“Why haven’t we heard from Nate?”
Quinn Wolff set his coffee cup back down on the counter, mourning that first sip of the day. He met his fiancée’s eyes as she barreled toward him, looking sexy as hell in his t-shirt and nothing else.
“It’s only been twelve hours since his last text. When he knows more, so will we.”
Avery came to a stop in front of him. Beneath her impatience lay worry, although she covered it well.
Quinn put his hands on her shoulders. “You have to let my brother work. You know that.”
Her shoulders lifted and fell on a sigh. “I know. I just hate the waiting and not knowing.”
He pulled her into his arms, feeling the tension in her muscles, when just moments ago she’d been crying out his name as he made love to her.
“Do you think he’s found her yet?”
“Avery.” He warned.
She rested her head on his chest. “I know. You’ll tell me when there’s news?”
He kneaded the back of her neck. “I said I would.”
A soft groan escaped her lips. “That feels good.”
As much as he wanted to pick her up, carry her back to bed and make love to her again, he had work to do. “What are your plans for the day?”
“Going back to bed with you.” She slid her hand between them, rubbing him.
“Vixen.” He growled, kissing her hard on the lips before forcing himself to step away.
“Damn your willpower.” She said with a smile as she moved to the coffee pot and poured a cup. Hands wrapped around it, she said, “Your mom invited me to lunch.”
“Are you going?”
“Does anyone say no to your mother?” She joked, although it seemed forced.
He gave her credit for trying.
“I told her I’d meet her at the diner.”
Quinn took a sip of coffee. “Good.”
“Yeah. We’re going to swing over to Dani’s afterward. See how she’s doing.”
He nodded, wondering if the ache in his chest would ever go away. Talking about his brother’s fiancée made the hurt come back with a vengeance.
“Kell mentioned she wasn’t sleeping much.” Kell only knew that because he didn’t sleep much either. Too many demons keeping him up at night. Some of his own making, others beyond his control.
“And she’s getting thinner. Your mom is worried she’s not eating.”
Quinn had noticed the changes in Dani, too. Grief was taking a heavy toll on her. Hell, on all of them.
“To tell the truth, I’m worried, too.”
Considering how Avery and Dani had started, this was a big step. He didn’t want Avery suffering anymore worry, but maybe focusing on Dani would ease her anxiety over Macy.
“If there’s one thing my mom can do its nurture someone back to health.” He refilled his coffee cup, kissed Avery on top of the head and headed for the door.
“You better call me.” Avery called after him.
He waved before the door closed behind him, feeling like a heel. Keeping things from Avery didn’t sit well, but this time it was for the best. She’d be pissed when she found out. That was a risk he had to take. It was for her own good. If she discovered out her friend was wanted for murder and on the run from every mercenary, lowlife and dirty cop in the country, Avery would never rest. She was still healing from their ordeal in Azbakastan. He wouldn’t jeopardize that.
****
Sweat rolled down Macy’s back, the midday sun beating relentlessly upon them. Not even the hefty breeze cooled her. Everywhere she looked all she saw was dry desert and a blue sky that stretched for miles. The stark beauty was lost on her, as she struggled to put one foot in front of the other. Each step made her leg throb with pain. She tried to put it out of her mind and focus on the terrain so she didn’t fall on her face but the misery of her condition won out.
Nate walked in front of her, a large pack on his back, loaded to the gills. He kept the pace slow for her, probably not a good thing because she wasn’t moving very fast. He’d offered help and she’d refused. He had enough burden to carry already without adding her to it.
There wasn’t any cover here. Nothing except rolling hills and rock. Every now and then there was a scrub tree or two. Otherwise, barren.
“Doing okay?” Nate asked.
“Yep. Doin’ great.”
He glanced over his shoulder and she gave him a thumbs up. His eyes narrowed slightly before he turned back around. She’d endured worse pain than this in the past six weeks alone. Besides, the thought of being shot in the back served as good motivation.
Nate stopped, turning to face her. Struck by the raw masculinity of this man, she let the distance close between them.
“There’s a hill in front of us. Not extremely steep, but its long and the terrain won’t be flat like this. Think you can make it?”
She peered around him. His ‘hill’ looked more like a mountain. A tall, dusty one with nothing except a couple boulders as a reward at the top.
“I can do it.” She said with a firm nod. Convincing her or him? She didn’t know.
“Ten-minute break first?”
As much as she wanted to rest, she knew if she stopped now she’d never find the energy to go again; once her body shut down she was certain it would stay that way. Right now, adrenaline kept her going and there were still a couple hours of daylight left. She wasn’t wasting a second.
“Nope, let’s keep moving.”
His incredible green eyes searched her face, making her heart flutter.
“How’s the leg?”
“Hurts like a son of a gun, but I’m good to go.”
A smile twitched at the corners of his mouth. With a nod, he started the journey up the ‘hill’. Macy followed along, hoping to hell she made it to the top.
As the terrain grew steeper, and more uneven, she had to exert more energy she didn’t have to keep moving. She couldn’t tell if the wetness on her was from sweat or blood and she didn’t look. Better if she stayed focused on Nate’s broad shoulders and powerful form, instead of the ache in her body. His baseball cap had been shed long ago, as had hers. The wind kept blowing them off their heads so Nate put them away. He kept them hydrated and fed her protein bars that tasted like dirt but they fueled her body and helped her continue.
Shielding her eyes from the sun, she looked at the hill rising in front of her. There were a few paths where people had hiked before them, the dirt lighter than the rest. Other than that, dry, empty, and not another soul in sight; not a bad thing given they were on the run.
Her foot slipped on a rock, sending her stumbling. The extra weight on her injured leg made it buckle and down she went. Landing hard on her knees, she let out a cry of agony as razor sharp pain shot up her leg. Her ears began to ring right before everything went black.
****
“Shit.” Nate dropped to his knees beside Macy. Damn her tenacious hide. He should have insisted she use him as a crutch. If there had been any trees around he’d have made a pair of crutches for her. Stubborn woman had assured him they’d move faster if she walked on her own. Like a fool, he let her have her way.
Placing her head in his lap he gently touched her flushed cheek. Too warm. Almost feverish. The temperature had reached well over ninety but she felt hotter than normal.
He glanced down at her leg. Blood seeped through her jeans, wet to the knee. Dammit. Her fall probably tore the wound open. They couldn’t stop here. Too open and vulnerable.
He tore a strip off the bottom of his shirt and wrapped it around Macy’s leg to staunch the blood flow. Best he could do until he found a safe place to hide out for the night.
Carefully, he lifted her into his arms and rose to his feet. They had to keep moving. He continued up the hill, tucking Macy’s head into his chest to avoid any more sunburn. She let out a tiny moan but didn’t wake up.
So far, this mission had gone sideways. When he’d caught a break, and gotten the name of Macy’s husband, his plans had been easy. A simple grab and run. In and out of the country before anyone knew he was there. Bring Macy home. Fulfill his promise to Avery. All good.
Shit happened, but this topped the charts. Keeping Macy from sepsis or losing too much blood while on the run didn’t bode well for the journey they had in front of them. She wasn’t a navy SEAL. She wasn’t trained for this kind of survival. He was. And come hell or high water, he’d keep his promise.
Sweat rolled down his back and forehead. He’d tied a bandana around it to keep moisture out of his eyes and it was soaked. They still had a couple hours of hot sun before it went down for the evening. Until then, they had to keep moving.
Nate picked up the pace. The more ground he covered the safer they were. Macy felt light as a feather in his arms. Too light. It only confirmed the hell she’d been through. Probably starved, beaten and God help her, raped. She was going to need TLC when she got home and lots of it. Maybe counseling. He knew just the person for the job His mom. She was a caring and nurturing soul by nature. If anyone could heal Macy, it was her. He looked forward to the containers of Tupperware that would be waiting in his fridge when he returned. A silly tradition his mom insisted on, making sure her boys had a homemade meal every time they came home from a job, but one they all secretly counted on.
In the short time, Avery had been with them he’d seen big changes in her. Her eyes had become less haunted and she’d put on a couple pounds, filling out her too-thin figure. Avery had been in similar shape as Macy. Gaunt, pale and nearly a skeleton. A few family dinners, some TLC from his mom, and Quinn and she’d started to come around. Still had a long road ahead of her though, but she was well on her way.
He only hoped Macy had a similar support system. She would need it after what she’d been through.
Macy groaned, her head lifting from his chest. “What happened?”
“You fell.” He barely kept the annoyance from his tone. Not at her, but at himself for letting it happen in the first place.
She touched her head. “You’ve been carrying me?”
He nodded.
“For how long?”
“Forty-five minutes.”
“You can put me down now.”
“Not happening.”
Her head lifted further. “What? Why not? You can’t carry me and all of our supplies the entire way.”
He’d carried heavier in much more dangerous terrain much longer than this trek would be. “Faster this way.”
Her head dropped back down on his chest. Quietly, she said, “I don’t like this. It isn’t me. I’m not helpless.”
That was not a word he’d use to describe her. Strong, brave, and tenacious, yes. “Circumstances are beyond your control.”
She huffed out a small laugh. “Is that your way of making me feel better?”
“Is it working?”
A soft sigh escaped her lips. “Somehow, yes. Promise me you’ll put me down if it gets too much.”
“Scout’s honor.”
“You were a boy scout?”
“I was.”
“Then we’re good.”
Her easy acceptance pulled a smile from him. Macy Gibbs wasn’t at all what he’d expected. Her ability to remain positive in such dire circumstances impressed the hell out of him. Tightening his grip, Nate pushed through the heat, and the burning in his legs from the climb. Pain could be compartmentalized. He knew from experience how hard he could push his body, the limits he could overcome.
“I think my leg is bleeding,” Macy murmured. “It’s going to get on you.”
He glanced down at her. Perspiration dotted her brow and flushed cheeks. Her lips were parted slightly, her breath coming in short pants. He needed to get her out of the sun, hydrated and treated. The last thing he needed was for her to get sunstroke or heat exhaustion on top of her injuries.
“I’m not worried about a little blood.” He told her.
“What are you worried about?”
Her eyes were closed, her words slurred slightly. He wasn’t sure if she knew what she was saying or not. “Nothing.”
“Dying?”
He glanced down sharply at her. Her eyes remained closed, her body lax in his arms. “No, I’m not afraid of that.” He’d gotten over that fear as a SEAL. Now, though, it meant seeing his brother again and that wouldn’t bother him one bit. He missed Ryan like hell. Everything was out of balance with him gone. The family dinners with one empty chair. Their football games that helped them blow off steam. The teams were uneven now. Wasn’t fucking right.
“I am.” She murmured. “There are too many things I haven’t done yet.” She sighed. “I’ve never sailed around the world and I want to on the open water, visiting happy places with a dog named Scout. Instead of repressed, underprivileged, dangerous areas where people resent me. Yes, that’s what I want to do. Oh, and fall in love. Real love. Not the fly-by-night relationships I’ve been in.”
The thought made him shudder. Quinn had taken the plunge and fallen in love. Not Nate. Having a wife, a family only meant there would be someone more to grieve over him if something happened. He’d spent enough of his career grieving and he wouldn’t burden anyone else with it. Not because of him. Not if he could prevent it.
“I’ve never joined the mile-high club.”
Nate gritted his teeth. Time to steer this conversation in another direction. Imagining Macy living out her fantasies with another man didn’t sit well. Made him damn uncomfortable and he refused to analyze why.
“I’ve never been to Italy.” She smiled. “I want to go sail to Italy and eat gelato.”
She hadn’t talked this much since they met. Something wasn’t right. Even through his combat vest he could feel the heat of her body seeping into his. Dammit. Could anything else go wrong on this mission?
Just as the thought crossed his mind; the sound of helicopter wings broke through the valley. Nate looked up and saw a small, black chopper cresting the hill just west of them.
Nate broke into a run.
He just had to ask, didn’t he?