“Well, then. I’m intrigued by your healing ability, but it also introduces another variable into the procedure. An unknown.”
Shit. Erik’s gut clenched as he braced for disappointment.
“With your commanding officer’s permission, I’ve spoken to the other doctors and scientists at Black Bay, including the geneticist on base.”
Erik stiffened. He’d spoken to Doctor Dietrich? Had the general let her out of the brig?
“She seemed to be the most knowledgeable, and assured me there’d be no issue with your hybrid genetics, but I don’t like unknowns on my operating table.”
Erik had to forcefully unclench his teeth to say, “So you won’t do it?” That would teach him to get his hopes up.
“I didn’t say that. However, before you agree to this, I need you to be aware ofmyshortcomings. I am considered an expert in my field. If you were, for lack of a better way to describe it, a typical man, I could tell you exactly what to expect and in great detail. But I am not an expert when it comes to your abilities. This is new territory. As such, I feel the need to educate myself further.”
“What do you need?”
“Access to Doctor Dietrich. When I spoke with her on the phone, she made it clear she wouldn’t leave Black Bay.”
Couldn’twas the better term, Erik mentally corrected. If the Beasts had anything to say about it, the only way she’d ever leave Black Bay was in a body bag.
“But I am willing to go to her,” Fernandez continued. “I wish to speak with her at length before the procedure. I would also like her to be available during the procedure to assist.”
Ever since Jackson, Chloe had become overly sensitive to other people’s moods, and she could feel Erik’s tension as he drove them home. It was so strong, it practically vibrated the air around her. She reached over and squeezed his knee as a reminder that she wasthere with him, that he could talk to her, lean on her if he needed her.
She didn’t know who this Doctor Dietrich person was, but as soon as she was mentioned, Erik had gone cold. It was subtle. Doctor Fernandez didn’t even seem to notice as he detailed the steps of the procedure and how Erik’s ability might affect things. But Chloe noticed. She’d expected that at any moment, he’d stand up, say ‘to hell with this,’ and walk out. He hadn’t. Instead, his tone had been carefully modulated as he assured the doctor he’d get him what he needed, then insisted he take whatever photos or scans he required as well as the biopsy so that all the pieces would be ready when the time came. Once that was done, he’d then very politely thanked the doctor and ushered Chloe out, the whole time, his face like stone.
She wanted to beg him to talk to her, tell her what was wrong, say something. But some instinct had her holding her tongue. At least while he was driving. Once they were home, though, they’d talk. Whatever was poisoning him, he needed to let it out.
She’d told him she’d loved him, and okay, maybe the waiting room of a doctor’s office wasn’t the most romantic place to have THE moment, but he’d needed to hear it, and he’d said it back. This should have been a happy day. They should have been celebrating, or at the very least, demonstrating that love in bed. Instead, it felt like a storm was brewing, leaving her wanting to squirm in her seat.
Chloe had never been so happy to see her apartment building. As soon as they parked, she unclipped her seat belt and grabbed for the door handle.
Erik snagged her arm. “Wait.”
Right. Protocol. He needed to check in with Jayla first; she would be monitoring the feed and be able to tell them if the area was clear. God, she couldn’t wait to be done with this. She wanted things to be normal again. Or, at least normal-ish. She supposed being in love with a super soldier hybrid had shot her out of bounds of true normal, but she longed for the day when Erik no longer felt he needed to guard her twenty-four-seven. When there wasn’t a threat looming, and they could just be a couple.
Once they got the confirmation, Erik escorted her up to her apartment, and as she was unlocking the door, she asked, “Are you hungry? I could make us something.”
He shook his head. “I have some calls to make. You go ahead in. Jayla’s in there. I’m heading up to her place.”
He was shutting her out. She could feel it. As surely as if he’d slammed a physical wall down between them, and it hurt. She wanted to hold onto him, keep him from leaving, tell him everything would be all right. But she didn’t know if that was true because she didn’t know what was wrong. So in the end, she said nothing.
As soon as the door closed behind her, she marched over to Jayla and demanded, “Who is Doctor Dietrich?”
Chapter Twenty-Two
Jayla’s face went fromshocked surprise to narrow-eyed suspicion. “Why do you want to know?”
Chloe gave her a brief rundown of Erik’s conversation with the plastic surgeon, and Jayla’s lips pinched in a grimace. “Doctor Anne Dietrich is the geneticist who created us, and in Erik’s case, she’s the one who scarred him. He wouldn’t want her anywhere near him. Especially not when he’s vulnerable.”
Covering her mouth with a hand, Chloe dropped heavily onto the couch. “No wonder,” she breathed, only to shake her head. “Wait. No. Isn’t Black Bay your home?”
“It is.”
“But Doctor Fernandez said that’s where Doctor Dietrich is. Why would you let her live with you?” That didn’t make sense.
Jayla smiled, and suddenly, Chloe could see the predator that lived inside her. The expression was ice cold and anything but friendly. “She decided to come visit, and we decided she should stay. Permanently. In a cell just like she once kept us in.”
“So, she’s a prisoner.”
