“Right there with you,” Dar muttered. “Hope it doesn’t take long at the hospital.”

There was a moment’s silence then Kerry cleared her throat. “Listen.

I’m feeling a lot better. They put some stuff on my arm and the doctor said everything else pretty much looked okay. Could we just go back to the hotel?”

Dar rolled her head to one side and peered at her. “You sure? That’s a nasty bump on your head. Might be better to have it x-rayed.”

“I can go back tomorrow,” Kerry argued. “You know it’s going to be packed there with all these people. I want to go tomorrow early anyway, to see Angie, but right now,” she hesitated, “I’d kinda like to just go to bed.”

A quiet room. A shower. A bed, clean clothes, and Kerry. Dar didn’t even stop to think or argue. “All right,” she murmured. “That sounds great to me.” She glanced over to where her mother was already dozing in her father’s arms and nodded. “The hotel it is.”

ALASTAIR LEANED BACK in his seat and blew out a long, relieved breath. “Damn, that was good news.” He glanced at his monitor, where responses were coming in acknowledging his announcement.

A denim clad admin seated across from him nodded. “Yes, sir, did you want to have an official statement made up? With the heavy presence, I’m guessing the press will be calling shortly.”

The CEO put his hands behind his head and grinned. “Yeap. I sure do want a statement. In fact, I want a couple of them. Got a sharp pencil?”

he asked. “Let’s start with the one about how relieved we are about our two very, very valued employees.”


400 Melissa Good The man grinned. “Gotcha, sir.”

“Then, I want one about how it doesn’t surprise me that one of...ahem… my employees turns out to be a hero.”

The admin stopped scribbling and glanced up. “Y’know, sir, this is going to be great press for us,” he said, earnestly. “Between this and the great stuff over the ATM crisis, our stock’s gonna go through the roof.”

Alastair chuckled softly. “You betcha, son. You betcha.”

THEY MANAGED TO get to their rooms without major incident, though Dar spotted several packs of reporters roaming in the main lobby.

She slid her card into the door with a sense of utter relief and watched the green light blink, then pushed the handle down and shoved the surface inward.

It was dark and quiet inside, lit with only one light, and the bed was turned down invitingly. The message light was blinking, but neither of them had any intention of answering it. Kerry trudged into the bathroom and turned the light on, then leaned against the doorframe wearily. “I’m going to need some help here.”

Dar had gone to their bags and was kneeling next to hers. She peered over her shoulder. “I figured.” She held up two pairs of pajamas.

“Mmm.” Kerry nodded. “Wish I had some hot tea to go with it. My throat’s raw.”

“Mine too,” Dar admitted. “How about you start the water, and I’ll have some sent up?”

“Deal.” Kerry turned the shower on and let it run over her good hand to test the temperature. It took a while to warm up, long enough for Dar to finish her task and enter the bathroom. “Almost ready.”

“Mmhm. Here. Let me get that off for you.” Dar carefully removed the sling, then studied her gauze wrapped arm. “You want plastic over that?”

“I guess.” Kerry swayed on her feet. “I don’t think I…oh, okay. Yeah.

That’ll work.” Dar unbuttoned Kerry’s shirt and slid it off and down both arms, taking care not to pull her injured one. “Ew.” She gazed down at her body, covered in dirt and smoke residue. “I look like I live in a garbage can.”

“Nah.” Dar unhooked her bra and removed it, exposing startlingly white skin against the rest of Kerry. “Remind me to send a nice note to…”

she glanced at the tag, “Hanes.”

“Tch.” Kerry fumbled with her belt. “I don’t think they had this in mind when they designed that model.”

Dar stripped her own shirt off and glanced down. “Hmm.”

Kerry glanced up. “Oh, shit, Dar.” She forgot about her trousers and focused her attention on the raw, vertical shallow slashes across Dar’s belly. “Where did you? Oh, wow. That must hurt.”

“Um.” Dar reached around and unhooked her bra, wincing as the fabric slid down and caught on a jagged cut just below her collarbone. “I Eye of the Storm 401

think I was crawling over that glass I broke down that first tunnel.”

“Jesus.” Kerry wet a washcloth and gently cleaned around the injuries. “Dar, you should put something on these. They’re going to get infected.”

“Later.” Dar unbuckled Kerry’s belt, undid her jeans, tugged them down, and pulled them off over her already sneakerless feet. “Glad we were wearing denim.” She patted one thigh, then slid a finger under the waistband of Kerry’s cotton underwear.

I should be way too tired to feel anything. Kerry closed her eyes briefly, as the familiar tingle worked its way up her body from its center in her groin. That must say something about us.

“Kerry?”

“Mmm?” She blinked her eyes opened to see Dar’s concerned look.

“Oh, sorry. Just reflecting…here, let me…” She managed, one handed, to undo Dar’s jeans and watched them slip down. “Ooo, are those new?”

“Yes.” Dar dredged up a weary grin. “C’mon. I have grunge in places even the biology books couldn’t find.” She pulled off her bright red briefs and helped Kerry step into the tub shower, letting the warm water wash over the both of them.

Twin sighs of appreciation emerged. Dar took the soap and a washcloth and set to work cleaning Kerry’s skin, rubbing very gently over the scrapes and bruises that liberally covered her upper body. “Does your neck hurt?”

“Yeah.” Kerry rocked her head back and forth a little. “And I’ve got a headache that would drop a manatee at two fathoms.” She took a little soap in her good hand and started to work on Dar’s tall frame.

They were quiet for a few minutes as they rinsed off, then Dar got some shampoo and carefully worked it into Kerry’s thick blonde hair, avoiding the lump on the left-hand side.

It felt so wonderful. Kerry moved a step forward and just leaned against Dar, nuzzling her chest as the water washed the soap away, taking the dirt and sweat with it. She stayed there while Dar scrubbed her own hair, then stepped with her outside the shower and let Dar towel her dry.

The room air felt cold against her skin as they left the bathroom and she stopped long enough for Dar to ease her T-shirt over her head, the soft fabric smelling of sunlight and cedar from her chest of drawers at home. Then Dar led her over to the bed, pulled the covers back, and guided her down onto the soft surface. “Easy.”

“Ungh.” Kerry slid under the sheets and put her head down, glad beyond reason to be still and quiet and comfortable. She closed her eyes and listened to the soft sounds of the room, hearing a faint knock, then Dar’s low voice as she answered it. The door closed and there was a soft clink as a tray was set down, then the sounds of liquid pouring and a spoon being stirred.

The bed next to her moved and dipped and she opened her eyes to see Dar seated next to her, damp hair slicked back, with a mug of steam-402 Melissa Good ing tea in her hands. “You’re pretty darn good at this.”

“Good at what?” Dar got an arm behind her and supported her as she took the mug.

“TLC.” Kerry sipped at the tea, which had a wonderful mint scent and a nice, sweet taste. It slipped down her throat and warmed her and she sighed in relief. “Here. Have a sip.”

Dar obeyed, then leaned back, letting out a long, exhausted breath.

The bombardment of people and emotions was over at last and she sat still for a moment, collecting herself with a weary effort.

But she found herself not wanting to think at all. She just wanted to lie here, with her arms around Kerry and block out the last twelve hours, setting it aside until her mind could deal with it.

Right now, that wasn’t an option. Dar shivered a little, not entirely from the chill air. She cradled Kerry in her arms and closed her eyes.

Hoping like hell she wouldn’t dream.

Kerry put her nearly empty cup down and snuggled down into Dar’s embrace, letting out a sigh and tugging the covers up a little around them both.

It was over.

She was safe.

For right now that was enough.


Chapter

Forty-three

WAKING UP THIS time felt like she was ascending from a deep dive, Dar groggily thought, as she slowly drifted up from a well of sleep that had been mercifully dreamless indeed. Half of her wanted to just sink back down into the pleasant warmth of the bed, but the other half was crankily aware of her body’s stiffness and it was poking her towards consciousness and movement.

So she reluctantly opened one eyelid and surveyed the room, noting the dim, gray light coming from the window. Rain. An even better reason to stay in bed. She rotated the eyeball towards the bedside clock and blinked at the red numbers displaying back at her.

Oh.

No wonder I feel stiff. I’ve been in the same damn position for twelve hours.

Dar peered down at Kerry, who was curled half on her side, with both hands tangled in Dar’s shirt and her head tucked into her shoulder. The blonde woman hadn’t moved much either, but her breathing was steady and regular and her skin tone had returned to its normal healthy state rather than the drawn grayness of the night before.

Dar remained still for a little while, just watching Kerry sleep and feeling the warmth of her friend’s breathing through the thin cotton of her shirt. Then the discomfort forced her to straighten out, stifling a groan as her back protested the motion fiercely.