Page 10 of Lethal Threat

When I haul to a stop next to him, he extends a hand. “Good to see you. Sorry for the reason.”

“What’s the latest?”

Cade’s expression turns to a grimace. “First, let me say, Sierra’s safe. Second, I want you to know that I’ve worked every angle I can. But… you’re not going to like this.”

My back stiffens as people swarm around us coming and going from the entrance. “What am I not going to like?”

He looks away. Lowers his voice to a terse whisper. “You’ve got to pretend you are Sierra’sfiancé.”

Whoa. Whoa. Fuckingwhoa.

Something very big has been lost in translation.

A rough sound comes out of my throat as shake my head. “Come again. Think I heard you wrong.”

My blood roars in my ears as I wait for him to enlighten me. When he doesn’t, I push him away from the hospital door so we can continue this insane conversation without people staring.

“What the hell?” I demand.

“You have to be engaged. That’s the only way the hospital will release Sierra to you. They told me it had to be family, and I got ahead of myself and said you were engaged.”

“No.” I drop my head back. “No, Cade. Just fucking no.”

“Yeah. I’m sorry. They wanted a blood relative or a husband. At least I didn’t say you were married. That would have been bad. They might have asked for proof.”

Blood drains from my head, working its way down to my feet in an icy river. “You’re serious.”

His mouth is pressed in a grim line. “You’re it. We got lucky they’re letting it slide.”

I grunt.Lucky.I beg to differ.

Cole rests a hand on my shoulder. “I tried to figure out another way. It’s a bit of a stretch of the truth.”

His hand drops to his side when I leap back. I pace a big circle. My neck feels like it’s going to snap from the tension. When I stop in front of Cade, I narrow my eyes. “Cade, you’re asking me to lie to.” I drop my voice to a hissed whisper. “Military hospital employees. To her commanding officer. To her. Lie to Sierra. I’m not okay with that.”

“I know.” He exhales roughly and mutters under hisbreath. “It’s not good. But we have to get her out. She’ll be placed in a mental facility.”

My hand is in my hair, fisting the ends. “Fuck. Not good.Notgood, Cade. This is really fucking bad.”

As she walks by, another woman scowls at me.

I offer her a grimace and silent,sorry,before I turn my angry stare back at my friend. “I don’t mind helping Sierra. You know I will do anything to help her and keep her safe, but this is reckless. It could hurt her. It could fuck both of us. You’re still active duty.”

He’s quick with his reply. “I know. It’s jacked. But no one knows about your breakup. She kept that stuff on lock. You left town. It’s clean and easy.”

“Christ,Cade.” I clench my fists at my sides and turn away. He had the nerve to say this is clean and easy.

Cade makes an ‘ah’ sound behind me. “Look, I have an idea. Before you leave the hospital, ask Sierra to marry you.”

I feel my jaw click, unhinge, and drop open.Propose?

I look around to see if I’ve stepped into some kind of alternate universe. Still in Norfolk. Still getting glared at by an elderly woman that’s waiting by the valet kiosk.

I spin around and stalk back to Cade. “That is the worst idea ever. In the history of the human species. Do you hear me?”

His hands come up in the universal peace offering pose. “She doesn’t remember the bad stuff. She just thinks you’re out of town and coming to get her.”

God. Bless.