Eyes dark, Rathe advanced on her, walking gingerly. She stood her ground and lifted her chin so she could glare scalpels at him, though her stomach knotted with nerves and a flare of traitorous warmth. They stared at each other for a heartbeat. Two.
Finally he turned away, muttering, This is why women shouldnt be allowed in Investigationsthey cant separate their personal lives from their professional ones.
And there it was. Rathe McKays motto: Women Dont Belong in the Field. Period.
Denial howled in Nias head, in her heart, but she held the emotions in check because, damn it, he was right. This wasnt the time or place to bring up the past. She had a job to do.
And part of that job was proving to her HFH mentor that she was a capable investigator, fully ready to work in the field.
So she found a frosty smile that hopefully showed nothing of her tumultuous emotions. Youre right. I apologize for being unprofessional. Whats done is done. Jack Wainwright said he was pairing me with an older, more experienced investigator, so I suppose I should be honored he chose you. Youre as old and experienced as they get.
It was a low blow, aimed at what her father had laughingly called Rathes Methuselah complex. Though only ten years her senior, the HFH superoperative had always acted twice that.
He narrowed his eyes and scowled. There wont be an investigation. Im calling Wainwright in the morning and having you reassigned. This is no place for He gestured as though the words were unnecessary.
This is no place for a woman? Nia clenched her fists at her sides. Though the HFH Head Office didnt discriminate, there were a few old warhorses who did. Rathe, whod been in the field more than fifteen years already, considered himself one of them.
This is no place for Tonys daughter! He grabbed her by the arms and shook her as though she was eighteen years old again and hed caught her prying into his field notes. For Gods sake, Nadia. You know this isnt what your father wanted for you. What would he say?
Righteous anger speared through her. Hes dead. The last thing he said on this earth was, Wheres Rathe? And for that she had hated them both.
Emotion darkened his eyes, though she wasnt sure that it was remorse. He spread his hands. Nadia, for what its worth, Im
Dont, she interrupted, not willing to hear the apology, not willing to let him think that a betrayal of such magnitude could be scrubbed away with a few words. Dont bother. Youre right, this isnt the time or the place for personal conversations. We have a job to do.
She turned and stalked toward the freight elevators at the far end of the subbasement.
Nadia. His voice seemed to caress the word, bringing back memories best left unremembered.
She stopped and glanced back, steeling herself against the sight of him, strong and virile, an image that could have stepped out of her aching, mindless dreams.
Or her nightmares.
I prefer to be called Nia now. Nadia is a childs name, and Im not a child anymore. She lifted her chin, daring him to comment. We have a meeting with the heads of the Transplant Department at 9:00 a.m. sharpdont be late.
This time she didnt look back, not even when he called her name. They had three hours until the meeting. Shed need every minute of that to prepare herself for the case.
And to armor herself against the disturbing presence of Rathe McKay.
BY NINE THAT MORNING, Rathe was back to walking upright as he stalked through Boston General, but his temper hadnt mellowed much.
It was temper, he assured himself. Temper that had his blood surging through his veins with a tricky tingling sensation. Temper that had him feeling more alive, more engaged than he had in months or maybe longer.
Temper.
What was Wainwright thinking, partnering him with a woman trainee? He didnt work with women. And even if he did, Nadia French was the last girl hed choose.
Rathe shook his head, annoyed. No, that wasnt right. This was about her being a woman, not about her being Tonys daughter or about a mistake hed once made in an airport hotel.
His refusal to work with the opposite gender was based on logic and experience. Period. There was nothing personal about it, and nothing personal between him and Nadia.
Sure, his first glimpse of her had been a kick in the gut, a surge of warmth and energy, but that was only basic man-woman biology. His yang approving of her yin. Nothing personal.
Her thick, dark hair was shorter than he remembered. In fact, she was shorter than he remembered, as though his mind had decided her scrappy personality couldnt fit inside such a tiny shell. Hed remembered her eyes right, though. Dark brown, swirling with darker promises, they used to look at him with adoration, as though he was the hero hed once thought himself.
Now they shone with anger. That was personal. And it was unacceptable in a partner.
Already five minutes late for the briefing, Rathe ducked into a windowed alcove and punched his superiors number into his mid-wave cell phone, a high-tech HFH toy certified safe for use in hospitals. When Jack Wainwright answered, Rathe wasted no time with pleasantries. I want her off the case. Now.
There was a rumble of amusement. Jack had trained Rathe himself, back before a stray bullet had landed the older man behind a desk. There was respect between the two but little reverence. McKay. I didnt expect to hear from you until at least nine-fifteen. The meeting cant have even started yet.
It hasnt. I met my partner in the laundry room at 2:00 a.m. this morning. She was getting a jump on the case. She doesnt seem to get that investigators never, ever go Lone Ranger. It was HFH policy, and might be enough to convince Jack to pull her off the job.
You were there, too, so dont pretend you give a damn about policy. Jacks shrug carried down the line. I know you dont work with women, McKay, but its not like you two are in the middle of a war zone. Its a bit of petty drug trafficking at a well-funded urban hospital. Enjoy it.
Rathe gritted his teeth, knowing the cushy assignment was Jacks way of saying he thought Rathe needed a break from the real action. Shes a liability.
No, shes not. Shes a transplant specialist, shes fearless, and she was requested by name. Jacks voice hardened into a direct order. Use her. Teach her. This is what the next generation of HFH investigators looks like, McKay. Get used to it.
The phone went dead in Rathes hand, and he scowled.
Enjoy it. Get used to it. Jacks words replayed in his mind as he jogged up the stairs to the sixth floor, which housed the Transplant Unit.
Fine. They thought he was burned out? Hed show them. Hed make this the fastest, cleanest investigation theyd ever seen. And hed do it handicapped with a female partner.
He hit the top of the stairs, and an echo of heat reminded him that it wasnt that simple.
His partner was Nadia French. Nia. Tonys daughter.
Rathe had wanted to see his old friend one last time, had ached to apologize, to forgive and be forgiven and to hold Nadia when her father died.
But sometimes a man had to break a promise to keep a promise. And so he had stayed away.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the doors into the office of the director of transplant medicine.
But sometimes a man had to break a promise to keep a promise. And so he had stayed away.
Taking a deep breath, he pushed through the doors into the office of the director of transplant medicine.
Youre late. From her chair on the visitors side of the lake-size desk, Nia frowned at him. Ive already told Dr. Talbot about the men with the suspicious laundry hamper, and the van with the
Ill take it from here, he interrupted. Try to remember that I hold seniority on this case.
She rolled her eyes. Yes, sir, Dr. McKay, sir.
Rathe ignored her and held out a hand to the older of the two men in the room, a distinguished, white-haired gentleman sporting a bow tie and elegant, steel-rimmed glasses. Im Rathe McKay.
Its a pleasure to meet you, Dr. McKay. Your reputation as the medical communitys answer to Indiana Jones precedes you. The older mans handshake was firm. Michael Talbot. And this, the director of transplant gestured to his companion, a handsome, well-groomed man, is my assistant director, Logan Hart.
The assistant director nodded but didnt offer a hand. In his early thirties, Hart exuded breeding and education from the ends of his professionally sculpted hair to the tips of his tasseled black leather shoes. He looked a far cry from Rathe, whod gone from the foster-care system straight to a combined undergraduate/medical degree on an HFH scholarship.
And where had that thought come from, Rathe wondered. He was the man hed become, not the boy hed been.
Frowning, he took the visitors chair beside Nia and focused his attention on the men. My superior has been in direct contact with your administration. I expect you to grant me all of the necessary access and let me run my own investigation. In exchange Ill provide you a written report of my findings once a week. Is that clear?
There was dead silence in the office as the balance of power shifted neatly into Rathes handswhich had been his intention. He needed to take control of the situation right away.
When he was in charge, nobody made mistakes. Everyone lived.
But he could feel Nia fuming at his casual dismissal of what shed seen in the loading area. The aggravation poured off her in waves. He could smell it coming from her skin, like the memory of
Like the memory of a mistake. A betrayal.
A lost opportunity.
Gentlemen? Rathe forced his voice to sound level when it would havewhat? Cracked? Faltered? Impossiblehe was a grown man. Things like that didnt happen to him. That was for kids such as Nia. Do we have an agreement?
Logan Hart, who looked like a kid himself, frowned, but his boss, Talbot, smiled with a glint of respect in his eyes. He held out his hand a second time, this time in affirmation. We have an agreement, Dr. McKay. We would be fools not to take advantage of your expertise.
In his peripheral vision, Rathe saw Nia curl her lip. Surprisingly, he had to fight a kink of amusement.
But this was no laughing matter. It was an investigation, and if her little stunt down in the subbasement was any indication, she was going to be a hell of a lot of work to baby-sit while he went about his business.
The director leaned back in his chair and steepled his fingers together. Basically were stumped. Transplant patients who wouldve survived a year ago are dying, and there are gaps in our supplies that suggest theft, but nobodys seen anything. He spread his hands. I brought this to the head administrators attention, and he called you.
What sorts of supplies? Rathe asked.
At the same time Nia said, Are there connections among the dead patients?
Logan Hart grinned at her, and a dimple appeared in his cheek. Good question. Theyre all rare type.
Rathe shrugged. If theyre rare tissue type, then they probably waited longest for their transplants and had the worst prognoses. You may just be seeing a blip. Lets focus on the supplies to start with. Whats been disappearing?
Nia frowned but didnt argue.
Talbot pushed a bulging envelope across the desk. Theres a list in here, along with your ID badges and supporting information. Jack Wainwright picked your cover stories. I hope youll find them acceptable.
Rathe could have sworn Talbot was laughing at him but wasnt sure why. He opened the envelope, shook out its contents and glanced at Nias information before passing it to her. She would be posing as a transplant specialist visiting the hospital to observe Boston Generals procedures, and give a short lecture series. Perfect. She wouldnt have to dissemble much to maintain her cover, which was good. She didnt have the experience he did at sliding into new roles. Chameleonlike, he could assume any cover, pass himself off easily as any of a number of people, such asRathe glanced at his packet.
A janitor? Youve got to be kidding me!
Nia lifted a hand to stifle a snicker. When Rathe glared at her, she managed to straighten her face before she said, Its perfect. Youre working the night shift, so youll be able to watch the loading docks and see what comes and goes. So far, thats our best lead.
She was right, damn it. But Rathe also knew she was thinking that working the day shift, when he was off, would give her time to do some digging on her own. To prove herself.
He knew, because hed once been like that himself. Hed learned his lesson the hardest way possible, and hed be damned if hed let Tony Frenchs daughter find herself in the same situation.
So he nodded. Youre right. Working the night shift will give me plenty of time to help you with your end of things.
She scowled back. Youll need to sleep sometime, McKay.
Not necessarily. He scooped their IDs into the envelope. I dont sleep much. He nodded to the transplant doctors, who were following the exchange with rapt attention. Gentlemen. Ill be in touch.
Rathe didnt miss the frown Nia directed at him, nor did he miss noticing how Logan Hart held her hand a moment longer than necessary when they shook.
Kids will be kids, Rathe told himself fiercely, and the words echoed in the voice of Nias father. Though Rathe had shrugged off his experiences as an on-loan medic in the war-torn country where the two had met over a transfusion, the place had marked Tony. Not long after, Tony had retired from the Army to hunker down in the suburbs with his wife and daughter while he waited for the nightmares to fade.
Rathe hoped they had in the end.
Trying to ignore the tug he felt in his gut when Nia laughed at something Logan Hart said, Rathe spun on his heel and left the office. He never should have come back to the States.
At least when he was abroad, it was easier to forget that hed slept with his best friends daughter.
He stalked down the hall, away from the woman and the memories. But he didnt go far. He had a feeling she was going to find every possible opportunity to place herself in danger during this assignment.
Hell, its what he would do in her situation.
EIGHT HOURS LATER, still annoyed that Rathe hadnt waited around after their meeting so they could plan their case and divvy up the responsibilities, Nia stalked to the garage where shed parked her car. She couldnt wait to get back to the swanky apartment building that had been donated to Boston General for use by visiting scientists and patients families.