Total pages in book: 158
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 145803 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 729(@200wpm)___ 583(@250wpm)___ 486(@300wpm)
“Well, whatever you’re thinking, don’t,” Rainier said. “You mess with that girl, do you have any idea what kind of hell you’ll bring down on your head? It’s best just to leave her alone.”
“Is she yours?” Briac asked.
Vienna couldn’t help laughing. She tried to cover it up, but was unsuccessful. “I’m sorry.” She knew her voice gave it away that she wasn’t. “Raine might shoot Rainier in the middle of the night if he bossed her around the way he does everyone, although I don’t know. Maybe not. It’s difficult to predict what she’ll do in any given situation.”
“It isn’t just my people, Doc,” Rainier said. “Yours as well. She stubs her toe and there’s going to be hell to pay from both sides.”
Vienna sobered immediately. She hadn’t thought of that. What did that mean for Raine’s dating life? What man would risk bodily harm trying to date her? It would be difficult enough just trying to keep up with her intellect and outdoor skills, let alone worrying about her military connections. Vienna hadn’t thought of the problems Raine’s dates might encounter, but no doubt Raine had.
Briac shrugged, although Rainier couldn’t see him. “Who Raine chooses to hike with isn’t anyone’s business but hers. You might consider that I’m about to dig into your leg with a really sharp instrument before you reply to me.”
Vienna liked not only his sense of humor but also the fact that he wasn’t intimidated by the warning. She watched him work. She’d worked with a good many doctors, both in emergency rooms and in surgery rooms, and recognized that he was very good. The military had sent one of the best they had to help out.
It took some time to find the tiny piece of rock left behind in Rainier’s leg. Briac triumphantly pulled the bloody sliver out and dropped it into the tray. “It always amazes me how much damage a tiny foreign object can do to our bodies when the initial bullet wouldn’t have caused that much of a problem. You were lucky, Rainier. This is actually a piece of rock.”
“Yeah, the bullet was a through and through and didn’t hit anything vital, but it ricocheted off the boulders we were in. Two of them maybe before it actually hit me. Hurt like a mother. I had quite a few pieces of rock embedded in the back of my leg. We weren’t going to come here to the women, but then we needed Vienna to check the damn thing.”
Vienna watched as Briac closed the wound with tiny, precise stitches. She didn’t know why, because she did trust the doctor, but she felt responsible for Rainier. Zale had to keep his eye on the biggest threat—Gage—and he wouldn’t know exactly what Briac was doing. She would be able to see if Briac attempted to introduce anything out of the ordinary to the wound. He did give him a hefty shot of antibiotics and placed a bottle of pills on the end table.
“Take all of them. You know the drill.”
Rainier made noises that could have meant anything.
Vienna cleaned up, gathering all the used bandages and gauze, putting them in the hazmat bag the doctor had with him. He would carry it out of the Airbnb so there was no evidence left behind.
Briac stood up and stretched. “Be a little careful with that, Rainier. Don’t just jump back into action right away.”
Vienna pulled a sheet over Rainier and followed Gage and Briac out of the room, uncaring whether or not Zale would be upset with her. The doctor had done a really stellar job, and if he wanted to talk to Raine for a moment before he left, she was going to see to it that he was able to do so.
“How is Rainier?” Harlow asked as Vienna emerged.
“He’s doing fine. He did have a sliver of rock in him. The doc found it and thankfully removed it, otherwise that infection would only have gotten worse.”
Shabina’s brows drew together. “Is he supposed to take antibiotics?”
“Yes,” Briac answered. “I gave him a shot and left pills on the nightstand. He has to finish all of them.”
Harlow heaved an exaggerated sigh. “You know those doctors. They never do anything they’re supposed to.”
Briac laughed, his gaze fixed on Raine. “I’ve never been hiking in the Sierras before. I’ve hiked in Europe and managed Shasta but haven’t had the opportunity to do any hiking in the Sierras. I’ve been hoping to get out that way soon.”
Gage edged toward the door, but had to stop when the doctor didn’t follow him out.
“The Sierras are beautiful,” Raine said. “Absolutely beautiful. I could email you some of our favorite trails to hike if you’d like.”
Zale came up behind Vienna. She knew he was there without him saying a single word. There was a powerful energy he exuded. He stood close enough that she felt his body heat. “She walked right into his trap,” he whispered against her ear.