Dominant Deception [Black Ops Brotherhood 3] (Siren Publishing Classic) (29 page)

“Stop it, Alex,” Jack said.

Alex turned a bit more serious as he went through the motions of checking Anna’s vitals and medications. Jack watched as Alex loosely tied the back of Anna’s gown and then looked at Jack with a wide grin.
When the hell did that come undone?

“I’m doing one more round of antibiotics in a couple of hours. Hopefully she’s turning around. This damn bug she’s got is very unpredictable,” Alex said.

“Have you heard from the CDC?” Jack questioned, knowing the answer but hoping for a miracle.

“No, it’s too early. I probably won’t be hearing from them for another day or so, tomorrow at the earliest.”

“What about the lab here?”

“They’ve got nothing they can identify. They keep trying, but her doctor knows what the hell he’s doing. The only thing they could identify was it possibly being bacterial rather than viral. That was good news. I’d never heard of this antibiotic. It’s new. It works good and quick,” Alex said he held up the bag of medication. He logged into the computer in her room and started to open her chart. “I’ve got to remember this one,” he commented to himself.

Jack said nothing as he thought about last night and how right Alex was.

“Speaking of her next of kin, we’ll have to call her family before someone thinks she’s gone missing,” Jack said.

“Yeah, we sure as hell don’t need that,” Alex snorted.

“No, we don’t. I dealt with Colonel Jackson. Whiskey and Mac can make the other calls.” Jack stretched.

Jack looked at Anna, sleeping peacefully for the first time since all of this had started, and swallowed hard. That was by far the sexiest kiss he’d ever experienced with his clothes on. He thought about what she did to him when she was healthy and shivered.

“I’m going home to take a shower and change. I’ll be back in an hour. If everything’s okay, you can go when I get back,” Jack said.

“A cold one?” Alex grinned.

Jack turned and looked at Alex.

“Say what?” Jack frowned.

“I know I needed a cold shower after taking off her clothes. Too bad she was unconscious. I sure as hell would have needed one if I would’ve slept next to her,” Alex said.

“I told you, enough,” Jack snapped.

“Oh, I’m sorry, Skipper. I forgot. She’s your
wife.
You got good taste, boss. She’s sexy and looks really good in red,” Alex chided.

“Jesus! Alex! She’s lying right there, for Christ’s sake. What the hell is wrong with you?” Jack demanded.

Alex waved his hand dismissively in Anna’s direction.

“At the dosage that morphine drip on, she’s knocked out,” Alex said. He sucked his breath in. “Hell, we could both have her and she would never know what happened. I could turn it up and we could have us a nice little party…”

Something inside Jack snapped. He stopped listening and started to get really pissed. It took every ounce of strength Jack possessed not to pick up and throw Alex through the glass wall that separated Anna’s room from the outside.

“I told you that was
enough.
That means shut the fuck up! As far as you or anybody for that matter is concerned, she
is
my wife. If I ever hear you talk about her that way again, I’ll rip off your fucking head, Senior Chief. You read me?” Jack growled.

Alex was visibly taken aback.

“I read you, Captain,” Alex said.

“If you can’t take care of her properly, then I’ll get someone else in here. I’ve got eight other medics. I’ll replace you with one that can do this job right.”

“No need for that, sir. I get it.” Alex looked back at the computer.

Jack turned and stalked out of the room.

* * * *

Alex stared at the space Jack had just vacated.

“Fuck me sideways!” Alex whispered.

Alex looked at Anna and returned his gaze to where Jack had stood.
Rock
never acted like that, especially when it came to women. Usually he would chime right in and have better comebacks.
What the hell just happened?

Alex replayed what he saw when he’d come in at four in the morning and saw Jack and Anna curled up together. He watched as Anna moved and Jack kissed her forehead in his sleep. Jack had held her as if he’d done it before. Alex brushed it off. Rock would have avoided her like the plague if he’d fucked her already.

Alex recalled his little fantasy from yesterday. He also remembered what had sparked it all. The guessing about what was under that red dress. At the reception, Mac had seated Anna in an empty chair next to Liz. Alex had been at that table and the chair separating Alex and Liz was the seat Anna took. He recalled the scathing look Mac had given him as he let his eyes run up and down Anna. He’d assisted the medical staff in removing Anna’s jewelry and clothes. He got to find out exactly what was underneath and it had been worth the wait.

Jack was a lucky man.

Brooke Army Medical Center, Texas

Trauma Intensive Care Unit

August 23, 2008/1945 Zulu

Beatrice Espinoza arrived at the entrance to the intensive care unit with Tammy. They were both very concerned and scared. When Master Chief McGuire came by to see Mrs. Espinoza, he’d assured her Anna was out of danger, but he didn’t explain the last two days. Tammy was angry when Commander Wilson had called and informed her of Anna’s status. Tammy wasn’t convinced and needed to see Anna to be assured that everything was indeed all right. Tammy’s intuition was nagging her because she just knew there was something else going on here.

Tammy opened the double steel doors and guided Anna’s mom into the ICU where Anna was being held. There were several rooms, so they went to for the nurse’s station in the middle of the ward ask for Anna. She and Anna’s mother were met by a blond man in scrubs. He smiled and introduced himself.

“Mrs. Espinoza, I’m Senior Chief Richards. I’m Anna’s nurse. Please come this way,” he said, addressing Anna’s mother.

Tammy frowned.
Senior Chief?
What the hell?

That wasn’t Army or Air Force. Most of the nurses in the military were officers. Tammy’s intuition was raw with suspicion, and she wouldn’t feel better until she talked with Anna. The Senior Chief led them to a room in the far corner of the ICU ward. There were no other patients in this section of the ICU. As the Senior Chief led them he started to explain.

“I’m sorry it took so long for us to notify you. We had to quarantine Anna until we were sure the virus she had wasn’t contagious. It’s pretty standard procedure,” he informed them.

My sweet ass!
Tammy’s Spidey senses were off the charts now. Something was indeed fishy here. Her suspicions were confirmed as soon as she walked into the room and saw Captain O’Malley sitting next to Anna’s bed.

Senior Chief and the captain
? This “nurse” was a Navy medic and by the looks of him probably a SEAL. Tammy said nothing as Captain O’Malley stood to greet Anna’s mother. These bastards were keeping the lid on something fishy here.

“Mrs. Espinoza. Mrs. Zerrachi? I’m Captain Jack O’Malley. Anna’s been looking forward to seeing you both,” Captain O’Malley said politely.

Both women looked at Anna, who was sleeping. Tammy could see that Anna’s mother was on the verge of tears. They were both relieved but worried. Anna looked really pale and very sick. There were monitors everywhere and medications seemed to be feeding into her from every direction. Tammy looked at Captain O’Malley.

“Why didn’t you call me when you brought her here?” Tammy demanded.

“You’re not Anna’s next of kin. I had you called because Anna asked me to call you,” Captain O’Malley said.

Captain O’Malley was staring at Tammy. It was the first time she’d seen him up close. Anna was right. He was dangerous. Damn, he was beautiful to the point of distraction! He looked at a woman as if he could strip her naked and fuck her silly with his eyes. She felt an unholy attraction to Captain O’Malley and refocused when Anna’s mother spoke to him. Thank goodness he turned away to look at Beatrice.

“I know the man who came to see me said she had a virus. What kind of virus? Is it gone? What will happen to her?” Mrs. Espinoza questioned.

“Frankly, that’s why she was quarantined. The doctors don’t know yet. But she’ll be fine,” Captain O’Malley said, taking Mrs. Espinoza’s hand.

“Are you taking care of her?” Anna’s mom asked.

“Yes. I’m doing everything in my power to make sure she has the best possible care,” Captain O’Malley answered.

Tammy watched in amazement as Anna’s mom melted under Captain O’Malley’s gaze.
That damn panty dropper is charming the panties off a seventy-plus-year-old woman!

“Maybe I can shed some light on what happened. The good news is the virus isn’t really a virus. It’s a bacterial infection. It spread really fast throughout Anna’s system and took her down in a matter of hours. We’re not sure where it came from, but she’s responded very well to the antibiotics and she’s stable. Things, right now, are looking better. If she continues to improve, she’ll be moved to a floor room and then released from the hospital,” Senior Chief Richards said.

“When?” Tammy demanded. This guy was just as good looking as the captain.
Shit! How did Anna concentrate all day?

“Ma’am?” Senior Chief Richards asked.

“When can we expect to see progress?” Tammy snapped.

“Anna’s made quite a bit of progress already. She’s stable,” Senior Chief Richards said.

“Mom?” Anna called weakly.

“Anna!” Mrs. Espinoza cried, turning around to face the bed.

Tammy likewise rushed to Anna’s bedside. The two women were on either side of Anna, talking with her.

“Mi hija, what happened?” Anna’s mother asked, stroking her cheek.

“I don’t know, Mom. One minute I was fine, the next I was here,” Anna said.

Anna looked at Tammy.

“I’m so glad you’re here,” Anna said.

“Anna, you didn’t feel bad on Thursday?” Tammy questioned.

“I guess I kind of did, later in the afternoon,” Anna said, looking at Captain O’Malley.

Anna and her mother continued as Tammy stepped away from the bed. She walked to Captain O’Malley and smiled.

“Can I have a word with you,
Captain
?” Tammy asked

“Please call me Jack. This way…” Captain O’Malley said with a smile.

Tammy and Captain O’Malley stepped outside of Anna’s room. As soon as they were out of earshot she turned on him.

“What the hell is really going on here?” Tammy demanded.

“Ma’am?”

“You heard me. What the hell is
really
going on here?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. It’s exactly like you were told.”

“Then why are
you
camped out here? I’m sure you have better things to do,
Captain
. And why is a Navy medic taking care of her? Is the staff here incapable?” Tammy questioned harshly.

Captain O’Malley smiled and looked Tammy directly in the eye. She wanted to melt under that penetrating green-eyed stare.
Damn! Captain Jack isn’t a panty dropper. He’s a panty magnet!
Focus!

“Anna has my undivided attention right now. And I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure she’s healthy again,” Captain O’Malley said.

“I know she was with you in California recently. What happened? Where did she go? What was she exposed to?” Tammy questioned.

Captain O’Malley looked into Anna’s room and looked back to Tammy. She almost didn’t grasp the subtlety of what he was
not
saying.

“Bullshit! If this is what you’re implying it is, she would have told me!” Tammy snapped.

“Tammy, may I call you Tammy?” Captain O’Malley asked, dropping his voice. Tammy was pissed and maybe even a little jealous as she glared in response. “I can promise you, Anna didn’t tell you everything about that TDY. We agreed
not
to talk. You’re not stupid. I’m sure you understand why neither one of us is saying
anything
right now. We can’t.”

“Did you do this to her?” Tammy demanded.

“No. I would never hurt her. And I’m doing everything in my power to make sure she gets the best treatment possible. You know as well as I do what that means.”

A captain in the United States Navy did indeed have a lot of
power.
Very few people would question anything Captain O’Malley did or said. A special operations captain had more authority and commanded more attention than the average captain or colonel would. Anna wasn’t only getting the best treatment. She was getting priority over everyone else. Tammy looked into Anna’s room and then to Captain O’Malley. He started to walk away. She grabbed his arm before he could get back into Anna’s room. He faced her.

“You better not be married!” Tammy snapped.