Kristi coughedher way through her introduction to Elizabeth Shields and Gabriela Marquez. Elizabeth showed her how to work the shower, gave her shampoo, conditioner, and a comb, while Gabriela, who was close to Kristi in size, went to get Kristi something to wear.
Kristi stepped under the hot spray, trying to breathe deeply, the albuterol from the nebulizer treatment making her shaky. The water ran dark, smoke and dirt and dust, washing down the drain.
We’re safe now. We’re on our way home.
It was hard for that thought to sink in, some part of her on guard, waiting for the worst to happen.
She finished her shower. It was good to be clean again, the stink of smoke gone. The steam and the nebulizer treatment together had reduced her coughing. She dried off and found panties, a T-shirt, and jeans waiting for her, folded neatly on a chair.
She dressed, combed her hair, and stepped out of the small shower room to find both Elizabeth and Gabriela waiting for her. It was the first female company she’d had since she was abducted. Maybe that’s why she broke down.
She told the two of them everything from the moment she’d been abducted to the moment she’d recognized Thor’s voice, leaving out the sexy parts and her feelings for Malik. The two of them listened, both seeming to understand—how afraid she’d been, how unsure of herself she’d felt as she’d dragged herself through the ventilation shaft, how she couldn’t seem to believe she was truly safe.
“Both Gabriela and I have survived abductions.” Elizabeth took her hand. “I was kidnapped by a terrorist who would’ve slit my throat if not for Quinn. Gabriela was taken captive by a Colombian drug cartel for a week. We both know what it’s like. It will take some time, but you’ll get through this.”
“You don’t have to go through this alone.” Gabriela handed her a tissue. “You’re part of the Cobra family now. You saved one of ours from thosecabrones, and Malik loves you. You can call me or Elizabeth any time you need to talk. I’m still blown away by the fact that you made a Molotov cocktail and set the warehouse on fire.”
Elizabeth smiled. “Says the chick who gunned down the head of the Andes cartel and a bunch of hissicarios.”
Kristi gaped at Gabriela. She was young and small like Kristi. “You did that?”
Gabriela nodded. “That’s a story for another day. I think Doc wants to see you.”
Kristi followed the two women back to the infirmary, where Doc stuck the pulse oximeter on her finger. “Ninety-six. That’s better.”
“How is Malik?” Kristi saw that he was sound asleep.
“I’m pretty sure he’s going to need surgery. He’ll be laid up for a while. I’m hoping he won’t have permanent damage.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m told you started the fire to stop them from roasting Jones, so thankyou.” He pointed to the other bed. “Now, rest. Doctor’s orders.”
Kristi went to lie down, but she couldn’t sleep.
When Doc left the room, she got up and went to sit by Malik, her gaze moving over him. The exhaustion on his face. The dark purple bruises on his arms and wrists. The edema in his fingers. Overwhelmed by tenderness for him, she bent down, pressed a kiss to his forehead.
His eyes fluttered open, and he smiled. “Hey, beautiful.”
She touched a palm to his cheek. “How do you feel?”
“Better.”
“I think that’s the morphine.”
“Doc says he thinks I might need surgery on my shoulders.”
“I wouldn’t be surprised. Your poor shoulders sustained a lot of trauma, your arms and upper back, too. It’s going to take you a while to heal.”
“I’ve never felt pain like that. Those bastards wanted me to hand over David and Obi. I couldn’t do it, Kristi. I couldn’t—no matter what they did to me.”
A hard lump formed in her throat. “I don’t know how you did it. I don’t know how you held out for so long. You’re my hero, Malik. I love you.”
She’d already told him, but she wasn’t sure he remembered.
His lips curved in a smile. “I love you, too. I think I’ve been in love with you this entire time. I just didn’t know how to tell you—or how to deal with the fact that we lived such different lives. Besides, we said no strings.”
“Too hell with that. I want strings, Malik—all of them.”