Rising Storm (Westin Force #2) - Julie Trettel Page 0,37
running fast enough today. Pick up the pace,” Silas barked.
For the last mile of our run he had us at an all out sprint. My leg was burning from where I’d been shot. I knew I’d overdone it. It might even have broken the skin open again, but unless I was bleeding out, I wasn’t about to admit that to any of these guys.
By the time we were back at the Lodge I was regretting getting up this morning to join them. My leg throbbed and it took every ounce of stubbornness not to collapse or limp in front of them.
I took the first elevator since it was going up. They could wait for the next.
Silas stuck his hand out to stop the door from closing at the last second. “Briefing at eleven-hundred. If you can, try to make it.”
“Day off, remember?”
“Be there.”
I nodded. There was no point in fighting him on it because we both knew I wasn’t going to miss it. There was going to be a full update on Keeley and the breech that had led to our attack. I needed to stay informed on what was happening.
He pulled his hand back and the elevator doors closed. I hit my button and waited.
When I stepped off, I was limping bad, but without an audience I didn’t care. Well, not until I walked into the apartment. Emma was awake with the table set for breakfast. Her smiling face turned down the second she saw me.
“Does it hurt badly?”
I sighed. I could keep it from my team, but I could never lie to my mate. “Yeah, it does. I may have overdone it some.”
“Was Grant there?”
“Of course.”
“What did he say?”
“He doesn’t know, and I’d prefer to keep it that way. My team needs to know I’m healthy and capable. They depend on me. Do you understand?”
She frowned but nodded. “You can’t look weak to them.”
“Yeah, basically,” I admitted.
“But you’re hurt, and he’s supposed to be your healer. You should tell him.”
“Are you hungry? Or can it wait long enough for me to take a quick shower?”
She didn’t even try to hide her hurt over me basically dismissing her, but she didn’t say anything further.
I walked into the bathroom and turned on the shower before stripping out of my clothes. I looked down at the blood trickling down my leg.
“Shit.”
The door opened and Emma was standing there. I started to hide. I wanted to tell her to leave, but I couldn’t.
“You have to call Grant. He needs to stitch this back up. You need to spend more time in your gorilla.”
“I don’t want to be in my gorilla form, Emma. I just got you out of yours.” It was the truth. I was worried if I stayed in my gorilla long enough to heal properly that she’d turn back to hers too. I didn’t want to admit that to her, but I was terrified she’d still choose her animal world to a life with me.
She sighed. “Then you have to stay off it and let it heal at a human rate then. Grant’s going to have to stitch that up again. If you really don’t want to tell him, then at least call Clara to do it.”
“You’re right. Let me get cleaned up and I’ll call Grant.”
“Promise?”
“I promise.”
She didn’t leave as I walked into the shower. I gave her an amused look as she stood there watching me. Sometimes it was those little things that made it obvious how long she’d been away from humans.
“Are you going to stay and watch?”
“Yes, and be quick about it. You’re not leaving my sight until you’ve had Grant tell you you’re healed.”
No one had ever cared about me like that. I wanted to be irritated by it because I really didn’t want to be benched should we get a lead on where the Raglan had relocated to, but it was nice, and I knew I’d cave and do as she asked. I also suspected she really wasn’t going to give me a choice in the matter.
After my shower, I patched my wound enough to keep the bleeding at bay, and then convinced Emma we should eat first.
The second the dishes were done, she was on my case to call him. When I looked down and saw the blood had already soaked through the bandage, I knew she was right.
Begrudgingly I grabbed my phone and pulled up Grant in my contacts. “Hey, could you come up to my place for a few minutes. And,