Page 37 of Burn the World Down

She settled again and I flicked on the bedside lamp. Damn, her face. My chest constricted. It was so battered. There’d be more bruises tomorrow, and now her lip was split and her eye swollen. I was afraid I’d hurt her if I touched her.

“Her name’s Georgie?” Landon sat beside her on the bed. He opened his black medical bag.

He’d left his assassin career long behind, then whizzed through medical school in record time. Now, he put everything into helping others his own way.

“Georgiana Linden. Prettiest girl in Elk Falls, Idaho. My best friend’s sister.”

“Ah.” He started examining her. “Forbidden fruit.”

If Elliot could see her now, he’d lose his mind, then go on a rampage to punish those who’d hurt her.

I’ve got her, buddy.

Landon checked her pulse, then shone a light in her eyes. It always amazed me that those big hands—hands that had killed so many times—could be so gentle. I’d seen him give kids lollipops to stop their tears and make them giggle. I’d watched him calm the most frightened patient.

“Get some ice for her face, Nash. We need to get the swelling on that eye down.”

I nodded. I hated leaving her. After getting some ice packs from my freezer, I was back as fast as I could. I sat on the other side of the bed and pressed an ice pack to the side of her face.

She whimpered.

I gritted my teeth. I hated that she was in pain.

She was done being hurt. I wouldn’t let anything touch her ever again.

“Her pain hurts you.”

I glanced at Landon. He was watching me, curiosity on his face.

“Yes. I tried to stay away from her. After I entered the program…”

Landon and I were both products of the same CIA program. I’d been trained to be a lone, deadly shooter. He’d been trained with the blade, to take his targets out up close and personal.

I knew of all of us, Landon was probably the most dangerous.

“When I got out, I didn’t go home, I didn’t look her up.” God, how many times a day had I wanted to pick up the phone, to go home, to find her. “I didn’t want to…contaminate her.”

Understanding darkened his eyes.

“She was supposed to be living golden. Having everything she wanted, everything she deserved…”

Fuck, I wanted to punch something, or someone.

“We both know life doesn’t work like that. Sometimes the bad guys prosper, the good guys suffer.”

I touched her hair. “I won’t let that continue, not for her.”

My friend shot me a faint smile. “Good. We have the skills to balance the odds a little.” He reached for the hem of her hoodie and pushed it up.

I tensed. Landon was my friend, but I didn’t like seeing his hands on her. Anyone’s hands on her.

A growl I couldn’t control escaped my lips.

Landon cocked a brow. “Easy. I’m a doctor, remember.”

I watched as he palpated her stomach.

“I don’t detect any broken ribs, and no signs of internal bleeding, but we’ll have to keep an eye on her. Put an ice pack here too.”