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“Tobias? Are you awake?” she asked as the sun rose over the ocean.
“I’ve been awake for a while now,” he smiled. “Curse of being in the military for so long. Do you need anything? Are you in pain?”
“No. Yes, but I don’t need anything. I’m just wondering what’s going to happen to me. I mean, obviously, someone wants to harm me.” Tobias sat up from his blankets on the floor, staring over the edge of the bed at her. He got to his knees and leaned on the mattress with both elbows.
“Here’s what’s going to happen,” he said, taking one of her hands into his own. He sandwiched the small, delicate hand between his large, callused palms, gently rubbing the soft flesh. “We’re going to wait until Cruz and Kelsey say it’s safe to put you on an airplane. Once that happens, I’m taking you back to our compound in Louisiana, where you’ll be safe, well-cared for, and can heal at your own speed. While you’re doing that, we’re going to find the men that did this to you.”
She stared at him, and he was once again struck by how beautiful she was. Her big blue eyes were rimmed with purple circles, but she was still stunning.
“Then what?” she whispered.
“Then you can decide if you want to stay at the compound and work at our clinic or if you want to go somewhere else.” She just nodded, not saying anything.
“What about my family? I’m not stupid, Tobias. It feels as if they are involved in this in some way. Did they sell me to those men?” Tobias stood from the floor, taking a seat beside her on the bed.
“I don’t know, honey, but I think you could be right. And, if you are, I will find them, and I will make them pay.” She just nodded again, staring at his face.
“You look good with a little facial hair,” she whispered. He smirked at her.
“Well, with an indigenous father and grandfather, facial hair doesn’t always come easy. Native American men aren’t known for having beards.”
“Tell me about your parents,” she asked.
“Well, my grandfather was probably the most prolific Delta operative in history.” He stopped, realizing that he might need to back up. “Do you know what Delta is?”
“I think so,” she said. “I mean, I’ve seen movies, and I hear people talk. Also, Dana told me a little. It sounds terrifying and exciting and something that very much fits your personality.” Tobias nodded at her, giving a small grin.
“My father and his twin, Nathan, became Delta as well. Many say they were as good, if not better, than our grandfather. Then, my brother and I became Delta. Our mom, Julia, she’s something else. Beautiful, tall, blonde, and so damn smart. Wilson is her father, our grandfather. He was a Navy SEAL, and he’s a nurse as well.”
“What makes her so special?” she asked.
“Well, one thing is she can see and hear ghosts.”
“Don’t tease me, Tobias,” she said, trying to push herself up off the mattress. He lifted her up beneath her arms, gently setting her back down.
“I’m not teasing you, honey. JB can see and hear them as well. It’s a strange gift, but we have several people who are able to see and hear them all the time. Our property is hundreds of years old. We have several ghosts who roam on a regular basis, including one of my namesakes. Franklin.”
“Your name is Tobias Franklin?” she smiled.
“It is.”
“It’s very stoic. Very strong.” He nodded, smiling at her. “Tobias? I need to tell you something.”
“Okay.”
“In the Bahamas, when we were kissing on the sofa. I stopped, not because I wasn’t enjoying it. I was enjoying it too much.”
“Too much?” he frowned.
“Yes. Like, I’d never enjoyed a kiss so much in my life. It scared me.” He stared at her, seeing the fear in her face. Nodding, he leaned forward, gently placing a kiss on her lips.
“It scared the fuck out of me too, honey. It’s why I didn’t call you right away. I just wasn’t sure what to do with my feelings. You hit it out of the ballpark about me. I don’t usually see women more than once, but I knew that if I stayed with you, it would definitely be more than once.”
“What do we do about that?”
“Not a damn thing,” he smiled. “For now, I just want to worry about getting you healthy and safe. We’ll see how things go from there. No promises. No plans.”
“Right. No promises, no plans,” she repeated. Tobias stared at the disappointed look on her face. He couldn’t believe it. She wanted promises. She wanted plans and damned if he didn’t want them as well.
