by Rebecca Deel
“Small price to pay for your freedom.”
“Not to me.” Dana frowned and thumped his chest with her fist. “You scared me. Don’t let it happen again.”
“I’m sorry, baby. I’ll try to remember that.”
She narrowed her eyes at the dry wit evident in his tone.
The plane leveled out and the cabin lights dimmed. Some of Jon’s teammates, scattered in small groups, talked among themselves. Others reclined their seats and settled in to sleep on the ride home. Her sister, sitting beside Eli and wrapped in his arms, was already asleep. A spear of envy pricked her heart. Would she ever get a chance like that with Jon?
Dana turned and studied his beloved features. Fatigue shadowed his gaze, lined his face. “You need to rest.”
“So do you.”
Her gaze dropped from his. “Maybe later.” Dana wrapped her trembling hand around the armrest. She was so tired, but sleeping in a confined space with all these people close sent an icy shower through her body. What if she woke up as she did many nights? Brenna would understand. A plane full of security people might think she was looney.
Jon cupped her face and turned her toward him. “What’s wrong? If being this close to me while you sleep makes you uncomfortable, I’ll move.” A wry smile crossed his mouth. “Got to admit I don’t want to, but if that’s what you need, I’ll do it.”
“It’s not you.” Embarrassment burned her cheeks. Why couldn’t she be normal? Yet another reason to regret Ross’s role in her life. No more. Jon had told her Grace and Ross would never bother her again. Maybe it made her a bad person, but she didn’t regret their deaths because she knew they couldn’t hurt anyone else again. “Since they took me, most of the time I wake up screaming. They kept me in a room with no light or windows. Sometimes I was alone. Other times, Ape man was there. I never knew what I would face when I woke.”
He leaned forward and brushed a soft kiss to her mouth. “Sounds like PTSD. It’s nothing to be ashamed of, Dana. Even the most hardened vets struggle with the syndrome.”
“Including you?”
“Can’t tell you how many nights I’ve woken myself up screaming.” He shrugged. “It’s why I live in a house instead of an apartment. You need to sleep, baby. You’ve been living on adrenaline and sheer grit for two weeks. It’s time to let go. I’m here. No one will touch you.”
“And if I start screaming?”
“I’ll wake you. Might take a minute to convince the Zoo Crew I’m not the cause of the screams. So, how are we doing this, Dana? Do I stay or move?”
She pressed a kiss to the center of his palm. “Stay. Hold me,” she whispered.
A smile lit his features. “You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to hear those words from your lips. I would love to hold you, sweetheart.”
Jon reclined their seats and dragged a light blanket from under his seat to cover them. Dana fell asleep with her ear resting over Jon’s heart, surrounded by his arms and scent.
Hours later, she woke when the plane’s landing gear locked into place and the aircraft bumped along the landing strip. Jon’s arms tightened around her for a moment.
“Sleep well, baby?”
Heat flooded her cheeks at the sweet endearment. She nodded. “Where are we?”
“Home. As soon as we grab our gear, Eli and I are taking you and Brenna to Vanderbilt to be checked out by the doctors.”
Dana made a face. More doctors. She hated hospitals. The smells, the food, the perpetually cheerful medical personnel all brought back painful memories, ones she’d rather forget. “I just want to go home.” She buried her face in Jon’s neck.
“I know. We need to make sure you’re okay. You’ll be able to handle anything they discover if you know the truth. It’s the unknown that gets most people. You are so strong, Dana. You already beat what Harrison put you through once. If you’ve been assaulted again, we need to know. You have to be treated.” He raised her up to look into her face. “Do you understand what I’m saying? We can’t take chances with your health. No matter what the doctors tell you, you’ll deal. You’re not alone this time. We’re in this together.”
A shaky laugh escaped. “I don’t know if I’m as strong as you think.”
“I do. If you falter, reach for me. I’ll be there beside you.”
Jon sounded so confident, she believed him. Until the male doctor walked into the emergency room and approached her. The panic attack struck without warning. Between one heartbeat and the next, her breaths became labored, cold sweat broke out over her body, and her heart raced.
“Ms. Cole?” The doctor appeared startled.
Jon. She needed Jon. She couldn’t do this, no matter how strong he believed her to be. She didn’t feel safe with this man.
Dana slid off the examination table and raced for the door, yanked it open and ran. The doctor’s protests rang in her ears. At the end of the long hallway, Jon and Eli both turned. In seconds, Jon reached her side and gathered her close.
“Talk to me.”
She struggled to drag enough air into her lungs to talk. Air. She needed air. “Can’t . . . do . . . this.”
Jon turned so her back was pressed against the corridor wall. “Look at me, Dana. No one but me.” He cupped her face with his palms, thumbs stroking her cheeks. “Breathe with me. Match my rhythm. In. Out. In. Good, baby. Again. Focus on me and breathe.”
Dana didn’t know how much time passed before she was able to grab a full breath and her heart rate settled to almost normal. “Jon.”
“Tell me.”
“I don’t want him to touch me.”
Jon stiffened, muscles tightening under her hands. “Who?”
“The doctor.”
He turned his head to the left, found the doctor standing a few feet away, waiting. “I’ll take care of it. Stay here.” He strode to the doctor, had a short conversation, and returned to pull her into his arms once again. “All set. He’s going to send in another doctor, a woman this time.”
Dana sagged against him. “Thank you. I’m sorry. He walked into the room and I went into a panic attack with no warning.”
He pressed a soft kiss to her lips. “Understandable. Can you walk back to the room or do you want me to carry you?”
“My legs work.” Sort of. “Will you stay with me?” She made her feet move toward the examination room. With her legs shaking so much, the corridor seemed ten miles long. Too embarrassing to collapse on the floor at this tough man’s feet. Enough already. She raised her chin and stiffened her spine. She could conquer a little walk down a safe hallway. Maybe.
“Planned on it. After the right doctor shows, I’ll step into the hall. I’ll wait right outside your door. If you need me, just call out. Okay?”
She nodded and led the way into the room. Once again, she was perched on the table when the door opened. This time, the white coat draped an older woman, one with twinkling eyes and a ready smile.
“Ms. Cole? I’m Dr. Anderson. I understand you’ve had a rough time the last several days.”
Jon turned to face her, eyebrow raised.
She smiled, nodded, and shooed him out the door. He gave her a quick kiss and left the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Dr. Anderson pulled up a stool and sat. “That, my dear, is one very handsome man. Yours, I take it?”
“I hope so. It’s kind of new.”
“Looks to me like the feelings are mutual. Now, why don’t you tell me what’s been happening with you?”
The door to the examination room opened. Jon straightened away from the wall to face Dr. Anderson.
“Mr. Smith, would you step in the room, please? Ms. Cole wanted you present when I gave her my findings.”
He swallowed hard, pushed past her, and crossed the room to Dana’s side. He studied her pale face. Jon cupped her cheek with his hand and dropped a gentle kiss on her trembling lips. He threaded his fingers through hers. “No matter what, we’ll deal with it together.”
A
small smile curved her mouth.
He turned toward the doctor. “How is she, Doc?”
“In remarkable shape considering what she endured. I’m going to admit her overnight for observation and to administer fluids. Ms. Cole is a little dehydrated, has cuts and scrapes. I’m prescribing a round of antibiotics as a precautionary measure since she doesn’t know how long those cuts were left untreated in a tropical location. I’m happy to say I found no evidence of sexual assault.”
A surge of relief swept Jon’s body. Thank God Dana didn’t have to deal with the aftermath of another rape.
“If all goes well, I expect Ms. Cole to be discharged tomorrow afternoon.”
“Excellent.” Jon grinned. “Thank you, Dr. Anderson.”
She switched her attention to Dana. “Now, young lady, I expect you to rest tonight. If you can’t sleep, I’ll leave instructions for the night nurse to administer a light sedative in your IV. If your young man stays with you, I suspect you won’t need it.”
“Thank you,” Dana whispered.
“Be honest with the nursing staff. If you need something, tell them. I’m sure you want out of here soon as possible.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
“One of the orderlies will be here soon with a wheelchair to transport you to your room. If you have any further medical problems, contact your general practitioner.” With a smile, she left the room.
Jon squeezed Dana’s hand, drawing her gaze to his face. “You okay?”
She nodded, one tear after another slipping down her face. “I was so scared.”
Those tears killed him. He couldn’t tolerate his mother’s tears either. Guess that made him an official card-carrying wuss.
“Are you going home soon?”
“What do you think?”
Her face flushed. “You’re exhausted and probably want to go home and sleep in your own bed.”
“Yes.”
She nodded, her gaze dropping to the floor, but not before he caught the look of disappointment in her eyes. “I understand. It’s okay. I’ll be fine.”
“Yes, you will be fine because I’m staying to make sure you are.”
Her head jerked up. “You’re staying?”
“Are you booting me out?”
“I don’t have the right to ask you to stay.”
He leaned close and kissed her until they both were short of breath. “You have the right, baby. I know where I want this relationship to go, but whether we get there is up to you.”
“Where?”
“Home. Family. White picket fence. Two dogs.” He smiled. “Everything. When you’re ready.”
More tears. Dismayed, Jon swiped at the waterworks. Had he misread her feelings? Did she not want the same thing? Maybe she did, but not with him. That would kill him.
“I want that, too.”
His eyebrows shot up even as his heart leaped, joy exploding inside. “Then why all the tears?”
“I want those things, but I’m afraid.”
“Of?”
She blushed and dropped her gaze to his chest.
“Ah. Sex.”
Dana nodded.
He nudged her chin up, waited until she looked into his eyes. “I love you, Dana. Because I love you, I’ll wait as long as it takes for you to be comfortable with that part of marriage. Make no mistake, I want to marry you the minute you give me the green light to put a wedding band on your finger. Tomorrow wouldn’t be too soon for me. The rest will come with time. I’m in no hurry. We have the rest of our lives.” He grinned. “I just want my rings on your finger to warn off all my teammates and any other men who might try to steal you from me.”
“I love you, Jon Smith.”
Satisfaction swelled in his gut. “Excellent. First stop when you’re sprung from this joint is a jewelry store. After that, we’ll talk about this fabulous job opening at Wolfe Investigations. There are two partners. One’s a hopeless hard case. The other thinks he’s a comedian and God’s gift to women. Interested?”
“Depends.”
“On?”
“Will I be required to kiss the comedian?”
Jon scowled. “Not if he wants to live.”
Dana laughed. “Deal. I’ve always had a soft spot for hard cases anyway.”
Brenna woke with a gasp and lurched upward. Beneath her, the bed crackled. Her gaze darted around the darkened interior. Voices murmured outside the door. Where was she? A rustle of clothes clued her in to someone else’s presence nearby.
“You’re safe, sugar.” A familiar masculine form crawled onto the bed beside her and tugged her into his arms. His sleep-roughened voice sent a curl of warmth rising through her body.
A woman could definitely get used to waking up to that growling voice in her ear every morning. Brenna relaxed against his chest and kissed him. “Thank you for saving my sister,” she whispered.
“Uh, I saved you as well. Do I get a reward for that?”
She shared another kiss.
“I took out Harrison,” Eli murmured.
Brenna pressed him backward onto her hospital pillow. His hands cupped her face as the kiss changed from soft and sweet to blistering hot. Lack of air forced her lips from his.
“Have mercy, sugar. If a nurse catches me, she’ll toss me out on my backside.”
She chuckled. “What time is it?”
“Just after four o’clock in the morning.”
She caught her breath. “Did you go home?”
“You’re kidding, right? I just got you back. No way am I leaving you.”
“Sweetheart, you have to get some sleep. The doctor said you needed to rest, that your body was still flushing that drug out of your system.”
Eli said nothing for a moment. “You called me ‘sweetheart.’”
“I did?”
“Did you mean it? Cause here’s the thing, sugar. You turned my world upside down. I’ve never been so scared in my life as when I realized Scarlett Group had taken you. I was afraid I wouldn’t have the chance to tell you how much I love you.”
“Oh, Eli.” Tears filled her eyes. Her handsome Navy SEAL loved her enough that he was laying his heart on the line without having a clue she felt the same way about him.. An act of courage from the man staring at her with a wary gaze.
“We haven’t known each other long. If it’s too soon for you to know how you feel about me, I’ll wait. Just know you own my heart, Brenna. I want to marry you and someday watch you rock my children.”
She laid her hand over his mouth, stemming the tidal wave of words. “Eli, you don’t have to wait.”
“I don’t?”
“I’m a romance writer, my love. Happy endings are my stock in trade. Without you in my life, I wouldn’t have a happy ending because I love you, too, Eli. And, yes, I will marry you.”
“Soon?”
“The sooner, the better.”
A few kisses later, Brenna curled against Eli’s side. “How’s Dana?”
He pressed a kiss to her forehead. “She’s fine, sugar. Jon’s with her. In fact, I’d say she’s better than fine. It seems my business partner finally wised up and asked Dana to marry him and offered her a job at Wolfe Investigations.”
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, ma’am. Jon is planning a trip to a jewelry store as soon as she’s released. Seems some members of the Fortress team have designs on his woman. To keep from ending up in jail for murder, he’s buying the biggest diamond he can find.”
“Oh, Eli. I couldn’t have asked for a better man for my sister. She loves him so much.”
“Yeah, I got that. Feeling’s mutual.” He stopped, sighed. “You should be released this morning. You up to a drive to Missouri?”
Brenna studied his face in the dim morning light. The shadows dimming the sparkle in his eyes told her all she needed to know about the trip. Eli needed to tell Joe Baker’s widow about Grace and the Scarlett Group. “We need to tell Dana first and stop at a big box store.”
�
��A big box store?”
She smiled. “I need a new laptop. I have a book to write so I can go on my honeymoon.”
“Write fast, sugar. Write fast.”
About the Author
Rebecca Deel is a preacher’s kid with a black belt in karate. She teaches business classes at a private four-year college in Nashville, Tennessee. She plays the piano at church, writes freelance articles, and runs interference for the family Westies. She’s been married to her amazing husband for more than 20 years and is the proud mom of two grown sons. She delivers monthly devotions to the women’s group at her church and conducts seminars in personal safety, money management, and writing. Her articles have been published in ONE Magazine, Contact, and Co-Laborer, and she was profiled in the June 2010 Williamson edition of Nashville Christian Family magazine. Rebecca completed her Doctor of Arts degree in Economics and wears her favorite Dallas Cowboys sweatshirt when life turns ugly.
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