Shielded By The Ruthless Military Boss

sure they don't overcook it. The last tim

ton Finch. Financial analyst. Ivy League graduate. The eighteenth

g his silver fork to trace the menu l

u shut. He finally looked at her, his chin tilted in perpetual judgment. "At my c

his was her life now. Sitting across from arrogant men who thought a f

that was probably meant to be charming but landed clos

ected automatically. "At Wash

king orders. And the pay? Practically minimum wage, right? Honestly, a pretty girl like you should ju

d her mouth to tell him exactly where he could

right now, it was the only thing keeping he

d. It wasn't just the hospital. It was the d

it right ther

t name. His voice, usually dripping with academic con

ck, Dr. Cromwell

d shouting. "This is not a drill. We are at Code Atlas. I say again, C

ic

, the dial tone buz

e A

in break rooms like a ghost story. It meant catastrophe. Mass casualt

oline said, already

"You're joking. What kind of emergency could a

d a fifty-dollar bill from her wallet and dropped it on his pristine

ushing red. She turned on her heel and pr

he lingering disgust of the date. She flagged down a cab dropping someone off at

edical Center," she

the rain had slowed to a mist, but the

out and st

d been turned i

Humvees idled across the driveway, their headlights cutting through the fog. Men in

sualty event. This wa

nearest checkpoint, holding up her ID badge with a trembli

dge, checked a clipboard, and stepped aside. "Go straight

otic symphony of the ER was gone, replaced by a suffocating, terrified silence. Doc

omp

he had aged a decade since morning. His white coat wa

. You will monitor the patient's vitals. You will not speak to him. You will not touch any personal effects in the room. If his he

s,

G

levator bank. The air smelled different here

pen. A group of people emerged, moving like a single, lethal o

e just backg

d, was a man who looked like he had

age uniform. The rank on his chest-a silver eagle-demanded absolute submission. His

ssed, the man t

-swept the corridor. And for a fraction of

stepping ont

her spine, freezing her blood. Those eyes didn't just look at her; they stripped he

e murmured, handing the

taking the tablet without missing a stride. He began firing off

ddenly weak. She hadn't realized she was hold

ling Caroline into a supply alcove. Brenna's face was

d, her throat like san

. My cousin at the Pentagon says he's the guy they call when the world is ending." She clutc

to dispel the lingering, phantom heat from th

ell's special

be careful. That patient... this whole thing is black-ops. The FBI tried

itors," Caroline said, though

ble doors of the ICU wing. They hissed shut behind h

faces blank masks. They checked her

teady beep-beep of the heart

wollen canvas of bruises, thick bandages wrapping his to

en. Lieutenan

njuries read like

on the rhythmic spike of the heart mo

nitors. But standing in the freezing room, looki

deadly storm. And the man with the ice-gr