Now that he was home, though, she wouldn’t change anything.
Louie raced down the stairs, chasing one of the many kids in the yard, and BB shook her head. Oh, Louie…
,
Christmas Raine
The first three stories were about previous couples, but this one is about a couple coming soon.
We met Noah in Retribution in the Dogs of War Series. He was a bodyguard going above and beyond to protect Elizabeth Wilkes’ son Blake. I loved him when I wrote him and I knew he would have to be next in the series. He was a true hero.
The Dogs of War are in a state of transition. Aiden, Fontana and Wulfe are building families now that they’ve caught several of the bad guys. They’ve rescued the men from the torture camps and those men are being rehabilitated by the same company that once experimented upon them. Damon Wilkes is dead and his former wife Elizabeth has taken over the care of the men.
…but they’re only beginning to understand what the men can do…
If you’d like to order Catalyst and follow Noah and Raine, follow this link!
Copyright © 2020
All rights reserved.
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including information storage and retrieval systems, without written permission from the author, except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
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Chapter One
Elizabeth looked up at the knock on her office door. Raine Walters peered around the edge of the jamb.
“Can I steal a minute of your time, Dr. Wilkes?”
“Of course, Raine. I hope you’re settling in okay?”
Raine, ethereally beautiful in spite of her blue nurse scrubs, held her hands clasped in front of herself as she walked in. Her thick blonde hair was pulled back into a low bun, and there was anxiety shadowing in her big luminous eyes, but a broad, beautiful smile split her mouth. Elizabeth had actually worried about hiring Raine because she was so pretty, but the woman’s caring heart had swayed her, as well as her true southern charm. The woman appeared to be the perfect nurse, giving and concerned, almost to a fault, which had made Elizabeth think that she would do a lot for her patients. The attention that these men needed was diverse and sometimes desperate. Raine had never hesitated, though. She’d jumped into the work like she’d always been doing it, even though she was still fairly young and had not a lot of experience. Elizabeth was so grateful that the woman had applied for the job, even though it had meant she had to step out of her comfort zone. Elizabeth didn’t think she’d been to a city of any size before moving here.
“I am, ma’am. Thank you.” Raine sank down into the chair in front of Elizabeth’s desk. “And I wanted to thank you again for the job. I know I didn’t have the same qualifications as some of the others you interviewed, and I appreciate the chance you took on me.”
Elizabeth shook her head. “No thanks needed. The patients responded to you and I consider your inexperience an asset, simply because this isn’t a conventional hospital setting and the men require different care. We’re training you our way. I know you’ve seen some… unusual things already.”
Raine grinned and nodded. “Oh, yes, ma’am. Things I would never even believe possible, but once you explained everything I understood.”
Her frown faded.
“What’s up, Raine?”
“Well, in the spirit of what you just said about being unconventional, I wanted to ask your permission for something.”
Elizabeth tilted her head, curious at the woman’s obvious reluctance. “Okay. You seem worried.”
“Well,” Raine started, biting her bottom lip, “I don’t want to hurt anyone.”
Elizabeth frowned, concern rising. “Okay…”
Raine blinked and leaned forward. “I love Christmas. I mean, I really, really love Christmas. My mama ingrained in us how important it was for a family to celebrate and it’s my all-time favorite holiday, though I’ve kind of lost sight of that the past couple of years. I leave my Christmas lights up all year long. I know people think it’s a redneck thing but I do it on purpose. But I realized when I talked to a few of these guys that they weren’t even aware it was Christmas time. So, do you think I can have the rec room on fourth floor to decorate?” she asked abruptly.
That wasn’t what she’d expected. Elizabeth opened her mouth to respond but Raine continued.
“I don’t want to hurt anyone who’s missing their family, but I want to celebrate the holiday and maybe remind some of the residents that there’s more to life than what’s on these hospital floors and these nasty bare walls.”
Elizabeth looked at the earnestness in the woman’s pansy blue eyes and knew that there was no way she could tell her no. The nurse was acting in the best interest of her patients. Elizabeth would have to clear it with the psych doctors but she didn’t think it would be an issue. She opened her mouth to respond but Raine interrupted her again.
“Don’t say no, please,” she begged. “Some of the men are so lonely and I just want to brighten up their home. I’ll pay for everything out of my own pocket.”
Elizabeth blinked, appreciating that the woman was so determined. She sat back in her chair, arms crossed as she waited for Raine to still. “Do you really think me so cold that I wouldn’t allow you to decorate a room?”
Raine blinked and immediately began to protest. “Oh, no ma’am, but I know how busy you are and it may not be something that would occur to you. You only see them a little bit, but I’m with them more and seeing how lost they are in their eyes just breaks my heart. I want to give them something that they’ve probably all had at one time but they may have forgotten about. I want to give them a tiny piece of joy, you know what I mean?”
Elizabeth held up a hand and the other woman finally went silent. “Can I talk?”
Raine’s fair cheeks turned pink. “Yes, ma’am. I’m so sorry.” She pinched her lips shut, looking a little fearful.
Elizabeth let her stew for just a minute before she let a smile spread her own mouth. “I think having a designated Christmas room is an excellent idea. I was going to check with the other doctors but I think the good will outweigh the bad. We have other rec rooms if they want to get away from it. You have my permission.”
The relief in the nurse’s expression was cute.
“But there are a few caveats,” she warned.
“Yes, ma’am,” Raine said, leaning forward.
“We have men here from many different countries. It might be nice to be cognizant of the individual countries’ pastimes.”
“Oh, yes, ma’am. I was already building a list in my head.”
Elizabeth nodded, thinking about the possible benefits. “Good. You don’t want to exclude anyone, but you also don’t want to overwhelm them. It’ll just be one room, because I don’t know that everyone will appreciate the spirit, but if they want to decorate their individual rooms we’ll have extra decorations available. And you will not pay for this out of your own salary. I’ll get you a card by the end of the day that you can use to pay for everything. I consider this a therapy charge.”
Raine grinned, her eyes shining with tears. “Yes, ma’am. Thank you.”
Elizabeth didn’t like feeling like she was unapproachable. She could see that the tension had eased from Raine’s shoulders. “And if you have more ideas like this I want to know about them. I should have thought about it myself but I barely have time to go to the bathroom throughout the day.” She motioned to her desk, overloaded with papers and manila file folders. There were a dozen tabs open on her computer, reminding her what needed attention. She decided to be blunt. “I’m trying to salvage my family’s name and company, navigate a new relationship as well as take care of these men that my ex basically sold for torture.”
Raine’s expression softened. “Yes, ma’am. And Dr. Wilkes, I know how busy you are but while I’m here I have to tell you thank you for what you’re doing. T
hese men, every one I’ve cared for has touched my heart in some way. I still can’t believe what our own government sanctioned. It makes me so mad.” There was an angry spark in her eyes and it was surprising and a little funny to see. It was like a bunny rabbit being mad, Elizabeth though, bemused.
“But I’m so thrilled with what you’re doing,” Raine continued. “They need more care than they would ever receive in a VA or any other hospital.”
Elizabeth sighed. “Well, Damon was the cause of it all and I need to make it better. No matter how expensive it is or how long, I will get these men to a point where they can function in society.”
Raine gave her a smile. “I really admire what you’re doing,” she said softly. “It takes strength of heart to stand up and make things right.”
Elizabeth took the compliment for what it was and wrapped it in her heart. She would have to tell Wulfe about it later. “Thank you, Raine. I really do appreciate that. And you can call me Elizabeth.”
A radiant smile spread across the nurse’s whole face. “Thank you, ma’am. Elizabeth. That’s a beautiful name.”
“As is Raine. I want you to come to me with anything, Raine. Understand?”
Raine nodded, standing. “I do. Thank you.”
“Stop back here when your shift is over and I’ll have a business credit card for you.”
“Yes, ma’am!”
With a final jaunty salute the bubbly little nurse disappeared. Then her head ducked back into sight and she hung on the doorjamb. “Ma’am, do you need me to watch your office while you go to the bathroom?”
Elizabeth laughed, rocking back in the chair. “No, I’m okay right now Raine. Thank you for asking.”
With another jaunty wave Raine disappeared. Elizabeth stared at the door for a long moment after she left. That young woman had a beautiful spirit. Hopefully it would rub off on the patients, she thought with a sigh.
She glanced at her office. These walls really were nasty.
* * *
Raine couldn’t believe how easy that had gone. She’d thought she would have to sneak stuff in to get a room decorated, but the doctor, Elizabeth, seemed as excited about the holiday room as she was. The thought of even getting just a few smiles from the patients… or a moment of clarity.
When she arrived back on her floor she immediately checked in with Paul, the other nurse on the floor, and Mary, the occupational therapist, but it appeared to have been quiet. She looked for call buttons on the room board, but nothing was lit. If one had gone off it would have forwarded to her cell phone anyway. She was a little neurotic about taking care of the men. They hadn’t had thoughtful, real care in too long.
When she’d been hired on here she’d been told the details of what had happened, but as she looked into each man’s eyes she knew there was so much more to be told. The details were the tip of the iceberg. They had been tortured and starved, most of them, and they were fighting infections from open wounds. They’d also been tested upon with some kind of drug in a protocol called the Spartan program, using a plant called Ayahuasca. She’d been warned when she’d been hired that she may see or hear or even feel her patients do things that would seem impossible, and she most definitely had. It had taken some time to get used to the things she saw.
She was responsible for dorm 4C. There were eight men here, all with devastating injuries and illnesses, though these were actually some of the men that were showing signs of recovery. All of the dorms on second floor and third floor were hospital dorms, staffed with several doctors and nurses each. Fourth floor was more of a recovery floor. She didn’t have to do any procedures more invasive than blood pressures and pulses and minor bandage work. She could, if she needed to, do more, but these men were on the road to recovery Elizabeth believed. And the medical team concurred. Raine thought they needed more love than actual medical care now.
It had taken some of the men a while to open up to her. They had been treated so horribly. It was easy to read the scars on their bodies and see exactly what had been done to them. Surgery scars were very evident, as well as some of the most devastating injuries, like bullet wounds. One of her guys had surgery scars around certain muscle groups, and the muscles themselves were gone, leaving the skin flaccid. Raine could not even imagine what the supposed doctors had been thinking, what they’d been trying to prove by taking the muscles, but she was thankful that it was growing back. Just the fact that it was growing back was miraculous and she didn’t know that she would believe it herself if she hadn’t seen the skin filling in over the past couple of months. Titus, the patient, was one of her harder cases because it didn’t seem like there was anyone home inside his beautiful blue eyes. She talked to him all the time, but he never responded, just stared out the plate glass window toward the sky. Maybe when he was whole again he would realize it and come out of the abyss he was in. For right now, though, he was bed-bound and required regular care to do basic things. The biceps on his right side and the quadriceps on the left side had both been excised, very carefully leaving him enough mobility he could get around but not be an escape risk.
Nathan, the patient in the next room down, had begun to come around, even though there was no way he would ever get his sight back. His eyes were glazed over with a white film. He wasn’t sure what the men in the jungle had put in them but it had burned like coals from a furnace, he’d said, more than anything else they’d done to him before.
If she thought about it too long it would make her really, really mad. Like, mad as a wet hen, as her mama used to say.
Force the anger to serve you, she could hear her saying now. Don’t let it eat you up. It was so hard, though.
“So, how did it go?” Paul asked her, leaning on the nurse station counter in front of her.
Raine cocked her head. “So much smoother than I expected,” she admitted. “She gave me permission to do it.”
“That’s wonderful,” he breathed, his chocolate colored eyes going wide. “She just said yes?”
“Well, when I let her talk,” she made a face at him. “I kind of rushed to get all my words in, if you know what I mean. But eventually I laid it all out and she agreed.”
“Well done,” he told her, grinning.
“And she’s not letting me pay for it. I have to stop down when my shift is over and pick up a business expense card.”
“Even better,” Paul laughed. “You going tomorrow?”
Raine nodded. “Yeah. I guess. It’s my day off. Where’s the best place to shop for stuff like that around here?”
Paul reeled off several places that were within a five mile distance. “I’ll see what I can pack in my little car, then. I might have to order a Christmas tree to be delivered or something.” She frowned, wishing she drove something bigger than a Matchbox car. It was economical for driving but definitely not big enough for certain things.
“Some places might deliver, too, if you have a big enough order.”
“True,” she said thoughtfully. It would suck if she couldn’t get a tree tomorrow. She hadn’t even thought about her car. It was only a week before Christmas.
“Hey, can you help me out? I need to try to get Mr. Dart to join the land of the living. It’s almost been almost a full week.”
She grimaced at Paul’s words, putting the Holiday planning on the back burner. “Yeah, I knew it was coming. Just a minute.”
Putting her phone on the counter, she patted her pockets to make sure she didn’t have anything else that would be ruined. The last time they’d tried to give him a shower they’d gotten as wet as he had.
Dominic Dart was a soldier from one of the small countries that bordered Russia. Ukraine, she thought. Elizabeth said there was no documentation on what had happened to him, but Dominic had an extreme phobia of water now. Raine thought that the researchers had drowned him, then brought him back, possibly repeatedly, but she would never know for sure. Dominic definitely wouldn’t be telling her. He hadn’t said more than a few words about what had hap
pened since he’d been here.
Physically, he was one of the healthiest men on the floor, though he was still battling some skin infections. He had full range of motion and no lingering illnesses, but he wouldn’t be getting out of here in the near future, not unless he became more aware. If he was released he would end up on the streets and dead.
They walked into his room and it took everything in her not to wrinkle her nose. Mr. Dart hadn’t bathed, whole body, for a week now. They tried to be understanding but it was becoming a bit of a health issue. The older man was terrified of water, but Raine had gotten to know him well enough that she could sweet talk him a little.
She didn’t want to hurt him or stress him out, but he had to bathe.
The older man looked up, a resigned look in his eyes. “I know,” he murmured, his words lightly accented. “Paul has been patient with me, but I knew.”
Raine felt bad but she couldn’t risk any of his old wounds becoming infected again. He’d been so many rounds of antibiotics that he was becoming resistant, which was a foreboding sign. Mr. Dart had very thin skin. Though he was only in his thirties, his skin was the texture of an elderly person’s. It was very odd.
“Yes, Paul has been patient, but sir, I can smell your room down the hallway,” she chided with a gentle smile. “We can change your sheets every hour to keep them clean, but you have to bathe as well.”
“I know, Raine. Believe me, I do, but the water…” his dark eyes fluttered shut. “It terrifies me. The doctors have talked to me again and again, but it makes no difference.”
“Well,” she murmured softly, resting a hand on his shoulder. “We’re going to try a couple things today. Okay?”
He nodded and followed along as they guided him to the bathroom. Mr. Dart started to shudder, the fear obviously building, and Raine abruptly changed direction. “You know what? Let’s go to the staff locker room.”
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