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He’d grinned, raking that same heated gaze down to my toes.“Try it, baby. You’ll be surprised the lengths I’ll go to so that doesn’t happen.”
The hatred in his voice had stunned me, especially since we’d just been intimate. I could only imagine the horrible deed he’d commit to keep from getting help.
“You did read that he has violent tendencies. Right? It’s in his file on the first page.” Shelly wasn’t exactly admonishing me, more like making fun that I was as angry as I was.
“I know. You did. But I thought I could break through that tough exterior of his. I failed. He’s just…growl.”
Was it possible he’d followed me to work, maybe to make good on his point? No. Snake might be an asshole, but he wasn’t a stalker. Just thinking that way had me rubbing my arm, trying to keep from scratching it. I noticed Shelly was watching what I was doing. As I slowly lowered my hand, she sighed.
“Look. I know how you are, and I thought if anyone could get through to him, you could. Some soldiers just can’t be helped.”
“He’s a Marine, not a soldier. A decorated Marine who went through hell in serving his country. He deserves our respect and our support.” I said the few sentences with a little too much passion, which made Shelly smile.
“True, but I think he might respond better to a male therapist,” she said coolly.
“No!” I threw my arm out in my usual dramatic form. “I don’t care how big the guy was who you sent; Snake would tear him apart limb from limb.”
“Snake, huh? I can tell you really like him.”
“Like I would by being tied down in the desert sun with a thousand scorpions headed in my direction?” I eyed her warily.
She folded her arms, scolding my dramatics with her eyes.
I raked my hands through my hair, still muttering under my breath. “No! Yes, kind of. Maybe.”
“Uh-huh. Remember, he’s not a lost puppy dog you can save.” Laughing, she shook her head.
“No, he’s a man.”A big, strapping man who made me feel safe and wanted and…Shit. What was I doing? I waved my hand at her, looking away. “He has such a soulful look, but he’s so haunted. The scars are an everyday reminder of the man he lost. I want to help him. I really do, but I might end up punching him in the jaw. Oh, wait, I already did that.”
“You did what?”
“Nothing.”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll assume he deserved it. Let me give you some advice. I’ve seen so many men and women come and go, some achieving more success than others. There’s one constant in every case. They need to want to be helped. They need to sink so low that they realize without help, they’re going to spiral out of control. Until Corporal Garcia reaches that place in his life, nothing and no one will be able to help him.”
“I’m not giving up on him, but I was very clear in that he would come to the hospital for his subsequent appointments.”
She grinned. “You are tenacious, but don’t beat yourself up if he doesn’t respond according to directions.”
“He won’t push me away. I refuse to allow it.”
“You are a glutton for punishment.”
Punishment. The word sent quivers all the way down my spine. He’d been in such control of me, refusing to allow me to get away.
And I’d liked it. How had that been possible? How had I even allowed him to touch me? I’d thought that impossible.
I had to have a screw loose myself. “He had a dog there. Did I read about a cute puppy in his file?” I moved to my desk, riffling through the stack of my current patients, finding his file near the top.
“I’m certain there’s a notation. Apollo was a stray he found while serving. The two developed a bond, but he was left behind. One of his buddies made it his mission to get the dog to the United States.”
I flipped through several pages until I found the page listing Apollo. “Holt Wills.”
“Mustang to his friends.”
Hearing the moniker, I lifted my head. “Mustang. They all have nicknames.”
“Which you should know are important to the men and women who serve. Holt is a good guy. He lives here in town. His family was close friends with mine. As a matter of fact, the men who were on the helicopter on the day he was captured all live here in town.”
