fought to keep putting his uninjured foot in front of the other. He knew his wife’s slender shoulders couldn’t support his full weight.
The effort had him panting.
“Easy now.” Nothing but cool satisfaction rang in her voice as she helped him over a large piece of concrete. She didn’t, he noted sourly, even sound winded.
Away from the alley, the smoke-clouded air felt a fraction better. Cleaner. He tried to take a deep gulp and choked.
“Hurry,” she whispered, trying to pull him forward. “We’ve got to move faster or they’ll catch us.”
He was doing the best he could, but she didn’t need to know the extent of his weakness. Pushing himself, he struggled to lengthen his shaky stride and to keep from muttering curses each time he came down on his injured foot.
Natalie led him down a twisted alley, turning left then right and left again—so many different directions that he lost track of them. Finally, they arrived at the back of a pipe shop housed in an ancient stone building.
“In here. Auggie’s one of my contacts. He’s also a friend. He’ll help us.”
Her friend? Since when did contacts become friends? Allowing connections to become personal could be dangerous. That was one of the first things Corbett had taught Sean when he’d begun training many years ago. Natalie should know that—she’d had intensive training when she went to work with SIS.
Sean had actually opened his mouth to caution her when he realized he had no right. She didn’t even consider him her husband anymore. After all, as far as she knew, he’d been dead for the last two years. By choice.
The back door was unlocked. Moving carefully, Natalie let herself in.
Sweating profusely, Sean leaned against the wall, drawing ragged breaths, trying to stay conscious.
“Are you coming?” she asked. If he detected a trace of impatience in her voice, it vanished when he raised his head and she got a good look at his face.
He must look even worse than he felt.
“God, Sean. You need a doctor.” Slipping her arm around him once again, she helped him up the steps and into the back of the shop. Once he was inside, she closed and locked the door behind her.
“There. We should be safe for a bit.”
A moment later, a bearded giant of a man came around the corner. He lifted one bushy brow when he saw Sean.
“Auggie!” Smiling, Natalie hugged him, her arm barely able to circle his neck. “This is Sean. He, uh, does the same line of work I do.”
For some reason, the fact she didn’t name him as her husband rankled.
“I’m her husband,” he said, holding out his hand.
As Auggie’s huge paw engulfed Sean’s, Natalie crossed her arms. “He’s not my husband,” she told the giant man. Then, letting her gaze drift over to Sean, she gave him a hard look. “Not anymore, you’re not. You’re dead.”
“Come on, Nat. I’m not dead.” His protest sounded weak, he knew, but it was difficult to talk and still try to hold on to consciousness.
“You are to me,” she said, turning her back and walking away.
“Sorry, boyo.” Auggie clapped him on the back. Hard.
Sean winced. Looking about for a place to sit, he hobbled over to a large wooden crate. His vision grayed. Again, he clenched his teeth and rode out the pain and nausea.
With fumbling fingers, he managed to extract his cell phone from his pocket.
“No.” Auggie snatched it out of Sean’s hand. “Not unless Natalie says it’s okay.”
Dumbfounded, Sean could only stare.
“I heard my name.” Natalie reentered the room. “What’s up?”
“He was trying to call out.” Tossing her the cell phone, Auggie gave Sean another baleful glare.
“Who are you calling, Sean?”
He could barely answer. “Corbett.”
“Why?”
“I need to find a doctor.”
“I know a good one.” Natalie and Auggie exchanged a look. “Why bother Corbett? We don’t work for him.”
Vision wavering, Sean swallowed. At this point, if Auggie had announced he was a brain surgeon, Sean wouldn’t have cared. “But I do—er, did. Let me call him.”
“What’s wrong with him?” Auggie spoke to Natalie as if Sean wasn’t there.
“He hurt his foot. I don’t think it’s broken.”
“Give. Me. The. Phone.” Sean gritted out the words.
Without hesitation, Natalie tossed it to him. “Knock yourself out.”
He punched in the speed-dial code. A second later, Corbett answered.
“I need the name of a doctor.”
“What? Have you found Natalie?”
Sean answered in the affirmative, filling Corbett in on the details. He ended with his foot injury.
“Sean, ask Natalie. She’ll probably have the best name. SIS has their own people and she’s been working in that area the last two years.”
While he’d been sequestered up in the Highlands, playing dead.
“Point taken.” He sounded churlish, he knew. “At least give me a name.”
“Very well.” Corbett sighed. “Contact Dr. Pachla.”
“Thanks.” Sean ended the call and dropped the phone back into his pocket.
A half smile on her full lips, Natalie watched him. “Let me guess. He told you Dr. Pachla.”
Reluctantly, Sean nodded. Even that slight movement brought him pain. “Can you contact him? Now?”
She looked at Auggie.
Smiling, Auggie nodded. “He’s already on his way.”
Sean leaned his head back against the wall. He must have passed out, because the next thing he knew, he heard the sound of bells tinkling.
Natalie and the giant were standing close together, talking in voices too low for Sean to hear.
“Someone’s here,” Sean muttered. “Maybe the doctor.”
“Or a customer. Just one moment,” Auggie said, disappearing into the front of the shop.
When he returned a moment later, a tall, elegantly
