Her Baby's Bodyguard (20 page)

“All I’m asking for is a leave, Major.”

“
Officially,
I can’t help you,” he repeated. “Neither can the current members of Eagle Squadron, or they might be subject to the same disciplinary action as you. It’s bad enough I could lose one man over this affair. I don’t want to lose the entire team.”

“No, sir.”

“But without the proper authorization, you won’t be able to access military transport, equipment or intelligence, which would mean almost certain failure.” He waited. “On the other hand, a private security contractor who has experience with clandestine operations might be able to provide an individual with the kind of resources he would need, without going through official channels. I’ve heard that Rafe Marek’s company has been doing some work in the Middle East. Do you keep in touch with your former teammate?”

“Yes, sir. I do.”

“Give him my regards the next time you see him.” Redinger glanced at his watch. “I’m granting you a forty-eight hour compassionate leave. How you choose to spend it is up to you. In fact, neither I nor the team will have any knowledge of your actions. You’re dismissed, Sergeant.”

Jack felt as if he’d been shoving at a door that had suddenly been yanked open. He grinned as he snapped into a salute. “Yes, sir. Thank you, sir!”

Redinger returned the salute but not the smile. “If you’re caught, you’re done, Norton. The best way to show your gratitude is to make sure that doesn’t happen.”

“That’s a good girl, kitten,” Eva said, touching Katya’s cheek before she put the empty bottle on the tray table. “You must have been hungry.”

Katya bumped her face against the side of Eva’s breast.

“Yes, I know it’s not the same, but you’d have to switch to a bottle eventually.” She shifted the baby to her shoulder and rubbed her back. “Because you’re going to get teeth. Little tiny ones in your lower jaw first. That’s what the books say. They might hurt when they come through your gums. But don’t be scared. It’s all part of growing up. You’ll need those teeth so you can chew. You’ll discover so many wonderful tastes like peaches and bananas. And apples, too. You’ll have to start with purees first to let your tummy get used to them, but later you’ll be able to bite and chew and swallow.”

Katya squirmed, drew up her knees and let out a long series of burps.

Eva smiled and caught Katya’s foot. “By next spring, you’ll learn these feet are good for more than kicking. You’re going to love being able to move around by yourself. It might hurt when you fall, but I know you’ll get right back up. By next winter, you’ll be running.” She paused, swallowing hard. “I wish I could be there to see your first steps, kitten. I wish I could buy you your first pair of shoes. And bake your first birthday cake. I’d buy you so many dolls and teddy bears and stuffed horses with floppy ears that you’d need an extra room just for your toys.”

“She’s going to need a baseball glove, too.”

She looked up as Jack walked into the room. He’d been back and forth so often during the past day that the medical staff had given up trying to restrict his visits. “Baseball?”

“You don’t want to be sexist, do you?” He rounded the bed and squatted in front of the armchair where she sat. “How are you feeling, Eva?”

She tipped her head toward the IV stand that she’d rolled beside the chair. “The medication the doctors are giving me is helping steady my pulse and blood pressure.” She didn’t mention what the doctors had said about the increasing reduction of her liver function. He likely had noticed the telltale yellow tinge to her skin. “But I think the improvement’s due more to the fact they’re letting me keep Katya with me.”

“They probably wanted some quiet. I heard the fighter pilots were complaining the squirt drowned out the sound of their engines.”

She choked on a laugh. “Don’t. Whenever you make me smile, I feel like crying more.”

He braced his hands on the arms of the chair, leaned around Katya and gave Eva a long kiss.

She closed her eyes, hoping the tears would dry up. They didn’t, but that didn’t stop her from enjoying the kiss. Seeing Jack was as potent a medicine as seeing her daughter. Like every precious moment with Katya, she didn’t know how many more moments she’d have with Jack. She wanted to make the most of every one of them. “Did you come to say good-night?”

He wiped her cheeks with his knuckles. “Not exactly. I’ve come to say goodbye.”

In spite of the medication, her pulse skipped. “You told me this morning that the mission wasn’t approved. Have they changed their minds?”

“No. I’m sorry.”

It had been Meg Hurlbut who had first broken the news to Eva about the data concerning the vaccine. The CIA agent had been furious over the government’s refusal to allow Eagle Squadron back into Russia. Even though Eva had understood—she’d been raised by a diplomat and knew how they thought—it had been devastating to see her earlier suspicions confirmed. Her life wasn’t valued as much as her information.

All day Jack had done his best to keep her spirits up. Unlike the rest of her visitors, he didn’t dwell on the fact she was dying. He treated her as if she were very much alive. She was fairly certain he’d been the one who had pressured the staff to let her take care of Katya herself. He’d even taken a turn at giving the baby her bottle.

But now he was leaving. She should have realized this would happen. He was a soldier. He had to go where he was told. The army had plenty of other missions. She clutched Katya tighter and willed herself not to break down. “Is the team moving out?”

“Not yet. The other guys are going to be here a while longer. The major volunteered them to do some hand-to-hand combat training with the marines who are on board. To keep them out of trouble. If you need anything while I’m gone, you can ask them or Major Redinger.”

“Then where are you going?”

“I’ve got some personal business to take care of. I should be back in a day or two. I just didn’t want to leave without saying goodbye.”

She finally noticed what he was wearing. The clean fatigues he’d changed into when they’d arrived on the ship were gone. He was once again dressed in the dark sweater and the pants with all the pockets that he’d worn during the mission. “Where are you going, Jack?”

He smiled. “Just taking a ride with some old friends.”

She’d seen that smile before, when he’d spoken about stealing cars or jumping out of moving trucks. “Is it another mission?”

“No, I’m on leave.” He rubbed Katya’s head. “Be good for your mom, pipsqueak.”

“Jack, what’s going on?”

Instead of replying, he kissed Eva again. He used his tongue this time. It distracted her, as he’d probably intended. When she opened her eyes once more, he had straightened and stepped back. “I’ve got to go.”

“Wait. If you’re not going on a mission, why can’t you tell me where you’re going?”

“I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

Something clicked in her mind. She glanced at the scabs on the back of Jack’s hand. He’d shown up with split knuckles after he’d heard her diagnosis, yet he hadn’t seemed as angry about the decision not to return to the complex as she would have expected. She’d assumed he’d restrained his own reaction because he hadn’t wanted to upset her. Now she realized there was another possibility….

“Oh, my God.” Holding Katya to her shoulder, Eva used her IV pole for balance and pulled herself to her feet. “I should have known.”

“Should you be standing up?”

“You’re doing it anyway, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know what—”

“Of course! You wouldn’t have given up. I know you better than that.” She rolled the pole forward until she could reach Jack’s arm. “You’re going back, aren’t you!”

“I’m on leave.”

“Don’t lie to me, Jack. I can see it in your face. You’re doing the mission on your own. You’re going to get the vaccine.”

“Calm down, Eva. You shouldn’t—”

“Are you crazy? You’d be disobeying orders. Without the team to help you, you could get killed.”

He cupped her shoulders. “The last thing I want is for you to worry.”

“Then don’t patronize me. Tell me the truth. Are you planning on breaking into the complex? Without backup? Without approval?”

“Eva—”

“Because I’m not going to let you do it. Not for me. I know how much your job means to you. I understand what the team means, too. They’re your family. Your home. I want you to be happy just like I want Katya to be happy. I won’t let you throw away your future because you still feel responsible for me.”

“I’m not.”

“I know you’re a good man. An honorable man. I can’t imagine how I would have gotten through the past five days without you, but I can see I’ve been selfish. I’ve been hanging on to you and I shouldn’t have. We’ve known all along our relationship is temporary. If I hadn’t caught the virus, we would already have said goodbye.”

He plucked Katya from her grasp and carried her to the hospital bed that was serving as her crib. He laid her on her back, checked that the rails were solidly in place and then returned and scooped Eva into his arms.

“Jack!”

“Grab the pole,” he said, carrying her toward the armchair.

She snagged the IV stand to roll it with her.

He sat on the chair and settled her on his lap. “First of all, I’m not throwing away my future. I’m taking a calculated risk.”

“But—”

“I’m not going to be completely on my own, either. Remember those friends of mine I told you about? The two who went freelance when they left the army?”

“You said they gave up their careers. They left the team.”

“Right. Rafe’s company is flying me in. He and Flynn will be standing by to give me backup if I need it. They might not be on the team anymore, but they’re still my brothers.”

“It’s still too dangerous. I don’t want to think of you risking so much.”

“I’ve faced worse odds. I’m good at my job. I’ve broken into places that are higher security than Burian’s complex.” He took her hands in his. “Second, I’m not doing this because I feel responsible for you. Get that straight right now. You might look all delicate with your blond hair and those baby-blue eyes, but I’ve seen you in action. You’ve got the heart of a warrior, and you deserve to have a fighting chance.”

His words moved her more than she’d thought possible. She’d never considered herself to be brave. Just look at the way she kept falling apart. She turned her head to dry her cheek on his shoulder.

“Most of all,” he said, “I want you to have a future. I want your baby to know what an incredible mother she has. And I want you to have the chance to start that new life you talked about. Find a place with apple trees. Read all the scientific journals you want. Bake every one of the squirt’s birthday cakes and teach her to ride a bike. Think about that instead of worrying about me.”

“I can’t, Jack. I don’t want you to get in trouble or to get hurt because of me. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself—” She broke off, realizing how absurd that sounded. She wouldn’t have to live with herself. If Jack failed, she would die.

Part of her wanted to continue to argue, to keep him safe, to make sure he didn’t ruin the career that he loved.

But most of her wanted him to go and to succeed. Minutes ago she’d been without hope. Now Jack was offering to give her a chance at life and, by God, she wanted to grab it. If she hadn’t already fallen in love with him, this would have done it for sure.

She loved him?

Of course she loved him. The realization had been building for days. She’d done her best to reason it away, yet she knew in her heart that what she felt for Jack was far deeper than a physical attraction, and it wasn’t showing any signs of wearing off. The bond between them might have begun with adrenaline, but it was strengthening with every passing minute. The danger they’d faced together hadn’t changed who they were. Instead, it revealed who they were inside.

She’d loved her daughter from the moment she’d seen her face. It had taken a little longer than that with Jack, but her feelings for him were just as indisputable. She loved this man to the depth of her soul. She wanted him to be happy.

And she was selfish enough to want to be around to see it. “You’re determined to risk this?”

“I told you, it’s not that big of a risk.”

“All right.” She kissed him quickly. “Then I’m coming with you.”

He blinked. “You can’t.”

“I want you to succeed, Jack. To do that, you’re going to need someone who knows their way around the complex.”

“Duncan’s given me his satellite shots and everything that intel had on the place. I already know my way around.”

“You don’t know the interior layout or the patrol schedule of the guards. You won’t be able to access Burian’s computer except from his lab, and I know where it is.” She slid her hands to his chest. “And if there actually is a supply of the vaccine, you wouldn’t know where to look for it or recognize it if you see it unless you can read Russian. You need me, Jack.”

“You can coach me.”

She shook her head. “There isn’t time. Take me with you.”

“Eva, you need medication.”

“You’re a medic. You can give me pills. Or injections. It would be almost the same as that IV drip.”

“The physical strain on you could be too much.”

“What does it matter? Unless I get that vaccine, I’ll die anyway.”

He tightened his arms around her, rose to his feet and then leaned over to put her back on the chair. “I can’t expose you to more danger, Eva.”

“It can’t possibly be worse than what I’m facing now.” She levered herself up and wheeled her IV pole to follow him. “I might be weak, but so far I’m still capable of moving around. Check with Dr. Arguin. He’ll tell you the same thing. I need to be on my feet as long as I can to help keep my lungs clear.”

“You’ll slow me down.”

“Fumbling around without knowing where you’re going will slow you down worse. Admit it, Jack. You need a guide, and you know I can help you.”

“What about Katya?”

That stopped her. She turned to the bed. Katya was waving her fists in the air and watching the reflected movement in the bed rails. She was concentrating so hard that her eyes crossed.