Delta Salvation (Phantom Force, Book 1) (18 page)

By the third bowl of water, Laikyn finally had Alexa cleaned up enough for them to see her injuries. The wound on her head was sewn up with precision that he was reassured wouldn’t leave too much of a scar, but Kai didn’t think his woman would care too much.

The sight of the needle going into the still unconscious Alexa didn’t sit well with him. He noticed within minutes Alexa began to look better.

“Calm yourself. She didn’t lose as much blood as you think. She’s unconscious more from the exhaustion and knock to the head. I want to keep her here overnight. When she wakes, I’ll call you.” Laikyn waved her hand.

Tearing his eyes away from Alexa, Kai silently agreed. They needed to speak with the Commander and find out what, if anything, they’d gotten out of the cabin and its inhabitants.

“Here’s my number.” He scribbled his number on a piece of paper.

Kai caught sight of Kellen a few feet from the door, and with one last glance at Alexa he went toward the other man.

****

A
lexa moaned in pain. Her head throbbed. Her side ached, and she was thirsty as all get out. A fresh wave of panic rushed through her veins as she struggled to figure out where she was. She tried to remember the last thing that happened. Kai coming in and rescuing her.
Where the heck am I
? She looked around the room that resembled a hospital room, but not one she’d ever seen before. Under the blanket she grimaced as she realized she was wearing only a thin gown and a pair of underwear. Unable to move her arm, Alexa jerked, then became aware it was due to the IV hooked to her.
Jesus, what the hell is going on?
Monitors beeped, and in the darkness her heart sped up. Did Kai drop her off at some obscure location and leave her?

“Ah, you’re awake. How are you feeling? My name is Laikyn. And before you ask, yes, I’m a doctor.”

As Alexa’s panic began to fade and her eyes adjusted to the dim room, she stared at the tall red head. “Where am I?”

A stethoscope was pressed to her chest before she was answered.

“You’re at the Iron Wolves Club. We have a triage center here. I guess you can say I’m the on call doc.”

Through her peripheral vision, she watched the doctor moving about the small room, picking up a phone and typing in something. Figured she was texting her boyfriend or something, but seriously, all Alexa wanted to know was where Kai was.

Fear washed over her when Laikyn came back with a syringe. “I don’t need any more meds or anything like that. I’m good really. Could you um, unhook me from this thingy so I can go?”

Laikyn laughed. “Aw, you are just so darn sweet. However, I fear I enjoy my life way too much to do that. And, I do believe you have a visitor.”

Alexa was sure the doctor had been doing drugs. Maybe she’d been hooking herself up to some IV meds, but with the needle still too close for comfort she didn’t feel it wise to say anything.

The door opened, and in walked Kai, melting away some of her fears. “You look much better, luv.”

Laikyn snorted. “She’s giving me fits, is what she is.”

Kai looked at Alexa then the doctor. “What’s this nonsense?”

In the middle of all the chaos and terror, she immediately settled. Kai did that for her. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, or a really bad one. One thing was certain, he was here and she could breathe easier.

“I just told the doctor I was ready to go and didn’t need any more meds.” She winced as a sudden, piercing pain shot behind both eyes. The small light coming from the hallway became too much, but she didn’t want to miss seeing Kai.

“Humor me, hmm? You were just beaten. Again. Kidnapped. Again. Seriously. I think we may need to invest in a giant bubble like in that eighties movie where that boy lived in a bubble. I could totally get behind that, only it would have to be big enough for two.” He winked.

“And on that note, I’ll give you two some privacy after she agrees to letting me give her this.” Laikyn held up the needle.

“What’s in it,” Kai asked.

She explained it contained a sedative to help with the pain, and with the amount of pounding that had started up, Alexa was ready to agree.

Nodding she held her hand out for Kai. “Will you stay with me?”

He looked at Laikyn then nodded.

The needle was pressed into the IV, and then Laikyn was gone.

“I was scared when I woke and didn’t know where I was,” she admitted.

Chapter Eleven

––––––––

K
ai climbed into the bed next to Alexa. The club clearly knew most of the patients wouldn’t want to spend the night alone, or their mates wouldn’t want to leave their wounded alone. Either way, he was more than happy to take advantage of the oversized hospital bed.

She sighed against him. “Where did you go? Super-secret military stuff?”

Her words were beginning to slur, but he answered her. “I had to call in what happened and find out if they were able to trace the men who’d escaped. Tomorrow we’ll talk more. Tonight, you rest, I won’t leave you.”

He was whipped. That is what the guys would call it. Wrapped around the little woman’s finger like one of those Chinese finger toys he’d had as a boy. The thought of sticking things into tight spaces had him hard in all the wrong places, and he had to shift so he wasn’t poking a sleeping Alexa in the back. Knowing she’d been attacked, again, made him truly want to take her far away from danger. A notion completely absurd for a SEAL, especially one who led a team into some of the worst parts of the world.

Kai took a breath and inhaled, hating the scent of the cleanser Laikyn had used. He preferred the peaches and cream scent that reminded him of Alexa.

The slight vibrating of his phone made him shift enough to where he could reach into his pocket. As he read the incoming text, Kai wasn’t sure what the hell was going on. Two French hitmen, who were high up on the most wanted list were named Basile and Pascal. Until Alexa woke, they wouldn’t be able to get a positive ID, but the back of his neck itched, telling him they were the same men who’d kidnapped her. The million dollar question, or possibly billion dollar question was why, and how it was all linked to Tyler. Kai’s gut told him it all circled back, and somehow his woman was unknowingly involved.

A few quick taps on his device and he let his team know where he’d be if they needed him. When he got another text that Tay and Oz were awake and ready to get out of the hospital, he smiled in spite of the situation. His men didn’t know what the meaning of downtime was.

He trusted Lee to keep them safe, but at first light he planned to head there himself. He needed to see Tay and Oz and assess the damage to them both. Rowan had said the video footage showed Alexa opening the door of her own freewill, but Kai knew there was more to it than that. He’d find out from her why she allowed herself to be taken, and then find out what happened in the cabin before they arrived.

Exhaustion hit him. With several men standing guard outside the thick metal building, Kai let himself fall into a light sleep wrapped around Alexa. Tomorrow would come soon enough. He figured he’d need all his wits about him when it came to dealing with the gorgeous thing who owned a huge chunk of his heart if not all, plus facing two fierce SEALs who no doubt wanted retribution.

Noise from the hall woke Kai, bringing him fully alert in seconds, his hand automatically going to the Sig Sauer on his hip.

“Whoa, I just came to check my patient,” Laikyn said, arms raised.

Kai holstered the gun, shifting to get up.

“Kai,” Alexa whispered.

He smoothed the hair back from her forehead. “Yes, luv?”

“You stayed.” Astonishment sparked in her gorgeous eyes.

Uncaring they had company, he lowered his head and kissed her, brushing his lips over hers.

“Oh, god, I have morning breath I’m sure.” She turned her head away, a rosy hue lighting her face.

Laikyn laughed. “I’d say you are feeling much better. How’s your head?”

Alexa raised her hand, feeling the bandage. “How many stitches do I have?”

“Only four, and they’re really close to the hair line. If I do say so myself, your scar won’t be very visible, especially if you wear bangs, and even if you didn’t it’s a badge of honor. You’re a fighter. If anyone looks at you sideways send them my way.” Laikyn made some notes in her chart, her eyes meeting Kai’s.

“Is there something you’re not telling me?” Alexa looked from the doctor then to Kai.

“Whatever you have to say, you can tell her as well if it’s about her health.”

Nodding, Laikyn pulled out a glass tube. “While I was triaging you, I was informed you may have been tagged,” she looked at Kai, when he nodded she continued. “We’ve dealt with something similar. In fact, exactly like this.” She held the tube up. “It’s virtually undetectable by metal detectors and the like. Similar to say, IUDs or surgical staples, however, after a couple of our people had this done to them, Kellen allowed me to order a device that can detect them. Yours was located at the base of your skull. I’m sorry but I made a small incision that required no sutures, but as it wasn’t in long it was easy to get out.” Laikyn reassured them.

Kai rolled off the bed to get a better look at what was in the tube. The small cylinder like thing inside didn’t look as if it could do any harm, but he knew what damage something inserted into a body, no matter the size, could do. “Have you been able to track its origins?”

Shaking her head, Laikyn offered the glass vile. “No, although we do know the others were injected in the large muscles. Had you been suffering headaches? Vision loss? Things that were out of the normal for you?”

Alexa put her hand to her forehead. “I’d been having headaches, but I assumed it was from stress. I mean I’ve had a lot going on lately.”

“Well I don’t know if you have a doctor in the area, but I’m just moving back and would be glad to take you on as a patient. I don’t really have an office yet, and haven’t actually given notice, but I feel as if you should have someone familiar with your case. You don’t have to say yes right away, just think about it. If not, I could give you a couple names of colleagues I know at the hospital close to here. I’m assuming you’re planning on staying local?” Laikyn tapped her pen on the clipboard.

An uneasy feeling took up root in his gut. He didn’t live in South Dakota. Heck, he lived out of a duffel bag most the time. If Alexa decided to stay, he’d gladly make a move to stay with her, at least when he was between missions. The last thought had him pulling back.

What kind of life could he offer her?

“Yes, that would be wonderful. I hadn’t even thought of all those details. Can I get dressed? Holy crap. I don’t have any clothes except...oh god, my clothes were ruined by that...” her eyes searched Kai’s.

He closed the distance between them, and lifted her up, before settling back on the bed with her in his lap. “You did what you needed to survive.” He stroked her back and let her cry into his neck. When Alexa finally let go, the damn of tears and shaking sobs seemed never ending. He looked over her head at Laikyn and watched the doctor shake her head, her lips mouthed ‘It’s normal’, but he wasn’t so sure.

Minutes, or hours later, she quieted. “Am I going to go to jail for murder?”

“Hell no, baby. I’m going to need to ask you some questions, but they can wait.” They couldn’t, but he’d make it to where they could.

Alexa straightened. “No, I need to tell you or your boss, or whoever what happened. Those men are crazy. They think I’m someone I’m not. They were using me to lure some couple here. They called me Alexia.”

“Start from the beginning,” Kai ordered.

He pulled his phone out and hit record, not wanting to miss a detail. From the sounds of it the men who’d had her were French, yet the names of the people they called her parents sounded Russian, or at least the man. When she finished he sent the recording to Rowan along with a text. “Did they say anything else?” he asked.

“He said they were aware of my attack and made arrangements for me to be sent here, only they stepped in. I met a woman named Marley who I thought was a woman’s advocate, only now I don’t know who she was. Maybe she was friends with this couple, or maybe they meant you guys. I don’t know. I feel so confused.” Alexa was shaking.

“Alexa calm down. Let’s think this through.” Kai tried to soothe her.

“When I was attacked by Danny, Marley came to me and offered me a way out. I got a burner phone and she offered me a place in South Dakota. What are the chances I’d then get abducted by some crazy woman who just happened to have ties to a government man gone rogue, and then meet up with you? I mean I’m all for coincidences, but come on.”

Kai had to agree. Something else was going on, and he needed to find out what and who was behind all of this, or Alexa was never going to be safe.

“You met this Marley woman face to face?”

At her nod, he asked if she would be able to give a description. With facial recognition software, Rowan would be able to possibly get a hit on her if she was in the system.

“I want to go back to Chicago and be a normal twenty-eight year old woman. I want to wake up and find out this was all just a bad dream,” she sobbed.

Her words were like a dart to his heart, and he had to shore up the strength to give her what she wanted. Life with him was far from normal, or predicable. “I know, baby. We’ll figure this out and get you back to something resembling normal. I promise.” Even if it was ripping his heart in two to say those words, he’d give it to her. She’d been through too much and deserved better.

He rubbed her back for a few more minutes, then got up, placing her back onto the bed. “Listen, I need to get with Rowan and see if he has found out anything new. I’m also going to see about getting a sketch artist who works with us and see if she can meet us at the hospital. I’d like to get that image of the woman named Marley into the database sooner rather than later.”

“Okay. Can I take a shower, and maybe get someone to bring my bag from the cabin here?” Alexa plucked at the gown.

“No need. I can get you something from the club. I’m sure we have something in your size. I’ll also bring a little kit with toothbrush and toothpaste and necessities like that. You can shower and wash your hair, just try not to get the bandage wet. I’ll check before you leave to make sure the stitches are good to go. Any questions, or need anything else before I go in search of supplies?” Laikyn asked.