Diggs felt a shift in the air and froze, throwing up his hand, palm flat gesturing for Audra to be silent. Even though he knew she didn’t know hand signals, she’d gotten good at reading him and she kept quiet. They weren’t alone in the woods anymore.

Slowly, so as to draw the least amount of attention to his movements as possible, Diggs bent his knees and lowered Trigger to the ground. Trigger, radiating tension just the same, stopped panting. Diggs slipped his thumb underneath the thick black strap over his shoulder and lifted his rifle over his head, fitting the butt against his shoulder as he remained in a crouch. He listened to the sounds in the woods. The crickets calling out to each other, frogs croaking, squirrels chattering. They were all just as loud and natural as Mother Nature had intended. Then abruptly, a section off to his left fell silent.

Grabbing his weapon with one hand, Diggs dove for Audra, covered her head with his hand and attempted to shield her as much as possible. Three bullets spit into the dirt around them, sending chunks flying up onto his neck and shoulders. Audra took in a breath to scream and he clapped a hand over her mouth. They lay as flat as possible, trying to give the sniper the least amount of target as he could. Audra didn’t struggle, even though he could feel her pulse hammering away in the base of her throat.

The bullets seemed to have come from the west. There was a large tree a few feet ahead of them, shielding Trigger’s body but leaving them exposed. If they stayed here, they were sitting targets. If they moved, it would give away their position. He didn’t have a choice.

His rifle was on his right side, facing away from the sniper. Diggs began slowly inching it up his body, ready to fire. As quietly as he could he whispered in Audra’s ear, “I’m going to lift off you. Roll to Trigger and get behind that tree.”

She nodded to let him know she’d heard and understood his command.

Diggs found the trigger well and hooked his finger over the front of it so that all he had to do was slip his finger over the trigger and pull.

“Ready, go.” He rose up on a knee, lifting his rifle with him as part of his arm. He squeezed the trigger. The bullet flew in a direction toward the west as Audra rolled to the tree. An answering round of fire hit the ground at his knees. Diggs sprang into the air, somersaulted to his right, and came up in front of Audra behind the camouflage of the tree.

They were still pinned down. If they moved to the right or the left, he’d be waiting. For some reason, Diggs got the feeling he was toying with them. Any sniper worth his salt would have easily put a bullet somewhere in Diggs’ body when he lifted off the ground. An expert sniper would’ve taken them both out. If that was his intention.

Relying only on his enhanced senses, Diggs held as still and silent as possible listening for any hint of movement. Complete silence came in answer, but he could still feel the malevolent violence skating through the night air.

The sniper was still out there, but they were trapped and sitting blind. He could go up into the tree and try to track the threat, but that meant he’d have to leave Audra alone on the ground.

Her eyes had gone wide with horror again. This was too much for someone like her to take in, and he knew he shouldn’t expect her to handle more. But he had no choice.

Still in a crouch, Diggs eased his way closer to her, cupping her face once more. In a low whisper he said, “Audra, I need you to be strong just a little longer. I’ve got the direction of fire, and I think I can take him out. But I’m going to need you to stay here with Trigger behind the tree.”

If possible, her eyes rounded even more and glinted with unshed tears. She’d been so brave all night.

“I won’t go far, okay?” He wanted to stay here and comfort her and hold her and protect her with his own body, but if he did that, he would sign their death warrants.

Audra bit her lip and then finally nodded.

Diggs didn’t question his need, but gave in to the desire to lean and press a quick kiss against her soft lips. Then he slung his rifle over his shoulder and went up, climbing the tree as easily as he’d run through the woods.

The rough bark dug into his fingers, giving him more to grip as he continued to climb, keeping his body hidden behind the thick trunk until it became too narrow to span the breadth of his shoulders. He slowed, careful to stay low against the tree so that his body didn’t show an outline, or what snipers like to call “tree cancer.” That telltale sign could giveaway his location as easy as if he stood up and waved a flag.

Diggs found a branch sturdy enough for him to balance on. He snubbed the rifle up close to his shoulder, leaned his head down, and peered through the scope, using his night vision to see through the thick trees. He didn’t move, not a single muscle, except to scan his surroundings as carefully and thoroughly as possible. There was nothing. Not even a rustling limb in the distance.

That meant the sniper was an expert, and confirmed Diggs’s suspicion that when he’d missed them earlier, he’d done it on purpose. Why? Was he simply trying to hold them here until backup arrived? The men in the cabin hadn’t gotten the information they’d been seeking from Audra; it could be they wanted to make sure they got her back alive for further interrogation.

Then why not kill him? He was obviously their greatest obstacle. It didn’t make sense. But right now, it didn’t matter. All that mattered was protecting Audra.

Diggs let out slow, measured breaths, sweeping and re-sweeping from his location off to the west. He knew that’s where the sniper was set up, and even though he couldn’t see or hear him, he could feel him. Any decent sniper could sit and hide for days on end waiting out the target, but Diggs didn’t have days. He didn’t even have minutes. His team would show up for extraction any second and they would be driving right into an ambush. As if on cue, he heard the sound of their Jeep coming closer and closer.

Son of a bitch. He’d taken his phone out of his pocket when he’d rolled toward safety, and now it lay on the ground a few feet from Trigger. He had no way to warn them of the impending threat. Sweat popped along his brow and he kept his eye pressed hard against the scope, desperately searching for any sign of the other man.

Nothing. Not even the smell of man sweat.

The Jeep got closer, headlights painting shifting shadows as it maneuvered toward their extraction point. Even if he yelled out a warning right now, they wouldn’t hear him inside the car.

The Jeep stopped and killed the lights. Silence returned to the forest as Diggs stared down. Diggs scanned the treetops faster, back and forth, sensing the sniper’s bead landing on the Jeep. The driver side door clicked and began to open. Diggs did the only thing he could to warn his team. He turned and fired off one single bullet that landed in a tree closest to the Jeep and spun back around, searching for the sniper once more.

He heard the Jeep door slam shut and the very distinctive sound of King cursing. Audra was still plastered against the tree trunk, but she managed to draw Trigger a little bit closer to her, further shielding him from the fire.

He needed to draw the sniper out, so his team could get a bead on his location. Diggs used his senses to try and locate the other man as best as possible, and then he fired off a single round, ducking behind the width of the tree trunk. In the next second, an answering bullet came right back at him, taking out the chunk of tree where Diggs’ head had been only seconds before.

A small red light flashed on and off from within the Jeep, signaling to Diggs that they’d got the sniper’s location. Diggs held his rifle straight up and down against his chest and pressed his back against the tree, waiting on his team to make their move. They didn’t need words to communicate, not in situations like this. They’d trained too hard and too long together.

All four doors of the Jeep opened at once and his team came up firing, laying out a heavy barrage of bullets in the direction of the sniper and giving them the cover they needed.

Like a ghost, Diggs dropped to the ground and yanked Audra to her feet, slinging his rifle over his shoulder. “Run for the Jeep. Keep your head low. Now.” He shoved her in the direction of his team and reached for Trigger, drawing one arm across the carrier and lifting the dog on the stretcher like a sack of potatoes as he headed for the Jeep. “Sorry, boy.”

He couldn’t help but jostle Trigger around as he ran, but it was either cause the dog pain now or cost him his life.

Bright bursts of bullets exploded in the darkness, Hicks was on the back-passenger side, using the door as a shield to his body. Audra scrambled in ahead of him, up and over the back seat. Diggs shoved Trigger in after her and followed. “We’re in, Hicks.”

King, who was on the driver side, stopped firing first and ducked into the Jeep slamming the door shut behind him. Juarez and Reaper were on the passenger sides; they followed his lead next.

“Hicks, let’s go,” King called out.

Hicks fired off a final arc of bullets and threw himself into the Jeep, slamming the door shut as King shoved it in reverse, throwing the Jeep into a wide arc as he spun around and drove back the same way he came.

Bullets pinged into the back of the Jeep. King kept going, as the Jeep hit trunks and potholes, bouncing, and throwing them up and down. Audra flew across the back and landed in Diggs’ lap, and he wrapped his arms around her anchoring her in place. Thankfully she didn’t fight him off but clung to him, pressing her cheek against his shoulder as shudders worked through her fragile body.

Adrenaline still pumped hard through his veins, the near-death experience making him feel alive. It was the adrenaline junkie in him that enjoyed these close calls. But not Audra. A woman like her should never be put in this type of situation.

They hit another pothole and Diggs’ butt lifted from the seat. He locked his arm like a steel band around her waist and used his other to hold Trigger steady. “Easy, King, we got an injured dog back here.”

King didn’t even glance in the rear view mirror. He was driving at a rate too fast to be even remotely considered safe, with his headlights off, down what had to have once been an abandoned hunting trail in the woods. “Got a sniper on our ass.”

They hit another hole. Trigger let out a whimper when his broken ribs bounced against the hard, plastic stretcher. Diggs soothed a hand over Trigger’s shoulder. “Sorry, boy. Just a little bit longer.”

Audra shuddered and shook. Diggs held her tighter, pressing his lips in her damp hair.

Hicks glanced back at that exact moment and gave Diggs a once over and smiled. “All comfortable back there?”

Diggs scowled at his teammate and didn’t respond to the barb. He knew he was in for some serious ribbing after the huge amount of teasing Diggs had given Hicks about Whitney. And any thought that Diggs had to pretending like he didn’t have feelings for Audra was completely gone. He knew he’d have to put up with some shit from his teammates, but she was worth it. Now that Diggs thought about that he realized that’s probably why Hicks had put up with so much of his ribbing. Diggs hadn’t understood it at the time—a piece of ass was a piece of ass—but now everything had changed.

* * *

Audra couldn’t stop shaking. Every time they hit a bump, her head throbbed like someone was pounding her brain with a sledgehammer. But she wouldn’t complain in front of Diggs’ team. She didn’t trust them yet even if she did trust Diggs. She sure as hell wasn’t going to embarrass herself by letting the rising tide of bile explode from her throat. She clamped her teeth together, holding back the growing need to vomit as King slung them around trees and ditches and barreled through the woods at a breakneck speed.

Her face felt as bad as her head, swollen and throbbing. Everything on her hurt. The image of the dead bodies battered her senses as much as the physical pain. The worst was the man Diggs had shot through the eye. She could still clearly see the jagged bloody edges. She choked and Diggs squeezed her, whispering against her ear so that no one else would hear, “You okay?”

She nodded, because if she opened her mouth to speak she really might throw up in his lap. It was all too much. Losing Jeremy. The kidnapping. The torture. The death. Audra moaned and a violent tremor shook her entire body. She felt so cold. Her shirt was soaking wet and so were her shorts and shoes. Her hands and feet felt numb.

Audra was sure they were still driving, and that she was still in Diggs’ arms, but she started to feel like she was floating. The image of the dark interior of the cabin packed with dead men faded. Her eyelids grew heavy. If she could just go to sleep for a little while, maybe the pain wouldn’t be so bad when she woke up.

Diggs shook her. “Audra, stay with me.”

Her lips felt thick and uncoordinated. “So tired.”

“I know, honey, but you can’t go to sleep now. I need you to fight. Stay awake.” His voice was calm and gentle and steadfast. It was something she wanted to fight to hold on to, but she just didn’t have any strength left.

“King, step on it, man.”

Audra let her eyes drift shut, absorbing the small amount of heat she could from Diggs’ chest into her cheek. He felt so good. Like a heated blanket on a cold winter day. She pictured them snuggling up in front of a fireplace, a blanket wrapped around their shoulders.

“Audra, we’re here.” Diggs was shaking her awake.

She mumbled, trying to fight her way through the fog. She didn’t want to leave her dream. “Leave me alone.” Her dream was safe. It was full of happiness.

“Audra Ann Wade, open your eyes.” Diggs’ gentle voice had grown stern.

The use of her full name hammered away the last remnants of her dream, pulling her back into the cold harsh reality of the night. They were parked in front of the mansion. Hicks and Juarez were carrying Trigger to the front door and she and Diggs were still sitting in the Jeep. Alone. Cradled in his lap and covered in dry mud.

The dull pounding in her head turned to sharp jabbing pains like ice picks stabbing her skull. She groaned and cradled her temples between her hands, the light from the porch blinding her. Her stomach rolled. “Diggs, make it stop.”

Diggs shifted and then slid out the back, holding her in his arms as he walked across the driveway into the mansion. “I will, baby.”

She felt the soft brush of his lips against her temple as he carried her through the house. There were sounds, new smells, and then they were going down. Even though her eyes remained closed, she knew they were going back into the lab.

“What happened?” Melissa’s voice reached Audra’s ears, sharp and concerned.

“She may have a concussion. I don’t think she has any broken bones but you need to check her.”

“Audra, can you open your eyes?” Melissa asked in a gentle voice.

Audra managed to peel her palms off her face and cracked her eyes open just enough to see that they were in one of the smaller private labs. It looked more like a hospital room than a research facility. Melissa was staring thoughtfully at her, her white lab coat draped over her shoulders. Diggs was still holding her in his arms, and had sat on the edge of the bed with her cradled crossways in his lap.

“That’s good. Very good. This may cause you some discomfort, but I need to check your pupils, okay?” Melissa pulled a small flashlight from her pocket and clicked it on.

Audra winced but nodded her head yes. Melissa quickly flashed the light in each of her eyes, then Audra ducked her head against Diggs’ shoulder as soon as she was through, pressing the uninjured side of her face against his skin.

“That was a good response, but I’d like to get a quick CT scan to make sure. After that, we need to get you cleaned up so I can do a full examination.”

It hurt too much to open her eyes right now and Diggs must’ve sensed that because he answered for her, “I’ll take her. Can you do the scan right now?”

“Yes, follow me.”

Audra heard Melissa walk away and then felt Diggs carrying her from the room. The shades of light changed through her eyelids as they left the room and went into the hallway and then back into a dark, quiet room.

“I’m going to lay you down for just a minute so she can scan you. I’ll be right over there if you need me.” Diggs eased her onto the cold hard surface and Audra immediately curled onto her side, shivering. The pain and cold threatened to swallow her whole.

* * *

Diggs spit out a curse. “Melissa, where are the blankets? She’s freezing.”

“Cabinet, in the corner.” Melissa stayed behind the low wall gearing up the CT scanner.

Diggs rushed across the room and yanked three blankets from the corner cabinet, piling them on top of Audra’s shivering body. Her clothes were soaking wet and she’d been through enough trauma to put anyone in shock.

Once he had her completely covered he leaned down. “Okay, I’m stepping away now. This will be over in just a minute.”

He went around the half wall to stand beside Dr. Averton, shielding his body from the radiation. She didn’t even glance his way. She ran the machine and watched as Audra’s scans read out on the screen. “What happened to her?”

Diggs crossed his arms and spread his feet in a shoulder-width stance, staring through the glass as Audra’s shivering form disappeared into the scanner. “They tied her to a chair and beat her.”

“How much of it did you see?”

“Enough.”

Melissa cleared her throat. “Was she…violated?”

Diggs’ entire body jerked. “No. I don’t think so. They were trying to get information from her.” The thought of any man hurting Audra in that way sent a swirling rage of violent fury rushing through his insides, unlike he’d ever felt before. He wouldn’t have just coldly assassinated the men at the house if that had been the case. That would’ve been too easy.

“Okay, I’m through with the scan. Carry her back to an exam room while I read the results.”

Diggs moved around the corner and had Audra in his arms in seconds, squeezing her tight against his chest. “I’m here. I’ve got you.”

He moved them back into their initial exam room and turned all the lights down except for the small table lamp in the corner, trying to ease her headache as much as possible. He settled back in the small bed, despite the mud and filth covering them both, and held her. Telling himself over and over she was alive, and that was all that mattered.

A few minutes later, Dr. Averton returned, and the semi-relaxed expression on her face allowed Diggs to relax.

“No concussion or head trauma.”

Diggs blew out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. “Thanks.”

“I don’t want her going to sleep just yet though, just in case. But it is okay for her to take these.” Melissa held out her hand and dropped two small white pills into Diggs’ outstretched palm. “They are very light pain pills and will help with the headache. Once you get her cleaned up, I can do a full physical examination.”

Audra lifted her head from his shoulder—the first time since they’d returned to the room. “What about Trigger? They hurt him too.”

Melissa came closer, laying her hand gently on Audra’s shoulder. She gave her a reassuring nod. “The guys are already prepping him for me. I promise I’ll take care of him. You should go rest. If I’m concerned about anything, I’ll send for you.”

When Audra nodded weakly and laid her head against Diggs’ shoulders, he knew how much pain she must be in. She’d never refused to leave Trigger’s side before now.

“We’ll be in my room,” Diggs said quietly.

Melissa stared at him for a moment and then stepped out of the way.

Careful not to jostle her too much, Diggs rose from the bed and carried her upstairs to his bedroom, kicking the door shut quietly behind him. He carried her into his large private bathroom and flipped on the nightlight. He could easily see in the darkness and he didn’t want to make her headache any worse.

Cradling her with his left arm he reached out, grabbed a cup from the sink, and filled it with water. “Go on and take these pills. They’ll help you rest.”

Audra took them, then he carried her over to the long, padded bench against one of the walls and eased her down. “I’m going to turn on the shower, okay?”

She nodded and slid down onto her side, curling into a ball like she had in the lab, shivering.

Growing more alarmed, Diggs rushed to the shower and turned it on full blast. The mansion had pumps in the water lines so the hot water was available immediately. He tuned it so that it was a little bit more than lukewarm. He didn’t want to scald her tender skin. He stripped his clothes down to his boxer briefs and went to her. “Audra, sit up and lift your arms.”

She struggled to sit up and he helped her, peeling her soaking wet shirt off her skin. He couldn’t help but notice the full swell of her breasts in her wet bra, and his gut tightened instinctively. Even caked in mud and blood, she was breathtaking.

Then Diggs forced his mind from those thoughts and focused on getting her clean so she could rest and recover. “Can you stand?”

This time she opened her eyes and took his hand, allowing him to pull her to her feet. With the same efficiency that he’d used in the field, he quickly pulled off her shoes and socks and then her shorts, leaving her only in her bra and panties. “Turn around.”

She did as he commanded without question and Diggs unsnapped her bra. His mouth went dry and he took a deep steadying breath. He could do this. He could do this. With determination, he slid off her panties, lifted her against his chest and carried her into the shower. Audra slipped her arms around his neck, so trusting that it nearly took him to his knees.

The almost over-the-top luxuries of the mansion he’d scoffed at, at first, were incredibly helpful and appealing tonight. The huge walk-in shower had a sitting bench built into the tiled walls and multiple detachable shower heads. Diggs eased her down onto the stone bench and forced his gaze away from the most beautiful breasts he’d ever seen to pull one of the brushed copper shower heads from its cradle and direct the gentle spray of water over her head.

* * *

Audra groaned, savoring the sweet spray of heat. She’d never felt anything so heavenly in her entire life. She tilted her head back, letting the water fall on her face and down her arms and legs.

“I’m going to wash you.” Diggs’ deep voice soothed her and Audra nodded. The pain in her head had started to fade. She heard the sound of Diggs squirting a bottle of soap, and then he returned to her, knelt in front of her and began to gently wash the mud from her face. As he brushed against her injured cheek, she winced, and he drew his hand back immediately. “Sorry. I’ll be more careful.”

Audra put her hand over the back of his and pulled his hand closer. “It’s okay, keep going.”

Diggs smiled and began washing her again. “I like taking care of you.”

For the first time in the entire night Audra felt her mischievous side rear up. “I like you taking care of me, too.”

And she did. She didn’t feel the least bit awkward sitting there naked in front of him. He wasn’t groping her or staring at her body; he was being so gentle and caring. He made her feel safe and protected.

More than she’d ever felt in her entire life.

Maybe it was the pain pills or just the trauma of the night, but as he worked the washcloth down her chest, she found herself arching for his touch, her nipples growing tight. Her breasts felt heavy.

Diggs paused, the washcloth on her collarbone. She heard a sharp intake of breath and saw his eyes go dark. Audra felt the temperature rise, and not from the hot shower.

“Diggs,” her voice came out in a whisper. She could barely breathe let alone think with him so close.

“You need to rest,” he said roughly.

Her hand covered his, resting on her chest. His thumb was moving back and forth over one spot as if he was just learning the feel of her skin. Audra felt that touch all the way to her core. Unable to think, unable to do anything but feel longing and desire, she eased his hand down to cover her sensitive breast.

Diggs’ already impossibly dark eyes went almost black and his fingers clenched reflexively.

Audra’s heart was pounding so hard she was afraid it would burst from her rib cage. Even though his face was still covered with the dark inky mud, she couldn’t help but stare at the hard granite lines of his jaw and the beautiful sharp planes of his cheeks.

“I need you,” she said quietly.

Diggs expelled a harsh breath and slowly bent his head toward hers, holding her in a trance. He stopped when his mouth was a breath away. She could feel electricity sizzling between them. Feel his breath fanning over her face. Her heart drumming.

“Audra, if I start I might not be able to stop.” His words hummed through her all the way to her toes. His hand was already kneading her breast, as if he weren’t even aware he was doing it, his eyes focused on her mouth.

Audra arched, closing the distance between them. “Then don’t.”