Page 18

CHAPTER

FIFTEEN

KARLIN

K arlin hurried into the dining hall, wishing desperately for a cup of coffee. Maybe even an espresso. She didn’t actually like espresso, but it did seem like a more efficient way of getting a lot of caffeine into her body as quickly as possible.

For a brief second, she thought about how she might be able to hide an electric kettle and instant coffee in her staff sleeping cabin next time before remembering that there wouldn’t actually be a next time.

Not if she and Axel got their way, and not even if they didn’t.

Soon, she’d be free of this place and free of their draconian anti-caffeine bigotry.

She’d planned to be here early this morning, hoping that Axel would have had the same idea, giving them a chance to catch up alone before the day started.

But for the first time in recent memory, she’d overslept.

A lot. Ned had actually had to knock on her door and wake her up, no doubt having been dispatched by Bajwa to do so.

She grabbed a cup of tea, a banana, and a bowl of oatmeal before rushing over toward the table where the others sat, including the boss himself, who was calmly sipping herbal tea and looking annoyingly well-rested.

Axel was with the rest of the guests, looking about as exhausted as she felt. He caught her eye as she slid in next to Bajwa, and she could tell by his expression that he was relieved to see that she was okay.

Had he been worrying about her?

She felt a flash of guilt. Maybe he had been waiting for her when she finally went to bed, after all. Not that there was anything she could do about it now.

Bajwa was already talking to her about his plans for the day, but the first moment that he paused and looked away from her, she turned and offered Axel the sweetest smile she could muster. She hoped it was clear to him that ‘I’m sorry’ was what she meant.

He returned her smile with a wink. She was pretty sure that all was forgiven, and for some reason, it made her feel all warm and giddy inside.

She couldn’t deny it.

It was kind of nice having someone worry about her for a change.

Even if it was only because she’d hired him to do it.

Though how that explained his shameless flirting, she had no idea.

She couldn’t wait to get away from Senera and find a job in some new lab, where she could find her next scientific breakthrough in peace.

Men were way, way too complicated.

ASHER

Asher tapped his fingertips against the table impatiently as he waited for the others to finish their breakfast. All morning, he’d found himself struggling to sit still.

It didn’t help that he’d slept terribly after that wolf had woken him up, and it helped even less when he’d had to take a freezing cold hike down here to the main retreat area before sunrise to avoid being seen.

He’d expected Karlin to reach the dining hall early, too, but when he saw her, it became obvious that she’d slept as poorly as he had. Something had kept her awake and away from their meeting. Probably Bajwa.

She had dark circles under her eyes, and for the first time since he’d met her, she had her hair in a slightly crooked messy bun rather than a sleek ponytail.

Not that it took anything away from her striking features.

He was pretty sure it would take a lot more than being tired to make her look anything less than gorgeous.

He’d stolen several glances in her direction as she ate, but her expression bore few clues to how she was feeling or what she was thinking.

Finally, Bajwa finished his own food and got to his feet, ushering everyone to get up and move in closer. Asher did as he was told, but already he was halfway tuned out. He had heard so many Bajwa rah-rah sessions that they were starting to blend together.

“This morning, I will spare you the preamble,” Bajwa said, grinning broadly as the group of patients gathered around him. “At sunset, you will take your first dose of DX8!”

Lily and Cora started cheering, and Asher tried his best to match their enthusiasm.

Paul and Destiny clapped along and smiled, but he could see the uncertainty in both of their eyes.

He sent up a silent prayer for them both that they would come out of this retreat unscathed, both physically and spiritually.

Once again, he found himself curious about what had drawn them here in the first place, despite their obvious misgivings.

“What will we be doing until sunset?” Lily asked as the applause died down. Asher stood up straighter, his interest piqued. There were a lot of hours ahead before the Texan sun slipped below the horizon. Maybe he’d get a chance to slip away and talk to Karlin alone after all.

But when Bajwa spoke, his hopes were immediately dashed.

“We have a guest yoga and meditation instructor visiting us today,” he said, looking down at his watch. “She should be here momentarily, actually. Her name is Tourmaline Kelly, and she’s going to help you all prepare spiritually for this exciting new experience.”

“Her name is Tourmaline ?” Asher asked, unable to contain the snort that escaped him.

Karlin’s gaze in his direction was easy to read this time. Actually, he’d call it more of a glare.

“Yes, and she’s very good at what she does, Mr. Bishop,” Bajwa said, raising a single eyebrow. He reminded Asher of his high school principal, who he’d gotten to know very well during his four-year sentence.

Before he could say more, Destiny cleared her throat.

“Excuse me, Dr. Bajwa?”

He looked away from Asher and turned to the woman with a smile. “Yes?”

Destiny glanced at the rest of the group before clearing her throat a second time. “I don’t want to be a pain, but as a Christian, yoga makes me kind of uncomfortable, and I didn’t realize that it was going to be a part of this retreat.”

Paul nodded, but said nothing. Bajwa’s smile froze on his face, and Karlin’s expression, as usual, was impossible for Asher to read.

Cora rolled her eyes and tucked a strand of wavy brown hair behind her ear. “Group unity is important,” she said. “No offense, but I don’t think your personal religious beliefs should get in the way of that. Not that I’m, like, against Jesus or anything.”

Asher noticed Ned standing off near the buffet, seemingly listening in.

As soon as the man caught Asher looking at him, however, he grabbed a couple of empty tea mugs and shuffled into the kitchen. Weird. Was he simply interested in a little drama to brighten up a mundane morning, or was there some other reason he cared what they were doing?

“I’m not interested in trying to preach at anybody or judge anybody,” Destiny said, looking slightly pained. “It’s just–I didn’t know, that’s all, and now I’m in a weird position.”

Paul finally spoke. “I agree, Doc. I don’t like none of this New Age stuff. I came here to take part in scientific medical research, nothing more.”

Once again, Asher felt his own personal convictions warring with the demands of his profession. He wanted to speak up in defense of Destiny and Paul, but he also had to stay under the radar as much as possible.

Fortunately, Lily intervened before he was forced to make a decision.

“I don’t think there’s any reason for this to become a point of conflict,” she said, reaching over and patting Destiny’s shoulder. “I don’t think anyone here disagrees with Cora that group unity matters–”

She paused for a moment, giving everyone a moment to nod in agreement.

“–but I don’t think that pushing anyone to do something they’re uncomfortable with is going to do anything but make their DX8 journey more stressful. And if a couple of people in our group are stressed, it’s going to rub off on everyone else.”

“That’s a good point, I guess,” Cora said, crossing her arms over her chest. She didn’t look entirely convinced.

“I should have made it clear to everyone that yoga and meditation were going to be included,” Karlin added. “I apologize. I don’t want to force anyone into doing anything they didn’t really get a chance to consent to ahead of time.”

Bajwa nodded. “We will take everyone’s feedback into consideration for the next retreat. In the meantime, it’s my job to balance everyone’s interests for the good of the whole.”

“So what do you suggest?” Cora asked.

Bajwa paused for a moment, scratching at his chin with a fingertip. “I do think everyone should stick together, but anyone who isn’t comfortable joining in with the yoga or meditation sessions may simply sit quietly, read, or pray on their own if that would be helpful to them. Any objections?”

Everyone but Cora shook their heads immediately. She rolled her eyes again before finally acquiescing.

Asher was in no place to argue, but he struggled to hide his annoyance at being forced to join in.

Sitting in silence for most of the day sounded insanely boring.

Furthermore, he was losing what would have been a prime opportunity to snoop around, or better yet, to talk with Karlin before the DX8 session began.

He followed the others as they headed outside. Cora pushed her way to the front of the group and started talking to Bajwa and Karlin. He was curious to know if she was still complaining, but he found himself hemmed in by Lily, Paul, and Destiny before he could find out.

“Thank you for sticking up for us back there,” Destiny said, giving the older woman a bright smile. “I really don’t like to rock the boat, but I have to listen to my conscience.”

“Totally, man,” Asher said, nodding. “Follow your heart and all that.”

He cringed. He hated that advice, but it had been the first thing that popped into his head.

“I really hope yoga is the last of it,” Paul added. “If they try to get me readin’ tarot cards or touchin’ crystals, I’m going home.”

Destiny nodded. “Same here. The idea of taking DX8 has challenged my faith enough. I don’t want to worry about anything else.”

“I guess I haven’t had to think about it in those terms, myself,” Lily said with a smile. “I’m not really religious. But I do think a lot of the hippie stuff is kinda silly.”

Asher chuckled. “Don’t take this the wrong way, Lily, but you kinda look like you’d love all the hippie stuff.”

She reached over and swatted him playfully on the bicep. “Oh, hush. I like the seventies style. Just not the drug obsession. Or the free love.”

Asher made a face. He didn’t think Lily was old enough to have been involved in the party scene during that era, but still.

Ew.

Not an image he needed in his head.

At that moment, he noticed that Karlin had hung back a little from Bajwa and Cora. Clearly, he wasn’t going to get to speak to her alone before tonight, but he’d take what he could get. Asher sauntered up to her, catching her gaze.

“Hey, Ms. Kenna?”

The rest of the group was still close enough to hear him, so he couldn’t say much. “Can I trust you to keep me safe on DX8 tonight?”

She paused for a long moment as a bird cawed overhead, wheeling toward a gnarled tree that stood nearby.

“Yes. I promise.”

She held his gaze without faltering.

There was something about the way she looked at him sometimes that he couldn’t put his finger on. It was clear that she saw so much more than she let on. That she dug into people, trying to figure out what made them tick, and he was no exception.

It kind of freaked him out.

He grinned at her, offering one of his trademark winks that annoyed women everywhere.

“I trust you,” he said.

And despite the fact that she was still little more than a stranger, he did.