One of the two men who had cleared the house stood in the kitchen doorway. “Mr. Langsdale? If you’ll come through to the kitchen, I’d like to take a closer look at your arm.”
Luc wasn’t surprised they knew his identity. Mac had likely relayed that information soon after Luc had told Priscilla his real name. What he didn’t know was how deep into his background the marshals would look at first glance. Luc needed to talk with Priscilla first about their wedding, but that would have to wait until he’d had something to eat and some rest. His brain in its current state was too muddled to think straight.
He followed the man into the kitchen, where the second marshal had laid out first-aid supplies—gauze, bandages and a syringe.
“What’s that?” Luc pointed to the syringe.
“Antibiotics.” The man grinned. “Don’t worry—I’m a trained paramedic as well as a US marshal.” He held out his hand to Luc. “By the way, I’m Nick Grayson. Have a seat and let me see that arm.”
Luc shook his hand, then joined Grayson at the table. From the open doorway, he could see Priscilla and Mac conferring in the living room, standing close together. Mac, with his wavy brown hair and muscular form, appeared like a TV version of a US marshal. Luc didn’t spot a wedding ring on Mac’s hand. Maybe Priscilla was in love with her handler, which would make asking her for an annulment that much easier.
“Stay still while I remove the bandage.” Grayson nodded toward the other room. “Don’t worry. Mac’s married.”
Embarrassment crept over Luc like an old man shoving on a baseball cap. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Sure you don’t.” Grayson swiped the area around the wound with an alcohol swab, then used a saline rinse to cleanse the wound itself. “Not that I blame you. She’s definitely striking, but you don’t have anything to worry about with Mac.”
Luc gritted his teeth but couldn’t stop a groan from escaping as the paramedic-marshal worked on his arm. To distract himself from the stinging pain, he contemplated Priscilla. Her formerly blond hair was now brown with purple and turquoise streaks. Today she wore it in two buns on either side of her head, which meant it was longer than the short haircut she sported the night they’d met. He jerked his thoughts away from wondering how long her hair was. He was here to end their nonexistent marriage, not rekindle a failed romance. A broken engagement right after college and a missing bride had undermined Luc’s confidence in sustaining a relationship. His busy work schedule made meeting women difficult, and over the years it became easier to not even try than to have his heart broken again. Both sets of grandparents and his own parents had fairy-tale marriages—the love between each couple had been nauseating to him and his siblings as children, but now it served to highlight his own inability to find someone with whom he could settle down.
Luc bit back a yelp as Grayson used tweezers to extract something from the wound.
“Sorry, got some of the bandanna in the wound.”
“That’s okay. I’m not usually so sensitive, but today has been anything but normal.”
Grayson affixed a fresh bandage on the wound, then wrapped it in gauze. “There, that will keep it covered. Now, time for your shot of antibiotics.”
Luc grunted as the man gave the shot.
After adhering a bandage to the injection site, Grayson stripped off his gloves. “You’ll be as good as new in no time.”
Luc stood. “Are we done here?”
Grayson nodded as he cleaned up the supplies.
“Thanks. I’m going to check on Priscilla.” Luc pushed open the kitchen door and hurried into the living room.
Priscilla and Mac stopped talking at his entrance. “How’s the arm?” Priscilla gestured toward the fresh bandage.
“Sore.” Luc looked from one to the other. “What happens next?”
Mac’s eyes hardened.
Luc braced himself for what the marshal would say.
The other man didn’t disappoint. “You tell us why you’ve been following Priscilla.”
FIVE
Priscilla frowned as Luc’s face paled. His wound looked fine from the outside, but he had lost some blood. Being shot wasn’t something one recovered from quickly. Even she was still edgy not knowing for certain the danger had passed. Furthermore, she disagreed with Mac about pressing Luc for answers, but her handler had been firm.