Chapter Nine
Zach sat by the pond, listening to the birds in the distance. He didn’t know how long he’d been there and he was getting a little tired of being alone. Where was Sarah? Where was Adam? Shouldn’t they be there? They’d always been with him in the past.
Only, no. Life drifted by him and he sat alone, all the time.
A sound caught his attention, a high-pitched beeping and it seemed really out of place for his lake getaway so he ignored it.
“Zinc, can you hear me?” He knew the voice and he whirled around. “Enough is enough with the crap, man. We’re not doing three months of you nearly dead again.”
Titanium. He owed him something, didn’t it? Something he needed to say to the man. Except what?
The Ghost leader was nowhere to be seen so Zach shrugged and went back to looking at the lake.
Something was wrong….
***
“The last time, he woke alone.” Sarah turned as the man who had flown them from the plane wreck to Miami approached her. “I don’t know how long he was conscious before anyone noticed. We’d all become convinced he was a goner and then suddenly he was back.”
She’d spent four days sitting next to Zach’s unconscious form, waiting for him to wake. The doctors had pulled back his pain meds and seemed to feel he would soon start to regain consciousness. His blood pressure was good. They’d managed to repair most of the damage to him, although he would likely hate moving around for a while.
A miracle. One of the surgeons had gone over his case with her when they’d arrived finally. No permanent damage.
Maybe Adam was right. Maybe Zach was somehow superhuman. He survived where most men fell.
Her brother had gotten back with the bike the day before, and he and several other guys had spent the day stripping the identification numbers and license plates so it could never be identified. Amazing, what the guys there could do.
“He’s not going to wake alone,” she finally answered. “Thanks for coming by again.”
“Let him know we’re all thinking of him.”
She nodded. “I will.”
Sarah heard, rather than saw, Tungsten slip out. Everyone had been doing that. She didn’t know what would happen to her once Zach awoke. At some point, she’d have to let the CIA know she wasn’t coming back. After everything, she knew she wanted to be a plain old lawyer and not responsible for life and death decisions with the possibility of being kidnapped off the street. Titanium wasn’t done with the interrogation of the guys who had kidnapped her or her former handler. She made sure not to ask what would happen to them when he was.
She couldn’t die, not even fakely. If her parents buried another child, it would kill them. Adam thought they could probably work something out. She was working overseas or something would be the story.
She closed her eyes. She wasn’t going to worry about it yet.
Zach groaned, and she sat straighter, squeezing his hand. “Zach? Can you hear me?” His lids drifted half open and he stared at her silently. Finally, she spoke again. “Sweetie, you were shot. You’re going to be okay. I’m here. You’re safe.”
He nodded and then spoke slowly. “Sarah. You’re. Hot. Bald.”
It took her a moment to react. “All of that, and those are the first words you say?”
She laughed until she couldn’t stand it anymore and then for the second time in four days Sarah Steele cried, holding Zach’s hand.
“I’m Sarah Steele, you lunatic. I look hot no matter how I wear my hair.”
“Damn straight,” he answered before he closed his eyes again.
He was going to be fine and so, eventually, when she could remove the image of him nearly dying on the street out of her head, would she.
***
Three months later…
“What do you propose to do with your new purchases?” Zach fingered the paddle she handed him before looking at her, his expression guarded.
Sarah sat next to him. “I propose to spank your behind. What did you imagine I wanted to do?”
She loved getting these reactions from him. He always objected when she pushed a limit and then he always adored the final result. If he really objected, she backed off. He still hadn’t done so. Some day she might tell him he really preferred being submissive in bed. Not then. He’d lived through an explosion and getting shot. She didn’t want to risk giving him a heart attack to boot.
“We talked about my ass being out of the question. A couple times if I recall.”
She set the paddle down. “Something to think about.”
Before she knew what was happening, he flipped her over onto her back. The soft mattress of their bed caught her and she squealed. “I’ll give you something to think about. Two things, actually.”
“Oh, yeah?” She wrapped her legs around his waist. “Such as what?”
“The first.” His face fell serious in what she thought of as business Zach. It came close to when he actually assumed his Zinc persona. Although Zinc had total focus and a real tendency to end up kicking someone’s ass. Serious Zach was less likely to throw a punch. Neither version was ever an issue for her. He always treated her as if she was the best damn thing he’d ever seen.
She loved the fuck out of him.
“The four assholes who harmed you won’t be bothering anyone ever again. Money trail followed. Loose ends tied up.”
Not the most romantic thing ever said yet great news nonetheless. “Awesome. And the second thing? More shop talk while I have my legs wrapped around you?”
He reached into his back pocket and pulled out a small black box. “How about my latest buy?”
Slowly, he opened it until she saw a diamond ring. In her life, Sarah had never really imagined a proposal moment. Lots of girls wanted the whole romance deal. She had wanted poker nights. But with her man?
“Damn it, Zach, you’re making me cry again.”
He shook his head. “That’s not an answer.”
“I haven’t heard a question.” She ran her hand across his arm. A perfect guy—even though he snapped at her when his head hurt and could manage a funk akin to no other—had been made for her. Did he really think there was a chance she wouldn’t say yes?
“Will you marry me, Sarah Steele?”
“I will, Zachery.” She leaned forward to kiss him hard on the lips. “Thanks for asking.”
“Well, you give me back my bike. I give you a diamond ring. Seems a fair trade.”
“Hey.” She pinched him, and he grinned from ear to ear.
“I love you.” He slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly, as she’d known it would. She loved him, too. And spent the rest of the night showing him so.
I am Sarah Steele. I am Zach’s. Or he is mine. Both, really. Any threat will have to go through Elite Metal to find me. I’m good to go.