going to recruit her like he did.”
“So when she disappeared, why didn’t you go in after her? Get her out before they messed with her head?”
“We tried.” He sat back, his massive arms lifting up to drape over the back edge of the couch. “But we weren’t sure where he had her stashed. He’s a cagey old bird-no one in Washington plays poker with Thomas Flynn without a few extra cards tucked up their sleeve.”
“Sounds like you ended up playing without any extras up
Casper nodded.
Ryan glanced up at the clock. Forty-five minutes and still no word.
“She’s going to be fine, son.” Casper fished around in his pocket for some change and then walked over to the soda machine. He stuck the coins in the slot and they jingled merrily on their way down to the collection box. He pressed one of the panels and a cola dropped into the bin below. “Want one?”
Ryan shook his head.
The tab on the can popped under Casper’s thumb and the carbonation hissed in the quiet room. “When I finally discovered where they had her stashed, I sent in one of my best agents. He was killed by one of their operatives when he and Tess drove through the fencing at the center. She managed to slip away.” His eyes met Ryan’s. “She was lucky when she met up with you. I’m positive that she survived because Flynn was too spooked to just yank her away from you. He was determined to convince you that she was insane and belonged in an institution. He was too invested in her programming at that point to allow her to get away from him.”
“Why didn’t you just go in and shut the whole operation down? This is America-torture and brainwashing experimentation aren’t supposed to happen here.”
“Don’t be naive, Ryan. None of that experimentation was ever sanctioned by the United States government. And I wanted her out of there alive. Once she was with you and the two of you were on the run, we were able to swoop in and shut the center down. But Flynn was smart. He covered his tracks. We had no idea what he had planned.”
“What about the brainwashing she’s been through? Do your experts have any thoughts on that?”
Casper sighed. “I have a team of doctors in the wings willing to help her through this.” He glanced up at Ryan. “Although the head of the team mentioned that you’ve obviously already made headway in that department. Said you’ve somehow managed to interrupt the programming that Bloom implanted.”
The door to the waiting room opened and a young man in green scrubs stepped inside. “Which of you is Ms. Ross’s husband?”
Before Casper could speak, Ryan stepped forward. “I am. How is she.”
The surgeon stepped forward and shook his hand. “I’m Michael Keely, I worked on Tess.”
“Ryan Donovan.”
The surgeon’s gaze swung over to Casper, his question unspoken.
Ryan quickly introduced Casper. “Ken Casper. An old family friend. How is she?”
“She’s doing well. She’s currently resting in I.C.U. She’s kind of groggy, but that’s to be expected.” He rubbed the back of his neck and moved his head from side to side, as if releasing tension from his shoulders. “I had to remove her spleen, and I had to do some minor repairs in the surrounding area. But other than that she’s recovering nicely.”
“Can I see her now?”
Keely nodded but held up five fingers. “Five minutes. No more. She needs her rest and you look like you could use a shower and a few hours of sleep, too.”
Ryan indicated he would agree to the conditions with a quick nod of his head. He’d have agreed to anything as long as it meant he’d get to see her, to hold her again. He glanced at Casper, checking to make sure he was free to go to Tess.
Casper waved him out of the room.
RYAN HAD BEEN in enough Intensive Care Units in his lifetime to know what every beep, bell and flashing light meant. And like most physicians, an I.C.U. held no great mystery. He recognized them as places were life and death struggles were played out, no different than the ones played out on psychiatric units.
But no amount of training could have prepared him for the dread of knowing that someone he loved was on the other side of those familiar doors. Suddenly it wasn’t just
Tess’s room was the last one on the end of the huge horseshoe-shaped hall. The sliding-glass door leading to her private room was open, but the curtain was pulled. The low, steady beep of the heart monitor filtered out to him, and the simple act of hearing her heart beat with life sent relief through him.
He pushed aside the curtain and stepped inside. The sight of Tess on the bed was like an emotional punch to his midsection. She lay with her eyes closed, her lashes an inky fringe across pale cheeks. Her lips and skin were the color of ivory, almost blending with the starched whiteness of the sheets. Someone had pulled her hair back from her face, making her appear even younger and more defenseless. Seeing her that way tugged at his heart and made him feel even more protective.
A nurse stood on the other side of the bed, adjusting the IV. She glanced up and then reached down to lightly touch Tess’s shoulder. “You have a visitor,” she said.
Tess’s eyes fluttered open and she turned her head. The breath he’d been taking stalled in the back of his throat, stunned into submission by the startling clarity in her eyes. And at that moment, Ryan knew it would always be like this. For the rest of their lives, he’d walk into a room and find himself brought to his knees by her incredible beauty.
He swallowed hard. What would he have done if she hadn’t made it? If he’d been left behind, never to see or touch her again? He knew deep inside what would have happened. He would have died a little each day he was alone.
“It’s about time you got here. I’d about given up on you.” Her lips stretched into a slow, teasing smile, but he didn’t miss the fatigue, the pain in her eyes.
“Hey, there, beautiful, you’re the one who ditched me. Last time I saw you, you were leaving the reception with two E.M.T. flunkies.”
Her grin widened slightly and she reached out a hand. “Do I detect a touch of medical snobbery in your voice, Doctor?”
Ryan laced his fingers through hers, soaking in the coolness of her skin and willing his own body’s warmth to seep into hers. Her grip was weak, but he hung on, sure he’d never be able to let go again. “No, not snobbery. Just plain old-fashioned jealousy.”
“I didn’t think they were going to let you in.”
He leaned down and pressed his lips to hers, hoping that the kiss would disguise the trembling in his voice. “Wild horses couldn’t have kept me out.” He leaned closer and whispered in her ear. “Besides, I lied and told them that I was your husband.” He pulled back and grinned at her.
Her smile, so sweet and poignant that it made Ryan’s heart ache with need, widened, and she reached up to touch his cheek. “That’s a pretty big commitment. Sure you can handle it?”
He covered her hand with his own. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.” He turned his head and kissed the center of her palm. “Besides, I don’t plan on ever letting you out of my sight.”
Her smile faltered and her lids drifted closed for a brief second. Ryan pulled back, worried he was tiring her too much. But she hung on, tightening her grasp.
She reopened her eyes. “Did you know that it was your voice that rescued me? That kept me from shooting?”
“I hoped that was the case, but I wasn’t sure.”
“I heard you through all that noise and yelling and hung on. I cleared everything out of my head until all I could hear was your voice and your words.”
He stroked several strands of hair back from her face, loving the soft feel of her skin beneath his fingers. Had he ever loved anyone as much as he loved her? Ryan didn’t think it was possible.
Tess pulled his hand closer and rested her cheek against it. “Remember that day we met, and I told you I didn’t need you? That I didn’t need a doctor?”
