SECRETS: Passion, Deceit, And Revenge (Beauty 0f Life Book 8)

by Laura Acton

  “Can you do that for me?” Pitbull cajoled.

  “Yes, but it will take me some time. I like my job in the pharmacy, and I don’t want to lose it.” Renata bit her lower lip and peered up at Diego.

  “Whenever, but sooner is better. I must go now. Tonight, I’ll take you to Chez Larousse. You would like that wouldn’t you?”

  “Yes.” Renata beamed, she loved the fancy French restaurant.

  St. Michael’s Hospital – ER Treatment Room 1 – 11:35 a.m.

  “What’s that?” Dan noted Heather wheeling a portable canister.

  Heather grinned. “Nitrous oxide, also known as laughing gas. You’ll be relaxed in no time. With nitrous, we can control the sedation level easily. You can be sedated enough not to be aware, but within five minutes of taking off the mask, the effects will dissipate. This way you can return to work.”

  “So, I won’t be groggy like regular sedatives?” Dan asked, liking the idea.

  “Exactly. Your records show your last tetanus was about four years and three months ago. The toxoid injection is good for five to ten years, but with two exposures so close together, you should consider a booster anyway, it won’t harm you to take one. I can numb your arm with the topical anesthetic I brought for your hip. You won’t feel any of the little pricks when the doctor injects the local anesthetics or the tetanus booster.”

  Well, friggin’ happy birthday to me. What the hell, my day can’t get any crappier. If I get one now, I won’t have to deal with this for ten more years. “Yeah, okay, I won’t see the syringe, will I?”

  “Nope. I made a promise, and I keep them.” Heather smiled.

  “What kind of local is he giving me? Nothing with morphine … right?”

  Heather set up the nitrous oxide and put a mask over Dan’s nose and mouth. “Nothing to make you loopy. You’ll be getting a mixture of lidocaine and bupivacaine. The first is a fast-acting numbing agent and the second is longer acting, so you won’t require anything except over the counter analgesics once it wears off.” Shaking out a blue sheet, she fastened it near his left shoulder. “This surgical drape will block your view of the procedure.”

  “Thanks, Heather.” Bram grinned as Dan drifted off in a light state of sedation and his hand went limp.

  Entering the room, Dr. Tenderheart surveyed Heather’s work. “Well done. I’ll remember this method for patients with trypanophobia.”

  “Trypanophobia?” Bram queried.

  “The medical term for extreme fear of medical procedures involving injections or hypodermic needles,” Tenderheart clarified. “Suturing won’t take long.” He swabbed Dan’s left deltoid and injected the tetanus shot.

  Twenty minutes and seventeen stitches later Heather took the mask off Dan. After disposing of all syringes, she took down the draping. Once Dan became more aware, she said, “A tip regarding your hair. I bet if you ask Lexa nicely she will help you find a product to bleach out the pink for you.”

  A bit floaty Dan chuckled. “Does it work on all types of hair?”

  Heather peered at him questioningly. “You mean like eyebrows? You would need to be careful, but yes the right product would.”

  Dan blushed realizing what he asked. He didn’t mean eyebrows, but he would go with her answer before he embarrassed himself thoroughly. “Um, yeah. Blond hair with hot-pink brows would be a terrible style.”

  Catching the blush, Bram almost laughed. Dan was not referring to his brows. This one he would keep quiet. The guy had enough to deal with. Bram cleared his throat. “Dan, I’m going to check if Loki arrived with our clothes.”

  Heather said, “I’ll go start your discharge paperwork. I imagine you will be on light duty for a few days at least.”

  Dan grasped Heather’s hand and gave it a light squeeze. “Thank you. I appreciate your help.”

  “Consider this a special birthday present, Dantastic.” She hugged him then kissed his cheek as she recalled the first time Dantastic was admitted. Jon became angry filling out the paperwork when no one on Alpha Team knew Dan’s birthdate. What she learned about Dan and the bonding between JTF2 and TRF over his feats of protecting others that day still amazed her.

  Stunned, Dan gaped at Heather. “You remember my birthday? Why? How?”

  Heather’s soft smile grew. “You are enormously special to many people. I’m so glad you were born. You’re truly an amazing person. You have improved and safeguarded the lives of so many serving as a soldier and constable. Without you, I never would’ve met the love of my life.

  “Now, I want you to be a stranger to this place in the future. No more getting hurt. We need you in our lives.” Heather hugged Dan again. “I’ll have Jim call you later, and you two can find a time where you are both off. I want you to join us for dinner soon. I promise not to make French hens.”

  Dan chuckled at the reference to the last time he ate dinner at Jim and Heather’s place. “I’d like that. Thanks again, Heather.” As Heather exited, an odd sensation came over Dan. A tiny bit of the grief and pain he carried on this day seemed to ebb away, leaving him lighter and in a better mood.

  Bram returned to Dan’s beside with the bag dropped off by Loki containing their spare uniforms. After laying Dan’s clothes on the gurney, Bram stepped into a vacant bay to dress. Due to the location of the sutures, Dan had trouble bending to tie his boots. When Heather came back to give him the discharge spiel she helped him with the task.

  Spotting Dan entering the waiting area, and who couldn’t with that hair, Loki popped from his chair. After they approached him, Loki patted Dan’s back. “All set to go?”

  “Yeah,” Dan nodded. As the three officers strode at a slower pace than usual through the ER waiting area, many heads turned to stare at him. Dan overheard the whispers and some laughter. Embarrassment crept in and tinged his cheeks pink too. Damned hot-pink hair! Why couldn’t I have fallen in a black dye vat? Hell, even blue or green would be better. But no, with my luck it had to be friggin neon-pink.

  Dan eased himself into the back of the SUV and closed his eyes. They rode in silence. He was not looking forward to walking into headquarters in front of all the other teams. As they drove, the exhaustion from his exertions today, combined with his overindulgence last night caught up with him, and he fell into a light doze.

  Burying the Hatchet

  53

  February 9

  Jon’s Home – 12:40 p.m.

  Dan woke when the SUV shut off. He blinked realizing they were not at headquarters. “What are we doing here?”

  Hopping out, Loki grinned. “You’ll see. Come on.”

  Stiffly, Dan slid out, and his first step caused him to wince and falter a bit. Bram appeared out of the blue at his side, reaching out a hand and gripping his elbow to stabilize him. “Steady?”

  “Yeah. Stiffened up a little.” Dan didn’t want to admit his overworked muscles from the stairwell punishment, coupled with slamming into liquid after a fall and struggling with Badcock left him achy and wishing to soak in a tub of warm Epsom salts. Not that he could with his stitches … they had to stay dry.

  As Loki bounded to the entrance, Bram stayed close to Dan as they made slow progress. Approaching the door, Bram said, “Afternoon, Jen.”

  Jen smiled but did not laugh as she noted the bright pink hair. She was pleased she arranged for Jackson to take Joey for a couple of hours. Since the Ricigliano incident, Jack and Jon buried the hatchet, and now Jack wanted to spend more time with his nephews, which was a plus for her today. Her little boy would have been too much for Dan, making a major fuss over the color of his hair, embarrassing the poor man.

  “Come on in. Loki, Bram, lunch is ready and waiting for you in the kitchen. Help yourself to whatever you want to drink. Dan, come with me.”

  Unsure what she wanted, Dan followed her without comment to the downstairs bathroom as the guys eagerly headed to Jen’s kitchen.

  Jen motioned to the short stool in the room. “Sit here, and it would be best if you removed you
r shirts.”

  He looked at her confused. “Why?”

  She tilted her head to one side as if considering something of import. “Hmm, I like hot-pink, but I believe you would prefer bleach blond.”

  “Really, Jen?” Dan’s mouth gaped open.

  “Yes. Jon called and explained what happened and what you did for him today. He asked if I would do this for you before you return to headquarters to debrief. I’m delighted to help. The process will only take about sixty or so minutes.” Jen pointed to a fresh razor and shaving cream on the counter. “Thought you might want to rid yourself of pink stubble too.”

  Viewing himself in the mirror, Dan chuckled and nodded. He had not realized his days’ beard growth had been dyed too. Turning, Dan spontaneously gave Jen a quick hug. Then he started to remove his uniform shirt, though he hesitated to take off his t-shirt.

  Jen recalled Jon’s instructions. “Hang on a moment, Dan. I’ll be right back.” She hurried out of the room. How could I have forgotten the shirt? Jon indicated Dan is self-conscious about people viewing his scars for the first time.

  Returning she handed him a white tee. “This is one of Jon’s old shirts. You change into it while I grab your sandwich. You can eat while I apply the bleaching agent. Would you prefer iced tea, water, or root beer?”

  “Water is fine. Thanks.” When Jen left, he changed and gingerly lowered himself to the stool. He wondered why Jon would bother to call Jen and ask her to do this for him after the reaming he received outside Shadeforce. His musing ended as Jen knocked on the door and then entered carrying a roast beef and provolone hoagie and two bottles of water for him. As she worked, he ate. She had also procured special bleach for his eyebrows.

  Ninety minutes later, after Jennifer finished and he shaved, Dan assessed the results in the bathroom mirror. Though lighter than his natural golden blond, no trace of pink remained in his hair or brows. However, since Jen refused to use product near his eyes, his lashes maintained a faint pink hue, but luckily, they were not too noticeable.

  Turning to Jen, Dan said softly, “Thank you so much. I genuinely appreciate you doing this for me.”

  She hugged him. “No, Dan. I appreciate what you did for my entire family and me. You saved two Hardy brothers in less than two weeks. For that, I will be ever grateful. Kent and Joey still have their dad, and the love of my life is still alive and intact.

  “Today might’ve been incredibly different for me, for all us, if not for you. I’m so sorry you got injured, but I’m thankful you took action.” Jen’s eyes misted as she thought of the possible outcome without Dan safeguarding Jon when the man shot at him.

  Jen laid a hand on Dan’s shoulder. “I would be lost without Jon. I’m pleased I can show my appreciation in return.”

  Moved by her words, they landed on Dan’s heart, filling in some missing pieces, and causing a bit of pain to fall away. Regardless of Jon’s harsh remarks earlier, Dan would protect him again without hesitation. His tactical lead possessed a family who loved and needed him. Dan cleared his throat and gave Jen a lopsided grin. “I’m happy I was close enough to help.”

  “Me too. Shall we go find out what your teammates think about the restored Dan?” Jen laughed.

  Entering the kitchen, they found Loki and Bram munching on cookies.

  Loki enthusiastically beamed. “Dantastic, you’re back. Looks like you took a vacation at the beach. Suits you better than hot-pink.”

  Bram’s grin broadened at Dan’s happier countenance. “A little lighter, but natural. Thanks for lunch, Jen, and for fixing Dan.”

  “Yeah. Thank you. I loved the cookies too.” Loki hopped up ready to go.

  “You’re welcome. Now scoot, all three of you. I’ll see you all … around sometime,” Jen said relieved she caught herself before giving away the party tonight.

  Snagging a couple more cookies, Loki handed one to Dan as they headed out. He couldn’t wait to watch Dan’s reaction to his surprises. He was also less peeved at Jon since he arranged to help Dan. Though if Jon kept messing up, Loki would be right beside the rest of his teammates, letting their tactical lead know he better never treat Dan so unkindly again.

  TRF HQ – Briefing Room – 2:40 p.m.

  Tia spotted Bram, Dan, and Loki as they approached her desk on the way to the conference room. Privy to pink-gate as Loki referred to the vat incident, she smiled and greeted them in her typical manner, adding one comment, “Relieved and happy you’re alright, Dan.”

  “Thanks,” Dan said as he continued to the room. He was not looking forward to debriefing. He passed several members of Charlie Team, wondering why they were here so early, but relieved when none of them appeared to take note of his lighter hair, or if they did, they didn’t comment. Joining the team, Dan cautiously sat, controlling the grimace which wanted to display.

  Lexa monitored his movements and detected he was putting on a show for them. She leaned close, laying a hand on his forearm. “How’s the hip?”

  Dan glanced at the hand first, shifting his eyes to Lexa’s face next. He was not fooling her, so he admitted, “A little sore, seventeen stitches.”

  “Ouch. That many?” Lexa removed her hand, realizing her touch was a tad too personal in front of the team.

  “Welcome back, Dan. How much downtime did the doctor say you require?” Nick asked.

  Dan grabbed a water bottle from the center of the table, needing to rehydrate. “A few days rest and light duty until the sutures are removed.”

  “The first corresponds with our next two days off. We’ll figure something out for the remainder of the time.”

  “I can do truck duty or take a Zulu position if an elevator is available,” Dan suggested. Though he didn’t like being relegated to the truck, it would be better than being benched entirely.

  Jon shook his head. “Not Zulu. If you are required to lie on your hip, it might cause a problem and delay your recovery. Truck and assisting me in tactical planning will be your functions.” His gaze met Nick’s and received a nod and a slight smile.

  Turning to face Dan, Jon prepared to repent and apologize. “Before we begin debrief, I have something to say.”

  Dan tensed, believing Jon was about to lay into him for a third time today and tried to preempt the dressing-down. “I broke the rule. I give you my word it won’t happen again. Can we give it a rest now?”

  The fleeting grimace and flash of pain in Dan’s blue eyes drove home to Jon how wrong he had been to upbraid Dan after the call. Time to man up and admit my mistakes. “Not quite, need to bury the hatchet.”

  Right, in my back, I’m sure. Resigning himself to another sharp-edged verbal attack, Dan fastened his mask in place and maintained eye contact with Jon.

  Jon stood and moved around the table, halting next to Dan, but he scanned the room, pausing on each member. “I owe you all an apology, but mostly Dan. My behavior outside Shadeforce was abhorrent, and you deserve better from your tactical lead. Not only did I make a public spectacle, exposing a private matter which should’ve remained within our team, I also chewed out the man who risked his life to save mine.

  “And, if my head had not been up my ass, I would’ve recognized Dan’s request to move to the office door as being the right strategy. His injury is on me. My decision placed him, me, and Boss in harm’s way. I’m not perfect, but I must make better decisions. Out there, our lives depend on everyone having their heads on straight. Mine was not, and Dan paid the price.”

  He reached out his right hand as his left settled on Dan’s shoulder keeping him from rising, not wanting him to strain his sore hip, and Jon’s eyes locked with Dan’s. “I can’t promise I won’t screw up again, but I will make a concerted effort to treat you with the respect you earned and deserve. Thank you for having my back today. Please accept my sincere apology.”

  Surprised, Dan peered up at Jon. The man is an enigma. He took the proffered hand and shook. “Apology accepted.”

  Nick grinned, happy Jon made a public ac
t of contrition. “We’ll debrief then we are off shift. Charlie Team is covering the second half.”

  TRF HQ – Men’s Locker Room – 3:20 p.m.

  Sitting on the bench in his stinky sweatpants, the only positive to wearing them was they did not rub on his hip, Dan tugged on his equally foul-smelling shirt, ready to go home and collapse on his bed. He didn’t want to go to the bar tonight, but he would since the team insisted. Glancing at his cross trainers, Dan shoved his feet in but dreaded bending over to tie his laces.

  When he stretched to untie his boot laces earlier, the action painfully pulled on his stitches, and he worried he might pop a suture. He lifted his gaze and shut his locker. Will anyone notice if I walk out with untied shoes? Probably not, but with my luck, I’ll trip and tear them out anyway. Dan sighed, deciding on chance instead of certainty.

  Fully dressed in his civvies, Jon leaned on the lockers observing Dan. While Jen bleached Dan’s hair, the team called everyone again and moved the time back to the original plan of five p.m. They also discussed how to get him to the surprise party, and Ray reminded them of their team’s modus operandi to hang out together after one of them received a minor injury during the shift.

  A perfect ruse to use. Lexa offered to give him a ride to his apartment, but Nick stepped in and said he would be the one take Dan home. At the end of debrief, Boss told Dan he would run him to his place so he could change before everyone met up at their usual bar. Dan tried to beg off, insisting he was fine to drive. It was his use of fine which sealed Dan’s fate, and Boss’ stern gaze which caused his capitulation.

  Jon comprehended why Nick wanted to be the one. Boss would use the time to have a private chat with Dan about the excessive drinking last night. The fact Dan behaved out of character still bothered both of them, and Jon hoped Nick would discover the reason.

  Noting Dan continued to sit, staring at his closed locker, Jon wondered why until he heard the sigh and spotted Dan’s shoes. He shook his head. Damn, the rookie won’t ask for even the simplest help. Dan would rather trip than appear weak. He strode over, squatted, and tied the laces. He stood, clapping Dan’s shoulder and said, “See ya at the Pond.” Jon pivoted and ambled out without another word.