"Alexis Morgan - Dark Protector" - читать интересную книгу автора (Morgan Alexis)

тАЬSpeaking as his Handler, I must protest your even being here. Sir.тАЭ That last word was clearly a
reluctant afterthought. тАЬThe transition is difficult enough for him without an audience. If you donтАЩt leave, I
will have to register a complaint with my superiors.тАЭ
 Devlin smiled in his mind. ThatтАЩs it, honey, give him hell. Her protests would fall on deaf ears,
but it would aggravate the man from Ordnance.
тАЬMiss Young, IтАЩm sorry,тАЭ the colonel lied smoothly, тАЬbut as I said, heтАЩs needed as soon as heтАЩs up
and about.тАЭ
An unladylike snort followed. тАЬItтАЩs Doctor Young. And according to Ordnance, heтАЩs always
needed somewhere. If you keep putting him in these deadly situations without the proper care, youтАЩll lose
him altogether.тАЭ
Despite her calm tone, there was a powerful undercurrent to her words, one Devlin couldnтАЩt quite
decipher.
Colonel KincadeтАЩs voice took on an edge. тАЬHow I use him is none of your business, Dr. Young.
He belongs to us.тАЭ
The old bastard never could stand to be second-guessed, especially by a woman. The Handler
had better tread softly.
тАЬYou may decide how best to use Devlin BaneтАЩs talents, Colonel, but I decide whenтАФand ifтАФhe
is ready for reassignment.тАЭ
She stepped close enough to DevтАЩs bed for him to feel the heat radiating off her. The normally
calm Laurel YoungтАЩs emotions were certainly running high today.
тАЬYou might as well take your papers and leave, Colonel. IтАЩm not signing anything today,
tomorrow, or maybe even the day after.тАЭ
SheтАЩd grown some claws since heтАЩd last been reborn, but the men from Ordnance had decades of
experience in getting their way. When Devlin could speak, he would have to warn her to watch her back.
He didnтАЩt need or even want her defending him.
He listened to the angry staccato steps of the colonel leaving the ward. Kincade would regroup
and be back, but for the moment, he was gone. Already the air seemed fresher, more potent.
Cool fingers settled on his wrist, checking his pulse. He wondered why she didnтАЩt just accept the
readings on the machines that beeped and whined and knew more about him than he did.
тАЬYou can come out of hiding now, Mr. Bane. HeтАЩs gone.тАЭ
Damn, heтАЩd thought heтАЩd done a better job of disguising his resurgence than that.
His eyelashes felt heavy as he struggled to open his eyes as ordered. It took several attempts and
a considerable amount of effort before he could do more than squint up at his Handler. Her pixie face
hovered over his, looking worried as she muttered under her breath. LaurelтАЩs face was more interesting
than truly pretty, with wide-set, brown eyes the color of rich, dark chocolate. Looking up into that thickly
lashed gaze had become his favorite part of reviving.
тАЬIтАЩm alive. Again.тАЭ He wasnтАЩt sure he wanted to be. Not with the colonel and his friends already
sniffing around.
тАЬIt took longer this time.тАЭ Laurel frowned. тАЬAlmost too long.тАЭ
Was that fear in her voice? He wished his hands werenтАЩt bound, so that he could offer her the
comfort of his touch. The unexpected impulse shocked him. HeтАЩd jettisoned most of the softer emotions
two Handlers ago, leaving him cold and detached.
Fighting against the Others made him that way. His nightmares were bad enough already,
especially the one where he became one of them. That particular horror would become reality soon
enough.
тАЬTake off the straps,тАЭ he demanded.
 Regret shadowed her expression. тАЬYou know I canтАЩt. Not yet.тАЭ She glanced past him to the clock
on the wall. тАЬWe have to wait another hour at least. You ought to know the routine by now, Mr. Bane.тАЭ
Yeah, but that didnтАЩt mean he had to like it. There were tests to be run, reflexes to test, various
bodily specimens to collect and evaluateтАФall of it a waste of time, something he had precious little of.