“How are you feeling, Rory?” Paul greeted.
“Much better. So much so that you could just come in and say hello. How are you feeling?” she countered.
“I’m one hundred percent. I want to examine you again.”
Gideon knew Paul wasn’t going to leave it alone. Rory didn’t look happy. She’d made it clear she wasn’t going to risk Paul’s life to find out what Whitney had done to her lungs.
“You’re obsessed. Seriously, Paul, we talked about this. I thought we agreed we don’t need to know what Whitney did. I’m so much better thanks to you.” Rory’s chin lifted, and she narrowed her eyes, trying to give Paul the stare-down, going for intimidation.
Red, you aren’t going to win. I’m on your side, but first, you aren’t intimidating. You’re cute beyond all get-out, and Paul adores you. So does Javier, and he dislikes nearly everyone. Secondly, Paul may look young and accommodating, but he’s the most stubborn man I know. He won’t stop until he gets his way.
“I’m a healer. It’s a gift and a curse, Rory. I have no choice. I can’t sleep or eat. It’s all I think about. I need to know what he did to you and whether I can fix it. If I can’t”—Paul shrugged—“then I can’t. I’ll have to accept it. But in the meantime, I won’t be able to live with myself unless I know.”
Is he making that up to get his way?
You can hear truth the same as I can.Gideon tried not to wince as he said it to her. He needed to be able to treat her the way he would any GhostWalker, give her that respect. He’d messed up, but he’d always been giving her truth. He hadn’t known the things she told him hadn’t been safe with him.
Gideon, that’s over. We’re done with it. We’re not going back and revisiting it over and over. We’re moving forward.
She was the one who said to him that once a commitment was made, they couldn’t go backward, they couldn’t throw mistakes in each other’s faces. He had been all for that, but he couldn’t help the occasional pang of guilt.
Then you heard he was telling you the truth.
Rory reached for Gideon’s hand. She did that often when she found herself facing anything uncomfortable. “What do you want me to do, Paul?”
“Just say yes. Let me do this now.”
Rory’s long lashes fluttered over and over, and she pressed against Gideon. “I’m sorry, I don’t quite understand. You mean let you examine me again? Examine my lungs?”
“I would like you to come downstairs with me now. Marc is here. He can put you under. You’re in good enough shape to go under. Javier and Gideon are both here.”
Gideon felt her instant rejection of the plan. She even gave a short shake of her head.
“Why would you have to put me out?”
“I can examine you without any fear of compromising your ability to breathe,” Paul said. “You won’t worry about me, and I won’t worry about you. Gideon will look after you, Rory.”
“What if Whitney set a trap for a doctor? All of you were worried about that before. You have no idea what’s in my lungs, Paul. It could be something he devised to hurt a doctor. He’s malicious and vindictive. He wouldn’t want anyone helping me.”
“I’m not going in blind, honey,” Paul said, his tone gentle. “I’ve had plenty of time to think about this. I’ll know what I’m facing before I ever go in to attempt to remove or fix it. If it isn’t possible, I wouldn’t risk you.”
“Or you, Paul,” she objected. “You and Gideon have to get it through your thick skulls that neither of you are expendable.”
Rory was so distressed that Gideon pulled her into his arms. “I’ve got too much to live for to think I’m expendable. Paul knows he isn’t either. He’s careful. I am too. Ultimately, Red, this is your call.” He pushed his fingers through the silk of her hair, trying to comfort her.
“I can’t eat or sleep, Rory,” Paul reiterated.
She gave a groan of despair. “Fine, but if anything happens to you, I’ll haunt you, Paul. You think I’m nice, but I’m not. I can be very mean when I need to be.”
Gideon hid a smile, knowing that would get him in trouble. “Let’s do this, then.” He stood up, indicating the trapdoor.
The room was already set up for an operating procedure, and Rory scowled at Paul and Marc, not happy that they were so prepared. She flicked the gown they wanted her to put on with contempt. “Clearly you were certain you could persuade me.”
“We hoped,” Paul corrected, unfazed by her bad attitude.
Gideon jerked his chin toward the door, and the others went out, leaving him alone with his woman. “Red, you don’t have to do this. You can take more time to think about it. I’ll tell them they can’t railroad you.”
She lifted her arms up, and he pulled the mint green blouse over her head. She preferred to wear clingy blouses and swirling skirts to jeans and tees, and Gideon had to admit he was fond of her way of dressing. She always looked classy and feminine to him, although when she did wear jeans and a tee, she managed to look just as elegant.
