Dimitri's Moon (25 page)

“Waiting outside until we’ve checked you out.”

Dimitri glanced at the door and then the male nurse in the room with Lex. “What happened?”

Lex shined a light in his eyes. “What do you remember?”

He watched her jot notes down on a chart. “I remember pain…and…” he trailed off as flashes of a brunette woman flickered before him, along with blood. Lots of blood. “Arrgh!” he hollered when he couldn’t pull up any more of the memory.

“Easy there, sailor.” Lex’s calm, unruffled tone broke into his tenseness.

“I don’t know. I should remember, but I can’t!” His breathing accelerated and his heart rate increased.

“Take it easy, Dimitri,” Lex said. The beeping grew faster.

He tried to do as she said. Dimitri wanted to get up, but he couldn’t. “Lex,” he spoke, “I can’t move my legs.” Alexis Leighton might be a great doctor, but even she couldn’t hide the worry that statement put on her face. Dimitri’s throat grew dry. “What’s wrong with me?”

“Listen to me. We need to run some more tests. It may be nothing.”

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Dimitri shook his head at her. “Don’t give me that medical crap.

What aren’t you telling me?”

She sat down on the stool beside him. “You sustained a serious injury due to a knife to your lower back. To do the best they could and not paralyze you, the medics put you into a coma, got you stable and then removed the knife and the two bullets. But you wouldn’t come out of the coma, so we never knew if they had been successful or if there was actual nerve damage done.”

Nerve damage. Paralyzed. I may never walk again.

“Don’t think bad things, Dimitri. You’ve come back to us; that’s a huge step in the right direction.”

“Yes, ma’am,” he replied, shutting his eyes.

Dimitri heard whispers and then the door shut. All kinds of thoughts ran through his mind as he fell asleep. The following days didn’t show any improvement.

When he awoke from resting a few days later, the first thing Dimitri saw was Landi sitting in her chair sketching quietly. Her headphones were in her ears as she worked. He stared at her from beneath lowered lashes.

“Can I get you anything?” she asked without looking up from her pad. “Water? Ice chips? Jell-O?”

Some real food would be nice.
“Look at me, Landi,” he said.

The scratching of her pencil stopped and she placed her fawn gaze on his. A frown marred her face. “You okay?” Landi put her feet on the floor and walked over to him.

Dimitri almost smiled at the pink football jersey she wore.
I
should have known it’d be the only way she’d wear one.
He swallowed a few times before he asked, “Why are you still here, Landi?”

“I’m here because this is where I want to be.” She brushed her lips over his lightly.

Silent, Dimitri nodded and Landi returned to her seat, picking up her sketch pad again. He wanted to hold her, carry her in his arms.

Play with his…no…
their
children. Not be in a wheelchair.

“What does
kori
mean?”

Landi’s question startled him. “Why?” he asked.

“Just curious.”

“Who called you that?” Dimitri believed he had a very good idea.

“Your father.”

168

Aliyah Burke

I was right. Figures he would do that.
Dimitri frowned as another thought entered his head.
If I’m paralyzed, how would I ever be able to make
love to Landi again?
A chill settled around him. Even his parents loved her, proven by his father calling her daughter.

“You should go,” he said.

She put her pencil down and looked at him. “I’m sorry, what?”

Lex walked in, chart in hand, but he ignored her. Never tearing his gaze from Landi, he repeated himself.

“I said you should go. You have other things to do I’m sure.”

Her eyes narrowed. “You want me to leave.” Landi made it a statement, not a question.

“Yes,” he returned even as his heart cried out
no!
“My parents are here. You can get on with your life.”

“Get on with my life.”

Dimitri turned his head away, unable to look at her. “That would be a good thing for you to do.” His heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest.

“Don’t you look away from me!” she snapped. “Damn you!

Look at me!”

He did and she was at his side, her eyes angry as was her stance.

“What?” he bit off.

“How are you going to sit there and tell me to go?”

Temper at his situation boiled over. “Well, I’d get up and tell you but…” he halted and slashed his hand toward his legs, “I can’t seem to get up, now can I?”

One of her arched brows shot up and she put her hands on her hips. Dimitri knew she was ready for a fight.
Well, that’s fine. I’m spoiling
for one as well.

“What happened to the man who believed he could do anything?”

His hands fisted in the blankets at his sides. “He’s lying in a goddamn hospital bed! He’s tired!” Dimitri stared straight ahead.

She snorted. “Of course you’re tired. You’ve given up. The question is why?”

He snapped his head around to glare at her. “I’ve not given up!”

“Oh, cut the shit, Dimitri!” Her voice had risen to match his.

“What? How am I the bad person here?”

“Answer me, damn it!” Landi’s command reverberated through the room.

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“Don’t be mad at me, Landi. I’m the one who may never walk again. I’m tired. Leave me alone!”

“Shut up, Dimitri. Just shut up!” She lowered her face into his and he had to stop himself from grabbing her and kissing her. Landi narrowed her eyes at him and shook her head. “I thought you were a SEAL.” Her small form stepped back. “Guess that was a mistake for the US Navy to have that same assumption of you.”

Fire flowed through his blood. “Damn you! I
am
a SEAL!” he growled. Dimitri looked over to where Lex stood avidly watching their interaction. “I’m tired, Lex. Get her out of here.”

Lex sighed and shook her head. “Nope, sorry. You’re on your own here.” With a brief glance to the nurse with her, they both left.

Dimitri glowered. “Go away, Landi.”

“No.”

“What?”

“No. It’s a really simple word. Two letters, I’m sure you’ve heard it plenty.” She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him.

“You have just given up.” She shook her head in disappointment.

“Given up? I’ve given up?”

“Did something happen to your hearing as well? Given up, that’s what I said. Should I say it again? Dimitri ‘Merlin’ Melonakos has given up,” she taunted.

Dimitri wanted to throw something. Hit something. Yell. More.

“Don’t go there, Landi,” he warned.

“Why not? You seem to be throwing yourself this pity party.

You don’t know you can’t walk. They say it may take time, but you…you expect to immediately be able to jump from a plane or whatever the hell you do. And since you can’t, you’re taking the co-ward’s way out. Quitting.”

“Get out!” he yelled. “What good am I if I can’t walk?”

“Why? Why would you do this?” she seethed at him. Her anger was so palpable he could taste it. “After everything the two of us have gone through…why?” She reached in her pocket and pulled out a sheet of paper. Landi stomped over to him, grabbed his chin, and shook the note in his face. “Let me tell you something, Dimitri Androcles Melonakos. You don’t get to say the things you did to me in this and then push me away.”

He forced himself to ignore the anger and pain that coated her words.

“Landi, I may never walk again.”

170

Aliyah Burke

“Shame on you, Dimitri. I would love you even if you were in a wheelchair. That doesn’t make you who you are. But I won’t listen to this pity party anymore.” She crumpled up the paper in her hand and hit him in the chest with it. “I won’t be your excuse to quit.”

Dimitri remained silent as she stared at him for a moment. Landi spun around and left the room. The slamming of the door was like someone shutting him into a dark room with no light. His heart tightened. Glancing to his right, he felt relieved when he saw her items still there.
She’ll be back.
The room was without the warmth Landi brought him.
What did I do?

He tensed when the door swung open. An apology died on his lips when he saw it was Lex and another person.

“We’re going to take you for an MRI.” She reached for the balled up paper still resting in his lap. “Want me to throw this away?”

“No!” He grabbed it and said in a softer tone, “No. I want this.”

“Okay,” Lex replied. “I’ll leave it here for when we get you return.” He didn’t want to let go of it. Lex spoke in a gentle yet firm tone when she held out her hand. “I need the paper, Petty Officer.”

She’s going all protocol on me.
With a sigh, he relinquished it. Lex just put it with his other cards and turned back to him.

“Ready?” she asked softly.

Am I ready?
Dimitri nodded and leaned back as they wheeled him from the room and down the hall. The procedure took a while and Dimitri was cranky as he was returned to his room. He wanted Landi and the calm he felt around her.

But Landi wasn’t there. Osten Scoleri sat wearing civvies in the chair she normally accompanied. When the orderly left, Dimitri realized what else was wrong in the room. Landi’s stuff wasn’t there.

“Where’s her stuff, Osten?” he asked.

“She’s gone, Dimitri.”

A harsh laugh exploded from his chest.
No!
“That can’t be. She just left her stuff right there. Where you’re sitting.”

“I know. I packed it up; it’s in my car as we speak.”

“What?” Dimitri’s heart pounded in his ears. “Why would you do that?”

“She left a note with Lex that she had to leave and if someone could send her stuff to Kacy’s, saying she’d get it later.” Osten un-crossed his legs and walked to the bed. “I have something I need to tell you.”

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“Wait a sec,” Dimitri said, trying to wrap his head around the fact Landi was truly gone.

“No, you need to listen, Dimitri. I feel horrible that I wasn’t with you when this went down, you know that. Of all the guys on this Team, you are my best friend. I feel like I failed you. Like, if I’d been there, maybe I could have done something immediately. I’m the medic for us and I wasn’t there when you needed me. I’ll never forgive myself for that.”

“It wasn’t your fault, Osten. I may not remember what happened that day, but I know it wasn’t your fault.”

“Fight this, Dimitri. Fight this and win. You need Landi and she needs you. Do you know she never even told our wives she saw some of us in Rio? She
is
one of us, and you need to bring her home where she belongs.”

Dimitri remained silent as Osten patted him on the shoulder and walked to the door.

“Dimitri, bring her home,” Osten said one more time in Italian before he slipped out the door.

When Lex arrived, he didn’t say anything about Landi. “Can I have my phone, Lex?”

“I’ll get it for you,” she said with a smile. She returned in seconds with it.

“Thank you.” He immediately dialed Landi’s number.

Dimitri frowned when it went directly to voicemail. He tried a few more times, determined not to worry or be upset she didn’t pick up. After all, he’d been the dumbass who’d told her to go. Throughout the rest of the day, his teammates stopped by to see him. None of them mentioned the lack of Landi in his hospital room. He knew they were well apprised of the situation.

Days passed and he still couldn’t reach Landi. He spoke to many people, including his family over in Greece. Dimitri had talked to Austin and Khristos as well. He found himself calling Landi’s number, even knowing he’d get her voicemail, just to be able to hear her voice.

One day, a knock came to the door.

“Come on in,” he said, “I’m just tryin’ to eat what they claim to be food around here.”

Affrica’s head popped around the door edge. “Are you decent?”

“Yes.”

“Dang. I’ll come back when you’re not.”

172

Aliyah Burke

“Get in here,” he said with a smile that grew bigger as she bounced in, even despite men’s eyes following her. “You gonna make me get up from this bed and kick their asses for ogling you? Or tell your brother?”

She glanced over her shoulder and waved at them before closing the door on their snooping gazes. “Nae. They’re harmless.” Affrica walked up to him with a vase of vibrantly colored flowers. She put it on the table and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Aidrian would kill ’em,” she paused, looking down at him, “not that any of the rest o’ ya, wouldn’t as well. I’m not a baby; I can take care o’ myself.”

Dimitri laughed. “That’s not the point.” He tugged her to sit on the bed beside him. “Now, what are you doing here? Thought you’d be out gallivanting around the world.”

“I was. But when Aidrian let me know about you, I came to see you.” She readjusted herself so they shared the bed. “Now, tell me, what is this bullshit about you not walking?”

Turning his head, Dimitri pressed his lips to her temple. “My legs don’t move, Affrica. It’s not bullshit.”

“Pshaw. You dinna want to try.”

“Why do you think that?” Dimitri asked even as he acknowledged if anyone else had said that, he would have flown off the handle.

“Because I know you and don’t believe any of this blarney.” She snuggled against him and Dimitri smiled as he put his chin on the top of her head.

“You know, Affrica, I don’t know why you aren’t taken. Are you hiding some man from us? We won’t kill him.”

“Speak for yourself, Merlin,” Aidrian’s deep voice filled the room. “I’d gladly slit him from—”

“Aidrian,” Affrica admonished.

“Speaking of slitting men touching my sister, what
are
you two doing in bed together?” he demanded.