Chapter 27

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Asher limped over to Marlowe's bed and sat as quickly as he could. Alex jumped out of his way. Good thing. On the verge of blacking out, Asher put an arm around Marlowe's taut shoulders and focused on the floor, fighting waves of black spots at his periphery. He refused to faint. Not in front of his boss. Certainly not in front of Marlowe. She was stressed enough.

He'd heard Alex walk past his room. Which meant he was headed for Marlowe's. Why, Asher didn't know, just knew Alex and Marlowe together were gasoline and a lit match. So he'd staggered in here like a drunk, to defend her. But shit. The short jaunt took everything. He should've used the walker like Doc Fitz told him to. Hell, he should've stayed in bed. But noooo… He had to play hero, and he was paying for it.

"Marlowe doesn't like being called ma'am," he quietly told the floor. No sense looking up. Alex had ears and Asher was dizzy enough. Wasn't going anywhere until the floor stopped dancing. Crap. This might not have been his brightest idea.

"Understood," Alex replied. "But now that she's here, she might as well earn her keep."

Asher had no idea what Alex meant. He was more focused on breathing and not passing out. He flat out wasn't strong or smart enough to argue with his boss right then. It'd take too much energy. Why was he out of bed? Oh, yeah. To defend the woman who'd single-handedly brought him to his knees? Definitely not smart.

"Doing what?" Marlowe asked, interrupting his slow-witted brain. Like that was difficult. There was nothing but attitude in her question. This could get ugly.

"I need someone to work with the women you helped bring to America," Alex replied evenly. "You speak their language. You know what they've been through. Hell, you know them personally and the pay's good."

Not what Asher was expecting, but it seemed to work. Marlowe's shoulders relaxed. So did those tiny, fisted hands. She was a ball-buster, no doubt about that, but she needed to learn her limits.

"Okay. Yeah. I can do that," she said, her tone not nice, but less nasty than before.

"Boss, you need to teach her to shoot. She needs a weapon. Shit" —now that Asher said that— "and I need mine. Where are they? And where's Scorpion? Gizmo?" Lifting his heavy head, he made bleary eye contact with his boss. "You got my pistols or did I leave them in Syria?" A man without his sidearms wasn't a man at all.

"Relax. The drones are back at McCormack Research and your weapons are upstairs in my office. You bet I'll teach Marlowe to shoot." Alex looked at her. "You up for target practice? This afternoon?"

"I, ah, well, err… me?"

Asher looked down at the flustered woman at his side. A smile curled his lips. Marlowe intimidated could be a good thing. But it could also be bad.

"Yes, you," Alex replied. "Indoor range. I'll be back with a pistol at fifteen hundred hours. Be ready."

"Ah, ah…"

Marlowe speechless was another amusing sight to behold.

"Relax. Fifteen hundred is three o'clock. He'll bring everything you'll need, ear protection, too," Asher murmured.

"Ear protection? Oh, like earplugs?"

"Like a noise dampening headset so you can hear his instructions."

"Well…" Her eyes shot to Alex.

Asher had now seen Marlowe angry, vengeful, poised to fight, speechless, and glaring down at him with vicious triumph in her eyes, make that, eye. That time in the cave. But seeing her rattled and unsure of herself, maybe even teachable, was a first. He smoothed his hand down her arm and settled it on her hip. "I wish I could go with you but—"

"But you are going back to your room, right now. Don't argue with me," Doc Fitz ordered.

She was on her feet, aiming for him. Marlowe looked up at Asher. He ducked his head and kissed her full on her mouth while he could. He'd heard Alex laugh at her before. Heard what he'd said, "Son of a bitch, you are the one, aren't you? " This kiss was Asher's answer. Marlowe was the one. And now, he was going to limp out of there and stagger back to his room. Made him feel like a disobedient teenager being confined to quarters, but it was what it was.

He'd no sooner lifted to his feet when Alex had a firm grip on his left arm and the tiny woman he'd rescued just weeks ago had his right. Together, Marlowe and Alex escorted Asher around the corner and back to his bed. Talk about embarrassing. But they worked well together—this time. Neither bossed the other during the entire five-minute walk.

Asher sank into bed, grateful to be on his back. He listened while Doc Fitz thanked Alex for visiting, then while Marlowe thanked him for the job offer and made sure he'd meant three o'clock today for practice. Today? Yes, today.

The overhead lights finally went off. Good thing because Asher was already struggling to stay awake. No sense in it. The last thing he felt was Marlowe climbing into his bed and snuggling under his left arm. "Soon. Very soon," he murmured.