“But you’re retired,” I argued, exasperation creeping into my tone. “Whatever it is, just slow down and think about that for a minute. You can’t go storming off to the base every time something happens anymore.”
“When something goes wrong and SEALs get hurt, you can bet your bottom dollar that I’ll be there every goddamn time.” The door slammed behind us, but Dad still didn’t look back.
He ran up the stairs and into his room. Less than a minute later, he was fully dressed and marching into the garage.
As soon as I heard his car squealing out of the driveway, I yanked my phone out of my pocket. My heart was thundering in my chest, the icy tentacles of fear wrapping around my organs.
Logically, I knew neither Lincoln nor his best friend could have been among the SEALs who had been hurt. They were on suspension, so they were safe. There was no way they could have been involved in the incident.
I knew how close all these guys were, though. They might have their spats, disagreements, and whatever all else, but above all, they were brothers. If one got hurt, they all hurt.
For some reason, I wanted to be there for Lincoln while he was hurting. I’d never really understood that concept before, but I did now.
I needed to check on him, to hear his voice and reassure him. Then I had to figure out how the hell to be there for an alpha male who would refuse to show weakness in front of anyone, myself included.
But first, I needed him to answer his phone. When it rang out for the third time in a row, those tentacles sliced into me. No answer in a time like this was not a good sign.
Chapter 19
Lincoln
Rhythmic bleeps and the suck and whoosh of the ventilator kept me company where I sat beside Eden’s bed. My forehead rested on the starched white sheet tucked over his prone body. He hadn’t moved at all since he’d gone down. I didn’t know if he ever would again.
My heart felt like it was struggling to pump, like my blood was as thick as tar and refusing to cooperate. With my mind a vortex over the events of the past twenty-four hours, I couldn’t grab hold of any one thought for long enough to make sense of it.
Everything inside me felt dull, broken. What the fuck had happened?
How had it only been yesterday that Eden and I had gotten that call from the lieutenant to come to the base? Why had we rushed out despite that prickling in my damn gut? I should have known better. Hell, I did know better than to ignore my instincts.
And yet, I knew sending us in had been the right call. It was the chaos we’d walked into that had landed my best friend in a coma at the base hospital.
My eyes burned, but there were no tears to ease them. I hadn’t cried in years. I didn’t even know if I could anymore, especially not with this empty black hole inside me.
The room Eden had been placed in was small. There was one other bed, but it was mercifully empty. It smelled of chemicals and plaster in there, with a faint whiff of coffee coming in from the kitchen at the end of the hall.
Thick bandages covered half of Eden’s head, though I didn’t know why. In fact, I didn’t know much of anything about his state. The doctors and nurses had remained tight lipped since we’d arrived hours ago.
None of my requests for information had been granted. They’d hardly even looked at me. Regardless, I’d planted myself in the chair and hadn’t moved since.
While they’d been working on him, I’d sat and stared out the window in his room, trying to make sense of how everything had gone so fucking wrong in such a short space of time. The sky was the kind of blue that made people flock to the beach. Treetops swayed in a light breeze while the sun blazed down on the island.
It was the perfect day outside, and yet the hospital walls around me seemed to block that perfection from seeping in here. Nothing was remotely perfect within these walls. Not even remotely good, never mind perfect.
I sucked in a deep breath through my nose and was about to blow it out when I heard the door click open behind me. “Dobbs, we need you to step outside.”
The voice was deep and familiar. Turning to peek at the man I knew would be standing in the doorway, I didn’t even bother lifting my head off my arms.
Sure enough, it was the lieutenant commander in charge of mine and Eden’s cases. Those icy-blue eyes of his latched onto mine through the slat in my arms, and he arched a single brow.
This ought to be good.
“You need to come with me now, Dobbs,” he murmured with a flick of his gaze at my friend. I assumed he’d only lowered his voice out of respect for the sick and mending, not out of deference to me.
This was not the time to be obstructive or make any smart-ass remarks about the situation they’d sent us into, though. Even I knew that.
The breath I’d sucked in released as a heavy sigh as I got to my feet. With my fists clenched at my sides, I met the superior officer’s gaze. “Yes, sir.”
His eyes lingered on mine, a tiny crease between his brows the only break in his otherwise stoic expression. There were questions and confusion in the icicles that were his eyes, though, which I didn’t quite understand.
“Follow me,” he said, keeping his volume down and stepping out of the doorway. I left Eden’s door open just in case any of the alarms connected to him went off and left my friend behind reluctantly.
Just before I stepped out of the room, I gave him one last look and vowed I’d be back. No matter what. When—not if—he woke
