by Julie Rowe
“By all means,” Henry said.
“His siblings all had oversight of every account he accessed. There’s no way they didn’t know what he was doing with the money. He made several payments to shell companies that provide cash to two different mercenary groups, as well as three different foreign terrorist groups. The Hoffman family was, essentially, bankrolling the FAFO. They were trying to create an environment where they could sell their new antiviral medications without having to go through all the steps for approval from the FDA.”
“If the demand were strong enough, it would happen? Really?” Nate asked.
“Probably. As the measles outbreak showed us, it didn’t take much before people were willing to throw the testing process out in favor of wide-scale use of an advertised cure. If that second vaccination hadn’t worked, we could be paying for their very expensive antiviral medications right now.”
“So, they start a war in order to come to our rescue and end the war.”
Ruby’s father nodded. “Enriching themselves in the process.”
“Assholes.”
Ruby’s mother sighed. “They were also doing everything they could to discredit the CDC. They had a lot of people convinced you were a bunch of overpaid, outdated, obstinate lab rats.”
“That’s oddly specific.”
“They were very good at using key words and concise messaging. Face-to-face meetings, social media, and advertisements were all carefully crafted to create distrust and discord between law enforcement, government, and the CDC.”
“And the surgeon general was playing villain and hero all at the same time. He wanted to come in and save the day,” her dad added.
“And get himself elected,” Henry said shortly.
“Partially.”
Henry didn’t bother to hide his disgust. “Tell that to all the people injured or dead because of these people and their greed.”
“Mistakes were made by a number of parties.”
Henry was about to tell Ruby’s dad where he could stick that piece of diplomatic bullshit, but he cut himself off. It wouldn’t be the best way to start out a relationship with his future in-laws.
“The pharmaceutical company the Hoffman family owns is an international one,” her father continued. “We had to work with law enforcement and government agencies all over Europe in order to access all the information we need to investigate the Hoffman family. Some countries do not like the United States poking our noses into their business.”
“What changed?” Henry asked him.
The smile that crossed his face was cold. “One word: smallpox.”
Henry grunted. “So, more arrests need to be made?”
The other man nodded. “It’s going to take months to complete the investigation.”
“There are two outstanding members of the mercenaries still unaccounted for, but every law enforcement agency in the country is looking for them,” her mother said. “We’re reasonably certain they’ll try to leave rather than attempt some kind of revenge campaign against you or anyone else in the CDC.”
“If they do have revenge in mind, they’re more likely to go after the people who hired them but didn’t tell them just how tough it would be to assassinate two lab techs and steal some frozen samples,” Ruby’s father said. “Not providing all the necessary information they need to do a job would be considered a breach of contract and a betrayal of trust. Retribution with lethal force would be the expected response.”
“They didn’t do their homework if that’s all they thought Ruby and I were.”
“Judo is a defensive martial art and you lost a leg ten years ago,” Nate said. “No one expected Ruby or me to be as tough as we are.”
“Why do I hear a but in that statement?” Henry asked.
“But we think what worked in your favor was the fact that no one outside the CDC, and possibly Homeland Security, was aware several military veterans had been hired and paired up with your disease investigators.” He smiled. “Smart thinking.”
“There wasn’t any other choice,” Henry replied. “Not if we wanted to keep our people safe.”
“That’s all we have up to now,” Ruby’s father said. “Honey, you look white as a sheet,” he said to Ruby. “Are you okay?”
“Tired and sore, Dad.”
“Come on,” her mom said, getting to her feet. “Let me check your vitals, then a nap is in order.”
Ruby stood, so Henry got up, too. “I’ll leave you to relax with your family.”
“Um, call me tomorrow?” she asked, sounding a tiny bit uncertain.
He thought about what he’d do with her when she was medically cleared for…everything, and smiled. “Will do, boss.”
A blush spread across her cheeks, and she ducked her head. “Thank you.”
“Whatever you need.”
He nodded at her parents and Nate then went out the front door.
He sat in his truck for a while before heading back to his apartment, but instead of going to his own unit, he knocked on Joy’s door.
Gunner answered and stood aside for him without hesitation. “Henry is here,” he called out.
“And Ruby?” Joy’s question came from the kitchen.
“No, I left her at home to be fussed over by her family.”
“Ah, coffee?”
“Please,” Henry said, sitting down in one of the armchairs in the living area.
Joy came out of the kitchen, walked over to him, and looked him over critically. “You need about two days’ worth of sleep.”
He raised an eyebrow but didn’t say anything.
“Where are your dog tags?” Joy asked.
“I gave them to Ruby.”
“Does she know what that means?”
“She does.”
Joy gave him a smile. “Congratulations.”
Gunner glanced at Joy and paused. “Is this some military equivalent to an engagement ring?”
“Sometimes,” she said.
“Huh.” Gunner shut up and looked at Henry.
“Rodrigues put out a notice about who is off work right now. Your name is on it.”
“Yeah, I’m supposed to take a couple of weeks off and get my head on straight.”
“You going to do that?”
“Maybe.” He thought about the marriage proposal he’d made—in haste and without specifics. That wouldn’t do. No, his Ruby deserved some romance and a whole lot of sin.
An idea began to form, and he looked at Joy and Gunner with the eyes of a man who was planning to skirt the rules.
“Would you two be interested in helping me with a project guaranteed to raise the morale of more than one employee of the CDC?”
Joy studied him for a moment with narrowed eyes then crossed her arms over her chest. “That sounds like a trick question.”
Henry kept his mouth shut.
Gunner looked at her then at Henry. “That sounds like fun.” He winked at Joy, who rolled her eyes and gestured in agreement.
“Excellent. Here’s what I have in mind.”
Chapter Twenty-One
Sunday, May 11, 9:12 a.m.
For two days all it seemed like Ruby did was eat, sleep, then sleep some more. The pain of her injuries decreased until all she needed to manage the pain was simple over-the-counter medication.
She’d spoken with Henry on the phone quite a bit, but he’d been ordered to get the same kind of rest she was getting.
Today she finally felt more like herself, and after a shower, she felt almost normal.
Something tapped on her window.
She finished pulling on her shirt, then lifted the shade and discovered Henry standing outside, a big, fat grin on his face.
Ruby opened the window. “What are you doing?”
“I was wondering if you’d li
ke to run off with me?”
“Run off with you?” Had he hit his head?
“Yeah, to Vegas.”
She hadn’t even eaten breakfast. “Now?”
“Now. Throw a few things into a bag and jump out the window.”
Was he running a fever?
“Is there a reason why I can’t use the front door?”
“I’m feeling peckish.”
“Peckish?”
“I want to give our kids a really great how-Dad-married-Mom story.” Henry grinned. “What could be more exciting than whisking you off to Vegas for four days of fun and weddings?”
“Did you say weddings, as in more than one?”
“Yeah. It seems another couple liked my idea of stealing you to get married, so they’ve decided to tie the knot as well.”
“Who?”
His grin turned sly. “Come with me and find out.”
“I don’t have anything to wear.”
He looked her up and down, and his gaze heated. “This trip is sounding better and better all the time.”
She laughed. “You are such a guy.” Excitement was champagne in her blood. “Give me a couple of minutes to grab a few things. We will need to go shopping when we get there. I have nothing appropriate to wear as a bride or a witness.”
“Take your time. I’ll be here when you’re ready.” He said it with all the power of a vow.
She put her hand on the screen in the window. “I know.” He put his hand against hers, warm and sure.
Ruby grabbed a backpack out of her closet and went into her en suite bathroom to gather a few toiletries. She added underwear, socks, and a couple of pairs of jeans with tops that were roomy enough to accommodate her bandages. She stuck her feet into her favorite tennis shoes and went to the window.
She took the screen out and handed Henry her bag. He put it down then offered his hands to help her out.
She hesitated. Having her family at her wedding would make it perfect.
Henry must have guessed what she was thinking, because he leaned forward and whispered, “Once we’re on our way, we’ll call them and invite them to the ceremony.”
“Perfect.” She put her hands on his shoulders and allowed him to lift her out the window. He put her on the ground, took her hand, and led her to his waiting truck.
As soon as he pulled away from the curb, she said, “Okay, we’re gone. Fess up, who else is getting married?”
“Dozer and Dr. Rodrigues.”
“Really?” She couldn’t help but squeal a little. “Wow, I didn’t realize they were that…close.”
“They’ve known each other a long time, and she keeps her private life private.”
“Anyone else coming along?”
“Yeah, Smoke and Kini, River and Ava, and Joy and Gunner will all be there.”
“Did they shut down the department?”
“DS is holding down the fort with the help of a few junior staff members, including Raymond. He says it’ll be character building for them.”
“Sounds like something he’d say. He’ll probably tell them it’s a simulation of what it would be like if all the senior staff were unreachable because of an event, catastrophe, or communication failure.”
Henry glanced at her. “You doing okay?”
“I’m flying high right now, so yeah.” She put her hand on his thigh and stroked his leg through his jeans.
He groaned. “You’re killing me.”
“I’m sorry, I just can’t sit over here and not touch you.”
He cleared his throat. “I’ve been told no sex with you for a few days yet.”
“Told by who?”
“Gunner, Rodrigues, your mom. They all said you needed more time to heal up before we tried any sporting events.”
“Sporting events? You’re equating sex with sports?”
He shrugged. “There are a lot of muscle groups involved.”
Ruby covered her face with both hands. “You had this conversation with all three of them?”
“Yeah.”
“All together or individually?”
“Gunner and Rodrigues together. Your mom called me yesterday to nix any hanky-panky. They wanted to be sure I understood the necessity of waiting. I did get permission to give you as many orgasms as you want, just not with penetration.”
Ruby dropped her hands and stared at his profile in embarrassed horror. “This wasn’t said to my mother, right?”
“Honey”—he covered her hand with his—“your mother is the person who said it.”
She covered her face with her free hand again. “How am I ever going to look her in the eyes again?”
…
The flight to Vegas was uneventful, and they landed late afternoon. A private car waited to take them to their hotel, the Venetian. Henry guided her up to their room, a honeymoon suite.
“How are you doing?”
“I’m tired, hungry, and I need some clothes.”
“Let’s order room service, then if you’re feeling up to it, head down to the shops.” He looked both excited and relaxed. And it made her so damned happy to see him this way.
“I don’t care what we do as long as it’s together,” she said, coming over to wrap her arms around his waist and putting her ear over his heart.
He nuzzled her temple and pulled her in close, his arms cradling her carefully. The press of his hands was light.
“I’m not going to break, you know,” she whispered into his shirt. “I also don’t think it’s possible for you to hurt me.”
“Have mercy on me, darlin’,” he whispered back. “I’m not sure how I’ll ever get the memory of that bastard slicing you, of you bleeding on the floor, and your bone-white face, out of my head.” His palm moved to rest over the stab wound, but the pain was nothing but a dull ache.
She reached up and brought his face down with one hand. “I’m sorry I scared you.” She kissed him, a long, slow slide of lips that didn’t want to stop touching him. “I was scared, too, of losing you.” She looked up into his face and tried to smile, but her lips quivered too much. “I was so afraid I wouldn’t get a chance to tell you how much I love you.”
His face was wet with tears, but he smiled. “What a pair we are.”
“A pair with some leaks in our boat,” she said, wiping away the tears from his face.
He did the same for her. “Leaks? What leaks?” he asked with a grin. Then he kissed her.
She was two seconds away from pulling his shirt off when someone knocked on the door. Ruby pulled away, but he nibbled on her neck and she forgot about the door.
The knocking turned into pounding.
Henry pulled away this time, and she discovered she couldn’t look away from his red lips.
“Stop looking at me like that or I’ll ignore all your doctors’ orders.”
“I planned on ignoring them anyway.”
His grin was sexy happy. “You’re a menace to my self-control.” He took her hand and they walked to the door together. He looked through the peephole then opened the door.
“Has the CDC taken over the building?” he asked the crowd of people waiting.
“Yes,” Dozer said. “We’re about to take over the restaurant. Let’s go.”
“No can do,” Henry said. “Ruby and I are having room service. We’re saving our energy for shopping after we eat.”
“Room service, huh?” Dr. Rodrigues asked. She looked at Ruby’s hot face. “How about we join you? It might cut down on the shenanigans.”
Henry and Ruby stepped aside. “If you think it’s up to your delicate palate.”
“Who are you calling delicate?” Gunner asked as he and Joy entered.
“Definitely you, Doc,” River said as he and Ava walked in.
Smoke just shook his he
ad while his fiancée grinned. They shut the door, and the whole group took over the suite.
There was a bit of a tug-of-war over the room service menu, but Dr. Rodrigues, no, Carmen—how many times did she have to remind herself that her boss had a first name?—managed to get everyone’s order and call it in.
Ruby had to go into the bathroom to show the women her wound, and it was pronounced healing very well. Dr. Rod…Carmen did remind her not to engage in any energetic mischief for a few more days.
Face burning, Ruby assured her that despite feeling fine, Henry had no intention of rushing into anything strenuous. In fact, he was showing more restraint than she liked.
When they came out of the bathroom, the women found the men had spread out with Henry and Dozer discussing something on Dozer’s phone.
River was talking to Smoke and Gunner, but they broke off as soon as they saw the women.
Henry met Ruby halfway, giving her a thorough once-over. “Everything okay?”
“Yes. Everyone is happy with my progress.” She lowered her voice. “Unfortunately, the restrictions are still in effect.”
He cupped her face with one hand. “Yeah, I figured.” His smile warmed her from the inside out. “I’m not in any rush.”
“I am.”
He leaned close to kiss her cheek, then whispered in her ear, “But when I lose it, I lose it.”
She immediately thought of their first time together in the change room. Yeah, he’d lost it, all right, and the memory of it would curl her toes when she was ninety. From the heated expression on his face, he was remembering the same thing.
She let out a breath. “Fine, I’ll be patient.”
His answering chuckle made her want to grab him and haul him off to the bathroom for an old-fashioned make-out session.
“Dozer and I are getting married tomorrow,” Carmen said with an expression on her face that dared anyone to suggest differently. “I’ve waited long enough.”
Dozer, who’d been standing next to her, took a half step back and slid his arms around her from behind. He kissed her neck and whispered something in her ear.
A blush swept up her face, and a very private smile curved her lips upward.
“We’ll tie the knot the day after tomorrow,” Henry said. He glanced at Ruby. “We’ve got to find a dress for Ruby.”