Shrugging, she replied, “You were just talking about your childhood earlier. It makes sense that we stirred up the memories.”
His lips turned down as he slowly lifted his gaze to hers. “I wasn’t dreaming about those times.”
She winced. “I didn’t mean to assume.”
“It’s okay. I don’t talk about those other times. With my team.” He took another sip of water before setting the glass down with a sigh. “I told you I was complicated, didn’t I?”
She moved to sit next to him on the couch and put her hand over his, realizing she’d used the flimsiest of excuses to shield herself from being hurt. “And I told you I’m not scared of complicated, didn’t I?” She tried to smile, and his chuckle gave her a little relief. “Not to overstep, but have you ever talked to anyone about this?”
“Not really. I mean, you have to talk to people once you’re released—they don’t just let you go home after something like that without at least trying to unpack everything that went on. It was a long time ago, but sometimes it feels like yesterday.”
Holly held her breath, not sure if she wanted to know now or not. This was Mason, a man she cared more deeply for than she’d let herself understand until this point. It was seeing him in pain that cemented things, even when that pain was nothing but a memory. She would’ve done anything to take it away. The least she could do was listen.
She squeezed his hand. “I’m listening…if you want to talk.”
He searched deep in her eyes as though trying to determine if he could trust her with his secrets. He must have found what he was looking for because he sighed and began. “My team and I were Army Rangers. There was a group of extremists in Nigeria, and we were supposed to stop them. They were going from village to village, terrorizing the people and dragging kids away. The boys were forced to fight; the girls were sold. We went against orders by trying to beat them to the next village they were supposedly headed for, but it was a trap.”
“Oh no.” Her heart sank as she realized where the story was going.
He looked and sounded sick. “We went against orders, and we paid for it with four months of agony and the loss of one of our own. In fact, once most of us were released, my CO and another team member were there another four months before being freed. There are things a person doesn’t forget. The sound of his friends’ screams. The taste of rotting food and the desperate hunger that compels someone to eat even though they know it’ll make them sick. And it did, trust me.”
“Is that why you can’t eat rice now?” she asked.
He nodded. “We were told not to go to the village, but we felt it was the only right thing. I would do it again, even though it meant a dishonorable discharge.” He winced, glancing up at her. “Not something I’m necessarily proud of. We’ve all kept it to ourselves for the most part.”
“It’s safe with me,” she whispered. She reached up and cradled his cheek in her hand. “You’re safe with me. Even though it twists me up inside to think of you going through something like that, I can’t help but admire the courage it took to try to free those children. I would’ve done the same thing.”
His mouth twisted in a rueful smile as he ran the backs of his fingers over her cheek. “I know. Which is what scares me more than anything.”
* * *
Mason stared at the woman in front of him, soaking in the warmth of her hand against his face. She couldn’t be real, could she? No way was anyone so perfect—despite her stubbornness...she was perfect for him. He loved her fire and passion.
But she was real. Warm, soft, her eyes closing as he stroked her smooth cheek. She lowered her hand from his cheek to his chest. “Why does that scare you? That I would’ve done the same thing?” she murmured, leaning into his caress.
“I know what happens when people let their heart get away from their head,” he said with a catch in his throat. “They end up paying a heavy price. I can’t let you pay a price like that. I can’t even breathe when I think about it.”
“So don’t think about it,” she whispered as she opened her eyes.
He grinned. “If it were only that easy, Holly. I can’t stop thinking about it. About you, and Jack. The people and things that matter to you matter to me. I have to protect all of you. I wouldn’t trade that responsibility for the world, mind you.”
“We’ll figure a way through this. I know we will. I trust you.”
How was that possible? Yes, he had good reason to break her trust, but that didn’t mean he could be forgiven. “You do? I didn’t completely kill any hope of you trusting me again?”
She didn’t need words to answer when the touch of her lips against his palm told him more than words could say.
He turned to her and held her face in his hands. He might as well have been holding the entire world there between his palms.
It was too late to turn back. He was fully and truly falling for this woman, if there was even any more falling to be done. It didn’t seem he could fall more deeply in love than he already had, but anything was possible. She was enough to make him believe that. He might even one day believe he was worthy of her.
The touch of her lips was like a prayer, healing all the broken bits inside him. The parts he was sure no one would ever understand, the things he’d believed made him unworthy of the warmth and quiet strength Holly offered. She circled her arms around his neck, holding him closer than he’d ever expected to be held.
Wrapping his arms around her, he relished the soft sighs, the touch of her fingers as they combed through his hair. Her touch was a remedy, electric. It brought to life parts of him he’d imagined were lost forever.
The kiss deepened, and his arms tightened with deeper need in response. She met his need with hers joyfully, gladly, and he was sure his heart would explode from the pure joy of it even as heat threatened to singe him. He wouldn’t have minded if it did.
Even so, he had to break things up before they went too far. There was something to be said for responsibility, though he hated it at the moment.
“Whew,” he breathed as he pulled back, chuckling a little while he fought to catch his breath. “I feel like a teenager again.”
“I don’t know if that’s a compliment or what.” Holly giggled, just as breathless.
“Trust me.” He kissed the tip of her nose. “It’s a compliment.”
If he lost any sleep that night, it wouldn’t be nightmares causing it. For once, he’d have something sweet to dream about. After a long, extra cold shower.
Chapter 22
“This looks like the address,” Mason said to himself as he approached a rather dilapidated house on the side of town opposite where he and Holly lived.
He hadn’t done much exploring out here, and he should have before now. Some of his patients lived here too, and while he hadn’t come to town strictly for their sake, he’d developed an affection for them.
The house correlating to the address Ronald had given was badly in need of a coat of paint. A little lawn mowing would’ve gone a long way, too, since the weeds were nearly knee-high in spots. Mason stopped at the chain-link gate, wondering if the darkness inside meant the place was empty.
“Doc! What brings you out here?”
Mason turned in surprise at the greeting, and he recognized Mr. Thorpe walking what could only be described as a mutt on a hot pink leash.
“I came to check on a patient,” he explained after they’d shaken hands. “He came in a couple of days back with a pretty serious bite on his hand. I promised I’d come over to take a look, but it doesn’t look like he’s home.”
Mr. Thorpe shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing. “No, you won’t find him here anymore.”
Mason’s jaw tightened. He couldn’t show any great surprise outside the ordinary. “Oh? Why’s that?”
“A bunch of guys were over here just yesterday, clearing the place out,” the older man explained. “If you ask me, it’s good riddance to bad rubbish. Maybe someone will come in and take
better care of the house than he did. Once the boy’s parents passed…” Mr. Thorpe shook his head, clicking his tongue.
Mason was practically ready to explode from the strain of holding himself back. “Did you hear any of them talking about where he was headed?”
“Nah. I only happened to walk past with Dutch here while they were doing their work. None of them struck me as the sort of people I wanted to stop and chat with, if you get my drift. The young man went the wrong way, I’m afraid, and fell in with the wrong group.”
“It happens that way sometimes,” Mason mused, eyeing the house. “Sometimes, you don’t know you’ve fallen in with the wrong people until it’s too late. I only wish he’d stuck around long enough for me to look at that hand of his again.”
“Some folks just won’t be helped,” Mr. Thorpe said before Dutch pulled him on. They exchanged pleasant remarks before parting ways.
Mason marched to his car with fists clenched and the implications of the sudden move bouncing around in his head like grenades just waiting to go off. Once in the car, he called Noah, explaining about Ronald and his now-vacant house.
“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” Noah urged once Mason explained the new twist in the situation. “It could be a coincidence.”
“Noah. We both know there’s no such thing, not when it comes to guys like these. They’re canny. It’s like they have a sixth sense. How else could they stay just outside the reach of the law? Somehow, someone must’ve put together his visit to the physician and my curiosity over how he’d earned that bite to the hand. Granted, part of it was simple professionalism, but he could’ve figured I was interested in more than that.”
“If he didn’t, one of the higher-ups might have,” Noah admitted. “So they got him out of there before you had the chance to dig any deeper.”
“I should’ve gone sooner,” Mason growled. “I should’ve seen this coming.”
“Don’t be too hard on yourself. I have one of the new hires looking over property records. It looks like there are a handful of old factories out that way that have changed ownership in the last sixth months or so, both inside town borders and outside.”
“Send me the addresses,” Mason said as he cruised through town.
There were so many people out and about on a beautiful Saturday afternoon. He couldn’t help but wonder what hid behind the smiles. How many of them knew about the dogfighting? How many had watched the fights, placed bets?
“Don’t take chances,” Noah warned. “I better go. Things are starting to happen here.”
“Wait. What are you talking about? What’s happening?”
“We’re at the hospital. Mia’s—”
“The baby? What are you doing on the phone with me?” Mason laughed. “Get in there, Dad! Give her all my best. That goes for you both.”
“Can I tell you a secret?” Noah asked. “I’m scared to death.”
“Then it’s a good thing you’re not the one about to give birth,” Mason said, still chuckling as they ended the call. There was hope after all. New life. Real, lasting happiness.
Images of Holly floated through his mind, and there was no real mystery as to what brought them up. He could imagine himself in Noah’s place, pacing back and forth, wishing he could do something to help make it easier on both mother and baby.
Never in a million years would he have imagined it. Not until he’d met her. Which meant there was more reason than ever to put a stop to these thugs so she could live in peace. So they could live in peace together.
The thought hit him hard. Being a husband and father were things Mason treasured. Enough that he’d kept himself from ever entertaining such ideas, but he felt hope that it was possible. Just because he’d never learned by example didn’t mean he couldn’t learn—and as desperately as he wanted it, he’d do everything he could to be who he needed to be for Holly and Jack.
It was like she heard his thoughts, since moments later his phone rang. He smiled before answering. “Hi. How are you?”
“On my way to visit the pups, so I thought I’d give you a call. Did you see Ronald?”
“No, unfortunately.” He gave her the brief rundown while turning toward the heart of town, where he’d find her. “I can meet you at the office and talk about where to go from here since I’m only a few minutes away.”
“All right.” There was no missing the note of discouragement in her voice.
“Hey. It’ll be okay. There are other leads to follow.” He decided to leave it there rather than worrying her with the details. “This isn’t a dead end.”
“Oh my God!” Holly screamed, almost making Mason run a red light.
“Holly? What’s wrong?”
“Smoke! There’s smoke coming from the building!” she shouted, almost deafening him. “Mason, the dogs are inside!”
Chapter 23
“Stay out of there!” Mason barked into the phone. “I’ll be there in a minute. Call the fire department and stay out of the building. Do you understand?”
How could she do that? She ended the call rather than lie and called the fire department immediately afterward, shouting the address and begging someone to come quickly before tossing the phone aside in favor of finding her keys.
“Hold on!” she shouted as she ran for the door. “I’m coming!” The barks and whines of the dogs could be heard from outside as she thrust the key into the lock.
The smoke in the front office was thin enough that Holly was able to run for the back room with nothing more than the collar of her shirt pulled over her nose for protection. The smoke in the back was thicker, almost choking her, and the heat from the fire set near the back door was enough to make her fall back a step.
But she couldn’t stop. Using her hands to see, she went from one pen to the other, unlatching the doors. “Go, go!” she urged the dogs before almost retching, coughing hard enough to make her dizzy. Or maybe that was the smoke.
“Holly!” Mason’s voice was barely audible over the commotion. He leaped into the room, smoke swirling around him. “Where are you?”
“Here! Help me!” She fumbled with the next latch, the smoke making it harder and harder to draw breath the deeper into the room she went.
“We have to get out of here!”
He was right. Flames were licking the curtains, the posters and signs hung on the back wall curling as the fire consumed them. Bits of burning paper floated through the air, touching down all around her.
But there was work to be done. “Just a few more!” she gasped, coughing, working with her eyes closed as she lifted the latch on the next pen.
“Come on!” Mason urged, only he wasn’t talking to her now. He guided the dogs out of the room and into the front office before coming back for more. They were terrified, barking and howling, not sure if they should stay with Holly or get out of there.
“Take her!” Holly cried, handing Princess over before picking up Lady and tucking her under one arm.
“Hurry!” he shouted, pulling her by the hand.
There was nothing to do but let him lead her. It was impossible to see now, and Holly stumbled and almost fell when her foot hit something.
Something soft. Yielding.
“Wait!” she cried over the sound of the fire and the approaching sirens. “Something’s here!”
“We have to go!” Mason insisted, tugging her along. But a nagging in her mind wouldn’t let her rest easy. Was it one of the dogs back there? Or was it…
“Fiona!” she yelled.
They broke out onto the sidewalk where the dogs and a growing crowd of horrified passersby were gathered. She could barely see through the tears in her eyes, and breathing was agony, but she’d never been so certain of what her instincts were screaming in the back of her mind. “It could’ve been Fee! She might’ve come in!”
Mason’s soot-streaked face twisted in a grimace as he handed Princess over. “Stay here, for the love of everything,” he grunted before dashing back into the building.
“Mason! Mason, wait!” But a pair of hands pulled her away from the open door and the smoke now pouring out. The entire world seemed to crumble around her as the fire truck wailed its way up the street, coming to a stop in front of the building where Holly had built something she’d imagined would last.
“Mason!” she tried to call out, but a round of heavy coughing brought her to her knees. She knelt in the middle of the street, her ribs fit to crack from coughs that racked her from head to toe.
“There he is!” someone shouted, and everyone burst into applause as Mason charged out from the billowing smoke with Fiona in his arms. It was like witnessing a miracle. He was a hero, soot-streaked and charred but alive.
“She’s unconscious,” he said, placing Fiona on the ground and stepping aside as paramedics kneeled beside her.
Mason sat back, coughing heavily.
Holly let out a sob as Fiona took a sharp breath, which she released in deep, shuddering coughs. But she was breathing; she was alive.
“Fee, sweetie.” Holly knelt at her side. “You’re okay. Everything’s okay.”
“The—the dogs—” Fiona managed to choke out.
“They’re fine. We got them all out. I’m sure they don’t like all the noise, but they’re okay.” She looked around to confirm this and found all of them in the care of various townspeople who held them in place, petting and comforting them.
“I’m sorry.” Fiona’s hand found Holly’s and squeezed tight. “I’m sorry.”
“There wasn’t anything you could do,” Holly assured her. “I’m sure it was too much. I’m glad you made it out. That’s all that matters.”
“Holly.” Something had caught Mason’s attention, something on Fiona’s temple. Blood. He examined it, frowning. “What happened, Fiona? How did you get hurt?”
“She probably hit it when she passed out,” Holly reasoned. That was the last thing she was concerned with as firefighters hurried this way and that.
The Ranger's Destiny (Army Ranger Romance Book 6) Page 10
