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He shrugged. “We came to an understanding of sorts.”
Her eyes widened. “Explain.”
“Later. It’s not important. What I want to know is how you’re feeling, Indika.” Using his free hand, he stroked her hair off her brow. “You scared me.”
Her heart flexed at his admission and what it must have cost him to say the words aloud. Years and years in the military, then Blackout, hardened him to the steel of a blade. The fact thatshehad frightened him by going and getting herself injured spoke volumes.
She felt herself softening toward him, and she wasn’t ready for that. He’d hurt her—badly. She needed time to figure out if she could let him back into her life.
“Baby,” he breathed, skimming his fingers over her skin with so much tenderness, a trait a man like him shouldn’t possess. Those hands had killed. Yet they were so gentle with her that tears sprang to her eyes.
He spotted the wetness and his gaze sharpened. “You’re in pain. I’ll go find the nurse.”
In two strides, he was out the door, his shoulders so broad they seemed to take up the whole frame. With a shaky sigh, she dropped her head against the pillow and closed her eyes.
Taking stock of her body wasn’t something she needed to do often, but now two men had brought up pain.
The place where De Leon stabbed her throbbed a little and it pinched if she moved. She was obviously on some medication post-surgery, but overall, she’d experienced worse period cramps. What hurt more was her pride.
She thought she was better prepared for that sweatshop raid. She’d only admit to herself that going into it…she was distracted. First by her slipping up and allowing AJ back into her bed, and then by the frank discussion Brown had with her on the topic.
She recalled the moment that passed between Brown and AJ. It looked like… camaraderie? No, that was crazy. AJ was the mostdifficultman to get along with, and Brown wouldn’t have won him over that quick.
Unless Brown told AJ his thoughts about where he fits into my life.
Nothing stopped the man from tellingherthat she was making a mistake with Robert. She wouldn’t put it past her partner to tell AJ the very same thing.
The sound of footsteps made her open her eyes. A nurse with a kind smile approached the bed, pushing a cart of supplies. AJ entered behind her, his expression tight with concern.
“How are you feeling, Indika?” the nurse asked.
“Fine. A little tired.”
“That will be the anesthesia still in your system and the pain medication.” She hooked her up to the blood pressure cuff and then took her temperature. All the while, AJ stood a few feet behind her looking ready to knock the poor woman to the floor if she made a misstep.
The nurse didn’t seem upset by how he hovered and simply went about her tasks. She explained what they found during the exploratory surgery and impressed on her how lucky she’d been that the knife hadn’t gone deep enough to puncture her intestine—only nick the surface, which they were able to close without issue.
She looked at Indika reclining on the bed. “Can I get you anything for pain? More ice water? Another blanket?”
“I’m fine for now, thank you.”
AJ stepped aside to allow the nurse to leave. Then he dragged the chair up to her bedside and sat down, making it very apparent that he wasn’t leaving her.
Her eyes felt droopy and her brain foggier than it had when she first opened them.
“AJ…”
He gathered up her hand and bent to brush his lips across the back of it. Heat and tingles traveled up her arm.
In that minute, with this big, tough SEAL doting on her, she realized that being stabbed didn’t place her in as much danger as his presence did.
Indika was in real peril…of losing her heart to him a second time.
SEVEN
Apollo guided Indika out of the car, watching her face for signs of pain. “Are you okay?”
She planted her feet on the ground and straightened. “Yes.”
