Page 6 of The Hero’s Bride (Unbreakable SEALs #2)
R ed scanned the small boatyard, hanging back just enough to give Thalia a chance to inquire about her father.
Close enough that he could intervene at a moment’s notice.
When he’d come upon the shed and saw that piece of shit standing over a struggling woman, especially with the knowledge that it might be Thalia, his control had snapped.
Control that had been honed through intense training and tested on every mission.
He was good at locking down his emotions, but for the first time in the field, fear knifed through him.
Even now, he was uneasy. Eager to move Thalia out of Colima and into a more touristy area.
There was no doubt that Mexico was a beautiful country.
After working for years with Sully on a task force assisting Mexico’s military with special ops training, the knowledge that many areas were wrought with violent crime ran deep.
Because of their frequent trips in and out of the country, they’d made contacts with good men and women who were on the right side of the law and wouldn’t hesitate to assist them if needed.
He narrowed his gaze as a few men let their eyes wander over Thalia as they lugged nets and buckets into one of the smaller boats.
One looked up and caught his glare, quickly looking away to untie the nylon rope tethering the boat and pushing away from the dock.
Two small groups mulled about packing and cleaning their catches.
Nothing seemed amiss, but that could change.
The air was warm, intensifying the briny scent of the open water or maybe it was the clusters of barnacles clinging to the weathered wooden docks.
Thalia was speaking to an older man sitting on a crate, untangling nets.
He was focused on the task at hand and didn’t meet her eyes, but every now and then, he’d silently gesture at her to continue talking.
Before they’d left the car, he’d slipped a small comm unit into his ear so he could still communicate with Sully, who kept watch of the situation and their getaway vehicle.
Another man approached and leaned in to whisper something to the old man, and Mason’s shoulders tightened, prepared to jump into action.
The elderly man abruptly stood, knocking the crate back with such force, it tumbled into the water behind him.
Neither man spared Thalia a glance as they quickly strode away.
Mason didn’t waste time moving to Thalia’s side. “What happened?”
Her eyes were wide as she looked up at him, confusion clear on her face. “I have no idea. I was explaining who I was, that I was looking for my father. Then the other man came over. I’m not sure what he said, but they were in a hurry to get away from me.”
The few workers and fishermen who had been on the dock were beginning to leave and the fine hairs on the back of his neck rose. He was about to suggest they get the hell out of there when his earpiece crackled. “Red, police are headed toward the boatyard. They’re looking for something. Over.”
“Roger. Get out of the parking lot. When it’s clear, double back. Over.”
“What’s going on?” Thalia slipped her hand into his. He didn’t have time to think about how good it felt linked with his or that she sought his touch for comfort.
“Police headed our way.”
Thalia drew in a quick breath. “The person who took me at the border was an officer. I was held in his house for days before waking up in the shed where you found me.”
He glanced around quickly, analyzing their options. “We’re going into the water. We’ll stay concealed under one of the slips until they leave.”
Thalia didn’t hesitate or complain, she simply nodded and squeezed his hand. The trust reflecting in her deep green eyes fortified his resolve to keep her safe, no matter the cost. With their heads bent down, they moved toward one of the larger cargo boats.
“Crouch low. I’ll get in first, then help you down.
” Voices carried from the direction of the parking lot as he gripped the splintered edges of the weathered dock and lowered himself soundlessly beneath the surface.
Warm water sluiced over his arms as he reached up, bracing his hands on Thalia’s waist as she scooted to the edge of the dock.
Her petite frame wouldn’t have created much of a splash, but he didn’t want to alert anyone to their presence.
Her hands gripped his shoulders as he eased her into the water, and for a moment, their bodies were perfectly aligned, eye to eye, hip to hip.
He didn’t have time to consider the rush of protectiveness that stole over him.
His duty was always to protect, whether it was his country or a rescued hostage.
This was a different surge of emotion. One intertwined with feelings he’d never felt for a mission.
He grasped her hand and swam beneath the dock, using the shadows to conceal them.
Her teeth chattered, whether that was from fear or the water, he wasn’t sure.
When the sound of boots hit the wooden planks, he released her hand to wrap an arm around her waist and tucked her against his side.
Her arms came around his neck and she burrowed closer.
“Are you sure this is where she was last sighted?” an impatient voice boomed from overhead.
“An off-duty officer alerted us. The woman was asking questions around the dock. Including to his elderly grandfather. She’s with a man. Spread out. Find and detain them. The woman is not to be harmed. She belongs to Mateo Estrada.”
Bullshit she does. His chest squeezed as her body stiffened against him.
The girl who’d bravely come to his aid hadn’t had an easy life, from poverty to falling victim to labor trafficking only to be hauled into what he was sure would be an agonizing fate.
He committed the mentioned man’s name, Mateo Estrada, to memory.
He would call Jude and see what he could dig up on the man and if he was on any watch lists.
The last name Estrada wasn’t listed as owning the property where they’d found Thalia.
It was most likely another place to hold her.
He wrapped his arms more tightly around her as boots stomped overhead, the sound abruptly stopping at the end of the slip.
Thalia was so still he wondered if she was even breathing.
“Estrada should cut his losses,” a different voice ground out. The roll and click of a lighter was followed by a deep intake of breath.
“He wouldn’t years ago when that stupid fisherman wouldn’t give over his daughter. Now that he knows she’s alive and within his grasp? He won’t stop.” Another cigarette was lit, and a thin tendril of smoke wafted beneath the dock.
“Fisherman sealed his fate when he hid the daughter from the fucking cartel. Wonder if he’d still take the bullet if he knew Estrada would end up getting her in the end.”
Fuck. Her body shuddered against his and he wished he could do something to console her. She’d gotten the answer she’d come for, but hell, he’d been hoping for a different outcome.
Someone bellowed an order and the two men on the dock cursed and tossed their cigarettes into the water. Feet pounded above them and within minutes, the boatyard fell silent.
“I’m so sorry,” he whispered. His voice barely carried above the soft waves now lapping against the wooden beams of the dock.
She said nothing but managed a jerky nod, and with his arms still around her, he wished there was something else he could say to offer comfort.
He waited until he was sure the men had left before checking in. “Sully, SITREP.”
“Drove west of the boatyard. What’s your location?”
“Boatyard.” They determined a rendezvous spot before he turned his attention to Thalia.
“We’re going to get out of here. I spotted a larger fishing boat at the end of the dock that will provide us with some cover when we climb out of the water. We’ll cut through the tree line and meet Sully back on the main road. Are you able to swim?”
Her neck tightened as she swallowed hard. “Yes.”
There was so much more that he wanted to say to her about what they overheard, but he needed to keep her safe first and foremost. “Okay. We’ll swim from slip to slip until we reach the embankment.
” He released his arms from her waist, slowly stroking his way through the water.
Thalia was just as quiet as she cut through the water directly behind him.
She was a survivor. Street smart from growing up in poverty in one of the most dangerous areas of Mexico.
Admiration bloomed in his chest. Maybe it was their shared connection from years ago when she saved him making him sentimental.
It didn’t take long for them to reach the fishing boat he’d mentioned.
He surveyed the area and found the boatyard deserted.
The people who had scattered when the police showed up had stayed away.
If that wasn’t telling enough, the two officers sharing a smoke had admitted looking for Thalia on behalf of the cartel, indicating exactly whose payroll they were on.
As soon as they were somewhere safe, they’d need to fill Jude in on exactly what they’d overheard and enlist the help of some of their contacts within the country.
With one last look around, he pulled himself from the water before turning to assist Thalia, but she was already at his side on the dock.
Her wet clothes clung to her body, and she shivered despite the heat.
Red offered his hand, and she linked fingers with his as they darted away from the water and into the forest that would lead them back onto the main road.
Despite the sense of unease that coiled deep in his gut, they made it to where Sully was parked and waiting.