For the first time, Merc realized he might not have made the wrong decision back at the palace.
“I’m not sure, but she protected you, brother, and she did it fiercely. You’ve got a strong woman on your side,” Hunter said.
He’d never worried about anyone other than his team and himself before. Hell, he knew less about Caroline Cotter than he did about Kim Kardashian on the damn news. So what was he supposed to do with this new information about her? She was just supposed to be a mission for him, one he’d completed. Another hostage rescue of an over-privileged spoiled Barbie-wanna-be who should have cared more about her hair than the grunt who’d been sent to rescue her.
But Barbie didn’t fire AR’s and threaten Special Forces Operatives twice her size…especially for him. Merc shifted uncomfortably, unsure of how to handle the new image Hunter painted of Caroline or the fresh surge of over-protectiveness toward her that followed.
“Is the Senator with her now?” Merc wished he could just check on her himself. Not for the first time that day, he cursed his weakness. He’d only managed to make it two steps earlier when he’d gotten up to go check on her. It had taken his nurse all of thirty seconds to force him back to bed.
He’d had to practically beg her to give him an update on Caroline’s condition. Not many people go through the trauma of an explosion like that without some serious repercussions, let alone whatever happened to her those days in the camp. Fuck, if only he could remember….
“I don’t know, but I can tell you he's pissed at us, that's for sure. Thinks we should have done something to find her a lot sooner. Still blames Ethan and Aaron for her kidnapping, too,” Hunter said.
“If anyone is to blame, it’s Cotter himself. He said he vetted his staff. It was his fault he hired on the enemy in the first place.” A mistake Merc would've never made. He didn't care if he'd known someone for twenty years, he’d still run a complete background check on them before trusting them with someone he loved.
“Well, I'm glad I'm not in Colonel Grey's boots right now. When Cotter saw us unload her off the chopper, he nearly stroked out.”
“Colonel Grey needs to tell him to shove it up his uptight ass. We have as much of a dog in this fight, actually more, than Senator Cotter. We’re the ones who rescued his daughter. We’re the ones who were attacked and nearly killed.” And Merc was the one whose past hinged on J's capture.
“Well, you can bet the senator's going to do whatever he can to ground us, at least for a while.” Cotter headed the Pentagon’s Special Warfare Division along with a few other very high ranking Senators and Generals, including General Rainier which meant that Cotter could probably do whatever he wanted to TF-S as a member of the board at the Joint Special Operations Command (JSOC).
“Over my dead body.” Even if he had to go AWOL, he’d track J down, government sanctioned or not.
Hunter shook his head. “I don’t know. If Cotter can’t pull it off, Caroline’s fiancé can. Colonel Grey hasn’t heard from Rainier yet, but it’s only a matter of time.”
“Do you think she really wanted to marry that old man?” The thought of Caroline touching the General sent disgust rolling through his belly.
“From what I’ve gleaned, Cotter had arranged the marriage to the General. I think in his own twisted way, he was trying to protect her from J by merging with one of the most powerful Generals in D.C.”
The door squeaked open and Caroline peeked her head in, focusing first on Merc and then Hunter. “Oh, I’m sorry I didn’t mean to intrude. I’ll come back later.”
“No. Stay.” Merc’s gut tightened and an answering fire ripped across his torso. He forced himself to relax.
Why the hell did her presence affect him so much?
“I just wanted to see if you were really okay.” She stayed there, holding the door open with her fingertips as if she were ready to flee at a moment’s notice.
“When did you wake up? I thought you were still out. And why are you up walking around? You should be resting.” Where the hell was her father now? From what Merc had been told Cotter had yet to leave her side.
Hunter stood. “I think I’ll let you take it from here, brother. I’m gonna go check on the debriefing. If I hear anything new, I'll let you know ASAP.”
Merc nodded, partially glad and partially worried that Hunter was leaving him alone with Caroline. He still didn’t know what to do with the protective feelings she stirred, but he did know he had no right to feel that way. Caroline Cotter was too good for him and Merc had no time for any kind of connection with her. Not until he put his demons with J to bed.
“Ma'am, I’m glad to see you made it out safe and sound.” Hunter eased past her in the doorway and quietly shut the door behind him.
Merc gestured for her to come closer. “Why don't you take his chair? I seriously doubt you should be up and walking around this soon.”
She drifted across the floor, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye as she took her seat. “I'd say I'm in much better shape than you according to the staff, and Dr. Klein said you'd already tried to escape once today.”
“I don't like being tied down like this, too weak to do what needs to be done.”
She nodded as if in understanding, the long shadows across his hospital room making the dark bruise on her face seem even deeper. Merc took in her high sculpted cheekbones and small curvy nose, evident even with the swelling. She seemed so fragile. He could see why Cotter would give her whatever she wanted.
But at the same time, Caroline had an inner fierceness that no bruises could hide. Her strength and fragility was an intoxicating combination that fascinated him.
Merc clenched his hand into a tight fist at his side, frustration curling his fingers. He had no business noticing her bone structure. Or her beauty. What the hell was wrong with him? She didn’t care about him. She'd be gone just as soon as her daddy snapped his fingers and got her back on his private plane back to D.C. and Merc would head to his bunk in the barracks. “So why are you really here, in my room?”
“I told you, I wanted to check on you.” She wrapped her hands around her waist and leaned forward in the chair.
