Page 78 of Deep Cover

“I’m sure you took care of me out there.”

He had to swallow hard before speaking. “I’ll always take care of you, baby.”

Her eyes softened with emotion. Before he could pour out everything he’d been rolling around his head during these dark hours, a short rap came on the door.

It cracked open and a bouquet of flowers appeared before the man carrying them. Rome came forward awkwardly and set the bouquet on the table in front of Caryssa. “You’re looking better than I saw you last.” His voice was gruff.

She smiled up at him. “They’re beautiful. Thank you.”

“Got them at the gas station.”

She issued a small laugh.

Rivers watched Rome shift awkwardly beside the table. He’d told the team more than once that not everyone outside Blackout was the enemy. That Caryssa could be trusted.

Maybe they were finally starting to believe him.

Next Rorke entered with O behind him. He leaned against the far wall, arms folded, and updated her on the DNA processing timeline in his own version of a hospital gift.

“I appreciate you telling me.”

“I’m glad to see you’re doing better. You scared ten years off all of our lives.”

Rivers looked at Rorke. The man who was so typically stiff and stoic had a new fissure running through him that Rivers had never seen before.

He traded a look with Rome, whose brow winged upward at the corner as he registered the same change in their brother-in-arms.

O perched at the foot of her bed, waiting his turn.

Caryssa looked straight at him. “Onyx.”

His mouth quirked. “C’mon. Do I look like an Onyx to you?”

She laughed, a light sound that made them all smile and Rivers felt his shoulders relax a bit.

Through their visit, Rivers stayed rooted at her bedside, one hand covering hers, aware of all the little beeping noises of her vitals, her pallor and whether she was taking deep enough breaths after surgery.

Cannon entered the room last. He stood at the foot of her bed, studying her with the same assessing look he’d given Rivers after he came out of surgery. “How you feeling, Lane?”

“Like I got shot and dragged through a burning building.” A ghost of her usual dry humor was a ray of light beaming through the clouds. “I don’t recommend it.” She shifted a little, and Rivers hurried to fluff her pillow.

Cannon’s mouth twitched before it settled into a more serious line. “Doyle’s been calling. Wants to know when we’re sending you back to DC.”

All eyes fixed on Cannon as everyone waited for him to make the call.

Rivers did it for him. “She’s not leaving.”

Cannon’s stare lifted to him, unreadable for a long beat. Then he gave a single, slow nod—no argument, no pushback, just acceptance, as if he’d been waiting for this since the day she entered Sierra base.

“I’ll handle Doyle.” He glanced at Caryssa. “Rest up, Lane.”

He was gone a moment later and the rest of the visitors filtered out with him, murmuring well-wishes until the door clicked shut and Caryssa and Rivers were finally alone.

Silence settled between them, and he scanned her again for signs of distress but only saw the small bruises of fatigue beneath her beautiful eyes. And in the green and gold and amber depths—worry.

He moved to sit gently on the edge of the bed, careful not to jostle her as he gathered her against his chest. God, feeling her in his arms left his insides shaking.

He was so damn glad she was okay. He hadn’t let himself think of the worst, of what could have happened in the chaos between the inferno and the gunfire and the van flying through the night to the hospital. He couldn’t imagine a world where she wasn’t in it anymore.