The Navy's Ghost (Bad Boys of Beta Squad) Read Online Free Page B

bone replacement, and protein for muscle and soft tissue development. Progress read ‘satisfactory.’
    Todd snorted. “Not satisfactory for me…or Ghost, I’d bet.”
    The sound of his voice in the quiet room made Chris shift and she turned her head toward him. Magic dropped the chart and snagged the nearest chair, dragging it over to the bed.
    “Hey, Chris, how are you doing?”
    “Magic? What are you doing here?”
    “Checking on you.” He grabbed her hand and sat down. “How are you holding up?”
    “ I’m good.” She shifted in the bed, a grimace tightening her lips as she resettled. He didn’t believe her, but he decided not to push. “The meds make me groggy and sleepy, but the pain’s minimal.” She fixed him with her unfocused hazel gaze. If he didn’t know better he’d swear she gave him her bedroom eyes.
    Sleepy beauty. His lips quirked. Yeah, but don’t kiss her to wake her up. He’d find himself on his back with a knife at his throat and a rabid weasel on his chest.
    “What are you smiling at, Magic?” Even drugged up, Chris still managed to raise an eyebrow.
    “I was just thinkin’ you look like hell, but could still kick my ass.”
    Her face fell. “Not anymore.”
    His gut clenched at the defeat in her voice, but he snorted to cover his chagrin. “We both know that ain’t true. Once you heal up, you’ll be taking down bad guys left and right. Just gotta give it some time to get better.”
    Chris glanced away and grimaced again, but she didn’t argue with him. A twinge of concern hit his spine and he suppressed a shiver. What does she know that I don’t?
    “So, where’s Retro? I thought he’d come with you to visit.”
    Yeah, me too.
    Magic still kicked himself over revealing to his best buddy his love for Christiana. He realized it only when she lay dying under his hands on the grimy warehouse floor. Moron . He’d never been so focused in his life and he’d thanked every god out there for it each day since. At least they’d gotten the bastard who lured her into an ambush and the homegrown terrorists paying him. A small victory in the face of the tragedy lying in the bed in front of him.
    “I don’t know. I texted him, but he hadn’t answered by the time I left for the hospital.” Todd gave her his best encouraging smile. “I’m sure he’ll be around soon.”
    Chris nodded. “So how did the rest of the tropical trip go? Did you get what you were looking for?” Even in the safety of an American hospital she kept their missions vague.
    “Yep. And repaid those boy s in kind for their efforts.” Todd nodded toward her legs under the blankets. “Best ending we could hope for when the trip turned to shit on us.”
    “Hey, you definitely got lucky with only one fuck-up . Me.” Anguish and despair washed across her features and Todd’s anger kindled in response.
    “No one fucked up, Ghost. It was an ambush and it coulda been any one of us .”
    “But I was point.”
    “And you saved the rest of the squad from takin’ the brunt of the damage.” Todd grabbed her hand and tugged on it to get her attention. “No one’s blamin’ you but you. Got me, Ensign? I’m sure Deli’s kickin’ himself for not havin’ better intel before we went in. You don’t get to take all the responsibility for this one.”
    She tightened her lips. “No one else hurt on the second time through?”
    “No, ma’am. Bam-Bam sustained some bruised ribs when a guy hit him in the back with a baseball bat, but other than that, we hit the clear water pretty easily.”
    “Good. I expected you all to pick up the slack where I left off.” Some of the fire returned to her eyes and Magic chuckled.
    God, he loved her. He’d loved her ever since she’d gotten those hostages out through the drainage pipe no wider than a meter in diameter right under the noses of the Afghani guards. She’d been magnificent and lethal, and his cock had hardened at the thought of having her not only by his side,