involved in keeping me there.”
She blinked. “A … .” prisoner ? Unbidden, memories bombarded her mind: a hidden door behind the shelving, a medical facility without patients, suspicious drills.
Poison.
She shoved the memories aside, and took a deep breath. Okay, there was definitely something going on here, but to allege that he’d been in prison for eight years? The facility hadn’t even been functioning for eight years. His story didn’t ring true.
Then she remembered that the facility was slated to become a PTSD treatment center. Her pulse kicked.
He could be a patient . This could explain the drills. Were they bringing in PTSD patients under the cover of the drills to keep them secret for now? She evaluated Eli with a doctor’s eye. To want to keep this man secret, he must have been involved in classified or black operations. There’s no way they would let a recently graduated medical student have access to his treatment.
Unless I prove that I can cut it .
Her eyes roved over Eli again, now seeing in him the possibility of securing her future career. This was it — her opportunity. She would treat him for PTSD, return him to Needles, and snag a position at the top of the newly turned research facility.
Her stomach twisted at the memory of all of those days running labs. She could do this. She had to. “Okay, Eli, I’m listening,” she told him, her voice smooth and professional.
His head snapped in her direction, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, and she mentally kicked herself. Her behavior could not drastically change; he would notice — as he just had — and distrust would stop the treatment before it began.
She decided to change tactics. “Why did you think I was involved?”
Eli’s eyes lost their light. “You said he was your boss.”
He?
Puzzle pieces fell into place. Major Taylor. In Eli’s mind, Major Taylor was some kind jailor keeping Eli at the facility against his will.
She had to make Eli feel like she was on his side, not Major Taylor’s. “Well, I’m not involved. I didn’t even know you were there, Eli. I would have done something if I had.” Like begin your treatment sooner.
He nodded. “I believe you. I’m sorry.”
She blinked at the grossly underwhelming olive branch. She had been through hell in the last twenty-four hours. Before she could stop it, the fuse on Abilene’s temper went off. “You’re sorry ? For kidnapping me. You’re sorry.”
He nodded again. For the first time since this whole nightmare began, he looked properly shamed. Unbelievable .
“Well, since Hallmark doesn’t make a card for that, I have a better idea for how you can apologize.” She leaned forward. “Take. Me. Back.”
He clicked his tongue. “See, here’s the thing. You are involved. It may not be in the way I first suspected, but your presence in that building was not an accident. I can’t let you go.”
She bristled, ready to rip him a new one, but he wasn’t done yet.
“Besides,” he’d adopted that too-casual tone again, “something has been … whispering at me since the moment I sensed your presence in that closet.” He eyed her. “It’s been saying that you belong to me. That you’re ‘the One.’”
He ran his fingers through his hair. She waited with dread for the next shoe to drop.
“Abilene, even if I wanted let you go, I don’t think I’d be able to.”
• • •
“I’m not alone here, am I?” he whispered.
She shook her head once. “I-it said that? That I’m ‘the One’?”
He nodded. “Sound familiar?”
“In the…I thought I heard — ” She swallowed. “I’ve heard it, too.” She paused.
“What does it mean?”
“Hell if I know,” he said. His eyes narrowed on her.
She flinched. “It’s not my fault!”
He glowered, angry all over again that she was invading his thoughts, taking over his senses. “You sure about that?”
Her grit returned in a flash. “Oh, this is just great! Yes, let’s add this to the
She blinked. “A … .” prisoner ? Unbidden, memories bombarded her mind: a hidden door behind the shelving, a medical facility without patients, suspicious drills.
Poison.
She shoved the memories aside, and took a deep breath. Okay, there was definitely something going on here, but to allege that he’d been in prison for eight years? The facility hadn’t even been functioning for eight years. His story didn’t ring true.
Then she remembered that the facility was slated to become a PTSD treatment center. Her pulse kicked.
He could be a patient . This could explain the drills. Were they bringing in PTSD patients under the cover of the drills to keep them secret for now? She evaluated Eli with a doctor’s eye. To want to keep this man secret, he must have been involved in classified or black operations. There’s no way they would let a recently graduated medical student have access to his treatment.
Unless I prove that I can cut it .
Her eyes roved over Eli again, now seeing in him the possibility of securing her future career. This was it — her opportunity. She would treat him for PTSD, return him to Needles, and snag a position at the top of the newly turned research facility.
Her stomach twisted at the memory of all of those days running labs. She could do this. She had to. “Okay, Eli, I’m listening,” she told him, her voice smooth and professional.
His head snapped in her direction, his eyes narrowing in suspicion, and she mentally kicked herself. Her behavior could not drastically change; he would notice — as he just had — and distrust would stop the treatment before it began.
She decided to change tactics. “Why did you think I was involved?”
Eli’s eyes lost their light. “You said he was your boss.”
He?
Puzzle pieces fell into place. Major Taylor. In Eli’s mind, Major Taylor was some kind jailor keeping Eli at the facility against his will.
She had to make Eli feel like she was on his side, not Major Taylor’s. “Well, I’m not involved. I didn’t even know you were there, Eli. I would have done something if I had.” Like begin your treatment sooner.
He nodded. “I believe you. I’m sorry.”
She blinked at the grossly underwhelming olive branch. She had been through hell in the last twenty-four hours. Before she could stop it, the fuse on Abilene’s temper went off. “You’re sorry ? For kidnapping me. You’re sorry.”
He nodded again. For the first time since this whole nightmare began, he looked properly shamed. Unbelievable .
“Well, since Hallmark doesn’t make a card for that, I have a better idea for how you can apologize.” She leaned forward. “Take. Me. Back.”
He clicked his tongue. “See, here’s the thing. You are involved. It may not be in the way I first suspected, but your presence in that building was not an accident. I can’t let you go.”
She bristled, ready to rip him a new one, but he wasn’t done yet.
“Besides,” he’d adopted that too-casual tone again, “something has been … whispering at me since the moment I sensed your presence in that closet.” He eyed her. “It’s been saying that you belong to me. That you’re ‘the One.’”
He ran his fingers through his hair. She waited with dread for the next shoe to drop.
“Abilene, even if I wanted let you go, I don’t think I’d be able to.”
• • •
“I’m not alone here, am I?” he whispered.
She shook her head once. “I-it said that? That I’m ‘the One’?”
He nodded. “Sound familiar?”
“In the…I thought I heard — ” She swallowed. “I’ve heard it, too.” She paused.
“What does it mean?”
“Hell if I know,” he said. His eyes narrowed on her.
She flinched. “It’s not my fault!”
He glowered, angry all over again that she was invading his thoughts, taking over his senses. “You sure about that?”
Her grit returned in a flash. “Oh, this is just great! Yes, let’s add this to the
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