Master No (Masters and Mercenaries, #9)(104)

He would take her to Dallas and then walk away. It was the best he could do for her. Despite the fact that he’d gotten Big Tag’s brother killed, Ian would look out for Faith. He would watch over Phoebe. He would take care of the women Ten loved. They would be safe.

When the time came, Big Tag would bury him because that was the kind of man he was.

Ten wished he could be that man. He wished he could take back the last few hours. If he could go back to that one moment in time, he would have taken the lead and stepped out into the road. He would happily take the bullet that destroyed Theo.

If he had, would Faith have looked at him one last time? Would she have held his hand and cried? Would he have gone out feeling something more than bitterness and regret? Yes, that would have been a better outcome.

The door opened and she walked in wearing the T-shirt he’d left for her. It hung down to her knees. He hated the fact that she was wearing Nick’s shirt. Something primal inside him wanted her wearing his, but he didn’t even have that to give her. He was going to have to wear the scrubs or borrow something from Theo.

Fuck.

“You shouldn’t sleep on that thing. It’s too small for you.” She had a towel wrapped around her head, showing off the graceful line of her neck. She looked so small in Nick’s shirt. Small and fragile.

It didn’t take very much imagination to replace the image of Theo with hers. Faith, silent and dead, all her goodness nothing but garbage in his wake.

“I’ll survive.” He wouldn’t sleep anyway.

“All right.” She turned to go back into the bathroom but before she made it to the door she whirled around, a stubborn look on her face. “No. No, it’s not all right. Take off your shirt, Tennessee. Don’t even try to argue with me. I’m the top in this particular situation and I won’t let you order me around.”

“This situation?”

“Yes, the situation where I’m the doctor and you’re the patient,” she explained. “You’ve just spent days being tortured. I’m going to take a look at you whether you like it or not.”

Somehow the thought of her putting impersonal hands on him seemed cruel. “I’m fine. I don’t need attention, Faith. I want you to save your energy for someone who needs it.”

“Needs it? Or deserves it? I’m starting to figure out a few things about you. This whole tough guy thing isn’t about you looking macho.”

He felt his eyes widen in surprise. “I don’t know what movie you’re watching, darlin’, but I got my ass handed to me. No. I am not trying to look macho or preserve my masculine mystique so you won’t think less of me. I’m not going to give you a rundown of all the ways your father cut me down to size. You’ve been through enough.”

She got down on her knees in front of him. “And so have you. I wasn’t accusing you of being arrogant. The opposite. You won’t accept care from me because you don’t think you deserve it. Guess what? That means nothing to me. I’m the doctor and everyone gets my care. I swore an oath a long time ago and I take it seriously. So take off your shirt and pants. I want to see everything.”

“Faith,” he began.

She frowned at him. “I won’t touch you if you don’t want me to. Well, I mean not in a sexual way.”

“What does that mean?”

“It means I don’t know how I feel. It means everything is twisted up and the world kind of sucks and I know our time is almost up. It means let me take care of you. Not because you think you deserve it but because I need to do something. Please.”

How was he supposed to argue with that? With aching arms, he pulled the shirt over his head and let her see the damage.





Faith had to take a deep breath. Ten’s body had been covered in scars before, but he had some new ones. Little circles of burned flesh surrounded by raised welts. He had to be in pain, but she was starting to think Ten was the masochist in their relationship.

She forced that thought aside. They didn’t have a relationship. At least not one that would ever last. She couldn’t be that girl, couldn’t be the sad pathetic thing who ran into the arms of the man who had lied to her, used her.

It was easier to focus on the burns. “Someone cleaned these.”

He nodded. “Your sister. She’s quite the doc herself. I didn’t understand why at the time. I kind of thought they were going to kill me so cleaning me up and making sure the wounds didn’t get infected seemed counterproductive. Now I know they were saving me for MSS.”

Despite her sister’s efforts, all the physical activity of the evening had caused a few of the welts to open. She reached into the small first aid kit they’d brought along and took out the antiseptic. It would hurt, but any man who’d taken this and not gone insane could take the sting she was about to give him. Besides, if she was right, Tennessee likely welcomed the pain.

He didn’t think he was worth saving, and now he was in a deep dive over Theo’s death. She’d felt it herself, but it wasn’t until she’d really listened to the man that she realized Ten’s grief was actually guilt.

He hadn’t expected them to come for him. He’d expected to die.

Despite all the pain he’d caused her, she had to acknowledge that he’d given her joy, too. Nothing had felt as real as making love with this man.