Drew
A gentle rocking of my body woke me, accompanied by a soft murmuring near my ear.
“You’re going to be just fine, angel. Just hang in there.”
Angel. The man had called me angel. Why?
I curled into him tighter, too tired to worry about the term of endearment from an unknown man. For the first time in six months, I felt safe, and if I was being honest, being in his arms felt right somehow. It was totally ridiculous, but I didn’t have the mental capacity to dissect my feelings.
I tugged Hunter more securely against my side, comforted by the warmth of his body, something I’d missed over the last six months. I’d seen him every week, held him for a few short hours, but nothing was like knowing he was there by my side. I’d never let him go again.
The man had saved my son without thought to his own safety. I didn’t know how you repaid that favor, but I would sure try.
The rocking stopped as voices became more distinct.
“Is she okay?”
“That’s the woman who helped us. How did you find her?”
“What did you do to her, Slater?”
“I didn’t do anything. She was shot running from the wreckage of the building she blew up.”
“Did you ask her how she did it? I’m dying to know.”
The man, Levi Slater, chuckled, his chest vibrating. “Oxygen tanks and Molotov cocktails filled with rubbing alcohol.”
“Dayum! She’s amazing.”
“Yes, she is.” The words were said so quietly, I wasn’t sure the other man had heard Levi reply.
I opened my eyes and peered into light-green ones, a look of concern on his face.
“Hi.” Lame, but what else was I supposed to say?
“Hi.” His lips twitched. “How are you feeling?”
I tried to sit up, but he held me tighter. “Exhausted. Sore.”
He nodded and let me sit up. I realized I was on his lap and made to move off, but he held me tight. Hunter was fast asleep, so I decided not to argue. Not to mention, I kind of liked being this close to him, even though I knew I shouldn’t.
“Don’t move too quickly. You’ve experienced a gunshot wound and shock. You’re going to be unstable for a little bit.”
Relaxing back against him, I took in our surroundings. The van door was open, and we were sitting in a parking lot of what looked like the back of a strip mall.
“Where are we?”
“Shadow Force Gym. And also our headquarters.”
“Gym?”
“It’s our cover. Or at least it was at one time.”
Sounded like there was a story there, but I didn’t have the energy to explore it right then.
“Are we planning to get out of the van? Or are we going to sit here all night?”
Levi chuckled and lifted me off of his lap and onto the van’s bench. He carefully leaned Hunter towards me before sliding out of the vehicle. He held out a hand, and I took it, letting him help me out. He reached back in and cradled Hunter in his arms. Hunter sighed in his sleep and curled closer to him. It seemed I wasn’t the only one taken with the man.
I was all about being an independent woman, but there were some times everyone needed a little support. I wasn’t too prideful to admit it. Once my feet hit the ground, I stumbled slightly, but Levi was right there again, one arm around me while the other held my son.
I hadn’t had a chance to really get a good look at him, but now, in the security lights of the parking lot, I was able to see him a bit more clearly.
He was tall. Really tall. Six three? Maybe six four? It was clear he took pride in his physique: broad shoulders leading to a narrow waist; legs that were obviously muscled and strong evident even under the cargo pants he wore. But it was his arms…
Okay, so sue me. I was an arm’s girl. Thick biceps bulged under the weight of Hunter’s body, clearly defined cuts and grooves. Forearms that were tangled ropes of sinew and cords of muscle held my son firmly in his grasp. His face was covered in black paint, but it couldn’t disguise the straight line of his nose, the jagged edges of his cheekbones, and the sharp cut of his jaw. He was a man’s man.
Levi cleared his throat.
Heat rose to my cheeks, and I pulled away from his one-armed embrace.
“Sorry.”
“Angel, you can look at me like that anytime you want to.” He grinned and placed his hand at the small of my back. “Ready to go inside and meet the team?”
I nodded, deciding to ignore his invitation to ogle him further. You’d think I’d never seen a gorgeous man before. But in all honesty, I was pretty much a recluse. I had a private lab and worked with a select group of people, and most of the men were either married or not my type. So, I guess it had been a long time since I’d seen a man with this much appeal.
We went through a back door to the facility, walking past a giant, cage-like ring with folding chairs surrounding it. I practically tripped over my own feet when I saw it and was greeted by the low rumble of Levi’s laughter.
“We’re an MMA gym. We host large fights sometimes, so we have an industry-size cage.”
“Do you fight?”
Slater shook his head. “Not anymore. I used to. Was pretty good at it, but I’m getting too old to take that many hits to the head.” His smile told a different story—one of love and passion for a sport he thought it best not to compete in anymore.
“You love it.” It wasn’t a question. The answer was clear on his face.
“Yeah, I do. Cade, my right-hand man, and Ryder, our computer whiz, are both pretty amazing fighters. Oscar’s not too bad either. Cade could have gone pro, but he joined the DEA where we both worked together, and when I started SF, he came to work for me.”
“You were DEA?”
“A few years ago.”
Interesting. I’d wondered what kind of organization Shadow Force was and had decided they were mercenaries of sorts, but knowing that Levi and this Cade guy were former DEA lent a little bit more credibility to the operation.
We made our way through a standard gym area with workout machines and free weights on one side and a line of punching bags on the other.
“I’m guessing you’d like to get cleaned up? And Lydia should be arriving soon to look at that arm.”
“Lydia?”
“She’s a nurse practitioner and the wife of one of our operators, Cruz. She’ll be by to make sure you’re recovering and won’t need a blood transfusion. I’ll also have her look Hunter over just to make sure.” His phone dinged in his pocket, and he adjusted Hunter’s weight so he could pull it out to look at the screen.
“Speak of the devil. She just pulled in. Come with me.”
We turned to our right, stopping in front of a glass wall with a single door. Behind that was a metal panel with the kind of security you’d expect to see in the Pentagon. A bio scanner and key swipe were needed, which Slater maneuvered single-handedly, then took a step back to let me enter.
I don’t know what I expected. Sterile walls with desks lining the room? Prison cells? A torture chamber?
Instead, I was greeted with a warm and inviting space. A living area with a big-screen TV, an open concept with a bar separating the kitchen from the common room. Black leather furniture made it evident that the main occupants of the space were men.
Levi led me to a room a few doors down the hallway. He opened it and allowed me to walk inside.
“This used to be Jolie’s room. You’ll meet her soon. I only have the queen-sized bed, but we can look into getting a cot for Hunter.”
“No, this is fine. After six months apart, I’m happy to have him close by my side.”
Levi walked around the edge of the bed, pulling back the covers, laying Hunter down on the soft sheets. He murmured in his sleep, his eyes shooting open for a second. “Mama? Mama?”
I scooted across the bed and placed my hand on the side of his face. “I’m here, baby. I’m here.”
Hunter sighed and closed his eyes, falling back into a deep sleep.
“We can keep the door propped open and the bathroom light on in case he wakes up while Lydia is taking a look at your injuries.”
“Thanks.”
Levi flipped on the bathroom light and left the door slightly ajar. I followed him back into the living area and sat down on one of the comfy couches. He left for a moment before returning with a pillow. He placed it behind my head and then sat down next to me on the couch, lifting my feet and placing them on his lap. Removing my shoes, he tossed them onto the floor, his warm hands on my bare skin sending tremors up my spine.
The door to the space opened, and a young woman with dark hair and a voluptuous figure rushed in, a black bag in hand.
“Hi.” She had a comforting smile on her face as she sat down on the coffee table next to me. I saw her eyes flit to Levi and his hand on my feet. “I’m Lydia Ortiz.”
Lydia stuck out her hand, and I shook it.
“Drew. Thanks for coming.”
I felt Levi stiffen next to me and glanced over to see what had happened. His face remained stoic, and he nodded to Lydia. “Thanks for coming by.”
“Anytime, Levi. The rest of the guys okay?”
“Yep. Not a scratch on them.”
“Just the way I like it. Now, let’s look at that wound.”
Lydia examined my arm that was thankfully still numb from where the EMT had stitched me up. She took my vital signs and then took out a vial and needle.
“Okay if I take a little blood? Just want to make sure everything is okay.”
“Sure.”
She prepped my arm and stuck me with the needle then proceeded to finish her exam. Sitting back on the coffee table, she crossed her arms over her knees.
“Doesn’t look like you need any blood. Your color is coming back normally. You’re probably a little dehydrated, but I’m sure Levi here will pump you full of fluids. You need rest. Lots of rest.”
I nodded, not necessarily agreeing to her instructions. “Would you mind checking my son, too?”
Lydia smiled, and I instantly liked her. She just had such a warmth about her. “Of course. I can do that now or check him out in the morning if he’s sleeping. Unless you have reason to believe he’s injured.”
I shook my head. “No. He didn’t seem to indicate he was hurt anywhere.”
“Okay, then. I’ll come back by in the morning. Please, get some rest.”
“I’ll try.”
I started to stand when a wave of dizziness washed over me. Levi was there in a flash, his arms coming around my waist to steady me.
“Whoa, there. Let’s get you in bed and then tomorrow you can fill us in on what you’ve been doing the last six months.”
Fear washed over me, a sense of dread creeping inside me. When they found out what I did, would they still help us? Would they send us back to our home, unprotected?
I knew when to accept help, and the situation was definitely one that called for help. I was no match for Los Caballeros on my own, and I knew I had a responsibility to stop the madness he was planning.
Lydia got to her feet.
“Levi, I need to know about the others. Tonight.”
“The others?”
Levi faced me, helping me stand on my own two feet.
“We were able to rescue seven people from the bunker.”
Relief poured over me. I had meant to ask what had happened to the patients, but with so much going on, getting shot, and rescuing Hunter, it had slipped my mind.
“What about the others?”
Lydia crossed her arms over her chest, the earlier friendliness waning as her suspicions about me pushed to the surface.
“They’re in bad shape. Any idea what’s wrong with them?”
I needed to tell them about the antidote to a virus they didn’t understand. An antidote they didn’t know existed.
“Yes. But it’s a long story, and I’d rather not tell it several different times. I think it would be best if we met with the team now.”
Levi sighed, shaking his head, resignation clear on his face. He didn’t like it, but he knew they needed answers sooner rather than later.
“Fine. We’ll meet with the team in here. Lydia, would you mind grabbing a blanket from my room for Drew?”
“Of course. I’ll grab a Gatorade from the fridge as well.” She smiled sweetly, placing her hand on my upper arm, her earlier friendliness returned. “You need the electrolytes.”
Within fifteen minutes, I was cozy under a blanket, a Gatorade in hand and staring at a group of individuals who looked as if each one could take on the world and come out on top with little effort expended. Once everyone was seated on the chairs or on the floor, Levi sat down next to me, not placing my feet in his lap this time, I noticed, but he was still close by. I curled my feet closer so he’d have more room. He was a big guy after all.
“Everyone, this is Drew. Um, do you mind telling us your last name?”
This was it. It was time to put my trust in this team of operators. I said a silent prayer that I was doing the right thing and took a deep breath.
“My name is Dr. Drew Bellamy.”
A hush fell over the room. One man was typing on his computer furiously, until I said my name, and he stopped, staring at me with so much intensity I was afraid he could see all the way to my soul—the one that very much needed redemption.
“You’re Dr. Bellamy?” he asked.
I nodded. It was a ridiculous question, since I’d just shared my name with them, but I figured they’d heard of me before.
“Well, this is an interesting surprise.” Levi leaned back against the couch, his arms spread out beside him, and eyed me with a touch of suspicion and possibly even a little disdain. It was the disdain that bothered me.
“Why is it a surprise?”
“We thought you were a man,” Ryder jumped in. “Was that intentional? I mean, when you chose your pseudonym, did you purposely make it so that it was unclear whether you were male or female?”
“I didn’t choose my first name. That was my mother’s doing. So, no, it wasn’t intentional per se. But it has come in handy.”
“What’s with all the secrecy?” Levi kept his voice level, but it was clear in the slight edge that tinged it that he wasn’t happy.
“The stuff I usually work on is pretty high-profile. I learned many years ago that some people in the industry can be tremendously cutthroat. I didn’t want my son to be exposed to that. So anyone who works for me must sign an NDA to keep my identity and location secret. How did you find out my name?”
“I came across it in a secret chat room. Rumors were spreading of your disappearance. It was about the same time the Cabs would have started work on the virus. We put two and two together and came up with four.”
I wasn’t sure if it was comforting or disconcerting that they had the ability to find out that much information about me. But I found reassurance in the fact that they’d not been able to find out my gender at least. It wasn’t much, but it was something. However, I figured it would have been just a matter of time before they’d discovered that and a whole lot more I’d hidden away from the world.
“Is that what happened? Did you disappear to go work for The Vicar?” Levi asked.
“In so many words, yes.” I lifted my chin. I knew what they must think of me, and I wondered if my story would have Levi calling me a devil rather than an angel. “But it wasn’t exactly like I had a choice. Not a real one.”
I glanced behind me at the door that stood open where Hunter slept. Levi didn’t have a child—that I knew of. If he did, he’d have no doubt why I’d done what I’d done.
“Why don’t you fill us in on the parts we’re missing.”
It wasn’t entirely an olive branch, but I comforted myself with the fact that they weren’t turning me over to the FBI. At least not yet.
“I’d been working on a certain project, a vaccine for a new strand of virus found in Africa. The company was huge, with worldwide reach. I never take security for granted, but that night I was tired. So tired. I’d let everyone else go early and had asked my nanny, Olivia, to stay longer with Hunter.”
Speaking of Olivia, I reminded myself to ask Levi what had happened to her. I’d passed out shortly after my reunion with Hunter and hadn’t seen her. I hoped she was safe.
“I rarely missed Hunter’s bedtime, but I was so close to figuring out a problem I’d been having. I locked up the lab, and stepped outside. It was a clear night, not a cloud in the sky.”
I shivered remembering the cold chill that had swept across my body.
“I was just ten yards from my house when I felt a presence behind me. I whirled around, but I wasn’t quick enough. Someone grabbed me, pricked me with a needle, and within seconds I was out.”
Being taken like that, having someone inject a foreign substance into your body without your consent, it was altogether unsettling.
“When I woke up, I was strapped to a chair. Vicario and Rubio were there. Told me if I wanted my son to live, I would do exactly as they said.”
The fear I’d felt on learning that The Vicar had Hunter rose up inside me, but I pushed it back, determined to get my story out.
“Matias Vicario had purchased a black-market virus. The bubonic plague. Only, that wasn’t good enough. He wanted it mutated. Resistant to typical antiviral medications. It’s deadlier. Quicker. And not airborne. That was the other stipulation. He wanted to be able to control who was infected and who wasn’t. For some reason the mutations make it especially lethal for young people under the age of thirty-five. Vicario was delighted with the results. I asked to be released once we finalized the virus about three weeks ago. But he said no. I needed to create an antidote.”
“Did you? Create the antidote?” Lydia asked, leaning in with bated breath.
“Yes. But I didn’t tell him. I’ve been biding my time, slowing the disease in the patients you rescued enough so that they’d have time to make it. I already had enough blood on my hands, and I was tired of so many dying. But I didn’t have a choice. He had Hunter.”
On one hand, I felt ashamed for my role in creating the virus. People had died, innocent people, at the hands of my science and Vicario’s evil. But on the other hand, would any mother sacrifice her own child? I was highly doubtful that they would.
“Maybe I was selfish. But I thought if I could do what he said until I could reach out for help or escape, then I could get the antidote in the right hands and still save my son.”
“Can you recreate it? Or is it still at the lab?”
“The Vicar doesn’t know I know the formula for the antidote. And I didn’t write it down and leave it. I committed it to memory. Yes, I can create it.”
Lydia’s face relaxed, a breath exhaled that told of a woman who truly cared about other people.
“On one condition.”
All eyes were on me, and I thought I detected a little disappointment in Levi’s. For some reason, that bothered me, but I didn’t have time to tiptoe around these people.
“What condition is that?” Levi asked.
“You keep Hunter safe.”
Relief seemed to wash over him as he nodded. “Of course.”
I didn’t know why I implicitly trusted the handsome stranger, but I did. Levi struck me as someone who gave his word and kept it.
“Thank you. I don’t know how to repay you.”
“Help Lydia cure these people.”
I nodded. That I could do.
“I need paper and pen. You might be able to use some of the platelets from the patients since we don’t have the main DNA source I used to create the first antidote. She escaped. Thank God.”
“If you’re talking about Ivy, she’s my wife.” One of the men spoke, and I turned my gaze on him, recognizing him for the first time.
“You’re Oscar.”
“I am.”
“I wondered what had happened to you and Ivy. She’s your wife?”
“Yes. Thank you for your kindness. You kept me alive when I thought there was no chance for me. If it hadn’t been for you, we’d both be dead.”
Tears pricked my eyes as I remembered Oscar’s bruised and bloodied form and collapsed lung, and Ivy’s pleas to help her. I’d wanted to set them free, but all I could do was my best to keep them alive.
“I’m so sorry. I never wanted to hurt you. Never wanted to hurt Ivy.”
“We know that. Ivy will be glad to help with the antidote, but she is pregnant, so I ask that you are careful.”
“Congratulations. And she shouldn’t have to do much more than donate blood once in a while. Once we get the strand going, we’ll be able to keep it alive for some time.”
I took the paper and pen that Lydia held out for me. She looked at the list of necessary equipment and items we’d need in order to recreate the antidote, and nodded.
“Get some rest. I’m going to need your help at the clinic later today. I’ll go ahead and draw Ivy’s blood and get started on this formula. Once you’re rested, we’ll finish up and give it to our patients.”
“Thank you, Lydia.”
“No, Drew. Thank you.”
Levi stood, officially dismissing the meeting. “Okay, team. Get some shut-eye. Sunrise is in a few short hours, and I need us all on our A-game tomorrow. We’ve got a terrorist to catch.”
The team filtered into several of the other rooms, a couple leaving out the door we’d entered through earlier that night. Lydia was the last to leave; she hovered as if she had something else she wanted to say. Finally, she took a deep breath.
“I don’t blame you.”
I sucked in a breath, too scared to hope for some sort of absolution for my part in this disaster.
“For what?”
“For doing what you had to do to keep your son alive. None of us would have done it differently. But I know you care. It wasn’t easy for you, losing so many patients.”
I choked back the emotions bubbling up inside me and shook my head.
“No, it wasn’t. It goes against everything I swore to do with my life.”
Lydia nodded, as if she understood what I’d been through, the sacrifices I’d made, the decisions I regretted.
“I’ll see you in a few hours?”
“Of course.”
When she was gone, Levi stood and held out his hand for me. I took it, and he pulled me up, our chests inches away from each other.
“You okay?”
I nodded, keeping my gaze firmly on his throat. He tilted my chin, forcing me to look at him.
“She’s right. Every single one of us would have done the exact same thing in your situation. And now you get the chance to make it right. Forgive yourself.”
I blinked back the tears, but there were too many, and they overflowed, pouring down my face.
“Hunter. Is that a family name?”
I sniffed, wiping my eyes, and shook my head. “No. But it’s a long story.”
“One I hope you’ll share with me sometime. Let’s get you to bed.”
Levi took my hand in his, pulling me behind him.
I took in the small room where Hunter slept. It was sparsely decorated with a TV, bed, dresser, and nightstand. A plain navy and white comforter covered the bed, but there was a faint fruity scent, and I remembered that Levi had said a woman named Jolie had stayed in this room. She hadn’t been at the meeting tonight, but then again, it was well after one in the morning. As if Levi could read my thoughts, he offered up an explanation.
“This was Piper’s and then Jolie’s room. Piper is Cade’s wife and one of our operatives, but she’s busting at the seams right now with child, so she won’t be back on duty for a while. Jolie wasn’t at the briefing tonight as she’d already gone home, but she’ll be by to meet you tomorrow. She’s married to Ryder Blake, the computer guy.” He sighed and pushed a hand through his hair. “And Lydia is married to Cruz, and of course you already know that Ivy and Oscar are married.”
“Sounds like one big happy family. I look forward to meeting Piper and Jolie.”
“You might change your mind about that.” A teasing glint sparkled his eyes as his mouth pulled into a smile. “Jolie especially can be… a bit overwhelming.”
“I’m sure I can handle it.”
“Famous last words.” His smile fell for a moment, and he opened his mouth to say something, then stopped. Finally, he sighed heavily and took a step back. “I’m right down the hall if you need anything.” He pointed to a door at the end of the hallway. “Good night, angel.”
“Night.”
I stepped inside and closed the door, a small smile on my face.
I could get used to being called angel by that man. Perhaps the thought should have scared me, but instead it made me feel just a little warmer inside.