Free Operation: Endeavor (When The Mission Ends) by Christi Snow Page B

support to them. She had fourteen stitches high on her forehead where they thought she’d hit one of the spindles of the banister somewhere in the fall. The doctor said she didn’t have a concussion showing on the scans, but instructed Colton to keep an eye out for the symptoms just in case. Overall she was extremely beat up, but incredibly lucky because it could have been so much worse.
    They were free to go. He had all her paperwork, she just had to sign it, but first he had to get her awake. He gently nudged her shoulder, “Hey sleeping beauty, it’s time to take you home.”
    “Colton?” She looked up at him in confusion, her eyes dulled by the drugs.
    “Yeah, it’s me. Are you ready to go home?”
    She nodded at him before swinging her head around. “Is Brian still around?”
    “Detective Barnes? Did you remember something else from the attack?”
    “No, I just wanted to borrow his handcuffs. You did promise to be my love slave.” She leered at him.
    He grinned at her. All her words slurred together and he knew she would be mortified if she actually did remember this later. Personally, he hoped she did remember and would still want to pursue the idea.
    The nurse who brought the wheelchair into the cubicle smirked at him and he felt a blush rise up his face. She’d obviously overheard Penelope’s statement.
    He chuckled. “Sweetheart, right now let’s just get you home. We’ll figure the rest of it out later.”
    While the nurse worked to get Penelope into the wheelchair, Colton rushed out to tell Chris what was happening. Then he went to pull the truck around to the door.
    As he drove up, Colton frowned at Penelope. She sat in the wheelchair with her chin planted in her right hand. Her eyes were closed and she was extremely pale. Just that small amount of movement looked like it had sent her pain level back up if the grimace on her face was any indication.
    He jumped out and went to help her climb into the high cab. As she stood up, he saw a flash of pain cross her face. He leaned in close to her ear. “Pen, I’m going to pick you up slow and easy so maybe this won’t hurt as much, okay?” She gave a quick nod. “Grab me around my neck so that I’m holding you on your right side.”
    He reached under her legs and eased her into the cab of the truck until she was in the middle of the bench seat. He held her there for a moment inhaling the honeysuckle scent from her hair. “Are you okay?”
    “Yeah, thanks,” she murmured.
    Chris slid in beside her while Colton went back around to the driver’s side.
    “Thanks guys for hanging around and waiting for me.” Penelope spoke and held her body very stiffly like she was afraid to move a muscle for the pain it might cause.
    Chris turned to her and surveyed the bruises spanning her left side. “Why don’t you lean over here and see if you can’t use me as a cushion and relax a little bit? “She looked at him warily for a moment before he said, “I promise I won’t bite.”
    “Okay, it’s worth a try.”
    “Darling, you’re hurting my feelings. Usually the girls are begging to cuddle with me.” Colton was surprised by the flirty tone in Chris’s voice. Chris had always been a flirt, but he hadn’t heard anything even close to teasing come out of Chris since they’d gotten him back. Maybe all they needed was to find a way to get the focus off himself and onto someone else. Although he’d be happier if that someone else wasn’t Penelope.
    Both men watched her silently while she worked to get comfortable. Finally she seemed a little bit more at ease, so Colton put the truck into gear.
    They weren’t five minutes down the road, before it was obvious that Penelope had drifted back to sleep. Her head quickly sunk onto Chris’s lap. Colton looked over at him. “Do you mind if we stop at the pharmacy before I take you home so I can pick up her pain medicine? I don’t want to have to leave her home alone later.”
    Chris looked down at