Deke nodded. He swiped his card, and the door buzzed. Keeping his expression stoic, he yanked open the door and crossed inside, waiting until it closed before wiping his hand down his jeans. Give him ten armed assassins over a nearly invisible bacteria, any day. He could only kill if he could see the target.
A petite brunette with weary green eyes lounged against the stark white wall, measuring him carefully. He strode toward her and stopped far enough away that she wouldn’t have to tilt her head to look at him. “Can I help you?” he asked.
She lifted one eyebrow. “Yes.” Her tennis shoe tapped a rapid staccato against the tiles.
Interesting. It seemed Nora’s buddy didn’t care for him. Well, that was fine. At the moment, he didn’t like her overmuch, either. “Would you please take me to Nora?”
The brunette lifted an eyebrow. “I’m Lynne Harmony.”
No shit. He’d read her file and knew everything about her from her favorite color to her weakness for chocolate-covered raisins. “Deacan McDougall.”
She chewed on that for a bit before speaking again. “So you’re the bastard who broke my friend’s heart.”
Yep. That’s what he’d figured she’d say. “Yes, ma’am,” he said slowly.
“Do you want to tell me why?”
“Nope.”
“Why not?” Lynne continued to tap her foot.
He glanced down the hallway. There was only one way to go, but he didn’t want to tick off Nora’s friend too much. “I don’t figure it’s any of your business.”
By the woman’s huff, she apparently didn’t agree. “I’m the only family she has left in the world, which does make it my business.”
When she sounded all outraged on Nora’s behalf like that, Deke couldn’t help but like her a little. “Now that’s where you’re wrong, Lynne Harmony.”
She strode toward him, hand on hip. “Excuse me?”
Deke met her gaze, keeping his hands at his sides and trying to appear harmless. He had a point to get across, but there was no need to frighten the woman. “You’re a friend, and from what I can tell, you’re her best friend. That’s good. But I’m her family. Period.”
Lynne kept his gaze without blinking for several tension-filled moments, although a slight blush filled her face. Admiration welled through Deke at her stubbornness. Not many hardened men could hold his gaze for that long. Finally, Lynne nodded. “I guess we understand each other.”
He grinned. His Nora chose her friends well. “I guess we do.” He waited a beat. “She left me, ya know,” he said softly.
“I know. But you let her go,” Lynne said, stretching her neck. “You don’t seem like the type of guy to give up something good.”
Deke gave a short nod. “I’m not, but at the time, I didn’t think I was something good. I figured she’d be safer on her own than with me.”
“Was she?”
Now that was the big question. “I donna know.”
“Fair enough.” Then Lynne Harmony, brilliant scientist and good friend, threw back her head and laughed. “Man, I like you.”
He smiled, feeling as if he’d overcome a deadly hurdle. “The feeling is mutual.”
Lynne tucked her arm through his. “I’ll take you to Nora. She’s not doing well.”
That quickly, Deke’s gut roiled again. He shortened his stride so Lynne wouldn’t have to run and allowed her to lead him through a labyrinth of hallways to a room outside a hospital bubble. Nora sat on a makeshift sofa, her gaze on the young man inside.
Lynne patted him on the arm. “I’m heading back to the lab. If there’s any change, let me know.”
Deke nodded and strode forward to touch Nora on the shoulder. For the slightest of seconds, she leaned against his leg.
Then she straightened. “His name is Zach Barter, he’s twenty-two, and his fever is at a hundred and five.”
Deke sat and slid an arm around her shoulders. “He’s young and strong. The fever should break within the night.” Pulling her into his side, he couldn’t help but press a quick kiss to her curly hair. “You haven’t slept in over twenty-four hours, baby.” They hadn’t been together in eight years, but Deke knew without a doubt she wouldn’t leave her friend to fight the fever by himself. So he took care of her the best he could. “Close your eyes. I’ll watch Zach.”
