to be honest. But when I asked around town, no one would tell me anything about them.”
Thomas regarded him curiously. “What do you want to know?”
“Quite honestly? I’m thinking their way of life might be exactly what I need.” Jack swallowed hard, glad he’d rehearsed this speech on the off chance someone connected would talk to him. “Simple and clean. Letting someone else call all the shots.”
Bracing himself for the other man’s reaction, Jack was surprised when Thomas flashed an approving smile. “Really?” Thomas shrugged. “That’s refreshing and unusual. As it happens, I know quite a bit about COE. But if you want to discuss them, we’ll need to go outside. I won’t talk about them here.”
Which sounded both perfectly reasonable and a little bit suspicious. Still, Thomas was offering more than Jack had been able to glean from multiple queries around town.
“Sure.” Jack pushed to his feet. “Lead the way.”
He followed Thomas outside. The sun had set, but full darkness had not yet fallen. “I’m parked over there.” Thomas pointed to a mostly empty lot behind a deserted building. “We can sit in my car and talk.”
Instinct urged Jack to decline. Instead he heard himself agree.
As they approached Thomas’s car—an older, nondescript black vehicle that seemed almost government-issue—Jack had second thoughts. “Hey, wait.” He grabbed the other man’s arm. “How about we just talk here, outside? It’s a nice night and I really enjoy the fresh air.”
Thomas gave him a look full of disgust. “I’m not going to come on to you or assault you, if that’s what you think. Never mind. I’ll just leave. I really thought you were interested in learning about COE.” He shook his head and strode for his car, using the key fob to unlock the doors.
Damn. “Wait.” Jack hurried to catch up. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to give that impression. But you know, strange things have happened. One can’t be too careful.”
“I agree.” Opening the driver’s-side door, Thomas got in. “Are you coming or not?”
Taking a deep breath and hoping he wasn’t making a colossal mistake, Jack got in on the passenger side. Turning to face Thomas, he opened his mouth to speak. Before he could say a single word, someone clubbed him hard in the back of the head.
* * *
For the rest of the day Ana left Sophia alone. Each worked independent of the other, taking turns assisting as their doctor saw patients. All were for routine things—a pregnancy check, a sore throat and someone who’d pulled a muscle while working in the fields. Every time Sophia thought about her impending marriage, tears threatened, so she decided it would be easier to push it to the back of her mind.
But that didn’t mean she could make it go away.
Ezekiel. The Anointed One. Since she’d never even spoken to him, Sophia wondered if she’d be considered out of line if she asked for a face-to-face meeting, just to see if they’d be even remotely compatible. Unfortunately, she already knew the answer to that. Ezekiel got what Ezekiel wanted. Her feelings would have no effect on the outcome.
“Sophia! Ana!” Dr. Drew hurried into the workroom, calling their names as he came. “We have an injured man coming in.”
The two women exchanged a glance. “From where?” Sophia asked, hoping it wasn’t the husband of one of her friends. “Was he hurt farming or in the repair shop?”
“Neither,” the doctor answered. “All I know is that Thomas is bringing this man in himself. Our patient has a head injury and is currently unconscious. Get a bed prepared in the infirmary. I’ll let you know once he arrives.”
Immediately, Sophia hurried off to do as her boss ordered. For once, Ana was right on her heels.
“Don’t you think it’s weird that Thomas himself is bringing him in?” Ana asked, wide-eyed. She had a valid point. After all, Thomas was Ezekiel’s right-hand man and, as such, the second most powerful person in COE. If he himself was delivering the injured patient, the man must be someone very important indeed.
Barely twenty minutes passed before Dr. Drew hurried back, leading the way for two workers carrying a clearly unconscious man on a stretcher. Thomas followed along behind, his expression revealing absolutely nothing. If the patient was someone close to him or Ezekiel, they had no way of knowing.
Dr. Drew began barking out orders. As the more experienced nurse, Sophia fulfilled them, relegating Ana to handing over necessary instruments. Meanwhile, Thomas remained in the corner of the room, watching them all.
A large bloody gash at the back of the patient’s head told them why he was in such condition. While Ana hooked him up to an IV, as well as the blood pressure cuff and the finger heartbeat monitor, Sophia cleaned the wound. “This will need stitches,” she said, getting everything ready.
Dr. Drew took care of the stitching quickly, his movements competent and efficient. Once he’d finished, Sophia dressed and bandaged it. Despite being unconscious, with his dark shaggy hair and rugged features, the patient looked handsome. Sexy even. To her surprise, she felt an immediate visceral tug of attraction. This was so incredibly rare, she nearly gasped out loud. Wrong place, wrong time and definitely the wrong person. She wondered what was wrong with her. It had to be shock due to her impending wedding.
“His vitals are good,” she announced.
Dr. Drew nodded. “He’s taken a nasty blow on the head. We’ll keep him under observation until he wakes. Once he does, Thomas wants to be notified immediately.”
Again Sophia eyed Ezekiel’s top assistant. Did Thomas know she was to become his boss’s newest bride? “Of course,” she murmured.
“Sophia, I don’t want you to leave his side,” the doctor ordered. “Ana, you can assist me in seeing the remainder of the patients. Sophia, beep me the instant this man opens his eyes.” He pointed to the buzzer on the wall. It corresponded to the walkie-talkie he wore on his belt. “Understood?”
Both women nodded.
“Good. Ana, come with me,” he barked, turning to hurry away. As Sophia watched them go, she realized Thomas and his two assistants had already disappeared.
Aware she might be stuck here awhile, even after her shift had technically ended, she pulled up the visitor’s chair and planted herself in it. While she wasn’t allowed any reading material at work, she did keep a pad of paper and a good pen. Sometimes she drew, sometimes she wrote poetry or amusing short stories. When she’d finished, she always destroyed whatever she’d created, fearful that someone would see.
The stranger in the bed stirred. Not a full move, just a jerky shifting of his position and a hitch in his breath. She put her untouched paper and pen aside to study him. His thick, dark hair was nearly black. Wondering if it would feel as silky as it looked, she glanced around once before she reached out and drew a few strands of it through her fingers. Yep. Exactly as she’d thought.
Her touch apparently made the man restless. He began tossing his head from side to side, muttering under his breath. When he gave a loud groan, she stood, eyeing the machines that monitored his heartbeat and blood pressure. While they’d climbed a little, the numbers remained well within the
