After the Storm(71)
Donovan sent her a grateful look. What Maren had said scored points with Eve. Recognition had settled in Eve’s eyes as Maren had bluntly given her opinion. Recognition that Maren—and Donovan—were right.
Eve’s shoulders sagged and she briefly closed her eyes. When they reopened, they were wet with a sheen of tears. Donovan’s chest tightened. He hated to see any woman in distress, but Eve wasn’t any woman. Not to him. He couldn’t fully explain his reaction to her, but it went a hell of a lot further than her being a woman in need. He’d come across many of them through his years running KGI and he’d never allowed himself this kind of . . . attraction. Emotional and physical. It wasn’t even that he hadn’t allowed it. It simply hadn’t been there. None of the other women had made him feel what he felt for Eve.
He already considered Eve—and her siblings—his. His . . . family.
He could already picture what it would be like to have this precious group of people as his own. He felt a fierce protectiveness for Cammie and Travis that went above his usual reaction to children in trouble. Every mission was personal for him, but this one? This was something else entirely and he refused to let his family walk away into the unknown. Where they could be hurt or killed or God only knew what else. It wasn’t an option.
He’d tie Eve to his bed and sit on her before allowing her to walk away.
And if that wasn’t a hell of a note he didn’t know what was.
He’d ragged on his brothers and his team leaders for their overprotectiveness and fierceness when it came to their women, but here he was, in the same position, feeling exactly as they had felt when it came to the women they loved.
Loved?
Hell, he wasn’t in love with Eve. It was as she said. Donovan knew nothing about her. But he knew enough to realize that she was going to come to mean a hell of a lot to him. She and her siblings already did. But in order for that to happen, she had to remain here. Under his protection so he could see exactly where things would take them.
That wasn’t going away. Not tomorrow or next year. Now he just had to convince them of his position in their lives going forward. And that was going to be no easy task. But he wouldn’t be deterred by her resistance. He was every bit as stubborn as his brothers when it came to something he wanted. Eve would learn that soon enough.
“I need to get you home,” Donovan said gently. “All of you. Travis needs rest. Cammie needs rest and medication. And so do you.”
He turned to Maren, not waiting for Eve’s agreement. Whether she gave it or not, things were going to be done his way from now own. That likely made him a huge asshole, to press this woman when she was infinitely fragile and on the verge of breaking. But he’d use that to his advantage and not suffer one iota of remorse for making certain they were safe and taken care of. No matter what it took. He’d spare no available resource in his quest to ensure their well-being. And that they stayed right where they belonged. With him.
“Write her a prescription for pain medication. She probably needs an injection but I’d rather wait until I get her settled at the house. I’ll have my hands full getting Travis and Cammie to bed as it is.”
Maren nodded and pulled out her prescription pad and scribbled several lines on it. Then she handed it to Donovan.
“I wrote them out to you so there’s no record of their names at the pharmacy,” she said. “There are meds for Travis and Cammie as well. I’ll go start her IV now and get the bags of saline and antibiotics for you to take home. If you have any problem at all, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll check in on them every afternoon if that’s okay with you, but I’ll call before I come so you’re expecting me.”
Donovan pulled Maren into a hug. “Thanks, sweetheart. I really appreciate all you do for us. Don’t know if we say it often enough, but I don’t know what we’d do without you.”