Remember Jamie Baker (20 page)

. . . . .

Carter wasn’t kidding about my new celebrity status. The downstairs lobby of the hotel was a zoo. Major Wilks had called the local black and whites to help with crowd control. I heard the noise the moment I left my hotel room and focused my hearing on what was going on around me. Major Wilks had met Ryan and me at my hotel room door with Johnny G. Shortstop and Smut were waiting for us in the lobby.

As we made our way down to the chaos, I tugged at my outfit. I’d been trying to avoid my reflection all morning, but the mirrored walls in the elevator were throwing it in my face right before I had to be ambushed by dozens of reporters. Aside from the obnoxious green that was my natural hair, Major Wilks had advised me to not cover up my bruises for the camera. My neck was ringed with dark purple marks from where Donovan’s superthug had strangled me. They looked worse now than they had the day I’d received them, since they’d had time to settle to the surface of my skin. They were hideous.

Admittedly, though, the blue contacts made a huge difference; they turned my eyes a beautiful bright green. Even if my hair now matched my eyes and I looked like an abuse victim, overall the package was a lot less startling without the yellow eyes branding me a true freak.

Ryan grabbed my hand when he noticed me fidgeting. “I love the dress,” he said, weaving our fingers together.

I glanced down at the sleeveless purple sundress and sandals I wore, feeling self-conscious. “It’s probably too early in spring to wear it, but it already feels like summer in the desert, and I didn’t think I’d be the paparazzi’s newest headline when I packed my bag. Plus, there’s not a lot I can wear that doesn’t clash with my hair.”

“You look hot, Jamie. Trust me.”

I snorted. As if I could trust his opinion on this subject. “You’re totally biased.”

“So what if I am? My opinion is the one that matters the most, and I say you look great.”

I didn’t know how he did it, but I was smiling when I entered the lobby. Flashes went off immediately, but they came from the front doors. The crowd had been kept out of the building.

Shortstop and Smut met me with professional greetings of “Good morning, Miss Baker” that had me snorting and rolling my eyes. “I like you guys much better when you’re being obnoxious.”

“Sorry, Miss Baker. It’s part of the job,” Smut said.

“But we promise we’ll revert back to immature obnoxious soldiers just as soon as your safety is no longer an issue,” Shortstop added with a wink.

We all laughed, and it was just what I needed to really relax. “So what’s the plan?”

Major Wilks let Johnny G explain. “It’s a two-block walk from here to the cancer center.”

“We’re
walking
?
In
that?
” I glanced outside. If we walked, they would all follow us the entire way.

“Driving and losing your media entourage could leave us vulnerable to a supersoldier attack. Most likely Donovan will send his partner to the testing today to approach you privately, but there’s still the possibility he’s waiting for you to be alone and will try to kidnap you again.”

Sighing, I cursed Donovan. “Fine. Let’s get this over with.”

We headed for the doors when, suddenly, a girl jumped up off a couch in the lobby and ran at me. “Becky?” Ryan asked, just as the girl tackled me. “What are you doing here?”

“Jamie!” she squealed, throwing her arms around me. “I can’t believe it’s really you!” She squeezed me so tightly I couldn’t breathe.

“Um…hi?”

She pulled back and swiped at the tears now streaming from her cheeks. “I’m sorry. I know you don’t remember me, but you’re my best friend in the whole world. We were roommates in college when you disappeared, and when Ryan got shot and you were kidnapped, I seriously
freaked out
.”

I was still staring at the girl when she turned and punched Ryan in the arm. “You found her, and you didn’t call me! I heard about it on the
news
, you jerk!”

She called him a jerk, but she didn’t sound that mad. And she was squeezing him in a hug as tight as the one she’d just assaulted me with. He hugged her back, grimacing. “Sorry. Things have been a little crazy.”

“I can imagine. That’s not an excuse, but I bet it’s been nuts.”

She let Ryan go and smiled at me again. When I forced a smile and an awkward wave, it set her tears off again. “He really found you,” she whispered. She stepped forward again, a little shier this time. “Hi. I’m Becky. Sorry about the attack. I promised myself I was going to stay in control, but then I saw you, and you’re really here, and I just can’t believe it.” She bit her lip and winced. “Sorry, can I just hug you again?”

She didn’t wait for an answer. I hugged her back this time, smiling a little. Her concern and excitement were touching.

“Beck, what are you doing here?” Ryan asked again.

“Are you
kidding?
My best friend is back from the dead and has amnesia. She needs me. When I saw that news report yesterday—and when you didn’t answer your phone”—She paused a moment to give Ryan a look that promised he was in big trouble—“I called your reporter friend to ask where you guys were.”

“And you just jumped on a plane?”

Becky shrugged. “Carter recognized my name. He knew I was Jamie’s best friend. He offered to fly me out here if I agreed to an interview. He came with me to the hotel.”

Sure enough Carter was there, smirking at me while some guy with a camera next to him was filming the entire scene. “Shameless!” I called to him. But I couldn’t keep a straight face.

Shaking my head, I thanked Becky for coming to see me and then glanced back at the ACEs. That one look was enough to get the ball rolling again, and I stepped outside into the waiting chaos with Ryan and Becky flanking me on either side.

The ACEs surrounded me
as if they were some kind of secret service escort, which was ridiculous considering that if any of Donovan’s superthugs
did
show up, I’d be the one protecting them. As we made our way down the street the two blocks to the hospital, I tried to listen for anything suspicious, but the crowd was too loud. I couldn’t make sense of anything past the chaos of the reporters shouting questions at us.

I hoped Major Wilks was right about Donovan not wanting to blow his cover, because on top of the media our entourage had gathered a bit of a crowd wanting to see what was going on. I didn’t like it. Scanning the sea of onlookers, I frowned at Ryan. “There’re a lot of innocent people here who could get hurt if a fight breaks out.”

Ryan took my hand and gave it a squeeze. “It’ll be okay, Jamie.”

When he took my hand, the reporters following us down the street went crazy and began shouting more questions at us about our relationship. I was about to tell them all where they could shove their questions when Becky said, “It’s so good to see you guys together again.”

I ripped my hand from Ryan’s. “We’re not—”

“And it’s especially good to see Ryan happy again.”

I couldn’t finish my sentence anymore.

Becky sighed. “A world where Ryan Miller isn’t smiling is just wrong.”

Ryan responded by smiling so wide my cheeks hurt just looking at him. The smile was goofy, but it was also one hundred percent real. He was literally so happy he couldn’t contain himself. As hard as I tried not to let him get to me, I couldn’t help laughing. Becky lost it, too. Ryan threw his arms around us both and tucked us each into his sides. “This is the life,” he teased, smiling for all the people with cameras. “My two favorite girls on my arms, laughing like old times.”

When he spoke to the media people, they went nuts again. I rolled my eyes at Ryan and got a grin for my effort. He loved the attention.

We stopped at a corner across the street from the hospital and had to wait for the traffic signal to change. When I hit the button for the crosswalk, Becky took my hand and frowned down at my bare fingers. “Where’s your ring?” she asked. “I’ve been
dying
to see it.”

For a moment I had no idea what she was talking about. “Ring?”

“Your engagement ring. You disappeared before I got the chance to see it.”

She gave me a sheepish shrug and bit her lip. The attempt to control her excitement was futile. Her eyes gave her away. I, on the other hand, cringed. “Sorry,” I mumbled. “You’ll have to ask Ryan. I gave it back to him the other day.”

My face heated up at the way Becky’s eyes widened. “You gave it
back?
”

Ryan chuckled and pulled me even tighter against his side. “It’s okay,” he promised, shooting Becky a wink. “I’ve got the ring tucked away someplace safe. I’ll have it back on her finger soon enough.”

The conversation put the media in a frenzy again. A million questions were thrown at me.

“Your engagement’s off?”

“Are you broken up?”

“Why aren’t you dating?”

“Do you plan to stay friends?”

They all wanted an answer, but I didn’t know what to say. Why was I feeling guilty all of a sudden? The guilt pissed me off. I shouldn’t feel guilty. How did nobody understand that as charming as he might be, Ryan was a stranger? “Of course our engagement is off,” I snapped.

Laughing, Ryan squeezed me, as if to calm me down, and kissed my cheek. “Yes, the engagement is off,” he said to all the surprised reporters. He smirked at me and added, “Temporarily.”

The reporters were thrilled to have Ryan playing along. “Care to explain?” one of them asked.

I glared at the woman. “What’s there to explain? I have no memories of Ryan, fiancé or not. I don’t know him. He’s a stranger to me.”

Ryan shrugged. “Minor technicality.”

The reporter grinned at Ryan, but I backed away from him and scoffed. “Are you kidding me?”

Ryan’s grin doubled. “I never kid about our relationship, Jamie.”

He turned toward the camera and shook his head. “Don’t mind her. She’s always been a bit of a pessimist. But I’m confident. She may not know me anymore, but I know her. I know how to make her swoon. I made her fall in love with me once; I can do it again.”

He stepped close to me again and slid his arm around my waist, grinning for the cameras. “In fact, she’s already my girlfriend.” As my jaw dropped, he snatched my hand and kissed it. “We’re officially together again. Just not engaged…yet.”

It took all my effort not to fry him. I had to settle for ripping my hand away from his lips. “What are you talking about? We’re not a couple.”

“Babe.” Ryan shot me a wounded look. “What do you mean? Of course we are. I asked you to be my girlfriend this morning.”

“I didn’t say yes!”

“But you didn’t say no.”

I wanted to rip my hair out. He could be so infuriating. “You kissed me before I had the chance.”

Ryan folded his arms across his chest and gave me a look that suggested he meant business. “You kissed me back. A lot. I figured that was a yes.”

Willing myself not to blush, I matched his stance. “Well, it wasn’t.”

“So was too.” He looked at all the people with cameras and gave them a confident nod. “We’re totally a couple.”

They all laughed.

I fried the traffic light.

Traffic came to a stop when the lights blew out, and I took advantage, stomping across the street without waiting for my self-proclaimed boyfriend or his new fan club. Their laughter followed me all the way to the main entrance of the hospital.

“Take a breath, Angel,” Johnny G muttered, having fallen into step next to me when I’d left Ryan behind. “You don’t want to fry the power in a hospital.”

I sobered immediately. Johnny G was right. There were a million things that could go wrong if I lost control here. I did
not
want to short out any machines that happened to be keeping people alive. “Thanks.” I let out a breath. “Has he been that annoying the entire time?”

Smut, who was glued to my other side, laughed. “Worse.”

I sighed.

“Have to admire his tenacity, though,” Johnny G said as we rounded a corner, passing the reception desk without stopping. Apparently he already knew where we were going. “He’s been relentless since the moment we met him.”

“I thought he was crazy,” Smut admitted. “After hearing Carter’s story and seeing the crater you left in Nevada…” Smut whistled and shook his head. “Everyone thought you were dead, but he refused to accept that. We were looking for Donovan. He was looking for
you
. And, ultimately, he’s the one who found you. Ryan was the one who thought of talking to Edwards and got him to give up the names of Donovan’s possible partners. We wouldn’t have found you without him.”

Johnny G nudged me with his elbow. “He’s a good guy, Angel, and he’s crazy about you. You should give him a chance.”

Becky’s teasing voice rang out behind me. “Oh, she will. Ryan has a gift for getting his way.”

When we all glanced back, Becky and Ryan were walking right behind us. Ryan winked at me, obviously having heard most, if not all, of our conversation.

We turned another corner and I stumbled to a stop. In front of us was an ominous-looking pair of doors that needed a badge to get through. Even though I knew the doctors probably wouldn’t be able to help me, that today was all just a ruse to draw out Donovan, I still felt as if my fate waited on the other side of those doors.

A soft gasp drew my attention to a small waiting area on my left. I recognized the couple that’d risen to their feet and were holding each other as if they were both at risk of collapsing from photos Ryan had shown me. The other ACEs were waiting with them and gave me smiles, but I couldn’t look away from my parents.

“Jamie,” the woman—my
mom
—croaked. She held out her hands to me but I couldn’t move. I was frozen in place, my legs unwilling to cooperate. I couldn’t breathe, either. Time seemed to stop as we studied each other from across the small area.

My father was a giant—a tall man with huge, broad shoulders; scruffy gray hair; deep blue eyes; and a neatly trimmed beard. My mother was a tall, thin blonde-haired blue-eyed wisp of a woman. She looked delicate, an older version of the beauty queen Ryan told me she had once been.

I was a good mix of the two of them. I was tall and thin, like my mother, but not at all wispy. Though I had an excellent figure, I was still sturdy, like my father—toned and athletic. Looks wise, I’d say I resembled my father more, but judging from the tears streaming down my mother’s face and her quiet sobs, I was still my mother’s daughter.

Ryan grabbed my hand, breaking the stillness that had settled over the entire group. It was brave of him. I was upset enough I could have hurt him. But it was as if my power was more aware of him than I was, as if I subconsciously needed him and my power knew that and would never hurt him. Maybe he understood that, too. He gave my hand a squeeze. “Come on, Jamie. I’ll introduce you.”

“Jamie,” my dad whispered. “It’s really you.”

When I heard the emotion in his voice, I finally realized there were tears pooled in his eyes as well. I swallowed a lump of emotion and willed my voice not to shake. “I guess so. That’s what everyone keeps telling me, anyway.”

My father’s eyes finally spilled over, and my mother’s sobs stopped being quiet. As I watched my father pull my mom into his arms, comforting her, I wrapped my arms around myself. The woman was heartbroken because I couldn’t remember her.

A soft hand fell to my back, and then Ryan said, “Jamie, this is Linda and Stan Baker. You knew them better as Mom and Dad.”

Not knowing what else to do, I held my hand out. My mom ignored it and threw her arms around me, crushing me in a fierce, desperate hug. She was a good deal stronger than she looked. “Oh, sweetheart!” she cried. “You’re alive. I can’t believe you’re alive. We’ve missed you so much.”

My father stepped forward and wrapped his giant arms around the both of us, squeezing as if he planned to never let either of us go ever again. He said nothing, and I suspected that was because he couldn’t. His whole body was shaking as he held me. Finally, trapped in this group hug, I realized that whether I remembered them or not, these were my parents. The joy they felt at having me back in any condition was undeniable. Their love for me was unconditional, and it broke my hardened heart. Cracked it wide open. “Mom. Dad.” I unleashed a flood of tears that rivaled my mother’s. “I’m sorry I can’t remember.”

“Don’t be sorry, baby girl,” my dad whispered, voice thick. “We don’t care. We’re just glad you’re safe.”

“We love you, Jamie,” Mom said. She pulled herself out of the hug and wiped her eyes. “We’ve been through worse. We’ll get through this, too.”

When my mom let me go, my father pulled me even tighter, squeezing me in a bear hug that would have probably hurt a normal person. But I wasn’t normal, and this man knew that. He didn’t care how hard he squeezed me. Oddly enough, the fact that he wasn’t gentle comforted me.

Resting my head on his shoulder, I squeezed him back—though I had to be careful not to hurt him—and breathed in deeply, memorizing his scent. My mother started sobbing again, and I turned just in time to see her drown Ryan in motherly affection. She was squeezing him just as hard as she’d clung to me, and though she was whispering quietly, I had no problem hearing her weepy expressions of gratitude. “You promised me you’d find her, and you did. You brought my daughter back to me.”

“Of course I did,” Ryan whispered back. “I couldn’t live without her any more than you could.”

“I know, sweetheart, I know.”

The soft way they spoke to one another made me feel guilty for eavesdropping on their private moment, but I couldn’t pull myself away from the conversation. My mother clearly loved Ryan. Though, I wasn’t the least bit surprised by that. Who
didn’t
love Ryan Miller?

“And don’t worry about her memories,” my mom said, once again regaining control of her emotions. “We’re not going to let her forget you. You’re a part of her as much as we are.”

For once Ryan didn’t joke. He didn’t even crack a smile. His face was as serious as I’d ever seen it when he replied, “I’m not worried about that, Linda. I didn’t find her just to lose her.”

My mom gave Ryan a watery smile and then kissed his cheek and hugged him again.

My father squeezed me, snapping my attention back to him, and he smiled down at me with a teasing glint in his eyes. “I bet he’s been a little overwhelming, huh?”

Surprised, I snorted a laugh. “Just a bit.” But then I watched him hug my mom again and I sighed. “Believe it or not, I think he
has
tried to restrain himself. But he’s not very good at it.”

My dad chuckled. “Go easy on him, sweetheart. I’m sure he’s trying. He loves you as much as we do.”

“Yes, he does,” my mom agreed, she and Ryan joining us once again.

Ryan gave me a cheesy grin that I simply had to roll my eyes at. He enjoyed being championed by my parents a little too much.

Major Wilks broke up the family reunion. “I know you haven’t had much time together, but it’s best if we get moving.”

I nodded, and Dr. Rajeet finally stepped forward to greet me. After a quick introduction, we were escorted through the ominous locked doors to some kind of operating room that had an observation window above it. Behind the window were a few rows of seats. Dr. Rajeet pointed to the glass. “That room is usually for medical students to observe different procedures. Your family and military escort are welcome to watch everything we do from there. They will also be able to hear us.”

Before I could say anything, Major Wilks stepped in to argue. “I want at least two of my men in the same room as Miss Baker at all times, Doctor.”

After a wary once-over of my small band of armed escorts, Dr. Rajeet forced a smile and nodded. “With the tests we plan to do today, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

My heart sped up at the dreaded
T
word. “What kind of tests do you plan to do?”