Merc swallowed, working through the fact that she’d injured herself to save him after he was too late to save her.
He’d failed her.
He reached out and trailed his fingers lightly down her bandage to twine in with hers. He'd never apologized for anything, not even when he'd had to put a bullet in his own teammates head. But he’d never felt anything like the way he felt with Caroline. “I'm sorry.”
Her head jerked up in astonishment. “You have nothing to be sorry for. If it wasn't for you, neither one of us would've survived that explosion.”
“And if I hadn't passed out, you might not have ever been injured.”
The first real twinkle of humor lit her face and Merc held his breath waiting to hear her response. “Well, when you figure out how to keep from passing out after losing that much blood, make sure and let me know. We can make a fortune.”
Her resiliency, when most civilians would've been completely torn apart, left him in awe. There was more to Caroline Cotter, and deep down, Merc knew he’d only scratched the surface.
The door burst open, the sharp light piercing, and Merc threw his arm up to shield his vision. Sen. Tom Cotter's harsh voice filled the room. “Caroline, who let you leave your room? I've been frantic searching all over this place for you. I called security, the nurses, the doctors… no one knew where you were.”
Caroline's body jerked straight, as if she just suffered whiplash. “Do I have to ask permission to leave my hospital room to check on the man who saved my life?”
Cotter glanced down and saw their hands clasped together, and Merc realized the moment the senator drew his own conclusion. No matter how wrong it was, Merc refused to let go of Caroline's grip, sensing an almost hostile irritation between the two.
“You sure as hell do. I'm not losing you again when I've just gotten you back.”
“Do you not understand that your overbearing control is the reason why you lost me in the first place?”
Cotter staggered back a step from the sharp arrow of her words. Merc didn’t have any sympathy. The man had set up an arranged marriage with a General old enough to be Caroline’s grandfather. He deserved to suffer.
“You can't disappear like that and not tell anyone! We don't know where J is. He's got people everywhere, even spies in the government. You don't think he could have someone here working for him, waiting for the opportunity to kill you?”
“So what's your answer, then? Are you going to keep me locked up for the rest of my life? From what you're saying, anyone on this planet could be out to harm me.”
“I'm not going to keep you locked up. That's not what I want for you at all. I want you to be happy... and safe.”
“How much safer do you think I can be than in this room with Merc right now?”
Her response had Merc staring up at her in shock. Then the instinct to protect her shot into overdrive. He felt every inch of her skin beneath his hand, was aware of her on a higher level.
Cotter stood there with his hands fisted at his sides and didn’t answer.
Caroline gave a disgusted sigh and extracted her hand from Merc’s. He fought the sudden rise of loneliness left in the wake of her touch. He didn't have time for emotions, let alone this kind of drama. He couldn’t afford to care. He had to live for revenge - it was all he knew. All he had.
So then why could he feel her even when they weren’t touching?
“Don't bother answering. I'm going to my room to sleep.” Caroline got up and brushed past her father as if he were some filthy beggar in the street.
After the door shut behind her, Cotter remained, focused on Merc.
“What?” he barked, picking up the trail of hostility Caroline had blazed.
“My daughter is right. I can't keep her locked up forever, but I can't let her wander around unguarded either. You and I both know J is not going to let this go. He'll come back – he'll finish what he started.”
And if J’d had his way, Caroline would've been dead a week ago.
“What are you saying?”
Cotter approached the bed, standing over Merc. “I'm saying my daughter likes you and trusts you. You saved her life. I want you to be her bodyguard.”
“Fuck, no. As soon as I'm able, I’m getting on a plane back to Afghanistan. I'm going to find J and finish this.”
“You won't go anywhere if I give the order.”
“Would you really trust me with your daughter's life, knowing that you had to force me to stay here?” Not that Merc would give anything less than one hundred percent to guard Caroline, but he sure as hell wasn't going to let Senator Cotter know that fact. He took orders only from his commander, not a pansy ass senator who’d never seen a hint of warfare.
“What if I told you that J will come to us?”
“And just how exactly would you know this?”
Tom Cotter slowly shook his head. “That's something I can't divulge to just anybody. But if you and your team agree to come to my estate and provide security detail for my daughter, that might give me enough incentive to tell you.”
