Page 94 of Lieutenant

They settle me in my new room and I sip more of the crappy shit.

But hey, not puking!

Owen calls a little while later to talk to us before boarding his flight to California, and then Carter climbs in bed with me, where I cry myself to sleep.

* * * *

Apparently, starvation is a bitch and a half on a body. When I awaken again, I’ve missed Owen’s call before he boards the flight in LAX by fifteen minutes.

Carter tries calling him for me, but it goes to voice mail.

But…he’s on his way.

He’s coming.

And, apparently, Connie, George, Allen, Collin, and I are the center of a world-wide media storm.

A good one, but a crazy one.

Carter, thankfully, has already crafted a statement for me and issued it through the communications department.

Daddy, of course, gave a presser.

Yeah, okay, I’ll give him that one.

Based on my blood work, they up how much of the nasty electrolyte shit I can drink. It’s supposed to be cherry-flavored, I think, but it just tastes like sort of sweet ass.

Not evengoodass.

But my mind feels reallyclearfor the first time in days. I’m…

“Carter.”

He cocks his head. “Yes,pet?” The eyebrow goes up.

I give him eyebrow right back, and he finally folds first with a sigh. “Yes, Suse?”

“He can’t pull out.”

I know damn fucking well he knows what I mean, yet I can also see from the look on his face that he considers pretending that he doesn’t. Finally, “We can talk about thatlater.”

“No, we talk about itnow. I’ll be back to work in a couple of weeks.”

“Likehellyou will.”

“Carter.” I fumble and finally get my finger on the button to raise the head of my bed. “We’renotpulling out.”

He stares at me, long and hard, before his shoulders slump. “Okay, pet,” he softly says. “I won’t let him pull out.”

“Thankyou,Sir.”

He leans in and gently nuzzles my nose. “You sooooo owe me a fucking spanking when you’re back in shape, you know that?”

I smile. “I’ll even let Owen spank me, if he wants to.”

* * * *

A few hours later, there’s a knock on the room door, and Carter speaks up. “Come in.”