Rafe had turned his back on her for just a few hours in order to meet with David and go over the reports they received from Gabe. It had been not only necessary, but very productive. They were able to find a gap of unexplainable time. To others that might not seem significant, but to him it was huge. He’d been looking for anything to confirm his suspicions and those reports did that. Someone had gone to a lot of trouble, but this was way beyond what someone like Deanna was capable of. It would require being mighty high in the chain of command to pull this off. Why would they want to? What’s really going on here that you didn’t want our troops on the ground to know? This information opened old wounds, ones that had never really healed in the first place.

This wasn’t just any report; it was details about their sister’s death. No matter how many battlefields they’d been on, reading about Phoebe’s last moments was much more painful. For now, all he could do was keep this between him and his brothers. If they didn’t limit who they shared this information with, they risked a leak that could help the culprits take it to the next level. There was no telling what that would entail. But he’d seen a lot over the years and could only imagine the lengths they’d go to. I can’t believe what they’ve already done.

How deeply involved was Deanna in this cover-up? What was troubling him the most was whether she was a willing party or not. He knew Phoebe had told them Deanna was her best friend, but right now Rafe wasn’t sure if the friendship had been reciprocated. He didn’t want to believe she could be involved, but he wasn’t about to rule it out either.

Still, hearing on his earpiece that Deanna had been hurt during his absence affected him. Although Josh informed Rafe he had everything under control, that wasn’t sufficient. Rafe needed to see for himself. When he arrived at her tent, some of the volunteers were outside pacing.

One woman grabbed his arm as he tried to push past and said, “You can’t go in there.”

Rafe looked at her hand and replied, “You can’t stop me.” Then he looked at the others and gave the same warning with his eyes.

It looked bad. Her back was turned to him as she was lying on her side. “What the heck happened?” Rafe asked as he rushed over and dropped to his knees by her side. Rafe wanted to pull her into his arms, but he knew not to move her until he assessed her injuries. Josh was holding what used to be his T-shirt on the back of Deanna’s head. He didn’t need to see blood because the tent was filled with the smell. It was one scent that, unfortunately, they knew all too well in their line of work.

Somehow this was different. He could feel his heart pounding as though he’d just run the Boston Marathon. He’d seen people with limbs blown off, yet knowing Deanna was hurt was causing him physical pain. He needed information now. Josh must’ve sensed that as well.

“She fell and hit her head on the ground. She lost consciousness briefly. Her pulse and heart rate are good, considering the situation. The bleeding has subsided, but she has one heck of a lump on her head,” Josh reported as he continued holding direct pressure on the injury.

“Rafe, if that’s you, keep your voice down. My head is killing me,” Deanna moaned softly.

He’d never been so relieved to be told to shut up. Another moan escaped her lips. Even though Josh was telling him it all looked good, it still felt like a knife twisting in his gut. He’d led teams into battle against some of the most ruthless adversaries, yet right now he felt helpless. I should’ve been there. He wasn’t clear exactly how it all went down, but knowing Josh had been on top of it was a relief. “Good thing you had your eyes open, Josh, otherwise she could’ve bled to death.”

“She’s going to be okay.”

“Is she hurt anywhere else?” Rafe asked.

“She hurt her—”

“I’m right here. I can talk for myself,” Deanna grunted.

Her spunky attitude said she was going to be okay, but that fact that she’d been hurt at all didn’t please him. They were in a less than friendly environment, and if she’d needed medical attention, they didn’t have a chopper close by to fly her out. For the moment he would breathe a bit easier, but he knew this needed to change; she had to leave. Not next month or next week. Rafe needed to convince her to leave with him tomorrow. To do that, I’ve got to get her to trust me.

“I’ve got this, Josh, why don’t you go and—”

“He’s doing fine, Rafe. Why don’t you go,” Deanna snapped.

Rafe knew he’d have to do some damage control if he had any hope of getting her to listen to him. She was still ticked at the way he’d spoken to her. He ticked women off all the time. But Deanna was different. He couldn’t walk away. Even though she was lying to him and his family, he owed it to Phoebe to watch out for her.

He was about to tell Josh to get the heck out anyway, but instead, he was going to use his brother to his benefit. “What’s the difference, Deanna? I thought you didn’t trust any Turchetta. Or is it just me you find . . . difficult?”

Rafe noticed Deanna stiffened slightly before responding. So you didn’t know. He found that interesting.

“Yes. Just you.”

Deanna’s snarky response almost made him chuckle. Josh’s didn’t.

“He’s had more years to master being a jerk.”

Rafe didn’t consider forty-two old, yet there was no missing Josh’s dig at his age. He shot Josh a warning look then nodded in the direction of the exit. No matter what, he knew Rafe called the shots. They needed to remember this wasn’t a vacation. They had to treat it like any other mission.

“You’re in good hands,” Josh said as he moved, letting Rafe take over.

Once Josh was gone, Deanna rolled onto her back, looking up at him. He could tell she was in pain. “Just relax. I’ve got you.”

“That’s what bothers me.”

Her words were meant to hurt. Rafe had long ago become immune to such things. He’d been called more names than he could count. Most he’d deserved. This was no different. Whatever she felt for him, he’d earned it. Rafe had told his team again and again not to judge before having the facts, yet he’d done the total opposite with her. It was unsettling, but even more, unacceptable. He expected better from himself.

“I know I’ve been . . . harsh.”

“You think?” she asked sarcastically.

He didn’t owe her an explanation. In fact, she was the one who was still hiding something. The truth of what happened to Phoebe. He wasn’t about to forget that. But now wasn’t the time to bring it up. The first thing he needed to do was make sure she was okay. The next was to get her and his team out of Moreira.

“We can discuss it tomorrow. Right now, rest.”

She moved again as though trying to put some distance between them. When she moved her leg, he noticed her ankle was badly swollen. Josh hadn’t mentioned anything more than her head. That of course was definitely the greater concern, but he wanted to ensure her leg wasn’t broken.

“Stop moving. I need to check your leg.” Rafe barked his instructions as his hands gently moved down her calf and over her ankle. As he touched it, she winced in pain. Crap He couldn’t tell if it was a sprain or a break because of the swelling. “We need to get you to a hospital.”

Deanna popped herself up on her elbows and firmly said, “I’m not leaving.”

Rafe looked at her and said, “You’re not in the States. If it’s broken, you need it set properly, or you’ll always have issues. Or worse, you could get a bone infection and—”

“Die?”

He couldn’t believe how plainly she said it. That was exactly what he’d been thinking yet never would’ve voiced. “Then you understand the risk.”

She nodded. “No one understands better than I do.”

Rafe had a feeling they weren’t talking about her injuries any longer. At least not these. He knew the signs and had read enough to know the best way for one to heal was to talk about it with someone, to let your feelings out whether you yell, scream, or even cry. The worst thing one could do was bottle it all up. Guess that’s why I mastered suppressing mine. He couldn’t stomach dealing with his own crap, never mind trying to counsel someone about theirs. He knew his limitations, and women breaking down and crying was out of his comfort zone. He’d rather be locked in an interrogation room than experience that. Did that make him a total jerk? Probably, but he couldn’t change who he was.

“Deanna, we can talk about whatever you want once you’re back in the States.” It was a promise he had no intention of keeping. She shot him a look that said she wasn’t buying it. Damn, you’re stubborn. His way was the only way, and she was about to learn that. Changing his tone to one he used with his men seemed to be what was called for. “This isn’t up for discussion. You’re going to be on a plane back home as soon as I can get you to the airport.”

She opened her mouth then shut it. Good. Rafe was relieved that she realized there was no point in arguing.

“I’ll make the arrangements.”

In a voice so soft he wasn’t sure he heard her correctly, she said, “You’re free to leave anytime you want.”

“You’re not staying.” His voice was louder than he wanted, and he was sure people outside were not pleased with him, but he didn’t care. It wasn’t like they were going to barge in and stop him.

“I didn’t come all this way just to leave.”

“Things have changed.”

“No they haven’t, and that’s the problem, Rafe. Nothing here has changed. It may never, but I have to try.” Deanna’s voice cracked as she tried to make him understand.

He’d been in her shoes many times before, deployed in places that needed him, but he’d learned early on you couldn’t save everyone. But she’s one I refuse to lose.

“You can always come back after you heal.”

“My ankle is not broken.”

“And your head? You could have a concussion.”

“Rafe, it will take a lot more than a hit on my head to stop the . . . to prevent me from doing this.”

Stop what? Was it nightmares or guilt that was torturing her? Maybe a bit of both from what he’d learned.

He’d known he was getting her out of there even before the injury. This accident just advanced the timetable. David’s reports of movement meant things were heating up again. It ticked Rafe off because there was nothing linking Deanna to the threat except coincidence. His gut never let him down, and she held the answers . . . or at least information which would lead him to them. No matter how badly he wanted answers, there was no way he was going to leave her in harm’s way. “I’m not telling you not to do it.”

“Good, because I’m not a child, and I don’t have to answer to anyone. Especially you.”

Rafe wasn’t sure how he’d made it to the top of the list. She could hate him for all he cared, as long as she got her sweet face on that plane. At a time like this he wished he had some of Josh’s charm with the ladies. Instead, he had no choice but to resort to what he knew.

“Then quit acting like one,” Rafe said sharply.

Her eyes widened in shock. Finally, he seemed to have her attention. “Excuse me?”

“You heard me, Deanna. All you’re going to do is hinder the others from doing their job when they are stuck waiting on you because you’re laid up. If you truly want to help the women of Moreira, your butt will be on that plane in the morning.” He got up from where he was and stopped before leaving the tent. He didn’t want to see her face when he spoke next. “Guess we’ll find out if you really care or if you are just blowing smoke out your butt.”

Rafe talked to her as though she was one of the men on his team. It was cold and cruel. All he could do was hope it worked. Otherwise, she was going to become a liability here, and he would be focused on her and not the snakes who seemed to be working on a plan.

Rafe walked past the volunteers who had gathered outside her tent and headed toward the clearing.

“Rafe, that was really messed up.” Josh’s voice rang through the earpiece. “She’s hurt and—”

“Needs to be on that plane. I made that happen.” It wasn’t his shining moment, and if she was lucky she’d be around long enough for him to apologize one day. Sorry, Phoebe. I know she’s your friend, but right now she’s all I have to go on.

Rafe wasn’t above using Deanna to obtain what he needed, but he wasn’t going to risk her life to get it. I’m a blunt jerk, but I still have honor.

As he headed to continue his conversation with David, he knew his brothers probably would question that right now.

---

She couldn’t believe it. Rude was the nicest word she could use to describe his behavior. Deanna knew Rafe wasn’t easy, but that blew her mind. He’d barked orders at her as though she reported to him. She couldn’t believe anyone would tolerate that kind of treatment. The only thing that stopped her from telling him off right then and there was the fact he’d walked out of the tent. When she’d tried to get up, there was no way she could put pressure on her foot.

Deanna had been left no choice but to call for assistance. It’d been heartbreaking and frustrating as well, but she’d known Rafe was right. Staying would have been a hindrance to the project. No matter how badly she wished there was another way, she had to do what was best for everyone. This trip had never been just about her.

Knowing Rafe was probably gloating about being right made her sick. The man’s ego was big enough without her feeding it. Now she was stuck in the back of a Jeep with her leg propped up on Josh while they headed toward the airport.

“He’s honestly not that bad,” Josh said.

They hadn’t spoken since they’d left the camp. If the conversation was going to be about Rafe, she preferred silence. “That’s nice,” Deanna said without looking in his direction. She didn’t know why it mattered to her. Rafe was nothing to her. She’d been able to have years of friendship with Phoebe without ever coming in contact with him. Deanna would be happy if it stayed that way.

Josh didn’t seem to be taking her hint. “If he’d thought there was any other way, he’d never have spoken to you like that.”

If she had to listen to Josh, he was about to get an earful as well. Facing him, she let out everything she’d wanted to say to Rafe. “First of all, I don’t buy that bull. I was there. I saw the look in his eyes. He meant every word he said. If he could’ve, I think he would’ve dragged me out and thrown me in the back of the Jeep himself.” Her hands trembled as the words spat from her. She never lost her cool like that. And Josh had only been kind to her. He didn’t deserve to get his head chewed off. Rafe, on the other hand, did.

Deanna expected Josh to argue or at least be shocked, but he didn’t seem affected by her tone. Guess if you deal with Rafe all the time, listening to me is a piece of cake.

“If it wasn’t for David, I think Rafe might have done just that.”

David, who was driving, said, “Yeah. He was pretty ticked.”

Although she liked knowing his brothers seemed to have her back, she didn’t know why they needed to. What had she done to get Rafe so upset? “What am I missing?”

“What do you mean?” Josh asked.

One thing she’d figured out early on was the Turchettas weren’t your average family. Even Phoebe had been highly intuitive. Was Josh playing a game of innocent ignorance? Probably. I would if the shoe was on the other foot.

“I mean what is it about Rafe that makes you think he’s not such an . . .?” She’d been tempted to call it as she saw it. He was a complete and utter jerk, but she needed to soften her words a bit. Not for them, but for herself. Doing anything else was only going to give him more power over her than he seemed to have already. “Difficult man.” That’s an understatement.

“He’s always been a . . . difficult man. After Phoebe died, he got worse.” She could tell Josh was holding back, but he had given her a direction to go in. One she’d already taken into consideration.

Deanna didn’t want to feel bad for him. He’d done nothing to earn that. “All of you lost a sister, not just him.” She took herself out of the equation. Her own pain had no place in their world. Doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist.

“We did. As the oldest, Rafe seems to believe it was his sole responsibility to protect her. When that didn’t happen he—”

“Chose to bear all the burden himself,” Deanna added.

Josh nodded. “There really is a lot more to him than he’s letting you see. If you give him a chance—”

“I’m not out to hurt him or judge him. All I want to do is finish what we . . . I started.” Deanna didn’t want to bring Phoebe into this. Although she would always be with her, she needed to separate her feelings from her duty. If not, she’d become an emotional basket case. Not that I’m not already.

“Exactly. Rafe loved Phoebe, and it practically killed him when we lost her. Somehow you being here has triggered something in him he can’t control.”

Deanna asked, “You mean like flashbacks? Memories?”

Josh shook his head. “We’re all used to dealing with those. This is something different. I can’t put my finger on it either. All I know is he’s not the same man around you.”

She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing, because he wasn’t very nice. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to . . . upset him.” That didn’t mean she hadn’t enjoyed pushing his buttons a few times. With this revelation, she felt bad for even doing that.

“I’m not sure the word is upset, but you’re definitely messing with his head.”

Deanna turned from him and looked out over the landscape as they approached the airport. She didn’t know what Josh was trying to tell her any more than he probably did. Rafe was as hard to understand as Moreira. Could he be angry at her because she lived? Yes. Could he be angry because of the close relationship she had with Phoebe? Also possible. From what Josh told her, it seemed like he was as trapped in his own pain as she was. And I’m probably making it worse.

That explained why he didn’t accompany her to the plane. The last thing he needed was to see her. A reminder of what is gone.

Deanna fought back the tears as she said goodbye to Moreira once again. There was a piece of her that would always be there. She hated leaving when they needed her so badly. Shadoa.

In all the uproar over her ankle, she’d forgotten about what had been distracting her in the first place. Grabbing Josh’s arms, she said quickly, “Stop!”

When David slammed on the brakes Deanne bounced off the seat and landed on the floor, wedged between the seats. The pain shot up her leg, and she thought she’d pass out.

“What the heck is the matter?” David shouted from the front.

Deanna noticed Josh had his weapon drawn and was scanning the perimeter while covering her the best he could.

“What did you see?” Josh asked, never taking his eyes off the surrounding area.

“We need to go back right now,” Deanna exclaimed.

Josh looked down at her, his gun still up and ready. “Did you or did you not see something?” His tone was not much different than Rafe’s earlier.

Deanna realized her mistake immediately. These men weren’t just Rafe’s brothers. No matter how levelheaded they seemed, they were trained soldiers in a hostile environment. Their reaction to her panic-filled scream reminded her of that.

“I’m sorry. I remembered something. We need to turn around,” Deanne said in a much softer and calmer tone. From the look on Josh’s face, he still was in a high alert mode. “It’s okay. Or at least I think it is. I just need to go back and make sure.”

Josh shook his head. “We’re not going back. Whatever it is you forgot, we’ll have it mailed to you.”

She couldn’t believe they thought it could be something so insignificant. “I wish you could, but this doesn’t take postage. It’s a person.”

Josh arched a brow then tapped his earpiece. “She wants to return.”

Deanna couldn’t hear the response, but she didn’t need to. She already knew what it was. That didn’t mean she was going to quit so easily. Reaching out her hand, she demanded, “Give me that thing.”

David had gotten out of the Jeep and was standing nearby with his weapon drawn as well. “Do it.”

Josh removed the small device from his right ear and handed it to her. “Just talk. He can hear you.”

She placed it in her ear and said, “Rafe, I need you to listen to me.”

He said, “I need you on that plane.”

His tone hadn’t changed since the last time they’d spoken. She was tempted to pull the thing out of her ear and fling it into the woods. But he needed to know her concerns. This wasn’t about her. Leaving right now was the worst timing. She might be Shadoa’s only hope.

“I’ll get on that plane. I’ll do anything you ask if you just listen to me. This is important.”

There were a few seconds of silence, and she wasn’t sure if they’d lost their connection. Out here cell phones barely worked. If you were lucky to get a signal at all, it wasn’t for long.

“Make it quick.”

Thank God. She might not like the man, but he was all about protecting the innocent. All she needed to do was point him in the right direction, and she knew he’d follow up on it.

“There’s a young girl, the one you saw me talking to, who might be in trouble.”

“What kind of trouble?” Rafe asked.

“I don’t know. It’s just a feeling I had. She wouldn’t talk to me and actually hid. There’s something she doesn’t want me to see. Or to know. I’m really worried, Rafe. The joyful look in her eyes wasn’t there. When I tried to follow her, she ran.”

“You were following her to her village? Do you know what they’d do to you if you got there?”

“Yes, I know. That’s why I stopped.” No matter how worried she had been, she couldn’t bring herself to enter the village. It’d be a one-way trip.

“Damn it.”

That wasn’t the response she’d been hoping for. But she wasn’t great at reading him either. “Does that mean you’ll check on her?” It was as good a guess as any.

“Deanna, that probably was a trap.”

That wasn’t possible. Shadoa was only five. “No. There’s something wrong. I need you to check on her.”

“If I see her, I’ll ask. Now, David, get her tail on that plane.”

“Roger,” David replied.

Good to know everyone can hear us. She should’ve anticipated that. If anything, she was about to use that to her advantage. “David, are you really going to let a small child get hurt or die because Rafe is too stubborn to listen to me?”

David stopped for a moment as though waiting for Rafe’s reply. Neither had to wait long.

“If her tail is not on that plane within thirty minutes, it’s all on you if something happens to her.”

David nodded and got back into the driver’s seat. She couldn’t believe no one was listening. “Josh, surely you’ll help me. Help her.”

Josh reached out, lifted her from the floor, and placed her back onto the seat. “Deanna, you don’t understand.”

She couldn’t believe it. They were all ignoring her pleas like they were nothing. Her eyes welled up and tears began to flow. Deanna had done everything she could, but with her ankle as it was, begging was all she had. All she could do now was pray Rafe was right once again. If not, Shadoa might not be around the next time she returned to Moreira. And I am coming back.

Pulling the earpiece out, she threw it at Josh. “Take me . . . to the . . . airport.” Her voice was cracking as she choked on each word. Turning away, she said softly, “I hope I never see any of you again.”

Deanna wasn’t sure how well that mic picked up sounds, but she hoped Rafe heard her. She wanted to hurt him but knew it didn’t matter. He was there to do a job, and nothing she said would interfere with that. What exactly that job entailed, she had no clue. Whatever it was, she didn’t think it was anything like what she and Phoebe had committed their lives to. I just hope you don’t ruin everything we’ve done so far.