Page 83 of Nowhere to Hide

Dr. Hansen backed up, the tool in her hand.

My breath stalled and I tried to drag in oxygen. He stepped closer and drew my arm back down to my middle, his long fingers brushing my naked belly. I sucked in a breath as he pressed his lips to my forehead. “Easy. We’re in the room. I’m here.”

“Right. Sorry.”

“Nothing to be sorry about.” Locke glanced at the doctor. “Just a little PTSD. Give us a second.”

The doctor nodded. “Take your time.”

“I’m fine. I’m okay.”

He tipped his forehead to mine. “Go ahead, doc.”

She stepped forward. It was a slow process, but Locke’s scent and his warmth grounded me. I tried to relax my leg, but each pop of the metal was jarring.

“Just two more. You’re doing great.” Dr. Hansen’s voice was even and soft.

“Two more and we can go for ice cream.”

The quick laugh whooshed out of me, and I couldn’t help tightening my fingers laced with his. “Ice cream sounds good.”

“Okay, you did great.” The doctor stepped back.

Locke stepped away from me, his fingers slipping away from mine and dragging along the skin of my middle. “I’m just going to step out for a second. Let you get cleaned up.”

“That’s fine.”

I think we both needed a second away from each other.

CHAPTER 17

LOCKE

I closedthe door behind me and paced away from the door.

I couldn’t leave her alone, but I needed to get my head back on straight. Ignoring her was easier on the boat because I could set her up with her books and her sunscreen then leave her to her own devices.

There was no where she could go.

Now, I just felt exposed.

I should have expected Leo to pull a stunt the minute I landed in Boston, but I hadn’t been prepared for him to show up himself. Maybe one of the guys on my team, sure. But Leo didn’t come out of his tower all that often.

He was happier wheeling and dealing with the major corporations we worked with. Jetting off to meet with heads of state or billionaire corporate CEOs. He didn’t bother with men like me.

I wasn’t sure what to make of that.

That he found something in the details I sent Nyx, or that I’d been gone long enough to make even the great Leo Kendrick come out to deal with me. Maybe a bit of both.

Now that I was evened out, I could get her back on the boat.

If she had a clean bill of health, we could head to Maine and get lost among the coves all around the rocky coast.

I’d deal with Leo and the crew later.

Much later.

I felt too exposed with her right now.