Warrior Reborn (41 page)

“Trust me enough to tell me,” she whispered and pressed a kiss to his jaw.

He smiled as she sent his words back to him. Trust was a two way street and he trusted her more than just to make sure he didn’t fuck up as a father. He twined his fingers with hers. “I want to keep working with you after we find a way to stem the threat from Salvatore. We make a good team. Between us, maybe we can get in front of his plans. Maybe we can help Grimm tackle the virus that killed your parents’ generation. Or whatever else we’re needed to do. Because I get the feeling there’s never a shortage of work around here.”

“You want to work on research for our people?” Her shock dissipated into a slow, easy smile.

“Our child will be one of
our
people.” Jason smoothed a hand over her hip to her abdomen. “I’m not about to let that bastard, or anything else endanger its life. Or Marcus’s. Or any other child born to this race.”

Briet blinked. He lifted his thumb to wipe at the moisture pooling over her bottom lid. It was almost frightening to see the hope and happiness in her eyes. He planned to get really used to enjoying it.

“We make a great team.” Her hands stroked along his jaw bringing his face to hers for a tender kiss.

Reluctantly, he pulled back. “I know the contributions you’ve made on all the trials you’ve worked with. You seem to prefer being away from here. Will working here, together, be enough for you?”

Her eyes searched his face and he held his breath, though he saw only conviction in the set of her lips and the openness of her gaze. “I never minded being here. I just felt there was something out there for me. I felt frustrated not being able to contribute in a bigger way. Working with you fills the empty hole I’ve been searching to satisfy. I don’t care where we are.” She pursed her lips, then looked down and back. “Though I do need to finish my work with this trial.”

“I wouldn’t ask you to walk away.” He stroked his thumb over her lips, reshaping them back to relaxed and smiling. “But I still need your promise.”

“You’re big on the promising thing.”

“I know you’ll never break a promise to me. You’ll never let me down.”

Her lashes lowered, then she gave him a smile that pulled not only the luscious corners of her mouth, but meddled in fine, gentle creases framing her eyes. “Yes, we’ll come back here if I get pregnant.”

“If?” He tried for a tone of outrage but failed as she pressed her mouth against his shoulder to hold back her laugh. “I laid myself bare and you doubt my manhood. I think you deserve punishment.” His fingers danced lightly beneath her breasts and skirted over her stomach as she tried to retaliate against the tickles. When her hips shifted closer, her muscles squeezed slowly on his thickening erection. He was more than prepared to concede.

“Execution of the plan needs more practice,” she whispered as her teeth grazed his nipple.

“Ah—at your service, my lady,” he promised as he drew her closer.

CHAPTER 32

It had been six weeks since she’d lain helpless on the lab floor after her attack. Hard to believe. Briet glanced at the family lounge to gauge how many more children and their parents were waiting but the crowd was finally down to the last five for this time slot. Ten more patients and all the children would be finished with the injection of an inhibitor to counteract the DNA splice.

“Dr. Hyden. It’s good to see you back. You’ve already been back more than two weeks and I haven’t had a chance to catch up with you,” Max Harris said from behind her. “Heard you had a hard time of it. Hope you’re feeling back to normal?”

Briet gave Mario Sanchez a quick smile and pat on the shoulder, then turned to greet Max and accepted the hand he offered. His gaze lingered on her ring, but she spoke before he could comment. “Better than normal, actually. Thank you for asking. Have you come to see how the benchmarks are looking for the trial?”

Two days had been set aside for routine testing in conjunction with this round of protocol administration. That Jason had managed so quickly to schedule this new appointment with all the patients was no easy feat, but a necessary strategy for keeping Salvatore off-guard.

Briet caught a glimpse of Sagari’s smile over Max’s shoulder and fought an impulse to respond in kind.

“I’ve come to see if I can pull Dr. Thurmont away for a few moments,” he said, canvassing the sea of people behind her.

“Ah, I keep forgetting his change in status.” Though nothing made her happier than Dr. Sanyu stepping down and Ed Thurmont being offered the position to lead the trial during its final weeks.

“Would be an easier job if he gave up some of his other participation on the team. Not realistic, given he picked up Dr. Arnault’s patient load. I’m lucky to get any of his time,” said Max as he continued to search for a sign of Thurmont.

His tone and expression seemed sincere. A little fatigue was reflected on his face and he projected a good deal of distraction, but no shielded movements or hint of a covert agenda radiated from the man. According to Jason, Max was a decent person, just lacking in initiative. He followed orders. Ignored political inconsistencies when they arose, assuming a tunnel vision, heads-down focus on the business. The assessment matched her observations as well.

“How are you dealing with the changes within Welson?” she asked, not unkindly. Having the top tiers of the company shift was never an easy transition.

Max gave a quick shrug. “I was surprised to see Gault step down. Though, these days company executives are tied to incentives, not necessarily a company, so it’s really not that unusual.”

“What do you think of David Auster?” She watched the look of light speculation cross Max’s face but he nodded with enthusiasm.

“I’m surprised he was willing to come out of retirement. It’s lucky for us. He has a wealth of experience and with his resources and personal network, he can do a lot to move Welson in a positive direction. Have you met him?”

Briet nodded. “At the reception a few months back. He’s a genuinely nice man. I was impressed. I’m glad to hear he’s heading up Welson.” He had been the only nice man she’d met at that horrid reception. Welson was very lucky.

Max opened his mouth, but whatever he was going to say dissolved with the appearance of Thurmont, Jason, and Grimm. “So I can get some of your time, and yours as well, Jason? If you haven’t already stepped back in and handled the issues I was going to bring up to Ed.”

“He’s run a list by me and eased my schedule a bit. I definitely owe you for that.” Thurmont nodded to Jason and clapped a hand on Grimm’s shoulder. “I have some relief for Dr. Arnault’s patient load. This is Dr. Evan Grimwald. He’s agreed to assist us through the end of the trials.” Thurmont gestured from Grimm to Jason’s boss. “Max Harris, one of our Welson Laboratory points-of-contact.”

Max gave a quick glance to Jason, but shook Grimm’s hand without reservation. “Well, that was number two on my list. You are fast.”

“It’s what you pay me for,” Jason responded. “Are you ready to meet now?”

“Yes. Dr. Hyden, I guess congratulations are in order?” Max turned back with a pointed look at her hand.

“Thank you, Max.”

“I hope your husband knows how glad we are you recovered and the benefit you bring to the trial.”

“He’s very aware of her importance,” said Jason as he stared at her with obvious affection.

Max’s brow furrowed in momentary confusion. With a flicker of insight and a look to Jason’s ring finger, understanding hit. His eyes widened as he glanced between them. “I see. Congratulations to you both.”

Grimm gave her a quick look, but covered his expression as he rubbed at his jaw. Thurmont’s gaze flickered between her and Jason with a cross between a cough and a smile. She had already explained the situation to her team leader. Or more aptly put, she’d explained after Thurmont had walked in on Jason giving her a quick kiss one morning in the doctor’s lounge. She’d been more surprised at Thurmont’s lack of surprise.

Either way, she and Jason agreed it would be better to be open about their relationship given the short duration of time remaining in the trials. They had enough supporters that being honest would provide them more coverage than hiding.

Max, Thurmont, and Jason headed toward the elevators as Grimm moved closer.

“Grimwald?” she asked with a raised brow.

“It’s as original as Hyden.” He moved closer, his arms crossed over his chest and his head bent as if considering a conversation they might be having. To all concerned, they looked like business as usual. “What’s the schedule for Tsu?”

She turned back around to catch Mia withdrawing blood from Brian Paulsen. Quan, Mia, and Sagari were all present, filling in as on-call personnel for the lab techs who had
all
conveniently come down with a stomach virus. At least Grimm had been considerate enough to produce minimal symptoms for illnesses.

Training the three Guardians to take blood samples had been a little touch and go. After rounds of repetitious exercises, all leaving Ansgar’s arms looking like giant pincushions, they mastered the gentle art. They had also managed to oversee the delivery of the standard protocol, the inhibitor safely combined inside. Again, with Grimm’s help. No small feat.

“Frank’s team is waiting for word that we’ve finished with all of the kids before they move in with Tsu for destruction of the plant. His people have also confirmed their completion of delivery of the inhibitor to the last trial group on their list.”

“They were very efficient,” he said.

“You were all very efficient.” She marveled at his sense of understatement. He took no credit for working with Frank’s team over the last several weeks. Hundreds of people had been injected, on purpose and on the sly. Scary when she thought about how easy it had been to inject so many people with the inhibitor she, Jason, and Grimm had designed. Frank had insisted that in the subway, in the grocery, at the gym, people don’t always pay attention. A little prick was all it took to deliver the inhibitor and the team was gone before anyone was the wiser. He’d been right.

Fairly easy. This time.

Grimm glanced to the side. “This will wrap up all the patients infected?”

“That we know of,” she responded, not able to keep the concern from her voice.

“Jason is right,” he murmured. “You can’t save everyone. We’ll do the best we can. If more patients surface, we can provide a plan for them as well.”

“Yes, logical. I know.” She bit the inside of her cheek hoping there were no more. The starting gun had already been sounded with her return to work and the treatment of these patients. The destruction of the nanite plant would not go without Salvatore’s notice.

“We’ll run one more cursory check on these children when they come in next month for their last appointment.”

“You think he’ll activate the splice.” Not a question, she was looking for confirmation and his nod gave it. She wasn’t sure whether to be relieved or horrified.

“Given Salvatore’s temperament he won’t take destruction of the manufacturing plant well. However, from a practical standpoint, the threat will be over for these children. When he strikes, the inhibitor will activate and their risk will disappear.”

“He’ll go somewhere else. It’s not like we’ve had any success tracking him.” Briet took a deep breath to overcome the cloying feeling and almost jumped at Grimm’s hand on her arm.

“He’s not omnipotent, Briet. He will eventually screw up, and we’ll deal with him. Until then, we take this one step at a time. We take precautions and we live our lives.”

Practical. Logical. Frustrating. She caught a glimpse of Kaax by the service elevator and tried not to laugh. He and Kamau were functioning as orderlies, hanging on the fringes, adding strength and the occasional disturbance with a security camera. It was hard to blend two men, both over six feet and two hundred and forty pounds of muscle. Yet they worked quietly in the background without question or hesitation for this effort.

Had it been like this for her parents?

In a time when Guardians had a past, families, and friends, had they interacted as selflessly? She had no memory of her parents, but Ansgar and Turen both seemed confident in this direction, as if they had stepped back onto a familiar path. It felt right to her as well and the direction showed with confidence in Jason’s attitude, too.

If her patients could just make it to the finish line safely, she’d be satisfied. For now.

CHAPTER 33

Jason closed the file on his laptop, shut down his machine, then grabbed his jacket and headed for the door.

The last day of the trial was usually one he tackled with effort, the need to move on typically building for days from a challenge that no longer held luster. Not so this time or for the last several weeks.

The reason was working downstairs, going through final meetings with her patients.

Briet and Grimm were cataloging the trial results and reviewing post protocol procedures with their patients. Both had arranged for their patients to be accepted by another team, one recommended by Dr. Makai. The new team was experienced with children going through the next stage of recovery. More importantly, Briet felt confident enough to release her patients into their care.

Every bit of Jason’s focus was riveted to finalizing the outstanding issues so they could leave. He’d given notice to Max two weeks prior. His boss expressed no surprise after the news of Jason’s marriage. He’d been generous and extended an open invitation to Jason to come back to work with Welson whenever the need might arise.

Hopefully, never.

Waiting in the hallway of the children’s oncology wing, he looked through the glass window of the treatment room. Déjà vu and memories clung to him like tentacles. Only it wasn’t Annie in the treatment chair this time.

It was Briet swabbing Davis Randall’s arm. The child had laughed at her comments, despite the appearance of the needle.

Not even a full minute later the procedure was over, Davis’ arm fully outfitted with his selection of a glow-in-the-dark bandage and the comic book of his choice. Jason turned away from the boy, hoping to let Annie’s ghost fade beyond a whisper. She was a regret. One both he and Briet would always share.