Chapter Four
“Shh, don’t fight. You’re safe, Rachael. I’m just getting you onto the bed now. That’s it.” Dieter’s voice soothed her. “Lift the back up a little more so she’s slightly reclined. She said earlier that laying down hurts too much.”
“How’s that?” another voice asked.
“Should be good.” She was placed down onto a mattress, and pillows were tucked under her head and arm for support. “How’s that feel, Rachael?” Dieter asked.
“Great. Thank you.” He had listened to her. Actually listened and not just went through the motions, either. “Thank you for remembering that lying flat hurts, but so does sitting up at too much of an angle.” She opened her eyes now and looked at the other man helping her and smiled. “Wyatt, right?” The other one who had shocked her when he touched her.
He gave a nod and smiled slightly. “Yes, ma’am, that would be me. I’m going to get you some juice if you’re interested, as well as a snack. Anything in particular you might be craving, and any allergies I should be forewarned about so that I don’t kill you?”
“Oranges. Don’t know why, but they break me out in hives. Really, anything citrus-based does. Some apple juice or pomegranate juice sounds amazing, however, but only as long as you have water, too?”
“We have some pomegranate, I think. Did you want me to throw some ginger ale into it to cut it a little?” he asked her. “And did you want a snack? Maybe a sandwich or some cheese and meat with crackers if the sandwich is too much.”
“You know, I’ve never had it cut down like that. I won't mind trying it if that’s not too much trouble? And yes, food of any kind sounds fantastic right now. Anything other than Jell-O. Please.”
“Right, no Jell-O and no citrus. I have this covered.” He patted her hand and headed out of the bedroom, giving her a chance to look around. When both men were close, she really couldn’t tear herself away from gazing at them.
“Before he gets back, I’ll get you attached to the gear so we can monitor you for the next few days. I don’t expect any problems, but I do prefer being safe,” Dieter told her. “I won’t hook you up to the IV or catheter.”
“All right, get busy so that we can get this all done. Then maybe the two of you will talk to me for a time while I eat and drink? It would be nice to have company if you don’t mind.” She wasn’t so demanding typically, but she knew what she liked, and it was this man.
He slipped the clip of the pulse oximeter over the end of her index finger, plugged the lead into the machine, and got it up and running. Dieter played with it until the volume was low enough that it barely registered. “You have about thirty seconds between removing the lead and when the alarm goes off. There is no volume control for that, unfortunately, so you have to hit the button. I’d make sure you’re ready to hit it once you have the lead off so you don’t have to fumble.” He grabbed a chair, sat in it, and kicked his feet out. “What would you like to talk about?”
“How about you tell me about the men that you work with?” She chewed her lower lip and took a deep breath. “Two of you shocked me. You and Wyatt. Why? How? I would think with all that leather you had on, it shouldn’t have happened.”
“You shouldn’t have been, especially since we wear rubber-soled boots at all times. Static charges around explosives are dangerous. I’ve never shocked anyone like I did you, so I’m not sure what’s going on there. I went and poked a couple of the guys to see if it was something in the air—it is drier out here than at home—but nada. They all gave me warnings to back off.” He grinned. “They’re good guys. We all joined up with the military at various times, and some of us ended up in the same unit together in the branch of the military we were in. Eventually, the higher-ups decided to make a team up of two separate branches of the military to see if they could create a cohesive team. We’re the end result of a few bum tries. We all have similar mindsets, but all of us have unique personalities. Not always a good thing.”
“You do all work well together,” she said with a smile. “You all seem like great guys. If Uncle Adam trusts you, then I trust you as well, but it’s more than that.” She hesitated as she tried to think of what to say. “And the shock?” Rach asked again.
“No clue, Rachael. I haven’t had a chance to ask the others yet, but if they come wandering in to poke you, make sure they keep it to an arm. I really don’t need a bunch of whiny patients to deal with, especially ones that I’ve created.”
“Why would you have a bunch of whiny patients?” she asked with a frown.
Wyatt came to the bedside and handed her a glass. “Give that a try.” He set the plate of bite-sized snacks in her lap before pulling a second chair around the bed to sit on her other side.
“You are a god among men,” she told Wyatt as she began to eat.
“You need to heal. Which also means that if you cannot do it easily on your own, you ask for help. No figuring out a way to get it done because you’re too stubborn. You ask for help. We clear?” Dieter asked her.
“Yes, we’re clear. If I need help, I’ll ask, promise,” she assured him. “This whole being shot thing is something I could have gone my entire life without experiencing.”
“It definitely doesn’t get any better the more it happens,” Wyatt said. “I personally try to avoid it at all costs. I’ve found it’s safest to be near Mikhail when the bullets fly. Not saying he’s never been shot, he has been, but not in a long time. I think bullets are afraid of him.”
“Mikhail is the enormous one that looks like he never smiles, right?” Rach asked with a frown as she tried to think of the men who had spoken to her. “The one who said that he and Gareth like to hook up with the same women, right?”
Wyatt stared at her with his mouth open.
“That’s him,” Dieter confirmed. “He and Gareth are in a relationship with Camilla. Don’t call her a hookup to her face—she’s a mean little thing. Mik does occasionally smile, but rarely on a job. He’s a trained sniper with focus, unlike anyone I’ve ever seen. So if he looks like he’s sizing you up for a pine box, don’t panic. He does it to everyone at some point.”
“Snipers are seriously terrifying men. I’ve met a few in my life. So I’ll keep that in mind.” She smiled and reached out. At the touch of her hand to Dieter’s, there was that zing of electricity again. The one that went straight to her pussy. What the hell was that all about? She looked down, and even though she felt her cheeks pinken, she looked right at his crotch and knew that he felt something, too, if the size of the rise behind his zipper was anything to go by. So it wasn’t just her feeling something sexual when they touched.
Wyatt shifted in his seat and pulled out his phone. “Eat your food. I’ve been summoned by our high-tech lord to assist him. I’ll come check on you in a few. Try and get some shut-eye if you can. You need the rest.” Standing, he gave her fingers a light squeeze. After putting the chair away, he headed out of the room.
She watched the man leave and shook her head. “He’s funny. I like him. I like you, too, though.” She couldn’t stop herself from glancing at his lap once more, and yep, he certainly still had an impressive hard-on.
“You do need to get some rest, Rachael. Why don’t you close your eyes and try to sleep for a bit? When you wake up, we’ll see about getting you up on your feet to move around.” Dieter told her.
“Sleep does sound fantastic.” She yawned and smiled over at him. “Will you come back soon? Or are you staying with me?” She wasn’t certain which it would be. Part of her hoped he would stick around, honestly. “I feel safe around you. That’s a good feeling. Just so you know.”
“I’ll stay until you fall asleep. Then I’ll go check in with the others, grab a shower, and come back with a book to read. I’ll be here when you wake up, Rachael. Now close your eyes and let everything drift away.”
“Thank you, Dieter.” She shifted and let out a small sigh of pain. “For everything.”