"Like I got hit by a truck.” She attempted a smile, but her split lip made it painful. "But alive. Thanks to you."
Talon's jaw tightened. "You don't need to thank me."
"Yes, I do." Riley struggled to sit up straighter, ignoring the way her ribs protested. "You saved my life. All of you did." She’d regained consciousness after the medic had started an IV. She couldn’t remember his name. Or the name of the others who’d helped carry her to a transfer vessel once shewas put on a litter. She’d lost consciousness again and had woken up in the hospital.
"We were just doing our job."
"No." Riley's voice was stronger now, more insistent. "It was more than that. You … you made me … You found me … In that place, I thought I was going to die, and no one would ever know what happened to me."
Talon moved closer to the bed, his expression pained. "Riley …"
"They said you wouldn't leave. That you refused to go until you knew I was okay." She looked up at him, this stranger who had become her lifeline. "Why?"
He was quiet for a long moment, his green eyes searching her face. "Because no one should go through what you went through. And because …" He paused, seeming to struggle with the words. "Because I couldn't leave knowing you were scared and alone."
The heart monitor picked up again, but this time, it wasn't from fear. There was something in his voice, in the way he looked at her, that made her feel seen. Not as a victim, not as a job, but as a person worth protecting. She only had brief glimpses of memories of her mom. And to be truthful, shewasn’t sure they were memories, or if they were wishes she’d brought into being through the years. There was something about the man … He was real. Here. Not a made-up dream of what could have been or a romanticized wish of a relationship with her father. Talon was here.
"I have to head back to base for debriefing, but I need to ask you a few questions so we can understand why you were on the ship," he said reluctantly.
Until he wasn’t. She lay back on her pillow, exhausted from the few moments she’d tried to sit up. “I’m the ESG Compliance and Sustainability Officer for Shoemaker Resources.”
Talon blinked and then narrowed his gaze at her. “What does that mean, and how did that put you on that ship?”
“I’m responsible for monitoring the company’s environmental, social, and governance compliance. ESG, for short.” She closed her eyes. “Due to the nature of the rare earth exports, I do field-level audits and oversight. There was an anomaly on the cargo manifest. Three containers that weren’t listed but were loaded onto the ship. The local government notified me of it.”
“So, you went out to the ship,” Talon finished for her.
“Yeah.” She sighed.
“Who from the local government notified you?”
“The name is on my desk at work. I don’t remember.”
“That’s okay. We can figure that out.”
He shifted as if to leave, but she stopped him, asking, “Did my father send you?”
“Your father?” He frowned. “Who’s your father?”
“Harlan Shoemaker. He owns the company.”
Talon nodded. “He’s the one who contacted us.”
At his tone, Riley opened her eyes and looked at him. He was so angry. “Why are you mad?”
He blinked and shook his head. “My natural state, I guess.” He smiled at her, and the transformation nearly took her breath away. He was such a handsome man. "The doctors want to keep you for observation for a few days."
Panic flared in Riley's chest, swift and overwhelming, and her hand shot out before she could stop herself, grasping his wrist. "Don't go. Please."
The words came out desperate, embarrassing, but she couldn't take them back. The tremors came back with a vengeance. She shook through her tight grip on his arm. The thought of being alone, even in this safe place, made her feel like she was drowning.
Talon looked down at her hand on his arm, thenback at her face. "I have to, but I’m sure you’ll be fine here. It’s a good hospital."
"Promise?" The word sounded childish, but she didn't care.
"I promise." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. "You have your cell phone, right? It was still in your pocket when I left you with the medics.”
“I do. It’s out of battery, but the nurse said I could use her charger. She was going to get it for me after her shift.”
