Kyle

by Riley Edwards

  “Have you ever flown on an MH-60 Romeo?” the female pilot asked.

  “Yes, ma’am,” Declan clipped.

  The woman looked me over and lifted her chin. “Someone better get this one a jubie. He looks like he’s gonna chunder.”

  “He’s fine,” Dec clipped and pounded me on the shoulder, reminding me to keep my mouth shut.

  I didn’t need a goddamned drink and I wasn’t going to throw up. But I was going to hijack the fucking helicopter if they didn’t get a move on.

  “Flight check’s been done, unless you’d like to inspect her, we’re ready,” the male interjected.

  “We’re good. Let’s roll,” Dec answered.

  The pilots parted ways, each climbing in the opposite side of the helicopter. Dec and I made our way to the open gunner’s window and hopped in.

  Each of us secured a pair of headsets and settled in.

  “Hold tight.” Declan’s hard features told me he was feeling this, too.

  We shouldn’t have left Anaya. I’d allowed my personal feelings to get in the way of what I’d known—she’d be in danger if she stayed.

  Now she was on board a fucking boat with an unknown number of male kidnappers. God only knew what had been done to her, or what they were still doing to her.

  Fury hit my gut and turned it over, slushing around until it mixed with murderous intent.

  The chopping of rotor blades started and a moment later the Seahawk started to lift.

  “Should be a smooth flight. ETA forty minutes,” the female pilot announced.

  “What’s your name?” I asked over the radio.

  “Taylor,” the woman answered.

  “Lee,” the man sounded off next.

  “’Preciate the lift today.”

  “We’ll cut down the time for you if we can,” Taylor told me.

  “That’d be helpful.”

  The longer I sat strapped into the back of the helicopter, the more antsy I became. Every minute meant Anaya was in harm’s way. Every second longer meant she was in fear.

  Declan and I had a loose mission plan, but without knowing how many tangos were on the boat we couldn’t come up with a finite plan. Something that had my nerves in a constant state of upheaval. We always planned. We always had a clear mission strategy and backup plans. That was what had kept us alive all these years.

  This whole thing felt like we were flying by the seat of our pants and I didn’t fucking like it one bit. And the reality of the situation was, we were jumping into an unknown situation, with a half-assed evac plan in place. And the cold truth was, Anaya may not be on the boat.

  And if she was, she may not even be alive.

  We were relying on reports Tex and Garrett had dug up about a woman being abducted and carried to a personal water craft near the Maritimia museum and surplus store. Thankfully a group of school children had been visiting and the teacher had reported the abduction.

  Anaya’s text messages gave us a starting point to look for her, but with the time lapse she could’ve been anywhere and we would’ve been searching by land, not the Timor Sea.

  Once again, Tex’s skills, even from the other side of the world, were impressive. The former SEAL ruled the internet from his living room. And I’d never been more grateful he was on our side.

  “We have your craft at three o’clock,” Lee came over the radio. “We’re going to circle around. Prepare for insertion.”

  Dec and I unstrapped and carefully made our way to the gunner’s window. Wind rushed in, salty air blasted my face, doing nothing to cool my overheated body. He patted my shoulder and I glanced in his direction.

  “We got this, Kyle. We’re bringing your woman home.”

  My jaw ticked and my heart thundered in my chest. She had to be on that boat. Fucking had to be, or we were screwed. This was our one chance at rescue. It would be hours before we’d be back to shore and by then Anaya’s window would be slammed closed.

  “I told her I’d find her,” I croaked.

  “And you did. She’s right down there.” Dec motioned down to the water. “Easy day, friend. We’ve done this a thousand times. Strong hand over weak, hook your foot, turn and go.”

  I didn’t need the goddamned reminder how to fast-rope out of a helo—that I’d done enough times I could perform the task in my sleep. But Dec was wrong, I’d never done this, because the woman I’d felt some odd and overwhelming connection to had never been fucking kidnapped.

  “Throw the rope,” Taylor instructed. “We called in the coordinates for your evac. ETA on that is sixty minutes. Be safe, gentlemen.”

  “Jump when ready. Holding fast.” Lee’s voice crackled over the radio and he was much harder to hear now that we were sitting with our legs dangling over the open door.

  Dec nodded and we removed our headsets and latched them in the aircraft and both donned heavy gloves.

  With one last check of my gear, I made sure everything was secure and reached for the thick rope dangling in front of me. Without delay I pushed myself off the perch, hooked my foot, and slid down. Seconds later I hit the water feet first and looked up to see Dec had not followed protocol and he was halfway down the rope. He hit the water with a splash and a second later his head popped up and he shook the water from his face.

  “Let’s get this done,” I growled.

  Hold on, sweetheart, I’m coming for you.

  Chapter 13

  “Who are they?”

  I shook my head and braced for impact. A hard smack hit my cheek, the crack reverberated in the small room, and I didn’t bother to try to lift my head. “This will be much easier on you if you tell me who the men are.” The man’s nasty breath fanned across my face—but then we’d been at this a long time so I was used to the putrid smell.

  Every part of me hurt. But the man would have to kill me, because I wasn’t giving up Kyle and Declan. I’d made peace with my decision. No matter what he did, I wasn’t telling.

  “I already know who they are, but I want to hear you say it!” the man shouted.

  He was an American, that much I knew. He sounded like he was from the east coast, maybe Philly or Jersey. Jet-black hair, olive skin, I’d say he was of Italian descent. Not that it mattered, but just in case I got out of this alive I was committing everything to memory.

  “Where did they go?” He tried a new line of questioning.

  Before I could give my denial, the man stepped back and cocked his head to the side.

  “I’m done fucking around. When I get back, if you don’t talk, I’m killing you.”

  The man left, slamming the door behind him, leaving me hanging in the middle of the room. My hands were chained to a pipe above my head and I was on my tiptoes. I’d settled into the position a long time ago. I couldn’t feel my hands and numbness had travelled from my arms down to my shoulders.

  I licked some of the blood off my lips. With no other option, I waited for the man to return. At least I would die safe in the knowledge I didn’t break. A tear rolled down my cheek, stinging a path down my abraded skin.

  All the ways there were for a person to die, I’d never imagined this was how my life would end. I had so many regrets and I’d never get a chance to rectify any of them. I’d never fallen in love, never allowed anyone close enough to love me. I’d never walked hand in hand on a beach at sunset. I’d lived my life afraid of everything. Then there was Kyle. And I regretted leaving him the most. I could’ve fallen in love with him. I should’ve been stronger. I should’ve been honest and told him I wanted to go with him. I shouldn’t have let him push me away.

  But I was a coward.

  What a damn waste.

  I’d been given a second chance when I’d been rescued from sex traffickers and I’d squandered it. Now I was out of chances and out of time.

  So freaking stupid.

  Two very loud bangs sounded above my head and I froze, straining to hear what was going on. There was a third crash but I still couldn’t hear voices. Were the men
fighting? The captain didn’t look happy when I woke up as I was being carried onto the boat. An argument had ensued but the Italian had won and we pulled away from the dock.

  The door swung open and suddenly a black rifle was pointed at me. My eyes drifted closed, not wanting to witness the moment the guy pulled the trigger. Knowing I was going to die, I quickly pulled up a mental image of Kyle, wanting his smile to be the last thing I saw.

  “Goddammit.” My lids flew open. As if by magic he was in front of me. I blinked a few times trying to clear the mirage, but each time I reopened my eyes, Kyle was there. “Hold on, sweetheart, I’ll have you down in a minute.”

  His hands went above my head and a moment later I was falling. Kyle’s arms wrapped around me before I hit the floor and I cried out in pain.

  “Where are you hurt?”

  “Everywhere,” I choked.

  If I hadn’t been looking at him, I would’ve missed it—anger so extreme I flinched away.

  “I’d never hurt you, Anaya. I swear it.”

  “I know.”

  “You’re gonna have to trust me. I need to pick you up.” He waited until I nodded, then he swung me up in his arms. Pain sliced through me and I held back a sob.

  Kyle rushed up a narrow set of stairs and I closed my eyes against the blinding sunshine and the overwhelming urge to throw up. My head throbbed, my ribs were on fire, I couldn’t feel my arms, but I was alive.

  Kyle found me.

  “Get the fuck off the boat!” Declan shouted.

  “This is gonna hurt like a son of a bitch,” Kyle warned as he started to run. “Hold on, sweetheart.”

  We were suddenly airborne, then my stomach dropped right before we hit the water. My mouth and nose filled with water and I struggled to get away from Kyle. The salt from the ocean burned every abrasion I had. The torture so intense I thought I was going to pass out.

  We emerged from what I feared would be our watery tomb and I sucked in a painful mouthful of air.

  “Can you swim?”

  “I don’t think so. I still can’t feel my arms.”

  “Just stay on your back and don’t fight me.” Kyle turned onto his side and started towing me next to him as he sliced through the water.

  “The boat’s rigged. Move your ass!” Declan yelled.

  We hadn’t moved another five yards when the boat exploded. A sound like I’d never heard before rocked me, the ocean around us rippled, and debris and smoke filled the air.

  “Hold your breath.”

  I quickly took in as much oxygen as I could and closed my eyes right before Kyle yanked me underwater and started kicking his feet. I tried my hardest to follow what he was doing and help propel us faster, but the more energy I expelled the sooner I was needing to resurface for air.

  I couldn’t be the reason Kyle got hurt, I had to push through. Had to. My lungs burned, my thighs were giving out, my face was on fire. But I kicked as hard as I could. I didn’t want to die.

  I wanted a third chance to make things right, make my life count.

  I wanted to live.

  Finally, Kyle took me up to the surface and treaded water as he kept my head above water.

  “I got you, Anaya. Turn on your back and float.”

  “You found me,” I muttered. “You saved me.”

  “I told you I would, sweetheart. Just try to relax.” He looked around then yelled, “Declan!”

  Declan swam to us and tread water, too. “Hold her while I pull out a life vest.”

  My body went solid as Kyle transferred me to Declan.

  “Anaya,” Declan called. “Look at me and breathe.” I heard Kyle mutter a curse before Declan started talking to me. “You’re safe. No one’s gonna hurt you.”

  I was being ridiculous. “I know. I’m sorry. I don’t think you’d hurt me.”

  “Nothing to apologize for.”

  Kyle fitted a deflated life preserver over my head and fastened the straps around my waist before he pulled the handle and the rubber inflated. Declan slowly let go, testing my buoyancy. When I didn’t sink, he pulled his pack off and started rummaging through it until he came out with his own life preserver.

  “Always prepared,” I muttered gratefully.

  “Always,” Declan said and smiled.

  Kyle was bobbing in the water next me, studying my face with a grimace.

  “Does it look bad?” I asked.

  “Motherfuckers.”

  It wasn’t necessarily the answer I was after, but it pretty much told me everything I needed to know.

  “My ribs are the worst,” I told them. “It hurts when I take a deep breath.”

  “Anywhere else?”

  I held my chafed wrists out of the water. “This and whatever happened to my face.” Kyle nodded and brushed a few strands of hair off my forehead. “Thank you for coming.”

  “I’m so fucking sorry it took us so long.”

  “You made it just in time. He was getting ready to kill me.”

  “Who was?”

  “I don’t know his name. He was tall, black hair, looked like an Italian.”

  Kyle’s eyes squinted and his jaw ticked. “He won’t ever get near you again.”

  “I’d guess not. The boat exploded,” I reminded him.

  “He was dead before that happened.”

  A piece of debris floated by and Kyle pushed it away as he inflated his flotation device.

  “I can’t believe that just happened.” Both men looked at me with their brows pulled together. “That really happened, the boat exploded.”

  Without warning, lunacy hit and a laugh bubbled to the surface. I was alive. They made it to me in time. My giggle started slowly until my body was shaking with laughter. Each time I moved it felt like someone was stabbing me in the side but I couldn’t stop it.

  “Sweetheart?”

  “Oh my God!” I croaked and my hilarity turned to sobs. “The boat…”

  “Anaya, look at me,” Kyle murmured at the same time Declan muttered, “Fuck.”

  “He was going to kill me.” I tried to stop the tears from coming but all of the emotions I had bottled up spilled over and I couldn’t stop them. “I promise I didn’t tell.”

  “Tell what?” Kyle asked and smoothed my hair.

  “The man. He wanted to know who you were. He kept asking over and over who took the girls. He said it would be easier for me if I told. But I would’ve rather died than give you two up.”

  “He hit you because you wouldn’t tell him our names?” Declan growled.

  “He said…he said he knew but he wanted to hear me say it. I swear, I didn’t tell.”

  Kyle was vibrating with so much anger it shocked me into silence.

  Declan let out a long string of curse words, and if I hadn’t been floating in the middle of the ocean after almost dying, I would’ve been impressed by his creativity.

  “You should’ve told him,” Kyle spat.

  “What?”

  Was he mad at me?

  “He hit you. You should’ve told him our names.”

  “I would never do that. I would’ve rather him kill me than put you two in danger.”

  Kyle’s gaze left mine and I followed his eyes to Declan. He, too, looked furious. Something important passed between them in a silent conversation. I didn’t ask what it was, instead I asked, “What now?”

  “Now we wait,” Kyle answered.

  “Wait?”

  “The rescue boat has been deployed.”

  “How long until they get here?”

  “Probably another thirty minutes.”

  “Thirty minutes?”

  Panic started to set in. What if the boat couldn’t find us? Were we going die out here bobbing in the ocean?

  “We were hoping to wait on the boat until the rescue team got to us. But the asshole who detonated the bomb shot that plan to shit,” Declan told me.

  “Everything’s gonna be fine. Easy day, sweetheart.” I was sure Kyle was trying to be reassurin
g but now I couldn’t stop thinking about a frenzy of sharks circling below us. I didn’t want to survive a kidnapping, a beating, and a boat explosion only to become lunch for hungry fish.

  “All we need to do is float. Just like in your book.” Kyle smiled at me.

  “My book?”

  “Yeah. You know in the beginning after the woman is rescued, they end up in the water. Just like them, all we have to do is wait.”

  I knew the part he was talking about. And when I’d read it, I thought it was romantic how the couple was drifting in the water together. The fantasy of being rescued by a man as strong and protective as the hero had sent chills down my arms. Now that I was living it, I wasn’t—

  “Sweetheart.” Kyle cut into my thoughts. “I promise everything’s gonna be fine.”

  “Okay.”

  Kyle had promised he’d find me and he had. If he said we were going to be fine, we would be. I knew it with everything inside of me.

  I tried to adjust the life preserver to alleviate some of the pressure it was putting on my neck, and when Kyle noticed he said, “Sucks to say, but we’re gonna be out here awhile. You might as well get comfortable with being uncomfortable.”

  “Not a SEAL, huh?” I smirked when he used a Navy SEAL motivational saying.

  “Never said I wasn’t.” Kyle chuckled.

  “But you never said you were.”

  “Didn’t think I needed to confirm what you already knew.”

  “No. You were just enjoying making me work for it.”

  Declan’s bark of laughter startled me and I turned to look at him.

  “What’s funny?”

  “Nothing,” Declan answered.

  “Then why are you laughing?”

  “Because you’re funny if you think Kyle would make you work for anything.”

  “What?”

  “Nothin’, Anaya.”

  I looked back to Kyle, hoping he’d explain Declan’s weird response, but when my eyes met his, my inquiry died in my throat.

  His features had grown soft and eyes were thoughtful.

  “You should rest, sweetheart. Close your eyes and relax.”

  “But—”