Page 7

CHAPTER 7

March 2 nd

5:57 P.M.

The water was swallowing her whole.

Eagerly consuming her.

What was it with her and water all of a sudden?

Ava had always enjoyed swimming, although she never loved it as much as Nathaniel apparently did. They’d had a pool at her house, a cool one with its own little waterslide, and she’d spent many summer afternoons playing in it. The ocean and lakes were a little scarier because the water was more dangerous and felt more alive. But as long as her feet could touch the bottom, she didn't mind either.

In this water, she was way out of her depth.

It had to be several feet deeper than she was tall and moving so fast. Definitely felt like it was alive.

The only thing that stopped her from completely panicking was the feel of Nathaniel’s hand wrapped around hers.

Nathaniel was there.

That meant she was safe.

Well, as safe as you could be while you were lost in the Mexican jungle being hunted by men with guns who wanted to take you back and remove all your organs from your body.

While panicking, she could feel Nathaniel’s smooth strokes beside her, guiding them through the fast-moving river like he’d done it a million times before. Who knew, maybe he had.

The bullets that sporadically pierced the water didn't seem to worry him, and he could hold his breath for so long.

Already her lungs were screaming at her to take a breath. They felt like they were on fire, and it took every ounce of strength she had left not to open her mouth in a futile attempt to find some oxygen.

There was no oxygen there.

Just water.

Water everywhere.

With her lungs burning and the wound in her stomach burning, Ava felt like her insides had been set on fire. Even though she was surrounded by something that put fire out, her entire body felt like it was consumed with flames.

Right when she thought she couldn’t wait a single second longer, that her mouth was going to open despite her screaming at it not to, that it wouldn't find what it needed, Nathaniel guided them back up to the surface.

Immediately, she greedily gulped in mouthfuls of beautiful fresh air.

Air had always seemed like such a no-brainer, it was always just there, you never thought about it, never realized what a privilege it was to be able to take a breath and fill your lungs. Not until that privilege was taken away from you. Only then did you realize how lucky you truly were.

“Just a little more, Aves, take another deep breath for me,” Nathaniel told her.

“I can't,” she whimpered. It was getting harder and harder to hold her breath, and she was starting to worry that she was just going to pass out while underwater and fill her lungs with water instead of air.

“You can. Last time, I swear, we just need to get a little further away from them. Now, Aves.”

The command in his tone somehow forced her to obey, and she sucked in as much oxygen as her burning lungs could hold and then they were under the water again.

Everything blurred together down there. The water made it difficult to see anything, and the sound of it rushing her along with it filled her head.

Time seemed to have no meaning.

What felt like hours was no more than seconds.

Her body pleaded with her to let it have some air, but there was none for her to offer it. Even if she wanted to get up to the surface to take a breath, Nathaniel’s grip on her hand would have been unbreakable even if she wasn't so weak, and he was towing her along with him. Where he went, she went, and she wouldn't be taking any breath until he allowed her to go up to the surface.

It was too much.

She couldn’t hold on any longer.

Despite her best efforts not to let it happen, her mouth opened, and foul-tasting water rushed in.

Ava choked on it and knew it was going to claim her.

For a second, she considered the possibility that death might be her best option. She’d already told Nathaniel what she remembered so he could pass along that intel, and she was only slowing him down. Without her, he’d already be back home. If she was dead, the men hunting her couldn’t take her back to that hell she knew she wouldn't survive a second time.

A hard slap on the back had her choking and gagging as water spewed out of her mouth.

“There you go, get it all out,” Nathaniel’s voice urged right before a palm hit her again between the shoulder blades and she coughed up more water.

The burning in her lungs had spread to her throat, but her surroundings were coming back into focus, and Ava realized they were no longer in the river. Now they were sitting on the shore beside it, Nathaniel was on his knees beside her and had her draped over one of his arms, supporting her weight, while he forced her lungs to expel the water they’d inhaled.

Once again, this man had saved her life.

There were no more gunshots, no more shouting voices, he’d managed to get them safely away from the men after them. At least for now.

They’d be back though.

She was worth too much to them to let her go.

Plus, she knew too much. She was the only person to ever escape and she’d seen faces, heard names, and while she didn't know anything specific, all the bits and pieces could be pieced together to form a picture that might lead to the capture of those involved in the ring.

Letting her live was not an option.

But for now, she was alive, and Ava just wanted to enjoy that fact.

“Thank you,” she whispered, voice hoarse and hurting, but she needed Nathaniel to know how grateful she was for everything he had done and was doing for her.

“Thought we agreed you weren't going to keep thanking me,” Nathaniel grumbled as he scooped her up and carried her over to a clump of ferns.

“You wanted me to, I never agreed,” she reminded him.

“Fine.” He let out a long-suffering sigh she was pretty sure was just his way of trying to help her relax, but then his face grew serious. “I need you to stay here and not make a sound while I quickly scout our surroundings.”

While she wanted to beg him not to leave her, she knew better than to do that. He was doing it anyway, and if she begged it would only make him distracted, and that could get him killed.

“Be quick, please,” she whispered.

His eyes bored into hers for a moment, and she wondered what he was searching for, but then he gave a quick nod, stood, rearranged the branches and leaves covering her, and disappeared.

To pass the time, Ava counted the seconds.

She was up to four hundred and twenty-three when she saw a figure in black moving swiftly toward her.

Almost like it knew exactly where she was hidden even though there was no way he could since the man wasn't Nathaniel.

There was nothing she could do to stop it from happening.

It was like she blinked, and the man was there, ripping away the ferns and grabbing at her.

No.

She wasn't going back.

No matter what she had to do.

Last time she’d been grabbed like this she’d frozen and not followed through on her self-defense training. That had almost wound up costing her life.

Not again.

Never again.

This time she was going to fight with everything she had left in her. If she failed, then her life was over.

The man was speaking, she could hear the rumble of his voice, but the throbbing of her pulse meant she couldn’t make out any of the words. Not that she had to hear them to know what he was saying. He was telling her he thought he’d won, that he was taking her back to finish what was started, that she was going to die at the hands of the ring, and there was nothing she could do about it.

Heck, yeah there was.

His groin was the closest thing she could reach that would give her a chance.

A chance she grabbed hold of tightly.

Literally.

Grabbing a handful of his penis, Ava squeezed with everything she still had left inside her mostly empty tank.

It worked.

The man grunted and released her.

Wriggling out from beneath him, she grabbed hold of the weapon he’d set down and swung it at his head, pleased when it connected with a thunk.

Then she was off.

Running as fast as her weak body allowed.

She had to find Nathaniel.

Calling out for him would be the easiest way to find him, but there had to be more men out there and she didn't want to endanger him.

So, instead, she just kept running.

Didn't stop until she saw figures in black up ahead.

More of the men, and Nathaniel was standing in their midst.

They’d found him.

He was going to die because of her.

In her hand, she still held the gun she’d stolen from the man who had grabbed her, she was a reasonable shot, but not perfect, not as good as Nathaniel would be. Still, she could do something.

Had to do something.

Wrangling her fear under control, Ava stepped closer, aimed her weapon at the closest man, and prayed she had what it took to protect the man who had put his life in danger to save hers.

* * *

March 2 nd

6:11 P.M.

“Step away from him, or I’ll blow your brains out.”

The softly but firmly spoken words drew Nathaniel’s attention, and he turned to see Ava stepping through the trees with a weapon held in her hands.

Despite the exhaustion he knew she had to be feeling, the weapon didn't so much as wobble in her grip.

Naked as the day she was born—she must have lost the hospital gown somewhere between where he’d left her and there—with bruises on her stomach, the red raw wound oozing blood, red marks on her wrists and ankles indicating where she had been restrained, she looked like some sort of warrior goddess from a movie.

A grin broke out on his face despite the seriousness of their situation.

He had no idea where she got the gun or how she had managed to find him, but he didn't care.

This woman was amazing.

Truly spectacular.

After what she’d been through, no one would blame her if she was curled up in a ball shaking and sobbing.

But she wasn't.

She’d pulled her weight as much as she was able to, she’d done everything he asked of her, including hold her breath as he swam them away from danger, and there she was ready to kill for him.

Even with his plan to never allow complications in his life, attachments that could lead to getting hurt, there was no way he couldn’t be wildly attracted to Ava Hendrick’s spirit.

“Move away,” she gritted out when nobody did anything.

“I’d listen to her if I were you,” another voice spoke up, startling Ava, who looked over her shoulder to see a man dressed in black approaching. There was a trickle of blood on his temple, and he was walking slightly hunched over as though he was in pain.

“Stay away from us,” Ava yelled, slightly shifting her position so her back was pressed up against a tree trunk and she could see all six men who had found them.

“It’s okay, Aves, you can put the weapon down,” he told her as he stepped closer. Because he knew she was frightened and skittish despite the resolute steel in her spine, he approached her slowly, hands up, showing her that she had nothing to fear.

“They found us,” she whispered, clearly confused about why the other six men weren't moving to stop him.

Why they weren't trying to stop her.

Despite her strength and the fact that he had no doubt she would shoot these men to protect him and herself, they all knew that if the men really wanted to, they could already have her disarmed and restrained. Sure, she might shoot at least one of them first, but she was no match for their size and strength and they all knew that.

“They did, but they’re not who you think they are,” he told her.

Her gaze darted about, jumping from man to man and lingering on the one she had obviously gotten the weapon from. “That one grabbed me,” she murmured, the fear in her tone evident and he hated that once again she was afraid.

Even as rescue had found them.

“He did, but he wasn't going to hurt you,” Nathaniel explained.

“I told you who I was, ma’am,” the man in question told Ava, whose brow crinkled in confusion.

“No, you didn't. You … were talking, but I couldn’t hear over the pounding of my own pulse,” she finished, the weapon she held clutched in her hand so tightly her knuckles had blanched white lowering ever so minutely.

“This is another SEAL team,” he told her. “I know these guys. They came looking for us when I didn't make contact. They found the life raft and tracked us through the jungle. This is Blake “Rocco” Wise,” he said, pointing to a large man with black hair and brown eyes. “Decker “Gumby” Kincade, Beckett “Ace” Morgan, Mark “Bubba” Wright, and Forest “Phantom” Dalton,” he said, pointing out each man as he went. “And that guy is Cole “Rex” Kingston,” he added, indicating the man she must have somehow managed to get away from to come chasing after him.

Knowing that she believed the men after her had found them and she’d saved herself and then come after him, filled him with a warmth he’d never felt before. As a kid, his mom was more worried about avoiding a beating herself to care if her drunk husband pounded on one of her children. Her protective instincts had been beaten out of her and she was just relieved to have a break, even if it was at the expense of a child she had carried inside her.

Having someone care enough about him to put themselves between him and danger was nice. For the first time in Nathaniel’s life, he felt like he was worth something. If a woman like Ava could walk toward danger because of him then he had to be, even if he never felt like he was.

“Can't believe she got away from you, dude,” Rocco snickered, and all the guys chuckled.

Unconcerned with his teammates teasing, Rex merely grinned. “Eagle trained her well. I was trying to be gentle with her because I didn't want to hurt her and it didn't look like she was cognizant of who I was, and she knew just how to take advantage of that. You did real good, ma’am,” he told Ava. “Only made one mistake.”

Lowering the weapon a little more, Ava’s nose scrunched up. “What mistake did I make?”

“You didn't kill me,” Rex replied.

“Pretty sure Avery will be pleased about that, man,” Phantom said.

“Actually, since she was taken as a prisoner of war, she knows the importance of doing whatever you have to in order to survive. So next time, ma’am, don’t leave until you know the person attacking you is dead.”

“But you weren't attacking me,” Ava said, clearly confused about the entire exchange.

“Only you didn't know that. So promise me, next time you think someone is attacking you, you do everything you need to do. That means making sure you end them as a threat permanently.”

“Sorry for not killing you?” Ava said as she lowered the weapon until it was no longer pointed at anyone.

Everyone laughed, and Rex grinned. “Apology accepted, ma’am.”

“Can you please stop calling me ma’am? It’s Ava.” As she said her name she sank back against the tree behind her. Whatever strength she had left was all used up.

“Here, let me take this,” Nathaniel said as he approached her. Gently easing the weapon from her hand, he passed it off to its rightful owner, then slipped an arm around Ava’s waist and maneuvered her down to the ground.

“Oh,” she said, looking down at her body and seemingly realizing for the first time that she was surrounded by six men she didn't know and one man she’d known only for a few days stark naked.

“We brought clothes.” Bubba stepped up and opened his pack. “We weren't sure if you were with the person you found on the life raft but we brought clothing in case.”

“We have a med kit too,” Phantom added, rifling through his pack and producing it.

Of all the men on this SEAL team, Nathaniel was closest with Phantom because he’d also had a terrible childhood and joined the Navy to escape his abusive home.

“That means you can have some painkillers,” he told Ava as he helped lie her down. By the tight lines bracketing the corners of her mouth, he knew she needed them, even if she probably wouldn't have asked. “Antibiotics, too, which should help you heal up faster.”

“And we have food and water,” Rocco added, rifling through his pack and pulling out a protein bar.

Ava took it, but her hands trembled with exhaustion too much to open the wrapper, so Rocco took it back, opened it for her, then held it to her lips.

Try as he did, Nathaniel couldn’t quite shake the little stab of jealousy at the grateful smile Ava shot his fellow SEAL, as he began to properly clean and dress Ava’s wound. For the last few days, it had been just the two of them, and while he was glad to have backup, he found he was oddly possessive of his charge. Even with Rocco who was married to Caite, the woman he loved, who had saved his life in Bahrain several years back.

Jealousy and possessiveness were not helpful emotions right now.

Ava needed him to keep her alive and get her safely back home.

Nothing more and nothing less.

After all, what would a beautiful, smart, strong woman want with a broken man like him? One who didn't know how to love, didn't know how to let people get close, and didn't have anything to offer other than his ability to swim, shoot, kill, and survive in any environment.

The truth was, he had absolutely nothing of worth to offer her and he’d do best to remember that.