“The week?” Mitch’s eyebrows rose. “Do you really think it’ll take that long to get in?”
I shrugged. “Your guess is as good as mine.”
Charlie tipped back the rest of his drink and banged his empty mug down on the table. “I’m in! I’ve been wanting to take a road trip for a while.”
“Me too.” Amy removed her arm from her chair back to sit forward. “Any chance to tell Dr. Roberts what a complete and absolute prick he is, is an opportunity I won’t miss.”
“Mitch?” I glanced at my other co-worker uncertainly. “Are you coming?”
He winked. “Only because you asked so nicely.”
“Sounds like we’re all going then.” Ian took a drink from his beer. “And Dr. Hutchinson will also be joining us. She’s flying in tomorrow.”
“So you’ve heard from her?” My heart rate increased. Other than her voice message this morning, I hadn’t received any updates. But we needed Cate if we were to make a difference. She had connections with the president I could only dream of.
Ian nodded. “She texted just as we walked into Sean’s. She had to stay in D.C. today for a meeting, but she was able to book the jet first thing tomorrow.”
“Does she want us to wait in Sioux Falls for her?” Already, my feet itched to move. It killed me that we’d have to wait another day before heading to the rez, but if it meant Cate could join us, we’d have to do it.
Ian shook his head. “She’s having the MRI plane fly her to an old landing strip outside of Mobridge.”
“The beauty of private air travel.” Mitch sighed. “Meanwhile, we lowly Compound employees have to drive.”
“Speaking of which, whose car should we take?” Amy twirled a finger through her hair.
“My SUV’s biggest,” Mitch offered. “I’ll drive.”
“It’s settled then,” I said just as our food arrived. “Mitch is driving and we leave first thing in the morning.”
Rich scents from the Irish stew wafted up. I inhaled deeply, but my stomach still churned and not from hunger. I had no idea what Dr. Roberts was doing to Davin.
But I did know one thing – I was going to find out.
6 – NIGHTMARE
It didn’t occur to me until we were driving away from Sean’s Pub that Ian would be spending the night. In my apartment. Just the two of us.
I’d never had any man spend the night.
“So this is where you live?” Ian leaned forward in his seat.
We’d just pulled into my parking lot. It was dark out, but lights around my building allowed one to see its gray exterior, white trimmed windows, and canopied front door.
“Yep, home sweet home!” I forced a smile that I hoped looked relaxed.
From Ian’s quizzical expression, I realized it probably looked scary.
I hurriedly stepped out of my car and grabbed my bag.
Ian did the same but at a slower pace.
“Glad I brought my parka.” He pulled it closer around him.
It couldn’t be warmer than twenty degrees. A half inch of snow dusted the ground, but someone had shoveled it off the sidewalks. I plugged my car’s battery into the charging station and hitched my bag up higher on my shoulder.
“Um… follow me.”
Ian trailed behind me into my building and up the stairs. My apartment complex was two stories. I lived on the second floor about halfway down the hall. My home wasn’t big – only a small entryway, kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom, but it was all I needed.
When my key slid into the lock, it was the only sound in the hallway.
“So…” I pushed the door open. “I only have one bed. I can get you blankets and a pillow for the couch. Or we could pull the cushions off the couch onto the floor. Whatever you want.”
I twisted my hands and eventually stuffed them into my pockets while we stood in my small entry. This close, Ian’s unique scent reached my senses. He smelled like leaves and cedar.
“The couch or floor is fine. I’m not that high maintenance.” He grinned and ran a hand through his hair. “Really, I’m not too concerned about where I sleep, so don’t worry.”
My icy palms warmed. “Okay.”
When he lowered his hand, it brushed my shoulder. I froze, but Ian continued on, seemingly oblivious to the contact we’d just shared. He walked into my small kitchen and then living room.
“Small but cozy.” He put his hands on his hips. In jeans and a bulky sweater, he looked even bigger than usual. Or maybe it was my cramped apartment. Whatever the case, it felt like he filled the room.
I started to wring my hands again. This is so weird!
“We should probably go to bed. We have to wake up early tomorrow. Excuse me.” I hurried to pull out blankets and a pillow for him. “The bathroom’s in the hall. Feel free to make yourself at home.”
Ian nodded pleasantly and opened his bag. I retreated to the safety of my bedroom so he wouldn’t see how nervous his presence made me.
Running water sounded from my bathroom. I peeked my head out the door to see light bordering the edges of the closed bathroom door. Ian was taking my advice and getting ready for bed.
Debating if I should put pajamas on now or wait until he was asleep in the living room, I sighed in disgust at how unsure I was acting.
Screw it. It’s not like my pajamas are lingerie. My pajamas were pretty much the opposite. Most nights I slept in flannel pants and a t-shirt.
I quickly changed, and while Ian was in the bathroom, I arranged the blankets and pillow on the couch for him. Then, I grabbed a glass of water from the kitchen.
I rounded the corner to the short hallway which led to my bedroom just as he opened the bathroom door.
We collided.
Water sloshed over the sides of my glass onto the carpet.
“Oh, crap. Sorry.” Ian reached behind him and grabbed a towel from the bathroom. He bent down to mop up the water before I could stop him.
“It’s fine, really, don’t worry. It’s just water.”
When he stood, only a foot separated us. My gaze roamed from the top of his head to his toes. I couldn’t stop the smile that tugged up my lips. “Nice pajamas.”
He chuckled. “I could say the same to you.”
Whereas I wore green and white striped flannel pajama pants with a plain white t-shirt, Ian wore red and blue flannel pajama pants with a plain blue t-shirt.
“Great minds think alike,” he quipped.
“Don’t you mean great minds dress alike?”
He laughed and then moved to the side so I could pass. Smiling, I entered my room and set the water on my bedside table. Rustling sounded from the living room. It sounded like he was getting ready for bed.
I was about to ask if he needed anything else when the light turned off.
Taking that as a no, I shut my bedroom door but left it cracked in case he needed something. Climbing into bed, I pulled my sheets up to my chin, loving the feel of my own bed surrounding me.
Moonlight shone through the window. As my eyelids started to drift closed, I realized that in less than a day I’d see Davin, Sara, Sophie, and the other Kazzies on Reservation 1.
That was, if we were admitted.
DAVIN SAT LOCKED in the Chair. His entire body was restrained. Metal bands immobilized his limbs. A tight cuff wrapped around his neck, squeezing the life out of him. I banged against the glass wall that separated us, screaming his name.
He didn’t see me.
They’d done something to his eyes.
Those beautiful, sapphire irises stared unseeing straight ahead.
A machine descended. A whirring drill maneuvered until it was positioned beside his temple. It began cutting into him. Blood splattered. The drill moved deeper, relentlessly.
Davin’s eyes closed as a silent roar erupted from his mouth.
“No!” I screamed and banged on the glass wall again and again. “No!”
My bangs were useless. I couldn’t reach him.
/> He would die.
And it was all of my fault.
“Meghan!” The voice yelled my name from far away. “Meghan! Wake up!”
“No! Davin!” I pounded again on the glass wall.
Hands shook me. Large, rough hands. “Meghan, please, honey. Wake up!”
I opened my eyes, blinking as hands continued to grip my shoulders. Darkness surrounded me.
“Meghan, wake up! It’s just a dream. You’re okay.”
Ian’s voice permeated the dark room. I blinked again as the nightmare receded, but images still pummeled me. Davin. The Chair. The machines cutting him.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “No!” I sobbed. “Davin…”
Ian pulled me into his arms. He was shirtless. Coarse hairs on his chest brushed against my arms. I vaguely recalled him going to sleep with a t-shirt on, but that thought was there and then gone, like whispered words carried away in a breeze. The dream still felt too real.
I took a deep shuddering breath as Ian’s cedar scent washed over me. I blinked again as I became more aware of my surroundings.
Ian was holding me in his arms. We were in my bed, and he was shirtless.
“Shh, it’s okay. It was just a bad dream.” He pushed hair from my eyes, apparently oblivious to how intimate our position was. In the darkness, I could make out some of his features. He was watching me.
Stiffening, I cleared my throat. “I was screaming again?”
“Yeah.” He pushed more hair from my eyes. “It took me awhile to wake you up. That must have been some dream.”
I shuddered as images of Davin being tortured resurfaced.
Ian shifted, his arms loosening around me. I awkwardly pulled back. His long, hard thighs pressed against my side from how he sat. The rest of him hovered inches away.
My heart rate increased, and it wasn’t from the dream. I’d never been with a man like this in my life.
“Are you okay?” he asked.
I nodded. My hair brushed against my face so I pushed it back. “Yeah. I’m fine.”
He fingered a lock of hair behind my ear. “Good. You scared me.”
Shrugging awkwardly, I mumbled, “Um… sorry about that.”
“No, it’s fine. I’m just glad you’re not hurt.”
“Was I screaming loudly?”
He grunted. “It woke me from a deep sleep. My first thought was someone was trying to murder you.”
I ducked my head. “Nope. No murderers in here.” How embarrassing!
He grinned. In the moonlight, I couldn’t see his dimple, but I knew it was there.
We sat like that for a moment, and with each passing second, the tension between us grew. I felt every hard inch of his leg. He made no move to pull back. Instead, he shifted closer.
Breathing harder, I tugged the sheets up higher as his gaze dipped to my mouth. My eyes flashed wide open as I pushed back into my pillow.
He immediately straightened and pulled back. An awkward moment of silence passed before he said hoarsely, “Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Yeah, yeah really, I’m fine.” The words tumbled out of me. I rubbed my eyes. The clock read 4:28 a.m. “Sorry again that I woke you.”
Ian’s hard muscles flexed when he pushed to standing. “We should probably try to get a few more hours sleep. Who knows what today will bring.”
He was right. Come this afternoon, we’d be arriving at the reservation. Who indeed knew what today would bring.
“Yeah. Goodnight.”
“Goodnight.” After he left, I lay in the darkness, my heart still beating hard and my breath still coming too fast. I turned to face the wall and closed my eyes. Oh, Davin. My beautiful Davin. I’ve never missed you so much.
I SOMEHOW MANAGED to fall back asleep after Ian returned to the living room. His scent stayed in my sheets. It was a nice scent, but it didn’t cause shivers to race to my toes or heat to clench my core. That was what Davin’s light spicy scent of soap and aftershave did to me.
The nightmares stayed at bay for the rest of the night. Instead, I dreamed about prairie fields, strong arms, and love from two men pulling me in different directions.
I didn’t even try to decipher that one when I woke. My brain was apparently trying to stir up unconscious worries that in the real world were not actual problems. Davin had refused to let anything develop between us despite his feelings for me, and Ian had seemed fine with our intimate position during the night, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything.
Scents of coffee wafted into my bedroom as I lay there. My door was open. Ian apparently never closed it when he returned to his makeshift bed on the couch.
Banging sounded in the kitchen. Following that a curse when something crashed to the floor. I pushed back the covers and scrambled out of bed.
Ian stood in the kitchen, still wearing his flannel pajama pants, but he now had a shirt on. He grimaced when he saw me. “Whoops. Sorry to wake you. I was trying to make breakfast and instead dropped half of your pans.”
My frying pan, a baking sheet, two mixing bowls, and a whisk were scattered on the floor.
“I see you’ve found my never-been-used cooking supplies.”
Ian chuckled. “Is that why they were so haphazardly stored in that cupboard?”
I eyed the shelf with its door wide open. “Sorry. That cupboard should have a warning label on it.”
Ian’s light blue eyes twinkled. His reddish blond curls were mussed from sleeping, and his beard was thicker than it normally was. Once he picked up the mess on the floor, he put his hands on his hips. “It’s kind of hard to cook breakfast when you have next to no food.”
I shrugged and grabbed a coffee mug. “I wasn’t expecting to be back for a month, remember?”
He sighed. “I found some cereal, but there’s no milk.”
I pulled a loaf of frozen bread from the freezer. “Toast and jam? I’m pretty sure I have jam in the fridge.”
Ian sighed in exaggeration. “So much for making you omelets, homemade pancakes, and bacon.”
I perked up. “You know how to cook all of that?”
He put a hand to his chest, as if wounded. “I’m hurt you’d think I was capable of anything less.”
I put the bread on the counter and smothered a smile before filling my coffee cup. “I’m always amazed when people can cook. My specialty is burnt everything. Except for coffee. I do know how to make that.”
I took a sip of the rich brew as Ian pulled out plates and put slices of bread in the toaster. I offered to help, but he shook his head. I again got the impression that he liked being the one in charge.
Sipping my coffee, I relented, but I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. Since moving away from my parents’ home when I was eighteen, I’d always lived alone. And prior to a year ago, I’d never had friends. Being alone, doing everything by myself – that was something I was used to. Having a man come into my life and take charge wasn’t.
Frowning, I topped off my coffee. I’d already finished half of the mug.
“Is everything okay?” Ian stood by the toaster, lathering each slice with jam.
I forced a quick smile. “Yes, everything’s fine. Should we sit?”
Ian grabbed his coffee and balanced the two plates on his other arm. Once seated, we both dug in. I felt his eyes on me while I ate, but every time I glanced his way, he looked away as if not wanting to be caught watching me. Our intimate encounter during the night flashed through my mind. Since Ian was acting like it never happened, I intended to do the same.
The clock on the wall struck seven. Mitch was due any minute.
“I’m going to grab my bag and get dressed.” I brushed crumbs from my t-shirt and began collecting the empty plates.
“I can do that,” he said.
He whisked the plates from me and moved to the sink before I could respond. “I’m already packed and ready to go so I’ll clean up. You go on.”
I walked stiffly out of the kitchen. I knew Ian was trying to be ni
ce, but still I felt coddled. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that.
7 – SHARON
The drive to the reservation took forever. Part of the road was closed for maintenance near Aberdeen. A large section of the neglected highway had finally crumbled. There was no getting through it so we had to backtrack and navigate on county and dirt roads. It was slow going.
To make matters worse, Cate called and said she’d be delayed two days. Apparently, another Compound director had the MRI plane in a different state, and they’d been snowed in by a freak northeast blizzard. The plane was still stuck there, so Cate was out of luck.
In other words, we were on our own for trying to get into the reservation.
“How much farther?” Ian asked as the flat South Dakota land flashed by our windows.
“About half an hour.” My heart pounded harder with every mile that passed. It felt like my soul knew what was coming. I’d soon be reunited with Davin. The Kazzies.
My friends.
Or will I? The doubt clung to my mind. There were no guarantees they’d let us in. We may be five respected MRI employees, but we didn’t hold any power.
I studied our ragtag group. Amy sat in the front passenger seat. Mitch drove while Charlie, Ian, and I sat in the back. Since Mitch had an oversized SUV, there was plenty of room.
Ian ate an apple as the miles ticked by. His crunches filled the cab. We’d stopped at the South Dakota Food Distribution Center before leaving Sioux Falls and bought enough food and supplies for a week knowing there wouldn’t be any restaurants or grocery stores around the reservation. It was one of many logistics that we’d had to consider last minute.
As for accommodations, we still hadn’t figured that out. The one thing I was worried about was finding a charging station for the SUV. I knew there wouldn’t be one around the reservation, so we’d have to be smart about how much we drove. Most likely, we’d need to drive to North Dakota to replenish Mitch’s battery.
Heightened energy permeated the cab as the reservation grew closer. It felt like we were at the movie theater, all of us sitting on the edge of our seats as the climax unfolded. None of us knew what the ending would be.
Section 12: Book #3 in The Makanza Series Page 6