by Rebecca Deel
“What is it going to be, Vonnie?” he asked softly. “Me or someone else?”
“I trust you, no one else.”
Satisfaction glowed in his eyes. He nodded, glanced at the medic. “Let’s get this done, Sam.” He stood and began removing his vest and weapons.
The woman walked to the bathroom. Seconds later, the shower came on. Sam returned and opened her bag. She pulled out sweat pants and a black t-shirt. “You can wear this when you’re cleaned up. Should be loose enough to be comfortable.”
“Thanks.”
Rather than drawing things out, Adam lifted Veronica again and carried her into the bathroom. He stepped into the shower with her and set her on her feet. “Face me, Vonnie. Let the warm water work on your back for a minute, then Sam will take a look at you.”
“Ms. Miles, your shirt is basically in tatters in the back,” Sam said. “Will you let me cut the rest of it off?”
“Sure. Please, call me Veronica. Ms. Miles is too formal for the group who saved my life less than an hour ago.”
“Okay, Veronica. Adam, hook your arms underneath hers and around her shoulders. That will give Veronica support but leave most of her back exposed for me.”
“Are you okay with me doing that, Vonnie?” he asked.
She nodded. How could she refuse? She moved her arms away from her body just enough for him to slip his arms around her.
“Let me take your weight.”
Good suggestion since she was about to collapse against him any minute. Setting her jaw, Veronica leaned against his massive chest. Good grief, Adam was seriously ripped and as strong as an elephant. He didn’t appear to be suffering any fatigue from carrying her such a great distance over rough terrain. What she wouldn’t give to be that strong. She would be again, she reminded herself. As soon as she rested, fueled up and hydrated, Veronica would be back to her normal self.
“I’m ready, Adam,” Sam said.
“Go ahead.”
Veronica glanced at him through her lashes. He was as good as his word. The operative’s eyes were closed. “Adam?”
He shifted his face closer to hers. “What is it, Vonnie?”
“Are you allowed to tell me your last name?”
The man holding her stilled a moment, then said, “Walker.”
Shock held her immobile. “The one captured in Belize?”
A faint smile curved his mouth. “The same. You saved my life.”
“You saved mine tonight. We’re even now.”
“Not even close. Fortress still owes you. You saved the lives of my boss’s family. He has a sweet little girl named Alexa who’s alive and well because of you. She stole all our hearts. We’ll never be able to repay you.”
Veronica ignored Sam’s poking and prodding, choosing instead to focus on the fascinating man in front of her instead of the worsening pain from her back. “Did my handler ask Fortress for a rescue?”
He didn’t say anything.
Dread curled in her stomach. “Adam?”
“Fortress has a lot of contacts.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
“One of the contacts asked for our help, Vonnie.”
How could that be? She had missed several check-ins. Why didn’t Dane send in the DEA?
“Veronica, a couple of these lash marks need stitches.” Sam’s fingers pressed lightly on Veronica’s rib cage.
She gasped.
“Breathe,” Adam said.
“Sorry,” the medic murmured. “I don’t feel any breaks. Are you hurt anywhere else?”
“Bruises, which you’ve seen.”
“Vonnie,” Adam said, his voice soft. “Don’t hold back information. Sam wants to help you. The sooner you recover, the faster you can defend yourself if someone else comes after you.”
She scowled, glancing up at his rugged face again to be sure he wasn’t peeking. He wasn’t. Veronica rested her forehead against his chest. “My legs.”
The operative holding her upright stiffened.
“I’ll need to check,” Sam said.
Veronica’s cheeks burned as she stood still, waiting for the inevitable questions. Man, she didn’t want to talk about the scars with anyone, but especially not with Adam Walker within hearing range.
Sam unfastened her jeans and eased them down and off. “Looks like the jeans protected your legs. Just a few cuts, none that need stitches.” A pause. “You want to tell me about the scars?”
And there it was. Veronica shook her head.
Adam growled.
She felt an irrational need to comfort him. Ridiculous. This man was obviously a warrior, used to hardship. Adam didn’t need her to coddle him. “It was a long time ago,” she whispered.
“Shouldn’t have happened.”
Veronica wished her mother had believed the same thing.
“Any other injuries I should know about, injuries I can’t see?”
She shook her head.
“We’re flying you to see a doctor contracted with Fortress. You need to tell him everything that happened to you. If there’s any possibility of sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy, you have to tell him. Don’t hide the truth because you don’t want to face it. You’re too strong for that and your health depends on your honesty, Veronica.”
“I understand.” She didn’t know what had been done to her. She’d been unconscious for a number of hours before she woke up in that torture chamber, hanging by her wrists from the ceiling.
The water shut off. Sam grabbed a clean towel and gently dried Veronica’s back. “You need fifteen stitches. Do you want me to do them, or should I use butterfly bandages and let the doctor stitch you? If I do them, you’re likely to have scars back here.”
Adam snorted. “Sorensen isn’t a plastic surgeon. He’ll leave scars as well.”
“You do them, Sam.” Veronica would rather get the ordeal over with. The sooner the wounds were closed, the better.
“It will be easier with you stretched out on your stomach.” She wrapped the large towel around Veronica’s body and secured it. “Can you make it to the bed on your own? If not, Adam can carry you.”
“I’ll make it. It’s safe for you to open your eyes now, Adam.”
“I’ll walk with you,” he said. “I have to grab my Go bag to change into dry clothes anyway.”
Between Adam and Sam, Veronica made her way to the bed and laid on top of the mattress, face down.
“Let me know when you’re finished, Sam.” Adam grabbed his bag, returned to the bathroom, and shut the door.
“I’ll numb your back,” the medic said as she unwrapped the towel. A moment later, Sam injected the numbing agent beneath her skin. As she waited for the medicine to kick in, she prepared her suture kit. “So how do you and Adam know each other?”
“We don’t. I was on another mission when I heard rumors of Fortress hunting for a missing operative in my area. One of my contacts passed on his location to me.” She glanced around to be sure Adam was still in the bathroom. “I’ve been keeping tabs on him ever since.”
“Why?”
“To check on his progress.” She’d been sickened at the trauma Adam had suffered. If only she had learned his location faster, he wouldn’t have suffered so much at the hands of that drug lord.
“Tell me if you feel this.” Sam leaned over her back.
“Pressure. No pain.”
“Perfect. That’s what I want. You’ll feel a few tugs. I won’t take long. This will be easy since I normally have to work under fire.”
She let the medic work in silence for a few minutes. “Is Adam good at what he does?”
“The best,” came the prompt reply. “Maddox hires the best in the military and law enforcement.”
Veronica understood that. The DEA hired only the best and until this mission, she’d considered herself on the top echelon of her agency. Now, she wasn’t sure she trusted herself or the people she worked with.
CHAPTER FIVE
Wh
ile Adam waited for a signal from Sam, he took a quick shower, soaping off the sweat, stench of carbonite, and Vonnie’s blood. After drying off, he dressed in another black t-shirt and black fatigues. Another swipe with the towel over his military-short hair, and he called it good. Pretty, he wasn’t. Not after the drug lord finished working on him.
He reached into his bag and pulled out his satellite phone.
“Maddox.”
“It’s Adam. We have her.”
A sigh of relief drifted over the speaker. “She okay?”
“They worked her over before we located her and got her out. We’re flying straight into Bayside.”
“Excellent. I’ll alert Sorensen so he’s prepared. Who took her?”
“Don’t know. Whoever it was didn’t stick around for the party. Also, the creep interrogating her left before we rescued her. The ones left behind on guard duty were low-rent talent.”
“Any good?”
“Nope. Outnumbered 3 to 1, we didn’t sustain any injuries. Boss, we need to know who’s behind her abduction. Got a feeling they’ll keep coming after her. The creep who interrogated Veronica beat the crap out of her, including using a whip, in order to obtain information. If he meant to kill her, he wouldn’t have kept her alive as long as he did.” A fact which still made his stomach twist into a knot.
“Agreed. What do you want to do, Adam?”
“Protect her until we unearth the people after her and take them out. We still owe her. Always will.” And he was fascinated with the woman, although he didn’t plan to tell his boss that bit of information. He wasn’t taking a chance on Maddox replacing him on her security detail.
“You want a safe house?”
He considered that a moment, rejected the idea. “Not yet. I’m taking her home with me. She needs time to heal before she’s ready to face the truth.” Hard days were ahead for Veronica Miles. The betrayal was going to hit her, hard.
“Whatever you need, it’s yours. When will you arrive at Sorensen’s clinic?”
“Five hours.”
“I’ll meet you there. The Shadow unit is needed in another country by tomorrow night.”
Adam frowned. “There isn’t anyone else you can send? We haven’t even put our boots on U.S. soil yet.”
“Not this time. See you in a few hours.”
He shook his head. Fortress was understaffed. Even superstars like the Shadow unit needed downtime. A quick rap on the door signaled it was safe for him to leave the bathroom.
Adam shoved the phone into his pocket and opened the door. Vonnie was dressed, stretched out on her side, gaze locked on his the moment he stepped from the bathroom. The wariness in the depths of her eyes disappeared at his entrance to the bedroom. “How are you?”
“Better.”
Not about to take the tough agent’s word at face value, he turned to Sam. “You agree?”
“She’s feeling good right now.” Sam indicated the IV. “Fluids to rehydrate her system. I gave her a mild pain killer, nothing that would hide a serious problem should it arise while we’re in the air. She needs to rest, Adam. Stay with her while I change into dry clothes.”
When Veronica held out her hand, Adam couldn’t refuse the silent request. He set his bag aside, carefully climbed onto the bed to sit beside her, and threaded his fingers through hers.
In less than a minute, she was sound asleep. Though he longed to touch her soft hair, Adam contented himself with studying her face. Why would anyone want to beat her with fists and whips? His jaw clenched. When he tracked down the creep who caused Veronica’s injuries, Adam would be dishing out his own form of punishment.
Sam emerged from the bathroom a minute later, bag in hand. When Adam swung his legs over the side of the bed, preparing to cede his place to the medic, Sam indicated for him to stay.
He settled back as the other woman left the bedroom. The bathroom light was on, giving the room some illumination so Veronica wouldn’t wake up in the dark.
Rage filled him anew at the horrible conditions she’d been kept in, the trauma and pain she’d suffered. Someone was going to pay for that.
An hour later, Veronica stirred, gasped, moaned.
He checked, saw she was still asleep. No doubt she dreamed of her ordeal in captivity, an experience Adam was all too familiar with. “You’re safe, Vonnie. I have you.”
She shifted closer, drifted into a deeper sleep after whispering his name. Veronica woke an hour later. “Adam?”
He squeezed her hand. “Right here. Go back to sleep. You’re safe.”
“Sorry I wasn’t faster,” she whispered. “They hurt you.”
“I’m fine now, thanks to you. Rest, sweetheart.” He couldn’t stop the endearment from spilling from his lips. What was up with that? He had never been one to call the women he dated sweet names and this one was a virtual stranger. Except she didn’t feel like one. “I’ll watch over you.”
“Stay with me.”
No way. She couldn’t really mean that. Could she? “I’ll be here. Sleep, Vonnie.”
She edged closer until her face was pressed against his ribs and her body went boneless against him.
For the remainder of the flight, he kept one hand intertwined with hers. The other cupped the back of her head. He worried she wouldn’t like the hold, but when he removed his hand, she grew restless.
When the landing gear came down four hours later, Veronica woke with a start.
“You’re safe, Vonnie. We’re getting ready to land.”
“Okay. Adam, I have to get up.”
Based on the amount of fluids the medic had been pushing through the IV, he wasn’t surprised. “Sam needs to remove the IV first.” He let go of her hand and swung his legs over the side of the bed, his hand feeling oddly empty without her smaller one nestled in his.
Adam opened the door. “Sam, Veronica’s awake.”
The medic followed him into the bedroom. “How do you feel, Veronica?” she asked as she removed the IV.
“Better. Thanks for your help, Sam.”
“No problem.” She smiled. “I hope I see you under different circumstances next time. How about a cookout at your place, Adam?”
He blinked, leaning one shoulder against the wall. As far as he knew, the Shadow unit didn’t socialize much except with each other. “Sure. Call me when you’re in town next time. We’ll grill hamburgers.”
“Perfect. I’ll bring the baked beans. It’s my grandmother’s famous recipe. You should invite Veronica to join us. It’ll be fun.”
Interesting. “Deal.” After Sam left the room, he helped Veronica to her feet. “Okay?”
She nodded.
“I’ll wait here for you. Call out if you need anything.”
Her face flooded with color.
While he waited for her to emerge from the bathroom, Adam cleaned up the room and made sure everything was in the correct place in his Go bag. By the time she left the bathroom, his gear was ready for the trip to Sorensen’s clinic. What would she say about recovering in an animal clinic?
As soon as the plane depressurized and the stairs were lowered, Nico hefted Adam’s bag over his shoulder while Adam escorted Veronica from the plane. After settling his principal in the backseat, he turned to the Shadow unit’s leader. “I owe you. Anytime, anyplace.”
The other operative was silent a moment. “She’s more than a job to you?”
He lifted one shoulder, not ready to explain his connection with the agent. It didn’t make sense to him and sure wouldn’t make sense to Rivera.
With a nod, Nico handed over his Go bag and returned to the plane. As the SUV drove away from the airfield, the refueling truck arrived at the plane. Minutes later, Adam walked Veronica into the back door of Sorensen’s animal hospital.
“Are you kidding me?” she muttered. “You brought me to a vet for treatment?”
“Sorensen is one of the best trauma surgeons in the country. When he burned out, he retired from active missions with Fortress. No
w, he’s one of our company doctors.” He hesitated, wanting her to trust Sorensen, but not wanting to distress her even more than she already was. “He’s the one who treated me when my teammates brought me back from Belize.”
She stopped in the doorway, glanced at him. “But you’re okay now?”
His hand automatically touched his scarred cheek. “A little beat up, but fully recovered, thanks to you.”
“About time you got here.” An irritated voice came from his right. Typical Sorensen. “I’ve got a full house today. Don’t have time to waste. Thought I’d seen the last of you, Walker. What are you doing back here?” The grouchy trauma surgeon scowled. “You better not have messed up my handiwork. I spent a long time putting you back together last year.”
Adam held up his free hand to forestall more of the doctor’s tirade. “Not me this time, Doc. This is DEA Agent Veronica Miles. She’s been an unwilling guest in a compound in Mexico.”
“Treatment so far?”
“Sam Coleman stitched up her back, gave her fluids and a mild pain killer plus a standard antibiotic. She was afraid to do much more without your consent.”
Sorensen grunted, his hand coming up to tilt Veronica’s head to the side to get a better look at her injuries. Veronica shifted closer to Adam.
He slid his hand down to hers and squeezed. He wouldn’t leave her until Sorensen kicked him out to examine his patient.
“The clown who did this to her is dead?” the doctor growled.
“Not yet.” He would be soon if Adam had anything to say about it.
“This way, Ms. Miles.”
“It’s Veronica.”
“Veronica, then. Come with me.” When they reached an exam room reserved for Sorensen’s human patients, the doctor glared over his shoulder at Adam. “Go wait in my office.”
Rather than follow Sorensen inside the room, Veronica turned to Adam. “Hey,” he murmured, his arms wrapping around her, tugging her against his chest. “You okay?”
“You’re sure he’s one of the good guys?”
“Positive. His bark is worse than his bite.”
