too much trouble. Heck, pretend like you’re in love with her if you have to. Just keep her safe.”
Gavin flinched at the mercenary statement but chose to ignore it for now. “What about Caden?”
“He babies her. Caters to her every crazy whim. She has him wrapped around her little finger, and he will be of no use to me in this regard. Besides, he’d flat-out refuse.”
“Right.” Which was exactly what Gavin planned to do.
He opened his mouth to do so, when the general clasped his hands in front of him, the only sign he was running out of patience. “Look, I’m trying to keep her alive. She barely made it out of Afghanistan this time. If she goes back, it’ll be a one-way trip. I need you to make sure she doesn’t do something stupid like fight to prove the diagnosis in her medical—” He stopped.
Gavin felt sure the man’s definition of “Sarah stupid” differed from his. “So. Sarah was right. You had her diagnosed with PTSD and discharged.”
Only for a moment did the man look uncomfortable before his expression smoothed back into his unreadable façade. “She knows?”
“Once I told her about the diagnosis and discharge, that was the first conclusion she jumped to. It might have had something to do with the fact that you were there and dictating that she would be flying home instead of staying in the country.” He held the man’s gaze—and his own tongue. He wanted to say something to the effect that that information should have come from the general, not Gavin. “I’d say she knows you pretty well.”
The general winced. “I see.” He cleared his throat. “Well, it doesn’t matter. She’s not thinking straight. She can hate me as long as she stays alive—which is where you come in.”
“Why are you being so dogged about this? She’s a grown woman—and regardless of what you think, she’s quite capable of making her own choices.”
“But that’s just it. She’s not. She’s suffering debilitating nightmares.” He swallowed and looked away, even while his impossibly straight shoulders stiffened another fraction. “I saw her in the midst of several. She’s not well.”
“Sir—” He really couldn’t argue that. He’d seen the nightmares himself and they weren’t pretty. His heart had broken each time she’d awakened screaming and thrashing against an unseen force.
“And there’s one other thing,” the general said.
“What’s that?”
“Her kidnapping in Afghanistan may not have been a complete coincidence.”
Gavin went still. “What do you mean?”
The general blew out a low, almost inaudible breath. “I’ve been receiving threats,” he said softly. “Against myself only, nothing about my family. But . . .”
“But you’d rather be safe than sorry.”
He met Gavin’s eyes. “Yes.”
“Again, what about Caden?”
“I have someone watching him as well.”
Gavin hesitated, then asked, “What about Dustin? Could his death have been anything other than a suicide?”
The general’s granite features hardened even further. “No. There’s security footage from the roof that clearly shows Dustin jumping. But . . .”
“But?”
The general hesitated. “I don’t know. All evidence clearly shows suicide.” He shook his head. “I think I’m just questioning it because I don’t want to believe he could do something like that.”
“Are you investigating?”
The general shook his head. “No. That boy’s always had issues. I tried to help, but . . . no. He jumped. End of story.”
Gavin frowned. It was like the man was trying to convince himself.
A knock on the door interrupted them. The hospital chief of staff stuck her head in. “I’m sorry, General, but we need the room now. I hope that’s not an imposition.”
“Of course not. We’ll be finished in five minutes. Is that all right?”
“Perfect. Thank you.”
She ducked out again and the general turned back to Gavin. “Well? Can I count on you to help?”
Gavin gave a silent mental groan and nodded. The general smiled his satisfaction, but Gavin frowned.
Sarah was going to kill him if she ever found out. When she found out. Because she would. He stood. But if Sarah was truly in real danger, then he’d do whatever he could to keep her safe. “She deserves to know all of this, General.”
“Maybe so, but not now. When she’s stronger. I have some phone calls to make.” He strode toward the door. “Get me a coffee, will you?”
“Sure. I could use a cup as well.”
He and the general parted ways, and Gavin found himself in the coffee line, pondering the idea of acting as Sarah’s secret bodyguard. Then he pictured her finding out and shuddered at the imagined reaction. Yeah, that