Flint’s Battle (Team KOA Bravo #3)

Chapter 10

CHAPTER 10

“I don’t know who looks worse, buddy, you or Emery.”

Flint glanced at Bowie as his best friend slipped inside the room, leaning against the wall beside him. It had been nearly twelve hours since they’d rolled Emery through the large sliding doors, her blood pressure so low Flint thought for sure she was dead and her body simply hadn’t caught up to that fact, yet.

But thanks to Kian giving her far more blood than he should have — nearly tripping onto his ass once they finally removed the tube joining them — she’d pulled through. And with surprisingly few serious injuries. No permanent effects from the two minutes she’d been clinically dead. And no major organs damaged from the gunshot wound. Though that was more because of the plate in her shoulder — what had ricocheted the bullet back out instead of allowing it to penetrate into her lungs, killing her.

Definitely an act of fate.

Flint nodded at her as she mumbled in her sleep. “No contest.”

“Have you looked in the mirror lately? Your chest looks like you ran jagged glass all over it and those bruises from the other night are really putting on a colorful show.”

“Which is still nothing compared to the morning she had.” Flint rolled his shoulders in an effort to ease the tension straining his muscles.

Bowie sighed, glancing at Carter and Quinn when they shuffled through the door and joined them. “She’s going to be fine. That’s what you need to focus on.”

“What I need is to find the fucker who did this. Which brings up the real issue. Any new leads? Has Waylen started that deep dive into any viable cartel activity in the area?”

Quinn shoved his hands into his pockets. “Waylen said he’d see what he could do.”

Flint huffed. “That sounds less than promising. Which makes me wonder if there’s something we’re all missing? Because Kian alluded to there being stories and connections he’d explain later. And I don’t care what his team says, no way Blake flies to those extremes from purely civilian training. The girl’s had some serious upgrading, which only comes from years of flying missions.”

Carter snorted. “Oh, they’re all hiding something. No doubts there. I overheard Blake talking to someone named Porter. Something about a connection. I couldn’t quite make out all the words and she stopped when one of the nurses stepped into the corridor. But I don’t think they’d keep it a secret if it put Emery’s life in danger.”

Flint nodded, bracing more of his weight against the wall. Praying his legs didn’t buckle from the fatigue burning through his muscles. Carter was right. No one on Kian’s team would harbor secrets if it meant Emery might get killed. Though, Flint made a mental note to have a chat with Kian, later.

Flint fisted his hands in an effort to stem some of the restlessness still coursing through his veins. “So, basically, we’ve got nothing. No leads. No suspects.”

Carter gave him a pat. “Emery’s still breathing, brother. That’s more than I thought would be the outcome when you laid her on that surfboard.”

Flint ignored the image that flashed in his head, not that it stopped it from taking root. Or from reminding him how he could still lose her if they didn’t figure out who’d tried to kill her — or when the bastard would strike, again. Because he bet his ass this wasn’t close to over. “You and me, both.”

He straightened when Emery groaned, blinking her eyes a few times as she started to come around, again. “Does Milligan have the added security in place?”

“Cop at the door. More patrolling the floors. Not that it matters because you’re definitely suffering from lack of oxygen if you think we’re leaving you alone to handle this.” Bowie motioned to the waiting area through the glass wall not far from Emery’s room. “We’ll be camped out there until you can bring her home.”

Quinn nudged him. “You’re aware this place is a nightmare to secure, right? Even with a list of people allowed into the room, there’re too many variables to guarantee her safety. We need her at the Brotherhood ranch. Hawk’s precautions, alone, have this place beat hand’s down.”

“You’re preaching to the choir. But I don’t want to jeopardize her recovery just yet. Let’s make sure the doctors are right — that she’s not going to suddenly relapse or pop a blood clot to her brain. Then, we’ll get her the hell out of here.”

“You guys know I can hear you, right?”

Flint snapped his attention to Emery, her raspy voice carrying through the room. Not loud, but simply hearing it eased his tension a bit more. Proof he hadn’t been too late. That maybe the doctor wasn’t lying about her pulling through.

He pushed off the wall, making his way to the edge of the bed before sliding onto it — brushing some hair back from her face. “Welcome back. Again.”

“I didn’t go anywhere. And if it weren’t for all the meds the doctor keeps pushing my way, I’d be up and out, already. I’m starting to think the man’s a drug dealer in disguise.”

Flint clenched his jaw, biting back the truth that she’d definitely been gone. And not just to get tests. “I’m pretty sure you’d be far less happy if he withheld all the pain meds. You look like someone tried to use you as a pi?ata.”

She snorted. “What every woman wants to hear.”

“Emery. You’re stunning. But this wasn’t a simple bar fight where some college kid got in a lucky swing.”

“I realize that. And I’m not trying to make light of the severity of what happened. But everyone’s acting as if I’m going to drop dead at any moment.”

He bit back the growl clawing at his chest, cursing when it broke free. “No. They’re acting like you already died.”

Her gaze flew to his buddies, then back to him. “Flint?—”

“Two minutes. That’s how long you were down before Kian brought you back.” He pointed to his team. “The four of us could scale a wall, access a secure site and extradite an asset in two minutes. So, no. No one’s overreacting.”

He did his best to pull it all back. Find even a hint of inner calmness. “You scared us, sweetheart. And not just a little. This was soul deep. Twenty years’ worth of missions. We’ve been ambushed, lied to and left for dead. I need more than one hand to count the number of times I didn’t think we’d all make it back. And yet, being pinned on that damn ocean floor, seeing you…”

He swallowed, nearly puked as that hollowness returned, beading his skin with goosebumps. Replaying every second he was stuck watching her drown. The one word he still couldn’t say out loud in case this was some kind of dream and uttering the truth let reality break through. “I thought…”

Emery pressed her lips together, reaching out to touch his jaw with her left hand. “It’s not like I wasn’t terrified. But just before…” She paused as she closed her eyes, allowing her forehead to rest against his. “I saw you, and I knew if anyone could bring me back, you would.”

She lifted her gaze to his, eyes glassy. A few tears on her cheek. “Thank you. That’s the second time you’ve saved my life, and I still don’t know how to repay you.”

Flint caressed her jaw, loving how she nuzzled into the contact. “That’s easy. Live. Because I need an anchor, sweetheart. A reason to keep fighting. And I was really hoping you’d be up for the job.”

Her chin quivered a moment before more tears slipped down her skin, a direct contrast to the stunning smile she flashed him as she leaned in — kissed him. Not desperately the way he would have kissed her. All that pent-up tension from the past few days coloring his actions. This was soft and sweet and so telling, it would have knocked him on his ass if he hadn’t been sitting on the bed. Maybe given him a concussion. Even grounded, he felt it all the way to his toes.

Love.

That’s what it was.

For him.

And if the door hadn’t rattled then opened a second later, he would have cupped her face with both hands, looked her directly in the eyes and confessed his love in return. Prayed it didn’t send her running for the hills. Though, based on the way her eyes softened as that smile widened, he doubted she’d actually run.

Pounce, maybe, though she wasn’t in any condition for that, either. But damn, if her pupils hadn’t eclipsed all but a ring of green as her breathing kicked up. And not like it had earlier, when she’d been recovering. Probably trying to get her lungs to work right after filling with water. This was pure heat.

He chuckled as he leaned in. “It’ll be a while before you’re up for what’s staring back at me. But I love that you’re already thinking about it.”

He glanced over his shoulder at Moana, Mia and Dahlia crowding the doorway. Smug smiles tilting their lips as they openly watched his and Emery’s interaction. “Guess your crew wants a turn, huh?”

Emery gave them a quick side eye then moved in for another kiss. “They can wait one more minute.”

This one was deeper. Bordering on carnal. Like on the beach before he’d nearly lost her. She traced his lips after she’d eased back. “I don’t suppose you could sneak in a caramel latte?”

He laughed, pushing to his feet as he headed for the door. “I’ll see what I can do.”

“Or…” She tilted her head to the side. “You could just help me bust out of here. Quinn’s right. Security isn’t going to be easy if you’re concerned there might be another attempt.”

That cooled some of the need coursing through his veins. Had him laser focused, again. “Oh, they’ll be another attempt. That wasn’t some gang banger or a pissed off dealer. Someone hired a professional, and from my experience, they don’t generally stop until the job’s done.”

“All the more reason for me to leave.”

That voice in his head was screaming its agreement. Security was a nightmare. Hell, he’d already tackled an orderly who had mistakenly entered the room before Milligan had gotten an officer posted at the door. But Flint wasn’t taking any chances.

He sighed. “It’s not that I don’t want to move you, it’s…”

She leaned back. “And I thought Moana was the worrier. Extra caramel, please. I’ve earned it.”

“Anything for you.”

Moana hitched out a hip when only Carter and Quinn joined Flint at the door. “Seriously? We can’t talk about you, Flint, with Bowie in the room.”

Flint arched a brow. “Talk about me?”

“What did you think we wanted to talk about?” Moana rolled her eyes. “We’ll leave the depressing stuff to you guys. Sheesh, it’s like you’ve never even had a girlfriend before.”

Flint gazed over at Emery. “Not like this. And Bowie’s here for everyone’s protection.”

“There’s three of us, a cop outside the door and no external windows.”

Bowie shouldered up beside Flint. “I think we can give them five minutes, yeah?”

Flint frowned. “Do you know how much could happen in five minutes?”

“Of course, I do. I’ve been on the same missions, jackass. But no pro is going to whack four women with a cop outside. Or kill a cop in a hospital that’s brimming with other cops. Especially when Quinn and the others nearly caught the bastard. Any move he makes is going to be very well orchestrated. At worst, he’d try to kidnap her — so he could do the deed some place far more removed.”

“Is that supposed to make me feel better?”

The officer at the door — Ryan Bates — held up a clipboard. “I won’t let anyone inside who isn’t on the list Captain Milligan gave me. All people who’ve been vetted. You have my word.”

“Flint.”

He snapped his focus to Emery and god, she was beautiful. Bruised. Exhausted and only a shade up from a ghost. But she took his breath away. “Emery.”

“We’ll be okay for five minutes. And I really don’t want to have to kick Bowie’s ass when he undoubtedly repeats whatever I’m going to say about you. So…”

“That damning, huh?”

“They’ll probably suggest I get committed.”

Flint warred with the ice sluicing through his veins and wanting to keep that smile on her face. “Five minutes. You all better talk fast.”

He held the door for his buddies, taking one last look inside — scanning the entire room in case he’d somehow missed a tango hiding in the corner. Or skulking under one of the machines.

Emery smiled when their gazes clashed. “I’ll be fine. But if you wanted to leave me a weapon…”

He snorted. “I’ll give you a gun when I know you’re not seeing double.”

“You’re both extremely handsome.”

“Right.”

“And Flint…”

He twisted, again, after taking another step out. “Yeah, sweetheart?”

“In case I haven’t made it crystal clear, I don’t want you to leave.”

He chuckled. “Pretty sure I already told you I’m not going anywhere.”

Her smile fell a bit as she pressed them together. “I meant for more than just tonight. Or next week.”

He wouldn’t march over there and kiss her. Or pound on his chest like some kind of caveman. He had more control than that. Not much, but surely enough he could stand there and not embarrass himself. “So did I. Five minutes, then I’ll be back until I can take you home.”