger, but he respected her decision to be present.

“You ready?” he asked.

“Yes.” She climbed from bed and slipped into her robe. “I’m probably the first person to attend a case board in pjs.”

He smiled. How did she do that? Carry such light inside after such darkness had attacked her? “Well, I’m guessing I’m the only boss to attend case board in flannel lounge pants and a long-sleeve T.” He winked.

She chuckled and the sound did his heart good.