discuss the Global Leaders situation. Besides getting our guys back, we need to destroy them."
"We've been working on that," Andre states.
"How?"
The doorbell chimes, and Blaise jumps up. "That will be Sloane."
Instead of inviting her in, he steps outside, and several minutes pass.
"What's he doing out there? She needs to come in and check on Zoe."
"Dirk," Naomi sternly says from across the room.
"What?"
"Relax. Give Blaise and Sloane a minute."
"Why?"
She tilts her head.
"Are they together?"
"Just calm down."
"Dirk, I'm fine. I haven't had any pain since I was standing up," Zoe insists.
I ignore all of them, quickly move to the door, and open it.
Blaise is kissing her, and I clear my throat.
Her eyes widen, and she steps back and into the bushes. "Ouch."
"Sorry to break this up, but the mother of my child is inside, and I'm freaking out, so could we focus on the patient?"
Blaise's eyes turn to slits. "Don't talk to Sloane that way!"
"It's fine. I'm sorry," she says.
"Don't apologize to him."
She jabs his chest. "You're the one that should apologize." She shoves past me.
"Sloan..." Blaise's face hardens, and he crosses his arms. "You need to cool it."
I shut the door. "Zoe is pregnant. A mob of people smashed into her stomach. What about that situation doesn't alarm you?"
He sighs and scrubs his face. "You're right. I'm sorry."
"What's going on between you two?"
"I can't get into it."
I peer closer at him and soften my tone. "Have you been taking care of yourself?" Blaise and I have been good friends for years. We were in boot camp together and in some ways closer than Andre and me. I'm too familiar with his struggles, but I figured out how to handle mine easier than Blaise did. And he's been in the war zone longer than me.
"Yeah, I'm good right now."
"Is Sloane your therapist?"
His jaw clenches. "She can't be anymore."
"Why not?"
He crosses his arms and doesn't say anything.
"Oh."
Client patient rules.
"Who's helping you if she isn't?"
"I'm handling things. And I'm not going back. My contract is up."
Good. It's about time.
"I'm glad to hear that. I didn't like it when you signed on for another tour."
"I'm done. I won't serve that evil monster anymore."
The U.S. President.
Zoe said he raped her. I want to kill him too.
You'll go to jail for treason.
"What did he make you do?"
Blaise closes his eyes then opens them. "You know I can't disclose anything."
I know it all too well. If Blaise is leaving because of obeying his orders, I can only imagine the demons that haunt him.
"Are you sure you shouldn't be seeing another therapist?"
"I'm good, Dirk."
"All right. If you need to talk—"
"Let's go see how Zoe is."
I don't push him anymore. We return to the main room, and Sloane is talking to Zoe and has her hand on her naked stomach.
"You're at the end of your first trimester?" she asks.
"Yes," Zoe replies.
"Pains can be normal. As your womb expands, the ligaments stretch. Sometimes hormones, constipation, or trapped wind, can also cause it. You aren't bleeding any more. From what you described, I would guess it's your bump growing."
Zoe's face lights up. "That's good then, right?"
"Yes."
"Can we do another ultrasound? I don't want to assume anything," I ask.
Sloane turns to me and smiles. "I can bring one around tomorrow if you like, but if she had one today and the other doctor wasn't concerned, there isn't a need."
"Will it put her or the baby in any danger to get another one?"
"No."
"Please do another one then."
"Dirk, I think you're overreacting," Zoe says.
"It's you. And my baby. I'm not overreacting," I growl.
Zoe signs. "You're acting overprotective right now."
"No, I'm not."
"Excuse me for being rude," she says to Sloane. Changing to Spanish, she says, "You’re being pigheaded and need to stop. I'm fine. Both doctors said the baby and I are healthy."
"You were smashed in the stomach," I bark out in Spanish.
"And I'm okay. Don't create problems where there isn't one."
"I'm not."
She switches to English and nicely asks Sloane, "Are you done examining me?"
"Yes. Unless you have any other issues going on?"
Zoe smiles and shakes her head. "I'm good. Thank you so much for coming over this late."
"Anytime."
She turns to Naomi. "Is there somewhere private I can talk with Dirk?"
Naomi points to a door.
Zoe rises. "You. Come with me."
I look at Sloane. "Please don't go yet."
She smiles. "I won't."
"Thank you."
Zoe and I go into the other room and switch back to Spanish.
"Dirk, you can't do this."
"What?"
"Freak out when nothing is wrong."
"You could have gotten killed. Or the baby could have died."