Chapter Sixty-One

It was around eight o’clock the next evening when Rory found himself scanning the busy mess hall where they’d been having dinner. Thyra was nowhere to be found. Which irritated the hell out of him. All day, she’d been taking advantage of her ever-present guards, Jericho and Westlake, to find things to do away from him. It was almost as if she was trying to avoid him after last night.

To be honest, the little episode that morning had freaked him out a bit, too. So, when she’d gone with Jericho that morning to take another swim, Rory hadn’t objected. Nor when she’d taken a tour of the base with Westlake and the colonel. He’d figured the time apart would do them both good. Give them time to gain a little perspective on this strange thing that was happening between them. In a way he felt he’d been more intimate with Nina than with any other human being on earth…and yet, they hadn’t even made love. The whole thing was bizarre. And warranted a good, long think.

But enough was enough. He’d barely started his supper when she’d finished hers, got up, and promptly disappeared.

Where the hell was she?

Approximately fifty marines dressed in dark-green fatigues were gathered around metal tables eating. Thyra ought to stick out like a colorful flower in the midst of a desert. The knee-length blue skirt and lacy top she had put on for dinner had been designed to draw the eye.

He hadn’t liked the idea of her mingling with strapping young marines in that outfit, but he’d had no say in the matter. She’d announced she’d had enough of ugly clothes after wearing hospital garb for a year, then slipped into four-inch heels and sashayed out of their quarters.

Rising from his chair, he stepped away from the table he’d been sharing with the colonel and searched the crowd for Jericho. He found him guarding the end of the hall where the restrooms were located.

The other man caught his questioning look and jerked his head toward the corridor.

Rory nodded and went to see what was taking Thyra so long.

He found her the moment he rounded the corner. The corridor was empty except for her. Her body was strangely tense as she stared blankly at a well-used pay phone hanging on the wall.

With a frown, he waited for her to become aware of his presence. When that didn’t happen, he crossed to her and placed a gentle hand on her shoulder. “Thyra?”

She flinched and spun to look at him, startled.

He examined her face, which was too pale. “You okay?”

It seemed to take her a moment to recognize him. “Yes, of course. Why wouldn’t I be, sugah?” she said coquettishly, fluidly sliding back into her vamp role. She offered him a sassy smile and fluffed her hair. “Come on. I’ve decided to demonstrate to these poor soldier boys what real entertainment’s like.”

He raised a brow but followed her back into the mess hall. She made a beeline for a karaoke machine set up in one corner. Her sexy stroll made the skirt flounce around her knees and her high-heels clip cheerfully on the tile floor. The combination drew immediate attention from appreciative male eyes all around.

The whole thing left Rory with gnawing suspicion in his gut.

“Jericho,” he said, pausing beside the man. His eyes never left Thyra, who was talking to a young marine. Not standing a chance against her charms, the poor kid nodded eagerly and started to make adjustments on the DJ equipment.

“I’d like you to check out that pay phone and see if it received a call within the past half hour—or if one was made from it.”

“Sure,” Jericho replied, looking from Thyra—who had grabbed a microphone and struck a pose in front of the gathering crowd—to Rory’s contemplative face. “Trouble?”

“Don’t know yet. Get back to me ASAP,” he said before heading back to the table where the colonel waited.

Thyra was in her element, clearly reveling in the loud approval from the crowd as she started singing. She had a good voice. It was steady and sure, with just the right amount of smokiness to make it interesting. Nails flashing bright red in the spotlight, she stroked her microphone like a lover, every movement of her body overflowing with sensual promise. He found himself as captivated as the rest of her audience.

The attention of the predominantly male crowd was rapt, and she used it expertly. As the applause rose to a deafening crescendo, delight glowed on her face.

He couldn’t explain why, but he felt proud of her. And for the first time since meeting this very frustrating alter, he understood her true purpose and was able to appreciate it. She was Nina’s way of having some fun. To be able to play, or simply be herself, selfishly and wholeheartedly. None of the other alters possessed that ability, he realized.

And with that, he could finally let go of the annoyance Thyra so often inspired.

Watching her, a strange tension in his chest began to uncoil, and a sudden realization slammed into him like a sledgehammer.

Holy crap. He was falling for her.

All of her.

And that scared him shitless.