Carlee sat down beside Ryden on the sofa. He pulled her feet up on his lap and massaged her calves. “Carlee, we need to figure out who’s behind MedVision. Just after you left, the computer scan you were running turned up more information. Unfortunately, it all went up in flames when the fuckers crashed my car.”
She gasped. “Ryden, no! Your car!?”
“It’s just a car. You’re more important.” She took his hand and held it tight. “What popped up wasn’t what I expected. It was your parents’ names. Somehow, they are connected to all this.”
Carlee was up off the couch and on her feet looking back and forth between Ryden and JT when she heard Ryden mention her parents.
“No, no, no, my parents wouldn’t be involved in that. Well, okay, I mean they wouldn’t, like, be big into that. Or they…” She let the thought trail off. There was a lot that Ryden didn’t know about her life growing up, but he had a feeling he was about to get a crash course in the life and times of Carlee O’Shannon.
She took a deep breath, paced and twisted her fingers and talked.
“Okay, here’s the short version. When I left the hotel the other night, I went to my place, which was trashed, by the way, and will take me a month to clean up if I ever get to go back.”
Ryden cleared his throat. “You going back isn’t on the agenda Carlee, so forget that thought. Just keep talking.”
Carlee noted the tone of his voice; it was a decree, not up for debate. Letting out another breath, she said, “Okay, so when I was at my apartment, there was a call from the Major, umm…my dad. He said Kyle needed me.”
Ryden was patient as he waited for her to explain. JT, on the other hand, crossed his arms over his chest with a huff, impatient as ever.
“Kyle is my brother. He was born with a disease, beta thalassemia. His red blood cells are too small and don’t carry enough oxygen. Let’s just say that he needed blood transfusions, like a lot of blood transfusions, and eventually a bone marrow transplant. Bad news was that my parents were not a match. That’s where I came in. I was conceived right after they found out about his disease. I was supposed to be the match. Blood-wise I was. I gave him blood every month, and when he was really bad or got sick, I did a couple times a month. Everything was okay until it was time for the bone marrow.”
Taking a breath, Ryden could see she struggled to keep talking. “I got sick. I did everything they said, ate everything, mostly meat, rare meat because I was anemic. The doctor finally said I couldn’t give Kyle any more blood for a while. My parents pushed for the marrow test. When the doctor wouldn’t do it, they kept shopping until they found one who would. Money buys anything.”
Sitting back down on the sofa, Ryden moved to sit beside her, his arm wrapping around her back and pulling her close to him. Thinking back, he remembered a scar on her back near her hip. It was almost like a sickle in shape. He saw her hand drift to her hip where the scar was as if she could still feel the pain from the testing.
“When they did the test, I wasn’t a match and my parents sent me away. To them, I failed. I couldn’t give marrow, and at that point, I couldn’t even give blood. So, it was off to boarding school for me.
“It wasn’t all bad. I missed Kyle the most. They would send someone when he needed a Carlee Booster Pack as Kyle used to call them. But I didn’t get to see him. I’m not even sure where he is, but I have to find him. If my parents are involved in MedVision, it is because of Kyle, looking for the bone marrow, giving them some funding, dropping names to get funding to keep the place going, but they wouldn’t be running a place like that if that is what you’re getting at.”
He hadn’t said a word, just listened. While he couldn’t read minds, emotions were difficult to tune out. He could tell by the tone of a person’s voice, heartbeat, body language and even the scents coming off them what they were feeling. If they were lying, nervous, anxious, angry…most of the time it was easy to figure out. His mate, however, was crashing, denying to herself what was in plain sight.
As she spoke, anger boiled to the surface. How could they have dated for so long and he never knew the story? He thought back to times when she was tired and chalked them up to her heavy schedule at the University. Had her parents forced her to donate for her brother? Those thoughts only fueled his anger, something which he knew he needed to get in check. The unfairness of life is normal, but some things are just so out of place as to be inhumane. Bringing a child into the world for the sole purpose of healing another was wrong on so many levels. Carlee had no say in what they did to her body to keep Kyle alive. She had been forced to give blood until the doctors finally refused to allow her to donate anymore. She was then shipped off like an insolent child who wasn’t worth their time to care for properly. Any parent who would do that to their own flesh and blood would do most anything to keep Kyle alive, including delving into some bad mojo.
Staying silent, Lou walked into the room while Carlee talked. She might have some answers as to who was the head of MedVision, but Ryden seriously doubted it. JT sat by and listened, giving no indication of what he was thinking.
“Carlee, I know this is hard, but what if they are the ones behind MedVision? What if they’re so desperate to find a cure for Kyle, they’d even do something illegal?”
She jumped up from the sofa, agitated to the point she couldn’t even stand still and her hands flew as she talked. “No, Ryden, they wouldn’t do that! Yes, they fucked with my life, but they weren’t that bad! They gave me everything I wanted, an education, my career; they supported me in whatever I wanted to do. I failed them in taking care of Kyle, and if he’s in trouble, I have to find him!” Exasperated she sat back down on the sofa but kept a distance between them. Her head settled in her hands, and she rubbed at her temples as if she had a headache.
Ryden turned to Lou where she sat in the corner of the room. He had the feeling she was hoping they’d forgotten about her. “Lou, do you have any idea who was behind MedVision, who your boss is?”
“Somehow, I knew that question was coming.” She looked at the three of them, and he felt she was sincere in her next words. “I honestly don’t know. I clocked in, did my work and clocked out. Paychecks are direct deposit into my bank account, and I’ve never met anyone higher up the chain of command than my boss. All we did was research into diseases, trying to find cures or medications to help people. I’m sorry, there’s not much more I can tell you.”
Ryden nodded. “It’s what I suspected anyway, Lou. Thank you. I see no reason to keep you here. I am sorry we forced you to come with us, but at the time, it was what I thought was best.” He turned to JT, and he nodded. “JT will take you anywhere you want.”
JT stood and pulled his keys from his pants pocket. “The sooner the better. Let’s go.” Without even looking back, he walked out the front door, obviously expecting Lou to follow.
“Where did you find him? He’s got the manners of a goat and the disposition of a bear.” Shaking her head, Lou stood and went to Carlee, kneeling down and taking Carlee’s hands in hers. “I’m sorry for my part in what happened at the lab. I was doing my job, nothing more. But if they found anything from that sample they took, they won’t stop until they find you. Be careful, Carlee, stay safe.”
Carlee hugged Lou, and when they parted, Ryden saw tears in Carlee’s eyes. He took her hand in his, and they watched Lou leave. Seconds later, JT pulled out of the drive, leaving them alone.
She leaned into him, and he pulled her down onto his chest. She held on tight, arms wrapped around his waist as if he was her life preserver, keeping her afloat. “I’ve got to find him,” she whispered. “He’s all I have.”
He caressed her back and tried to soothe her. “I know, Buttercup, we’ll find him. But right now, we don’t know where to start, and until we do, keeping you safe is all that matters. My leave ends in three days. We’ll figure out something, somewhere for you to be safe. You’re mine, Carlee, and I’ll die before I let anyone harm you. My pack will do the sa
me. We’re family, not blood, but closer than blood ties could ever bring us. They will protect what’s mine same as me.”
Her breath hitched, and he could feel her tears soaking into his t-shirt. “I love you, Carlee. We’ll figure this out. For now, we’re going to take every minute we have and just be together. JT won’t mind if we stay here. One day at a time, Buttercup.”
She sat up and sucked her bottom lip in, giving him that doe-eyed look that melted his heart. There was nothing he wouldn’t do for this woman, his mate. In a few short days, so much had changed; so many possibilities lay ahead, but with those possibilities, came fear for her safety. Making her his wife was high on his list of priorities. While his life had never been a bed of roses, neither had hers. Together they could have what they had always wanted in life and had never been given as children—a loving relationship. Between his mother leaving him orphaned, and her parents bringing her into this world for the only purpose of keeping another child alive, they had both been dealt shitty hands. It was time to change that. Ryden wanted her in every way possible—from the white picket fence around the three-bedroom house, to having children running around in the yard chasing the family dog. It was what he saw when he looked into her vibrant green eyes.
Yes, he was crazy, crazy in love. And while he didn’t see it coming until it had hit him over the head, he welcomed it now. Taking care of her would take over every aspect of his life, including his loyalties to the Army.
She finally cried herself out and made herself a promise there would be no more tears. Tears never solved anything. Ryden was leaving in three days. This was a new revelation. One that she wasn’t ready to deal with so soon.
“Ryden you can’t keep me hidden here. You have to realize that I am not the only one in this now. You are too. And not just because you’re with me. They got a sample of your DNA from my incision site. You rescued me, and I am damn sure glad that you did, but now they know you. Well, not know you, but now they know what the donor of that specimen looks like. You'll be more valuable to them than I'll ever be.”
Ryden continued to slowly stroke her back. “Buttercup, I’m the last person you need to be worrying about. I can handle myself when it comes to those assholes at MedVision. Just give me and JT some time to work on it. Trust me on this, Carlee.”
She was up off the couch and standing in front of him. “Why can’t you understand? They wrecked your car! Your car, Ryden. You loved that car. They shot you with tranquilizer darts. I can’t imagine what would’ve happened if JT hadn’t been with you. I know enough from being around agents. You can’t have your head someplace else. You have to keep your focus, and that focus can’t be me.”
He raised up a hand as he started to talk, but she interrupted him before he could say a word.
“No, you listen to me. You know that I’m right. Now that MedVision knows you exist, they probably have eight by tens of your handsome face plastered all over the state by now. Or, even the country! MedVision has labs all over the world. You need to be able to take care of you and watch your back, and I need to be able to take care of me. But, I need you to do something for me. I want you to teach me to fight.”
There was a long silence followed a long exhale as Ryden sat back on the couch. “Carlee, baby, I couldn’t teach you everything you need to know fast enough for you to save that beautiful ass. Just leave the protecting to me.”
Placing one foot back a bit from the other, bending at her knees, she brought up her hands to fists, moving them slowly. “I won’t be a victim, and I won’t be a burden. I will have you know that I watched all five of the Rocky movies and every Jean Claude Van Damme movie. I must have picked up some of his moves, fight moves, that is.”
Her hands continued to move as he eyed her. She watched as the corners of his eyes turned up as well as his lips at the smile he tried to hide. “I am serious Ryden. Don’t laugh at me. I will so hurt you, or try to. I can do this.”
Ryden stood up and faced Carlee. When she tried a jab with her right fist, he simply caught it in his hand. “Buttercup, you hit like a girl. You can be the brains of the operation.”
She pulled her hand back knowing he would let it go. She wasn’t crazy enough to think she was stronger than he was. “I will do this, Ryden, so you may as well help me.”
Her outrageous swing sent her flying into his arms as he ducked to avoid getting hit. With his arm extended, he caught her around the waist as they both fell to the floor. Her chest pressed against his as he protected her from the impact of the fall. She pushed at his chest, her teeth clenched.
“I am not a damn cream puff!”
She was determined, but even she knew there was no way he could teach her enough or fast enough. She wouldn’t be safe on her own. Still, she was going to learn even if she had to do it on her own.
“No, you aren’t a cream puff, but you aren’t a tempered soldier either, baby. You’re a spitfire geek and a beautiful one at that, Carlee, but that’s not enough. I will teach you to handle yourself, but that won’t change me taking care of you.”
He traced his thumb down her jaw line, following it to her chin and pulled down on her lower lip until they parted. “Just let me take care of you. That’s what I do best, love.”
With his hands tangling in her hair, he leaned over and sucked her lower lip gently into his mouth. She tensed, wanting to fight against her need as well as knowing he was right. With gentle kisses, she relaxed and finally began to kiss him in return.
When he finally melted her resistance, he pulled back and looked in her eyes. “So, when are we getting married?”
Carlee let her head fall back when his lips left hers. “You're just not gonna give up on his wedding thing, are you? I told you, Peaches. I’m not going anywhere.”
She didn’t add that apparently he was the one going somewhere. She didn’t want to argue with him. At least this would give him some time to come to his senses. His eyes narrowed a bit, his head cocked to the side. His hand moved lower, then, as soft as a feather moved up her thigh to grasp her hip.
“You’re definitely not going anywhere, Buttercup. We can just stay like this until you marry me.”
She had to laugh. “You’re going to use sex against me? That's not playin’ fair. You know I could do the same for you. Well, maybe not. You already used it to get me to say yes. Using it again to set the date, well that is just playin’ dirty.”
Ryden chuckled as his lips came back down to hers, biting and nipping at her lower lip. His teasing sent chills through her. ”Me? Play dirty? Absolutely, baby. When it comes to you, I will use whatever tactics I need to get you to say yes.”
Watching him, again, she couldn’t imagine her life without him. Not a day, not a minute without knowing that he was there by her side and watching over her. She wanted to ask when he was shipping back out, but she couldn’t bring herself to ask that question. Not yet. Once she knew the date, she would only obsess over it until the day came. He was already there, in her heart and what was the sense in waiting.
“What are you doing this weekend?”
He didn’t so much as grin, it was more of a smirk as he leaned down and kissed her. Her hands wrapped around his neck to pull him closer. This was where she wanted to be, now and always.
She startled as the door opened and JT came back in, slamming doors and complaining about obnoxious females. One look into the living room had him growling.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake. You have a bedroom. Better yet, I have some work to do outside.”
The door slammed and rattled the house as he left. Ryden stood and scooped Carlee up, tossing her over his shoulder. “This weekend, huh? I have no plans. Guess I can wait that long for the world to know you’re mine.”
Epilogue
A secret meeting was being held in a secure facility not far from DC. Not all the parties involved agreed upon being in the same room at the same time. It was too risky. Those not present in the room participated via satellite. Everyone involved
in the Pack Warrior Project, PWP for short, knew what they were getting into when they signed up. This was not an organization that anyone left. This was lifelong commitment to the development of an elite soldier; a soldier to take the front lines in combat. Thousands of human lives would be saved.
The silence was broken by a gruff voice. “We know where Carlee O’Shannon is. The one thing Giannopoulous managed was to get the tracker injected before the wolf came and got her.”
Another voice broke in. “Those were not random wolves, sir. Those were two of our own, Coulter and Howard.
“I thought Howard was retired? These things need to be decommissioned in a more permanent manner before they’re discharged from service. It’s a hell of a lot easier to track them in the service than it is after they retire.”
The voices all ran together, talking at once.
“What is the connection between O’Shannon and the wolves?”
“Who gives a shit about O’Shannon? We have the DNA. That wolf healed her after a well-executed beating. We need to go after Coulter.”
“Carlee is still of use to me. I want her contained and unharmed. At least until after we find out what the wolf DNA can do for us as far as healing diseases.”
“That’s true. We need to at least keep up the front of the lab’s purpose of genetic studies for the cure of diseases. Of course, you know if this gets out, there will be those liberals that will say they are human. You can’t tell the difference by looking at them.”
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