Page 5 of The Hero’s Bride (Unbreakable SEALs #2)

The shuffle of dried plant pods littering the ground had them whirling and Mason maneuvered her behind him.

“Just me, Red.” Another man, this one even larger and taller than Mason approached, and she stiffened.

“It’s okay,” Mason soothed. “This is Sully. He was inside checking the house when I found you in the shed. He won’t hurt you either.”

“Is this her?” The man with blond hair and warm brown eyes inclined his head.

“Yeah. It sure is.” Mason looked over his shoulder at her and the expression on his face warmed more than just her cheeks. One of disbelief and awe. Exactly how she was feeling in this moment.

Mason directed his gaze back to Sully. “The other men?”

“Dealt with.” Sully’s jaw went tight before relaxing again.

“Thank you for coming for me.” She stepped forward but stayed at Mason’s side and Sully’s face broke into a wide grin.

“I should be thanking you for saving my friend’s sorry ass when he was just a scrawny kid. I’ve heard a lot about you, and it’s an honor to meet you.”

She was shocked by Sully’s words. She couldn’t believe that her actions had such an impact on Mason that he’d tell his friend about what had happened to him so many years ago.

Mason swung his backpack off and opened it, taking out a bottle of water and handing it to her.

“When was the last time you ate or drank?”

“I’m not sure. Yesterday, maybe the day before that?”

Mason’s face hardened. “Take it slow then. Little sips so you can keep it down.”

“The Jeep isn’t too far from here,” Sully added. “We have protein bars and electrolyte drinks. We’ll put some distance between us and Colima and then stop for the night once we find a safe resort area.”

She bit her bottom lip. Colima wasn’t the safest place in Mexico, and she’d grown up with very little.

After her mother died, it was just her and her father.

He was a dock worker who barely made enough to feed them, but he was always kind and worked hard for them.

He’d developed a chronic cough before he’d sent her away.

He was convinced he was at the end of his life and thought she would have a better chance in America.

It was unlikely that he was still alive after all these years, but part of her still wondered what had become of him.

“What is it, Thalia?” Mason asked.

She was quiet for a moment, the only sounds were bird calls and buzzing insects. “It’s nothing.”

He turned to face her, blocking Sully out and dropped his voice to a low whisper. “You can tell me. I know this is overwhelming. That you’ve been abducted and held against your will only to wind up in the place where you grew up.”

She nodded, impressed that he easily followed her private thoughts. “I was thinking about my father. Wondering if maybe he was still alive. He was ill when I left Colima. It would be unlikely, but—”

“Of course you’d want to check. I get that. You told me he worked at the docks. Do you think anyone there would know him?”

“I’m not sure.” She peered up at his eyes.

“Sully, Thalia wants to inquire about her dad. Based on the situation in the house, is she still in danger?”

“It’s hard to say, but we can keep her safe.”

“Okay then. Docks first. We’ll go from there.” Mason stepped back and swung his backpack over his shoulders.

“Thank you,” she whispered glancing from Sully to Mason.

“You’ve been through hell and your body is depleted of nutrients,” Mason said, concern etched on his face. “I’m happy to carry you.”

Thalia immediately shook her head. She didn’t want to be perceived as weak. Growing up in Colima, weakness made you an easy target for gangs and other people looking to take advantage of someone else.

Mason gave her an assessing gaze, then nodded. “Tell me if you get tired. There’s no shame in needing help.”

Her cheeks heated and she was even more determined to prove she could walk to the Jeep on her own.

“We’ve had many situations where one of us has carried the other out of a mission.” Sully smiled gently.

“You’re soldiers?” she asked as they began walking. She’d forgotten how beautiful the rainforest was with its glossy canopy of leaves still damp with dew.

“Navy,” Sully answered but didn’t elaborate.

She’d never expected to be rescued, and she had so many questions about the men and her friend Vivienne, but both were moving silently, so she did her best to follow their lead.

Occasionally the sound of an animal clattering through the dense foliage distracted her.

Everything seemed so surreal. Her legs burned from the effort of moving but she gritted her teeth and pushed harder.

The forest abruptly ended, spitting them out onto a dirt road.

Just as they’d said, a Jeep was parked amongst the trees, concealed by loose brush.

Mason and Sully made quick work of clearing the vehicle and pulling it onto the road.

Sully climbed into the driver’s seat while Mason rounded the Jeep and opened the passenger-side door to the back.

He offered his hand, steadying her. Mason hadn’t been wrong—she was drained from days of being restrained and denied adequate food and water.

Her legs quivered as she tried to lift herself onto the seat.

She swallowed the hard wedge lodged in her throat and tried again.

Her face felt impossibly hot as she struggled, something that had nothing to do with the morning heat and humidity.

“I’m going to lift you, yeah?” Mason’s deep voice rumbled through her.

Despite what had happened in the shed, his closeness comforted her.

There was a thickness in her throat as Mason scooped her up like a small child and placed her gently on the seat.

Then he went a step further and reached across her body to buckle her seat belt.

Prickles spread over her cheeks. So much for being tough.

As if sensing her humiliation, Mason crouched in close, so they were eye level. “You did amazing out there. I’m impressed you were able to walk so far and without a single complaint, although no one would’ve faulted you for that.”

She wasn’t used to tender words, and they made her eyes burn. Thalia gave Mason what she hoped passed as a smile and dropped her chin to her chest.

“I see you don’t believe me.” His voice dropped so low, she doubted Sully could hear Mason’s words. “But Thalia? You’re a gladiator. Strong. As. Hell.”

Mason shut the door and rounded the back of the car while she made a mental note to check the meaning of the word he’d used.

Gladiator. When the door on the other side of the car opened, she jerked out of her thoughts.

Mason slid into the Jeep across from her and pulled a new T-shirt from a bag at his feet.

She kept her gaze trained out the window as he dressed.

Part of her half expected to see men burst through the trees searching for her; after all, someone must have paid a price for her. Otherwise, she was no one.

“What are you thinking?” Red asked as the Jeep jerked into motion. She glanced over at him. A shirt like the one he’d taken off his back for her to wear now covered his large frame.

“I was thinking if anyone would come after me. If the man who had me in the shed was the only person who’d…invested in me, I should be relatively safe. It’s not like I would be worth ransoming. I’m no one important.”

A growl of displeasure rumbled deep in his throat, startling her. “Bullshit.”

She glanced away, watching the landscape of her country fly by.

So green and vibrant, teeming with life and riches that had nothing to do with monetary value and yet in other ways had been desolate, lonely, wrought with violence and poverty.

“I meant I don’t have a family. Vivienne was the only person who knows I’m missing.

Well, the only person who would try to get me back.

What became of her parents? Her fiancé?”

“The last we heard, police were questioning not only your disappearance, but the presence of many undocumented workers at the family estate. Her older sister is in custody after trying to kill both sisters.”

She spun in her seat, gripping Mason’s arm. “What? Are they hurt? Is—”

“Both fine. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have been so careless with my words. Regina hurt Hannah, but she’ll be fine. Vivienne was shot at, but our friend Iron had her back. After Vivienne gave her statement to the police, she left Texas for Virginia. She’s waiting for an update from us.”

She released a shuttery breath. “Oh, thank God.” It was another moment before she realized she was still holding on to Mason’s arm.

He glanced down, but instead of shaking her off, he crossed his arm over his chest and enclosed her hand between both of his.

Mason’s palms were warm and wide, and she leaned back against the seat.

Maybe it was because she remembered him from her past or because he’d been the one to rescue her from the attack in the shed, but his touch steadied something inside her, making her feel much less alone.

It wasn’t something she was going to begin to count on.

He was only helping Vivienne to get her to safety because of the connection to his friend.

Still, for the moment, it felt nice to not be on her own.