When they reached the stable, she found that two horses had already been saddled.
“Beth, I should have thought of this, but I didn’t. You’re going to need some help getting onto Silver. She’s going to love you. She’s really well-mannered and won’t move as you mount her, but I will need to touch you. Will that be alright?”
Beth bit her lip and looked at him. He looked so worried. She hated that. Hated that she needed to be treated like spun glass.
“Jack, if you just tell me what you’re going to do, I should be fine.” She couldn’t stop the tremor in her voice.
“Ah, sweetheart, your courage amazes me. Put your foot into the stirrup, and then, I’m going to put my hands on your waist and help you up into the saddle, okay?”
Beth held her breath and nodded. She did what he instructed, and he gave her an encouraging smile before settling his hands around her waist and plucking her off the ground and settling her on top of the horse.
“Dios.” The man was strong.
“Are you okay?”
She was having trouble catching her breath.
“Beth, are you okay? Do you need to get down?” His hand hovered over her leg as he looked up at her.
“I’m all right,” she whispered. He waited. “Really. I’m fine.”
He gave her one last look and winked.
“Okay, here are the reins. I’m going to help put your other foot into the stirrup.” He did as he said with an economy of motion. Soon, he took back the reins and was on the other horse and was leading her around the corral. She was riding a horse! She had handled his touch!
All too soon it was over, and she didn’t have a panic attack when he helped her off the horse. For the rest of the day, Beth felt like she was floating on air.
* * * *
It was good to see Beth doing so well. She’d been at the ranch for three weeks, and she was beginning to come out of her shell. She didn’t tremble every time Richard or David came into the room. Of course, both men were aware of the fact that they made her nervous and were careful to always have Grace or Rosa with them.
Beth was a wonder with the animals; they had two dogs, and they loved her. They followed her all over the ranch. She hated staying idle and had taken over handling the garden that Rosa and one of the hands had planted. Boone, one of the dogs, would spend half the day outside of the fence just waiting for her until she was done caring for the plants.
Jack arranged for a phone that couldn’t be traced for her to use to talk to her family. She talked to her parents regularly, but her talks with her sister were getting more sporadic. Before one of the calls with Lydia, Clint called Jack first.
“Preston, we have a situation. This might be the last call for a while.” Clint’s voice was tense.
“Is Beth in danger?”
“Good man, I like how you think. I knew you were the man for the job. The way you helped on getting that executive’s son out of Kuwait was textbook.”
Jack rubbed the back of his neck. He hated thinking about that mission. The teenager had been in bad shape by the time they had gotten to him. He’d kept tabs on Kevin; he was still having problems.
“You still didn’t answer my question, Clint, is Beth in more danger now?”
“Negative. But there was another attempt on Lydia; we’re going off the grid. There won’t be any calls after this one. I know it’s going to be hard on both of the sisters, but they’re tough; they will deal with it.”
“If Lydia is anything like Beth, yes, she is.”
“Lydia’s amazing.” The admiration in Clint’s voice was clear. As a matter of fact, if Jack wasn’t mistaken, Clint’s feelings went a lot deeper than just mere admiration.
“So is Beth. Okay, let’s get them on the phone together.”
Chapter Three
Jack didn’t think anything of it when his parents decided to take a long weekend in Dallas. It was something that they did at least once a month. It was easy enough with the family helicopter. When David then said he was going on a trip to purchase livestock for the ranch, he thought that would be a plus, because there would be less of a chance for David and Beth to be in the same room alone together.
He and Beth were in the great room, both reading books, when the rain started.
“Thank God everyone left as early as they did; this is going to be a hell of a rainstorm.”
“Wh-What?”
“Yep, we’re going to get thunder, lightning and hail. The hands have battened down the hatches.”
“What does that mean?”
Jack paused. “I love your accent, Beth. But I never really think about English not being your first language, you understand and speak it so well. Hell, you’re even reading a book in English. Batten down the hatches is an old sailing term, meaning tie everything down so that it doesn’t fall overboard. The guys just made sure everything is safe and the livestock is inside.”
“How long will the storm last?”
“Until tomorrow.” Jack watched as she bit her lip and the book in her hand trembled. “Are you scared of storms?”
“A little.”
“We can leave some lights on tonight.”
She gave a grateful smile.
They continued to read until she started yawning. He watched as her head drooped, and finally, he convinced her it was time for bed.
He saw the lights on underneath her bedroom door, and then, he turned on the hallway light in case she got up in the middle of the night.
He was asleep when a loud crack of thunder woke him up. He was out of bed and in a crouch before he knew what had happened. He gave a rueful grin. At least he knew his training was still alive and kicking. Pulling on a pair of sweatpants, he made his way to the kitchen and got some juice, he was halfway up the stairs back to his room when the lights went out. He heard a scream.
Like a shot, he was at Beth’s door and in her room. He scanned it and saw nothing more than her slight body tangled in the comforter, thrashing.
“Beth?”
She was pleading in Spanish. She was begging for help. Begging to be released. Begging for mercy.
It hit him like a punch in the gut. He knelt down beside the bed.
“Beth? Can you hear me?” He whispered in Spanish. He didn’t want to talk too loudly and scare her. He didn’t want to touch her either.
“Beth.” She was rolling around in the bed and came closer to the side. She began to slip off. He caught her. She screamed and woke up. He immediately placed her back onto the middle of the bed.
“Beth, you had a nightmare. The power went out. You’re safe. It’s me, Jack.”
She scrambled backward, whimpering. He continued to repeat that she’d had a nightmare and that she was safe. After the longest minutes of his life, she quieted. God, it made him want to kill somebody. Nobody so good should be made to feel this afraid.
“Jack?”
“Yes, sweetheart, it’s me.”
“Turn on the lights. Please turn on the lights. I’m scared.”
“Oh, baby, if I could I would, but the power went out.”
She whimpered and slowly reached out. Realizing that she probably couldn’t see as well as he could in the dark, he said, “I’m going to hold your hand, is that okay?”
“Oh yes.” He gently grasped her hand, and she gripped it hard.
“Let me go get a flashlight or some candles.” He brought her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles. He felt her slowly let go. He got up and headed for the door.
“Don’t leave!” He turned around, and she was kneeling up in the bed, reaching out to him.
“Do you want to go with me?”
“Yes!” She crawled across the bed and almost fell off the end. He caught her, and she froze.
“Shhh, it’s okay.” He eased her down so her feet met the floor. She clutched his arms and didn’t let go.
“Sweetheart, you’re going to have release me so
that we can get the candles.” He brushed down her arms and touched her hands to get her to let go. Another crack of thunder and flash of lightning lit up the room. She screamed and slammed backward. The bed hit the back of her knees and she fell flat on her back onto the mattress.
“NOOOOO!” She shrieked.
“Beth.” He tried to get her attention.
She screamed in Spanish; she was back in the middle of her nightmare. He couldn’t say anything to bring her out of it. She was fighting ghosts. Once again, she was close to falling off the side of the bed. He caught her before she fell.
“Don’t touch me. Please. Mercy.” Her voice trailed off, and she went limp.
The faint gray light from the window allowed him to see her face as she just lay there and stared up at him, tears leaking into the hair at her temples. He took the opportunity to try to get through to her. He crooned and whispered, praying that she would hear him and feel safe.
She began to shake then shudder.
“J-Jack?”
“Yes, it’s me, baby.”
“I’m so scared.” He ached to hold her. Her trembling was tearing him apart.
“Tell me what I can do. I’ll do whatever you need.”
The sound of the rain was punctuated by her heavy breathing. He carefully pulled the comforter around her. She clutched it tight.
“Don’t leave me.”
Jack sat down on the bed and held out his arm so that it gleamed in a shaft of moonlight and waited. He hoped she would take the small bit of comfort he was offering. Slowly, she leaned into him, and finally, she was snuggled into his side.
She moaned when another crack of thunder sounded. He put a gentle arm around her and pulled her close; she dropped the stranglehold she had on the comforter and instead gripped his forearm. Jack froze. Had he miscalculated? She pulled his arm against herself, holding him closer to her quaking body.
“I’ve got you, Beth. I won’t let anyone hurt you, I promise.”
Lightning lit the sky. She started to cry.
He couldn’t stand it; in one swift movement, he scooped her up and she was on his lap.
* * * *
Beth woke up feeling disoriented. She had a headache. She wasn’t lying down. She was sitting up, well, reclining sort of. She jerked awake, and her head hit Jack’s chin. He gave a muffled grunt.
“I had a nightmare, didn’t I?”
“It was the storm.”
She looked around the room, the lights weren’t on, but a little bit of moonlight was coming in through the windows, then she heard the harsh rain outside.
“I hate the rain. We had to walk through the jungle in the rain for five days.” She peered up at him through her eyelashes. He was just waiting for her to continue. God, she needed to just talk about it.
“Before the rain, before the rescue, it was... it was...”
“Take your time.” His calm voice and kind eyes allowed her to continue.
“Mama and Papa were tied up in the shack. They pulled me and Lydia out. There were four of them.”
“Two started with Lydia and two started with me. To begin with, I just did what they said.” She looked away from Jack, not wanting to see the condemnation in his eyes.
He cupped her chin and lifted it. “It’s okay, sweetheart, you did what you needed to survive.”
“I-I, I took off my clothes like they told me to. But then, they started to touch me, and I went crazy. I fought so hard, I screamed and kicked and bit them, and they laughed. They hurt me and bruised me, but I wasn’t raped.” She started as Jack brushed his lips against her temple.
“Thank God.”
“They were about to when Lydia yelled that she was going to be more fun because she was willing.” Beth stopped talking as she relived that terrifying time in the jungles of Mexico.
Beth realized that she was crying because Jack was rocking her and murmuring into her hair. She dragged herself back to the present and continued her story.
“They left me naked in the dirt, and I was crying and scrambling for my clothes. The next thing I knew one of the men was screaming. I looked over and he was on the ground writhing in pain and Lydia was being dragged into the cabin by her hair.”
“They whipped her. I thought she was going to die. Dios.” She buried her face in his chest and sobbed. “She did almost die. She still gets sick because of what they did to her, and it’s all my fault. She was trying to protect me.”
“It wasn’t your fault, sweetheart. You are her baby sister; she loves you and, of course, she wanted to save you.”
“She suffers because of me.”
Jack shifted, pulling her even closer, so that her face was now nestled in the crook of his neck. He kissed the top of her head.
“One day, you might have a daughter and understand that she did what came naturally.”
“But I can’t. I could never allow that kind of touch. I will never marry. I will never have children.”
More tears dripped from her eyes.
“Ah, Beth.”
“It was my greatest dream, to be a mother, to be a wife. They took that from me. I will never be able to stand having a man touch me like that.”
“Maybe with time.” Jack’s hold was gentle, his voice soothing.
The lights came on. They looked at one another, and for the first time, she saw something besides encouragement in Jack’s eyes. She saw sorrow.
Chapter Four
Jack had had enough. It had been three weeks since the thunderstorm, and Beth had been barely out of her room. Rosa used guilt to get her back to the garden, but nothing Jack had said persuaded her to come horseback riding. Finally, Jack had sent in his secret weapon.
“Well?”
“She’s coming on the picnic,” his mother smiled up at him.
“You’re a miracle worker.”
“I think it was the temptation of the Texas bluebonnets. Telling her they weren’t going to be in season much longer was what did it.”
“I’ll see you and Dad out front. I have the horses ready, and Rosa packed a great lunch.”
“Pretty sure of yourself, aren’t you?” Her mother grinned.
“Nope, pretty sure about you.” He gave his mom a gentle squeeze.
They rode to his mother’s favorite place. Richard kept an eagle eye on Grace, even though her mount was used to riding with her specially designed saddle to accommodate her needs.
After an hour, they dismounted near a creek, under some live oak shade trees. Richard and Jack tethered the horses. Richard settled Grace on the picnic blanket while Beth and Jack started dishing out the food.
He watched as the beauty of the surroundings finally got Beth to relax. Grace got Beth to start talking about her childhood, while he and Richard talked about David’s buying trip. Jack admired Beth’s easy movements as she got up from the blanket.
“Can I help you?”
“I’m just going to pick some flowers to take home with us.”
“Take the basket, honey.” Grace suggested.
Jack continued to watch her as she walked off to pick bluebonnets.
“You’re not listening to a word I’m saying,” Richard stated with a huge grin.
“Nope.” Jack watched Beth’s blouse tighten across her breasts as she bent over to pick another bunch of flowers. Then, she flew backward with a scream.
He was up and on the run in a heartbeat. He’d seen it. A snake.
By the time he got there, he was barely aware that he had his knife in his hand, but he cut the head off the rattler as he settled down by Beth’s side. She’d been bitten on her inside upper thigh. God, right near her femoral artery.
“Jack? It doesn’t hurt that bad. Don’t worry.”
Was there any woman in the world who would be telling him not to worry at a time like this? He heard his stepfather come up behind him.
“Jack, the chopper is on its way. It’ll take her straight to th
e hospital in San Antonio.”
He gave Richard a grim nod over his shoulder.
“Beth, I’m going to cut the leg of your jeans so I can get to the bite wound, okay?” He didn’t wait for her to answer, he just cut. The bite was clearly deep and was already red and swelling. He touched it, and she let out a short cry of pain.
Dammit, most times you were just supposed to give the victim antivenom and not do anything else. But Jack had been trained what to do if none was available or if the venom was going to get into the blood system.
“Beth, I’m going to have to get some of the venom out.”
She looked at him with dazed eyes. Shit, the poison was already beginning to take effect.
“Stick with me. I’m going to suck some of the poison out. This is going to hurt. I’m so sorry, baby.”
“It’s okay, Jack. I trust you. I know you wouldn’t hurt me if you didn’t have to,” she whispered.
He closed his eyes in relief, thankful they had come so far.
He cleaned his knife as best he could then made an incision on her thigh, wincing as she cried out in pain. She reached out and patted his arm. Fucking amazing, again she was offering him comfort.
He had to act fast; the bite was too close to that major artery. He gave thanks to Uncle Sam for his training and began to suck out the venom. He hoped against hope that he had gotten most of it when he heard the helicopter land. Beth was unconscious, which was not a good sign.
They’d radioed the hospital and bundled her up for the ride into San Antonio. As he looked at her ashen face, Jack realized that he couldn’t bear to face life without Beth in it.
* * * *
“Can you hear me?”
Beth tried to speak, but it was like her tongue was too big for her mouth. She was so tired. It was impossible to open her eyes. The voice faded away.
“Can you tell me where you are?”
Why did they keep asking her questions? She wanted to sleep. She was so tired.
“Can you tell me your name?”
“Elsbeth Hildago.” She could open her eyes for just a moment, but those felt swollen as well. She remembered the snake, and she shuddered. Where was Jack? She wanted Jack.
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