Karly hesitated at the hospital room door.

Thad lay in the sterile bed, with tubes and a heart monitor attached. His gown lay open, and Karly could see the purple bruising from the bullet impact spread across his chest. The silly, honorable man was lucky to be alive.

Chase sat slumped in a chair next to Thad, then stirred. “You’re back.”

“Hi,” she whispered her greeting. “Thanks for sitting with Thad while I visited with Sung. I got to hold her baby.”

“Sounds like she’ll be okay.” Chase hitched himself up into a more vertical position.

“She’s tough.” Karly wandered farther into the room “She’s had to be. As long as they don’t take her baby away from her, she should be fine.”

“I’ve seen a lot of stuff, but man, I had to lock it down when I saw the conditions those women worked in. Is it just me, or is the world getting more violent?”

“It might be that we’re just more aware because there are cameras everywhere recording everything we do. Before we lived in a bubble, ignorant of the greater world around us.”

“Yeah, maybe you’re right.”

“I can’t imagine what it was like for them. What happened to me was nothing in comparison, and I was terrified.” I almost got sucked into that world. Shivers ran up Karly’s arms. “At least all of them will now be free. Sung is being relocated to a safe house.” She drew in a thankful breath.

Although there are things I wish she hadn’t told me. Things I’ll never forget.

Obligation pressed in. Thad was right. Once the knowing was out there, there was no going back to being naive.

“I’m glad I got to spend some time with her, and meet Haun Thad, her baby boy, before she left. He’s got this full head of thick black hair and tiny nose. He’s so adorable.”

Chase’s jaw dropped. “She named her baby after Thad? You’ve got to be kidding me. That guy?” He winked as he started to chuckle.

“Yep.”

“Please don’t tell him.” Chase looked at Thad. “His head is already too big.”

“I heard that,” came a grumble from the hospital bed.

“You’re awake.” A tremor of nerves created a fragile border around her words, brought on by another wave of concern. “How are you feeling?”

“I’ve been worse,” he croaked through dry, cracked lips. He reached for her. “Come here, you.” He lifted an arm, reaching for her.

She sat on the edge of the bed. To connect. She cupped his hand in hers, thankful for the warmth of the blood still pulsing through his veins. “Sung wants me to thank you.”

He shook off her praise and looked away.

“No. Don't blow this off. You came for me, and you helped save not only me, but the rest of the women. You forced them to move us before they were ready.”

“It’s what soldiers do. It’s no big deal.”

Chase smirked. “Doesn’t mean that taking one on the pads doesn’t hurt. Dude, look at your chest. It’s one massive bruise.” Chase pushed to his feet, turning to give Karly a small grin. “Guess he thinks he’s Superman and can stop speeding bullets.”

Thad’s eyes narrowed, and his middle finger extended. Chase shook his head, chuckling. “Glad to know you’re on the mend, buddy. Maybe I should go.” Chase took a step backward toward the door.

“No. No, stay.” Karly twisted around. “He was just kidding. I want to know what happened after Thad decided to miraculously come back from the dead and run after a van full of women.”

“It was total chaos. The general was right.”

“The general. You mean your father-in-law? He’s involved?”

“After you went missing, Joe pulled everyone from town he could find that he trusted, and who had first-responder training. We didn’t have time to wait for the JTF team. As soon as the first weapon was fired, he was telling us to watch out for fireworks. Sure enough, the traffickers were trying to blow up the evidence, but they hadn’t planned on someone deactivating the fuses.”

“I bet that was the doctor’s doing. She’s been undercover this whole time. Can you believe it? A woman was the inside man. Sort of ironic.”

“I’m not surprised. I’ve met my share of female Marines. I wouldn’t mess with them. Definitely ball-busters.”

The look on Chase’s face made her laugh, although it faded when the attending doctor walked in the room.

“Mr. Lopez,” The physician dropped the medical chart in the plastic holder on the door. “You have severe bruising and a couple of cracked ribs. I’ve just looked at your X-rays, and I’d like to keep you overnight for observation. If all goes well, you can leave in the morning.”

“Nope. Not a chance.”

The doctor’s body stiffened, his expression stern. “May I ask why?”

Yeah, why? Karly turned and waited for Thad to respond.

“I’ve had my fill of hospitals. A little bruising is nothing. I can heal at home.”

The emergency room nurse came to a stop beside the doctor, and propped her hands on her hips. If stares could disintegrate someone to ashes, Thad would be burned toast. “I told you he wouldn’t like your suggestion.”

“It wasn’t a suggestion.” The doctor adjusted the stethoscope around his neck, his expression indicating he was choosing his words carefully. “Special Agent Bantner would like you to remain here until he has a chance to talk to you.”

The nurse, who’d been fussing with him since he was rolled into the ER, gave him a narrow-eyed assessment. The six-foot Amazon’s demands had been hard to put off, but Thad managed, until now.

“Fine. I’ll stay, only because my cabin doesn’t hold heat, and only until Bantner gets here.”

“How about something for the pain?” The doctor reached under the blanket for his foot. “Do you feel that?”

“Yep. Everything is working fine, and I don’t want anything that’ll knock me out. Just something to dull the pain.”

You’re as stubborn as a terrier. Karly walked over to rest her hand on Thad’s shoulder. “Thad. Please listen to the doctors. They’re here to help. I’ll go to the cabin and get you a change of clothes. I can be there and back in an hour.”

“I’d make that two, maybe three.” Chase chipped in. “You still need to give your statement, and that will take some time.”

“Fine. Three hours.”

“Finally, someone with some common sense.” The nurse’s mouth bent into a weird shape. Karly assumed it must be a smile because she couldn’t imagine what else it might be. “As your reward, I’ll make sure they put a sleeper chair in the room when he’s moved.”

“Thank you. That’s kind of you.”

The nurse patted her on the shoulder before leaving the room.

“I’ve got to check on a few things and give Ashley a call,” Chase said. “Thad, get back on your feet soon, ’cause I’m not in the habit of hiring some lazy-ass who wants to lounge around in bed all day.” Chase reached out to shake Thad’s hand. “Take care, man. You took some risks, but they paid off. But don’t you dare try being a hero on my crew, or you’ll be fired.”

Thad released the former Marine’s hand. “Don’t worry. I’ll put a tracker on Karly. She won’t get out of town without me knowing about it.”

Chase looked at Karly, then looked back at Thad. “Please tell me you’re not that dumb.”

The room erupted in laughter until Thad cringed and grabbed his chest to ease the coughing.

Karly turned. “Chase, thank you again for your help. I…ah…” Blast those tears.

“It’s okay, Karly. You’re welcome. See there, buddy?” Chase tapped Thad's leg. “That’s how you respond to a lady.”

“Would you just get out of here? I want some alone time with my woman.” Thad let the finger fly again.

My woman? Where did that come from?

There was that push-pull again. Yes, she loved him. No, she couldn’t be with him. A black thundercloud of gloom settled over her heart.

Thad pulled on her hand to bring her closer. “Hey. Are you okay? What are you thinking?”

She tried clearing the despondency but the storm of sadness only intensified. “I'm all right.” She shifted on the bed. “Just fine.”

“Karly?”

“I’m fine, really.”

“What happened—”

“I already told you in the ambulance on the way here, they didn’t hurt me.”

“Physically, yes, but mentally? If Macedo wasn’t already dead, I’d hunt him down. The bastard had no right to touch you.”

“Stop worrying about me.”

“It’s my job.” He lifted her hand to his lips. “I know you’re brave and strong. Come here, I need to touch you. Make sure this isn’t a dream.”

She leaned in for a quick peck on the cheek, but he apparently needed more. His hand slid around her neck and pulled her against him. His lips were a bit colder than usual, but still soft, sweet, full of promises she couldn’t accept.

“I almost believed I'd never see you again,” he whispered against her mouth. “That scared me.”

Me too. She straightened.

Thad reached for his plastic water jug. “When I came back to Elkridge, I figured the most adventure I would have was dealing with an occasional snowstorm or fire, maybe looking for a lost kid. I had no idea I’d be deputized to help break up a drug and sex trafficking ring.”

“And to think all that was going on, and no one had any idea what was happening.” She glanced out the window toward the west. Instead of seeing the mountains, she saw her image reflecting off the hospital room window.

Black smudges of mascara underlined her eyes...or were the dark patches from lack of sleep? She slumped while a little voice whispered, you need to get some sleep, but she pressed the ignore button on her internal warning system.

She slid the rubber tie out of her hair to retwist and retie the long strands. “I certainly never thought I’d be attacked, drugged, and chained to a wall.”

Reliving the memory caused a shiver to roll up her spine. The rancid smell of a man’s breath. The frantically barking dogs.

Brutus. Hedge.

“That reminds me, I should call Mara and check on Hedge. See how he’s doing after his surgery.”

So many people had been hurt. The need to take a shower and wash all the ugliness away became overwhelming. Karly pushed a hand through her hair, now regretting she hadn’t taken the nurse up on her offer of a shower.

A hand touched her arm, and she jumped. “You’re safe. It’s just me.”

Thad pulled on her arm, but she tugged back.

“No. I appreciate your concern, but please don’t baby me. I’m not about to let Macedo or anyone impact my life. I can’t…I won’t let it happen.” She crossed her arms. “How do you military guys manage? Doing what you do? Seeing what you do?” Deal with the humiliation? People’s questions? The memories.

Thad’s finger with the oxygen monitor tapped-tapped-tapped on the bed coverings. “It helps that we’ve experienced some of the same things together. It helps to talk to someone.”

“But how do you start talking? I mean…how do you find the words?”

“I suggest you start with the FBI debriefing, and then take it from there.”

“Yeah, I still need to give my statement. I’m not looking forward to that.”

Thad squeezed her hand before slowly releasing his grip. “You never answered my question.”

“What question?”

“I asked you to marry me.”

She stood and backed away from the bed. “You were serious?” I thought you were delirious. “Let’s not talk about it right now.” Maybe in a hundred years.

“I don’t want to be without you another second of my life. I want to get married, Karly. Have lots of kids. Help you with your business.”

Kids. There it was again. The reason she couldn’t be with him, in black and white.

She held her hands out in front of her to create a barrier. “You’ve been back, what, a month? You coming home, the kidnapping, my business…it’s a lot to handle.”

“Are you telling me don’t want to get married?”

Yes, I am. “You’re just freaked out because of what happened.”

“No, I’m not. I really want to marry you. Today, tomorrow, before the end of the month.”

She paced away, and then back. “Thad, please, I can’t go there. Once everything calms down, you’ll be relieved that I turned down the offer.”

“Is that you’re final answer?”

“I’m sorry. It has to be.” She brushed past the nurse on her way out the door.

“Whoa there, mister. Where do you think you’re going?” she heard the nurse say.

She hit the escape bar on the stairwell door at full speed, yearning to race back to her kennel and start cleaning every surface in the place.

Clean her life.

Find a way to move forward.

Breathe again.

Halfway down the six flights of stairs, she remembered she needed to give her statement.

The air in her lungs collapsed. She grabbed the railing and collapsed on the last step.

Oh, Thad. I’m so, so sorry.

This is all my fault.