Tse’s up off his chair, food forgotten, and around my side. “Is it time?”
“Yes. Hurry.”
There’s a bathroom next door, plastic has been set up ready. “I’ll be right outside.”
His words are probably meant to be reassuring, but I cringe with embarrassment.
Chapter 34
Mouse
If I could go through this for her, I would. The noises she’s making that she’s trying to suppress make it sound like she’s in terrible pain in there, but I can’t open the door. She’d die of mortification, I know that. The way her face reddened when she had to explain she was ready showed me how humiliating she found the situation. I don’t give a damn whether she thinks it’s disgusting or not. I just want her body rid of those fucking drugs. I won’t breathe easy until they’re all out.
I suppose I did seem a bit creepy when I announced I was marrying her. Having been kidnapped right under the noses of ICE and her father on the loose, she’s got a credible reason to seek asylum, and with me sponsoring her for a green card… There must be a way to keep her in the US. I’ll ask Devil to help. Some of the information I collected will stop a lot of misery for many. Even if El Procurador tries to set up another operation, all the routes and connections he’s using now will be useless. His border crossing points, the people who take bribes from him. That’s just some of the information I’ve extracted. It was down to Mariana being kidnapped that Devil will have the means to put an end to his operation. Surely he owes us, and her, something in return.
“Mouse. I take it…?”
Drummer gestures to the closed door I’m standing outside. With a glance at it, I move away a few steps.
“Fuckin’ scared. What if one of those things breaks? What if…?”
“Mouse. All we can do is hope it doesn’t. Hate to say this, but people are used as mules every day. Some volunteer because they’re attracted by the money. Sure, occasionally it doesn’t work out and they die, but if that happened in the majority of cases, it wouldn’t be as common as it is, or worth trying to smuggle drugs that way.”
He’s right. But just because the odds are on her side, doesn’t mean she won’t be one of the unlucky ones.
Pinching the bridge of my nose, I tell him, “Can’t lose her, Drum.”
His mouth curves in amusement. “From what I picked up, she hasn’t exactly agreed to your claimin’.”
“It’s her best option.” I’m certain of that.
“And yours?” His smile disappears.
I point to the office where I’ve been working. “I don’t even know how long we were in there, Prez. It worked though. Her and I. Was easy, wasn’t awkward. I can’t explain it, but we fit.”
I’m subjected to the full stare from those steely eyes, then he pats my arm. “Hope it works out for you. When you know, you know.”
“Tse?”
I’m immediately outside the bathroom. “Mariana? Can I come in?”
A panicked, “No.”
“Are you alright?”
“I, er, I think so. I don’t know what to do with… And there’s only sixty.”
“I’ll go get Devil,” Drummer tells me, then goes off.
“Hold on a minute, Mariana.”
“I’m going nowhere,” she scoffs.
Loud footsteps sound on the stairs. “Devil, she wants to know what she does now. And there’s only sixty.”
Devil slaps my back. “Mariana, can you hear me?”
“Yes.”
“Do you know how many there were in all?”
“A hundred and twenty,” she calls back.
“Well, you or that fucker miscounted. There were sixty left, so they’ve all come out. Just leave them, open the door, and Mouse will take you to get showered.”
“I... I…leave them?”
“Yeah.”
The door opens, Mariana quickly pulls it to behind her. She’s pale, but there’s now a spark in her eyes which wasn’t there before. I let her lead me up to the bedroom she’d been using. She has a quick shower, and then reappears in clean clothes that had been left there. She looks beautiful, and is smiling.
“Never appreciated fresh water so much before.” Her head tilts to one side. “Wasn’t able to think beyond those drugs being inside me. In there,” she points back to the shower, “I realised I haven’t thanked you. I can’t believe you’re here. Can’t believe that you came.” Her teeth worry her lip. “Last time I saw you, I said I hated you.”
That has been playing on my mind. It seems it has on hers too. Realising I don’t want to hear the wrong answer, but knowing I have to ask, “Do you?”
“God, no!” she exclaims.
I can’t resist. I go over, lean down and breathe in the scent of her hair. “You smell nice.” Out of the corner of my eye I notice a mirror, and notice too, what a good couple we make. Both with similar colouring. Placing my arm around her shoulder, I half turn her. “We look good together, darlin’.”
Her reflection is still nibbling her lip. “Looks can be deceiving.”
“Not in this case,” I murmur, encouraging her around once again. “I want to kiss you, you going to let me?” I give her fair warning.
Her brow creases, her eyes widen, then her head dips up and down in a tentative yes.
I lower my head. My lips move across hers. A chaste kiss. I want more. “Open for me.”
Her mouth opens fractionally. Gently, hesitantly, I increase the pressure, my tongue meeting hers, slowly sliding together. She tastes of peppermint from toothpaste. I keep my touch light, gentle, non-invasive. My cock jerks to life and I move my hips back so she’s unaware of it.
Her hands grasp my arms; she’s not pulling away. I hold myself back, aware I mustn’t pressure her. When I end the kiss, it’s too soon for me, and I hope, her.
There’s a dazed look on her face. Wonderingly she places her fingertips to her mouth. Then she says something I didn’t expect. “I’ve never been kissed before, Tse.”
“Never?”
She shrugs. “I was too busy looking after Drew. Too worried about doing something that would expose us. I couldn’t risk someone reporting me, so I never got close. Never dated.”
“You’re a virgin?” I hadn’t expected it. Nor the burst of primeval pride which swells inside me, along with the knowledge I’ve got to take this slow. But fuck me, I’m going to be the first man who’ll have her. Again her teeth worry her lip, and she looks down. “Hey,” I place my finger under her chin. When she looks up, I softly brush my lips against hers again. “You’re mine,” I tell her, knowing I’m repeating myself, and will continue until she gets that into her head. “But we’re going to take this as slowly as you want. Just understand, we’ll be together. Facing whatever life brings, side by side.”
Her shoulders tense, and I’m worried she’s traumatised by the women she saw being taken forcibly. Fuck, if she’s no experience, and that was her first exposure… I’ve got to slow this to a crawl. But when she speaks, it’s to name another worry. “What if I’m deported again?”
“What if a fuck load of things, darlin’. Don’t borrow any more trouble until we get out of the spot we’re currently in.”
Her eyes darken, and I hate that I reminded her we’re not home and dry yet.
“Yo, Mouse?” Blade’s loud voice comes up the stairs.
“Come on,” I hold out my hand, pleased when she takes it. “Let’s go down, see what’s going on.” Then I shout, “We’re coming!”
Blade’s halfway up the stairs. His eyes flare appreciatively when he sees the woman by my side, his stare lingering a little too long for my liking.
“Blade,” I growl, warningly.
“What?” Acting innocent, he holds out his hands. “Just thinking how well she scrubs up.”
“She’s mine.”
There’s a startled laugh at my side. “You going to piss on me next?”
Leaning down, I speak into her ear, loud enough for Blade to hear. “Mi
ght have to with these assholes around.”
We reach the bottom of the grand stairway, to find Devil holding court. He motions for us to join the throng standing around him.
“Right. Now we’re all here. Mariana, are you feeling alright?”
She shrinks into my side as though unsure of being the centre of attention, but speaks up for herself. “My stomach feels a bit sore, but I’m fine. Just glad it’s over.”
It won’t be over until we’re out of Colombia and on our way home, I think to myself.
“We going to burn this bitch down?” Viper calls out.
“The house,” I reassure her quickly. “He’s talking about the house.”
Devil looks at Mariana. “This could be yours, if your father made no other plans.”
“Burn it,” she replies forcefully. “I want nothing to do with him, or anything here.”
Devil scrunches the side of his face which moves. “We found a huge store of cocaine and heroin. If you’re certain, Mariana, then I agree. We set fire to it.”
“I can do that,” Wessler offers. “Brought explosives and a timer with me just in case.”
“How soon can we get out of here?” Drummer asks, with a glance toward me. Like me, he’s probably getting twitchy that we’re not on home turf. I remember how pregnant Sam is. Drum’s got every reason to want to go home.
“Soon as the explosives are set. You got everything you needed, Mouse?”
“Yeah. Sent it all up to the cloud, Devil. Encrypted of course.”
“What’s going to happen to the women?” Mariana asks.
“Already sorted. We transported them to the nearest hospital. Authorities will take it from there.”
They’ve done a lot. But then, waiting for the laxatives to work had given them enough time.
Wessler sets about his task. I wonder if he’s as efficient as Slick, but he seems to be. It’s not long before we’re getting into the trucks, and starting our first leg of the journey to go home. Rolling my head back I inhale deeply, then let my breath out on a sigh, unable to resist squeezing Mariana’s fingers. Home. With my ol’ lady. As the truck bumps across the uneven road, I close my eyes, imagining the feeling of her riding behind me, her hands tight around my waist. Her wearing my property patch. Opening my eyes a fraction, I peer at her. Yeah. This feels right.
She dozes, her head on my shoulder, my arm holding her securely. As she drifts into a deeper sleep, she emits little snuffling sounds. She’s probably catching up on many long nights when she remained on guard. I frown as I remember El Procurador’s man, who I’d seen with my own eyes openly raping that woman. Mariana must have lived with the worry it might happen to her. Had they touched her? They hadn’t raped her, but could have… My blood boils, but I won’t ask her. Eventually she’ll tell me all the horrors she’s been through, and we’ll work our way through them together. Now she’s sleeping so soundly, I know her body trusts me, it’s just her mind that needs to catch up.
Marvel’s turned to stare at me. “She lost it, and I’m not surprised, when we first found her. But she’s pulled herself together now.”
I kiss the top of her head, even that doesn’t disturb her. “She’s got backbone,” I answer him quietly. “Never had anyone to lean on.”
He examines me for a moment, then nods. “She’s got a good one in you, Brother. You’ll be her rock from now on.”
I’ll try.
“So,” starts Blade. “We going to change your handle?”
I start to sit up, Mariana objects with a moan, so I settle back and make do with a fierce whisper. “One mention of Chief and I’ll gut you with your own fuckin’ knife.”
Unrepentant, he grins. “Thought you were going to scalp me.”
“I’ll do that first.”
“Want to wake Sleeping Beauty, Mouse? Airport’s ahead.”
I act on Prez’s suggestion. I’m learning shit about my woman all the time. She wakes up grumpy. Her indignant face has me grinning, then when she remembers where she is, she looks sheepish seeing my brothers looking on.
The plane’s there ready and waiting. I get out, lift Mariana down. Once she’s standing I raise my arms, stretch, then place my hands in the middle of my back and arch my spine. The truck was cramped for a man of my height.
I smile down at Mariana, and see the exact moment the bullet hits her. Her mouth opens in an O, then, without a sound, she falls to the ground.
For a second I’m frozen, unable to comprehend what I’ve seen. Then I fall to the ground beside her, conscious that both my brothers and the mercenaries have formed a circle around us, Devil shouting orders, returning fire going in the direction he’s yelled out.
Then he and Drummer drop down beside me. “How bad?” Devil snaps.
My hand goes to the pulse in her neck. “She’s breathing.” Thank fuck.
Devil and Drummer turn her over as I rake my hands through my hair, feeling so fucking useless. I work with data, don’t know shit about anything medical.
“It took her in the top of her leg. Bullet’s still in there,” Prez announces steadily, keeping calm while I’m losing my shit.
Mariana groans, her eyes finding mine, but they’re unfocused.
“I’ve got you,” I tell her, trying to pull myself together. She needs me to be strong.
“Mouse, lift her carefully and take her to the plane. We’ve got your back, Brother.”
My hands flail in the air. “Should we move her?”
Devil’s eyes snap to mine. “Can’t stay here, Mouse. Who knows who’s out there? El Procurador will be behind it. It’s his country, he must have more men on his side. And he’s had plenty of time to arrange an ambush. We’ve got to get out of here now, while the plane can still fly.”
“Was it hit?”
“Not yet,” he replies grimly.
Blood loss or shock, I don’t know which, but she’s lost consciousness. Carefully picking up Mariana’s limp body, I move as fast as I can toward the plane, Viper, Dollar, Marvel, Blade and Drummer surrounding us on all sides. Blood’s flowing down my arms, and looking back, there’s a huge puddle on the ground.
She’s bleeding out. In my fucking arms. I never got to tell her I love her. Love? Yeah, that’s right. How the fuck it happened I don’t know, but the woman I’ve barely seen has got under my skin and into my heart, and I’m only fucking realising it when she’s dying. She trapped me from the moment I first saw her facing up to that bear. I loved her before I even spoke to her.
I should have realised we were still in danger. Got too fucking complacent.
You can’t leave me now. Not like this. Not when we were so close.
Chapter 35
Mouse
“Lay her down here,” Devil instructs, quickly grabbing a blanket and throwing it on the floor. “Carter? Leave Wessler. He can sort himself out. I want you looking at her.”
Carter nods, throwing an impatient glance at Wessler who’s cleaning his own wound, then wrapping a bandage around it. He must have taken a bullet too and I hadn’t noticed. Carter drops down to Mariana’s side, feeling for her pulse just like I did. “Pulse is weak, Devil. Get this bird in the air now.”
“You a medic?” I ask, hoping he is. I don’t know what the fuck to do.
“Yeah,” he replies offhandedly, his concentration on Mariana. “Mason! Get the first aid kit.”
First aid? She looks beyond that. Why aren’t they better equipped? But the big duffle Mason drops down beside him looks like it holds a lot. I can only hope there’s something to help her in there. Christ, that blood… there’s so much of it.
“Buckle up, we’re taking off.”
I glare at Devil, he doesn’t tell me to take a seat. Nothing is going to make me leave Mariana, not even for a second. Plane crashes? I’ll take my chances. Carter stays where he is too. He’s grabbed a towel and is holding it to Mariana’s leg. It becomes red fast.
It’s a six-hour flight, give or take. Six hours. Unless Carter can work m
agic, even with my lack of medical knowledge I can see she won’t last that long.
At last the plane levels off. “Cruising altitude,” the pilot says.
“Right. Let’s see what we’re dealing with.”
I growl, I don’t like Carter’s hands on my woman, especially not when he starts slicing off her clothes.
“Got a tranquilliser dart with your fucking name on it,” Carter snarls, throwing me a glare of his own. “Either fucking help or keep clear. I’m doing my best to save her here.”
He raises her eyelids, whether he’s satisfied or not I can’t tell. “I’ve got to try to slow the bleeding.” He sounds grim. “Can we get this seat moved to give me more room?”
A couple of his teammates step up. Apparently, the inside of the plane can be rearranged depending on cargo. A few bolts undone, and at last he’s got space to work.
My eyes narrow. “You know what you’re doing?” I ask. “Wouldn’t it be better to wait until we land?”
He closes his eyes as though summoning up patience. “Nothing I’d like better, man. But if I leave her like this, she’ll die. Use my limited skills to help her? Well, she’ll have a chance.”
Devil appears, and kneels beside us. “I’ll help. What do you need?”
“A bottle of whisky,” Carter drools.
Devil slaps his back. “After,” he promises.
Drummer’s behind me, his hand on my shoulder. There for support, but probably also to hold me back should the need arise. Carter slips on latex gloves, then gets out a pair of forceps and disinfects them. He then does the same to a pair of scissors.
“Devil, get the flashlight and illuminate this area. I need more light.”
“Are you going to anaesthetise her?”
Carter shakes his head. “She’s not going to feel anything, Mouse. She’s out of it. Just monitor her, will you? Let me know if anything changes.”
I raise an eyebrow.
“Her pulse, breathing. Tell me if she seems to feel cold or clammy.”
Ah. I place my fingers against her neck. He nods.
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