The Heart's Shrapnel by S. J. Lynn Read Free Book Online Page B

Jane sexy has my jaw ticking with anger that comes out of left field. What the hell do I care if he finds her attractive? She is. Anyone with eyes can see that.
    And I don’t give a shit about this Amy person.
    “I almost kissed her. It was careless.” I face him head on, and he cowers back slightly. Taking note, I back away. “Sorry about the headlock.”
    Ryan pauses before speaking. “It’s fine. But, listen man. I get that you’re dealing with some personal shit recently, and I get that out in the field you don’t want to risk thinking about it. But, when we are off, you need to have a life. I mean—look at you!” He gestures toward me.
    With what he’s saying, he could really be talking about me. But, his remark only raises questions.
    “What personal shit?”
    He snorts. “Don’t act like I’m an ignorant ass. You’ve been acting strange ever since you came back from our last mission. And I’m not talking about the mental effect it usually has on a soldier. It’s something different.”
    Here’s my lead.
    I look at Dylan.
    His mouth thins, but I ignore it.
    “I’m fine. We’re here to do a job and only that,” I say. “My personal shit has to stay in the background.” My voice sounds harsh, so I soften it as much as I can. “Thank you for your concern, but this is how it needs to be. I’m going to take a shower, then get some rest. You two should do the same. We have a busy day tomorrow.”
    “You’ve gotten the call?” Dylan whispers as he stands from the table. Ryan has gone to his room.
    “Yes. Things need to speed up.”
    “Listen, mi amigo . I get that I may have gotten a little carried away tonight. But you probably shouldn’t get involved with this girl. Women can be intuitive. Then they start asking questions. She could ruin it for you. She thinks you are a soldier in the United States Army. You aren’t. You’re a CID agent and your name is Wes. Not Phillip, even if you are the spitting image of him. Remember that.”
    Yes, I know my own name. And, yes, I know exactly what Jane thinks of me. And I don’t think knowing I’m CID and not a soldier will change her opinion of me.
    I hear what Dylan is saying, though. I’ve never gotten involved with someone while on a mission. I’d be stupid not to take his advice. He’s been doing what I do for the same number of years. He’s one of my best friends. But he’s wrong.
    “ No one will stop me from finding my brother’s killer.”

Chapter Nine
    Jane
    The hospital is slightly more demanding than the one we were trained in when we first arrived. Out of the ten women, Mandy and I were the only ones sent here. The others were sent off to some small clinic. Apparently they didn’t make the cut but were still deemed useful.
    “Summers,” a nurse shouts over all the chaos.
    I turn in her direction.
    She’s wheeling someone in and fast. “We’ve got a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Take him down for surgery.”
    As she pushes the stretcher up against the wall, I try to assess the situation quickly. It’s a male in his early twenties. His face contorts with pain.
    “Did the bullet go all the way through?” I lift him forward as gingerly as possible, but he still screams in agony.
    “I didn’t see an exit wound,” the nurse responds.
    I examine his lower back more closely. She’s right. No exit wound. Setting him back, flush against the bed, I talk to him. Hopefully to put him at ease so I can get some answers.
    “Sir, my name is Jane, and I will be the doctor taking care of you.”
    He grits his teeth and strains to open his eyes; breathing heavily.
    “Cody. Cody Shotwell.” He extends a shaking bloodied hand, and I smile as I take it in mine. “Ironic, huh?”
    Smiling from his humor at a time like this, I say, “Nice to meet you, Cody, although I wish it were under better circumstances.” I offer another small, reassuring smile, and he returns it.
    He’s so well mannered and polite.
    “Cody. What happened?”
    He