Page 29 of Storm Warning

Minutes later, Sorenson tugged off his rubber gloves and tossed them in the trash. “Have Violet check your back in a day or two.” He handed her a bottle of pills. “This is a stronger antibiotic than what’s in your Go bag. Take two a day until they’re gone. I also expect you to have a conversation with one of the Fortress counselors. Am I clear, Sloan?”

“Yes, sir. Thanks, Doc.”

He motioned for her to leave the room. “I have other patients who need me more than you do.”

She grinned and got out while she could. Riley went to the recovery room, prepared to grovel to her boss and perhaps to Andre for not telling him about the deep scratches, either.

The room was empty.

Oh, man. She closed her eyes for a second. Great. She’d have to face the music with Maddox and Andre in front of her teammates.

Riley squared her shoulders and walked to the kitchen. Sure enough, all of her teammates and their boss were eating in the dining area.

Andre saw her first and came to her. “You okay?”

She gave a slight nod. Would he call her out now? Icy dread filled her. “A few scratches Sorenson treated. A stronger antibiotic.” She paused, then sucked it up and took the plunge. “And Sorenson ordered me to talk to a counselor.”

Instead of expressing horror or disgust at the required counseling session, Andre nodded. “It’s a good idea.”

She stared. “It is?” What did that mean?

“Sure. Things that happened during the kidnapping may trigger deep-seated issues you thought handled and buried. All of us have them.”

He was the strongest operative she knew, always seeming to have it together. “Including you?”

“All of us. See if you can get an appointment with Marcus Lang. He’s a good man. I think you’ll like him. I do.”

A good enough recommendation for her. “I’ll try to set something up after breakfast.”

Andre threaded his fingers through hers and led Riley to the seat next to his. “What would you like? Sorenson ordered in some of everything you could want.”

“You should sit, Andre. You’re still recovering from a gunshot wound.”

When she tried to stand up again, he rested his hands on her shoulders and gently pressed down. “I’m already up, and I can handle carrying a plate of food for a few seconds.”

Right. She would be wise not to imply that her man was weak. The sooner she gave in, the faster he’d return with the food and sit down himself. “Yogurt with granola and strawberries.”

Soon, he returned with a tray containing a bowl of vanilla Greek yogurt, a container of strawberries, and a small container of granola. He had also brought a large cup of coffee along with a bottle of water.

“This looks amazing.” Riley smiled at Andre. “Thank you.” When he sat next to her, she glanced at him. “Are you going to yell at me now?”

His head whipped toward her. “Why would I do that?”

“I held something back.”

“Baby, your holding back tells me you don’t trust me. Yelling at you won’t change what takes time.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Disappointed. I had hoped we were past that stage.” He leaned over and brushed her lips with his. “I’ll have to work harder to gain your trust.”

“Do you have something to tell me, Marsh?” Maddox asked.

The conversation in the small dining room ceased, and all eyes were on Andre and Riley.

Andre looked at her for a moment, then appeared to decide something. He turned to his boss. “Riley and I are dating, sir.”

“How long has this been going on?”