The Edge Of Courage

by Elaine Levine

  Asir lifted his hand, his thumb depressing a trigger. He smiled calmly as if the SUV weren’t rigged with enough C-4 to blow a huge crater in the state highway. Up ahead, there were only a few hundred feet between the last of the team’s vehicles and the long line of waiting civilian traffic stopped by the roadblock. This was the only opportunity Rocco was going to get, and he knew it.

  He released Mandy’s buckle, then lunged toward Asir, grabbing his hand to control the trigger as he punched the man’s face, over and over with lethal blows. Dragging his limp body forward, he kicked the driver in the head. Once. Twice. The SUV began to drift off toward the ditch on the right side of the road.

  “Get out. Roll with the fall, run back away from this SUV. Go! Now! Tell the others there’s a bomb in here.”

  Mandy shoved the door open and dropped out of sight. The driver’s forehead landed on the horn, but the noise barely registered against the blood pounding in Rocco’s head. He saw Mandy get up and run screaming toward the team. She was waving her arms. Her hair was streaming behind her. It was déjà vu, all over again, thanks to the bastard whose limp hand Rocco still held.

  The SUV dipped into the wayside and stopped. Asir wasn’t wearing a suicide belt-the wires led under the seat. Rocco cursed. It was impossible to determine quickly how much C-4 was packed throughout the vehicle. He pulled his comm unit from his ear. There was no way these two bastards were going to survive this day. He noticed a backpack on the floor next to Asir and tore into it with his free hand, searching for something, anything that would let him rig up a way to detonate the bomb from a safe distance. He found what he was looking for-a roll of the black electrical tape that was used to build the bomb that had been strapped to Mandy.

  Mandy ran toward Kit, her throat raw from shouting the bomb warning. The response from the emergency crews was immediate. Men were calling out orders, moving vehicles farther away from the SUV, getting the civilian cars to turn around and leave the way they came, clearing the area.

  She looked to see if Rocco had left the SUV after her, but she was alone. Perhaps Asir’s bomb was more complex than the one he’d strapped to her, and it was taking Rocco longer to disarm it. A minute passed. Then another. Her stomach was in her throat. Owen and his team congregated around her and Kit.

  As she watched, the whole SUV blew, lifting the vehicle high into the air with the force of the explosion. She screamed and lurched forward, but someone caught her around the waist, dragging her against an immovable wall of muscle, pulling her back to the line of men and vehicles in case there was a secondary explosion. She fought against his hold, but could not break free.

  “Mandy, it’s me. Kit. I’ve got you.”

  She dragged in a breath, slowly letting reality sift into her mind. She stopped clawing at his arm and looked up at him. Kit. She was safe. But Rocco wasn’t. “Rocco was in that SUV. He’s gone, Kit. He’s gone.”

  She looked at the SUV sitting like a big fireball on the side of the road. And then men blocked her view. Not just any men-Owen’s team. Val, Angel, Kelan, and Owen stood like a shield in front of her, protecting her from the sight of the burning SUV.

  She buried her face in Kit’s chest, giving in to sobs that ripped from her heart. A lifetime passed in the next handful of minutes.

  “Hey, Kit,” Kelan called over his shoulder. “Looks like your boy is fireproof.”

  “And bomb-proof,” Angel added.

  “Some guys are hard to kill,” Owen said, grinning at Mandy.

  Kit laughed. “I’ll be goddamned.”

  Frowning, she pulled back and looked up at her brother. He nodded to something behind her. Rocco! He was walking around pockets of burning debris. His shirt was ripped. He had more cuts on his face and arm. He was searching the crowd that had gathered, his black eyes intense, focused on only one purpose: finding her.

  Mandy gasped and pulled free from Kit. The movement caught Rocco’s attention. The men parted, giving him access to her. He grinned, his teeth white in his soot-stained face. She ran toward him, throwing herself into his arms. He grabbed her in a solid hold. She touched his face, his shoulders, reassuring herself he was real and essentially unharmed.

  “Hold me,” she ordered him.

  “I am.”

  “Tighter.”

  “I got you, sweetheart. And I’m not ever letting you go.” He bent and pressed his mouth to hers as his hand cupped the back of her head. His jaw pressed against hers, forcing her mouth to open. She gave herself to him without any hesitation, surrendering to the sweep of his tongue.

  “Mandy,” he breathed against her lips. “I need you. Now. I want to be in you.”

  She nodded, her forehead brushing his. Rocco looked around for another vehicle and was in luck to find the guys were standing next to one. He pulled Mandy along behind him as he made a beeline for that SUV. “This vehicle clear?” he asked Kit.

  “It is. Why?”

  “Because I need some privacy to talk to Mandy, make sure she’s not injured. I don’t want anyone bothering us. Make it happen, Kit.”

  Rocco opened the back passenger door without waiting for Kit’s response. He checked the whole vehicle before helping Mandy inside. He locked the doors, then drew her toward the long back bench, pulling her shirt off as they went.

  “Rocco! Someone will see!”

  “No one will see. The windows are tinted and we’re too far back for anyone to see from the front.” He sat on the backseat and drew her onto his lap. He ran his hands over her ribs, her chest, her arms, then pulled her down for a kiss. He was breathing heavily, sucking the scent of her into his lungs, filling his body with her essence. She was here. And he was here. They were together.

  His dick was as hard as a marble pillar, aching to be inside her. He reached up and opened the front clasp to her bra, letting it slip from her shoulders. He cupped her breasts, checking for bruises or other wounds. He knew what Asir was capable of. In Afghanistan, Rocco had seen what happened to several of the women who’d had the bad fortune to cross the bastard’s path.

  “Are you hurt? Did they touch you?” he asked her.

  She gave him a look that caused his heart to stop beating, then lurch forward. “I’m not hurt. But they did touch me-not in that way, but they were free with their hands. I couldn’t understand much of what they said, though I knew from the tone they used it didn’t bode well.”

  Rocco pulled off his shirt and drew her close, feeling her skin against his, using his body to push away the bad memory of Asir touching her. He would replace it, here and now, with another, healthier one. One of love. He reached down to remove her boots. He wanted her naked, bare to his touch, his eyes. He wanted to see all of her, love all of her. She was barefoot. They hadn’t even let her get her shoes when they’d taken her. She winced when he touched her feet.

  “I’m sorry,” he whispered, trying to keep the anger he felt for Asir out of his voice, away from her.

  She shrugged. “It’s fine. I’m fine. It’s over.”

  “Yes. Take your pants off. I want you naked. Now. Hurry.”

  She leaned up on her knees, bringing her belly close to his face and unfastened her jeans. He yearned to look down, watch her undress, but her breasts were so close, so warm, he let his mouth latch on to one instead. She gasped and arched into him, clasping his head. He sucked her nipple, feeling it tighten and bud against his tongue. It took every ounce of willpower he owned to take hold of her waist and lift her off his lap so that she could remove her jeans.

  He kicked off his boots, pulled off his socks, and shucked his pants. His cock nearly lifted off his belly as he watched her mount his lap. His balls were so swollen-any and every movement hurt. He guided himself into her sweet sheath, then shut his eyes. He was home. She was safe. He drew a deep breath, the first full breath he’d been able to take since he’d discovered she’d been abducted.

  She started to move over him, but he held her hips still. This was not a moment he wanted to rush. He never w
anted to be apart from her body. He ran his hands up her thighs, over her hips to her soft narrow belly, then dragged his eyes up to hers.

  “Mandy, I love you.” She didn’t answer him, other than to brush the hair from his face, and smooth her thumb over the corner of his eye. “Did you mean it when you said you loved me? Or was it just the fear talking?” he asked.

  “I meant it. I love you.” She smiled.

  Rocco released the breath he’d been holding, and his hunger for her broke free. He began moving inside of her, letting his hands wander over her body, holding her, touching her until her hips moved in a sensual arch, drawing him out of her, pulling him back in, taking over the rhythm.

  “Rocco! Rocco, I can’t stop. I don’t want to stop. I need you. I need you to come.” She ground herself against him, pounding down on his cock, grinding against his aching balls. He spread his legs wider beneath her, wanting to hold out as long as he could. He touched his thumb to her clit, rubbing the swollen nub until he felt her body squeeze him, grabbing and milking him.

  He cupped her head, pulling her mouth against his, capturing both of their cries as he erupted inside of her. Just when he thought he’d finished, he experienced something extraordinary. “God, Mandy, I’m coming again. Do it. Ride me. Fuck, yeah. Ah, sweet Christ.” He felt his balls squeeze a second burst of semen up his cock and into her. The pulses of aftershock pleasure rocked them both. Long minutes later, when they’d settled somewhat, she collapsed against him.

  He tightened his arms around her, thanking God and Allah and every other deity for the miracle he held in his hands. He turned slightly, lying back against the seat, keeping their bodies connected. When Mandy finally lifted up enough to look at him, he smiled and brushed her beautiful copper hair back behind her ears.

  “Rocco,” she broke the silence that held them enthralled. Her face was serious. He braced himself for what she would say. “If I’m going to live in your world, there are things I must learn. I need to know how to protect myself, how to protect you. I need to know how to spot danger, as you did in the diner that day. I need to know how to keep us safe.”

  He blinked. He didn’t want this to be her life experience. He wanted so much more for her. “I wish that the world was different. I wish that I could build a haven for you where I know you’d be safe and happy. But I also know that evil moves where it will, finding the path that leads to its destination. I don’t want you to be its target again. I will teach you all of those things and many more besides.”

  She studied him, considering the depth of his resolve to keep his word. She nodded, then leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “We’d best get moving. People will be worried about us.”

  “Forget them.” His arms tightened around her waist, then his hands strayed to her soft buttocks, grinding her hips against his cock, still nestled warmly inside of her. “I want to stay here and fuck you again.”

  She smiled, wiggling on top of him. “Then take me home. Eventually someone is going to want this SUV. And judging from the way Kit is pacing outside, it’ll be sooner rather than later.”

  Rocco groaned. “I love you, Mandy.” He cupped her face, his eyes locked with hers.

  “I love you.”

  They both dressed, bumping into each other in the small space. Mandy giggled when Rocco tried to help her straighten her hair, making it more of a snarled mess than before. He opened the door on the side of the SUV that faced the woods.

  “How do I look?” she asked him, smoothing her hands over her hair, her hips.

  God, she was hot. He wanted her again, with the same fierce hunger he’d felt only moments before. “Like you’ve just been well and thoroughly banged.” He grinned at her horrified face and kissed her. Her mouth was warm and pliant beneath his. He groaned against her lips and pressed her back into the open door. “Let’s go again.”

  “No!” she laughed and pushed him away. “You are insatiable!”

  “I am.” He took her hand and led her around to the other side of the SUV, where Kit and Kelan stood impatiently awaiting them.

  Kit looked at Mandy then at Rocco. “I assume my sister is unharmed based on your thorough inspection?”

  “Hell, no, she’s not unharmed. She was grabbed from her home by men she didn’t know, stashed in a forgotten building in the middle of nowhere, threatened and frightened and alone, and then sent on her way with a bomb strapped to her. It’s been a bad fucking day and I’m taking her home.”

  “Good. Val’s bringing your truck over. I’ll be following you shortly.”

  Rocco frowned, studying Kit. “What’s going on?”

  “Nothing. We’re done here. The FBI is taking over custody of Asir’s men and handling the crime scene. I expect they will be opening the road again shortly. So go home. There’s nothing more to be done here.”

  Val pulled up in Rocco’s truck. He got out and held the driver’s door open for Mandy. Once she was inside, he gave Rocco a wide I-know-what-you-were-doing grin. “You were rocking that Expedition, man.”

  “Not the time or the place,” Rocco warned.

  “I know, right? I tried to tell you that, but Kit wasn’t letting anyone near the SUV. Didn’t look too happy to be standing guard. Bet you wish you could have seen his expression.”

  Rocco grinned, then shook his head. Val clapped a hand on his shoulder. “You okay?”

  “I’m good. Mandy’s safe.”

  “And we got twelve bad guys off the street. It’s a start. We’ll get Amir and his puppet master.”

  Rocco nodded. It was a mission the entire team had taken to heart. “What are you doing after this?”

  “When Kit cuts us loose, Angel and I are going for Blade.”

  “Call if you need me.”

  “Like hell I will.” Val nodded toward the truck. “You got something important to do-take care of your woman.”

  Rocco got into the truck. Val closed the door, then thumped it with his hand. “See you back at the ranch.” He straightened, frowning. “Those are six words I never thought I’d hear myself say,” he mumbled as he walked away.

  Rocco looked at Mandy. Seeing the shadows under her eyes and the pale color of her skin, he wished they didn’t have the long ride home. He lifted his arm, urging her to his side. “Come closer to me.” She didn’t hesitate to scoot over. He kissed her temple, then wove his way through the cars and people and police cruisers onto the open road. “I promise you a hot bath and a cup of tea as soon as we get home.”

  “I have to feed Kitano and the dogs.”

  “I’ll feed them. And I’ll deal with supper. You get a night off. You were brave today. Beautiful. Fierce.”

  “I meant what I said. I need to learn to live in your world.”

  He sighed. “I regret that I’ve tainted your life. But I will teach you everything you want to know and all that I feel you need to know beyond that.”

  “You haven’t tainted anything, Rocco. You’ve made it beautiful.”

  They drove the remainder of the trip in silence. Rocco was glad she stayed next to him. He could feel her tension ease out of her as they neared her house. He pulled into the driveway and had just crested the top of the drive when he spotted a green SUV parked in the circular drive in front of the main house.

  He cursed and parked the truck where it was. “Stay here. And get down.” He palmed his Beretta, then got out and started forward, moving away from the truck, hoping to make Mandy less of a target if whoever was waiting for them was in a shooting mood.

  Chapter 21

  A woman got out of the backseat wearing army fatigues. Rocco pointed his gun at her. “That’s enough moving. State your business.”

  “Mr. Silas?”

  “Who’s asking?”

  “I’m Lieutenant Kelly Froman. I have a surprise for you.”

  “It’s a bad fucking day for surprises, Lieutenant.” He lowered his gun but didn’t ease his stance, not trusting that anyone was who they said they were anymore.
>
  The woman held her hands up, but still moved closer to the back door. “Sir, I need you to stand down. I have your son.”

  Zavi? She had Zavi?

  Another soldier got out of the front seat as the lieutenant reached inside for something. When she turned around, Rocco saw two little legs, then a boy’s small torso, then a little face appeared as he squatted down and peeked under the door.

  “Papa!”

  Rocco’s lungs quit pulling air. It was Zaviyar. Alive and well. Then he remembered his pistol and quickly holstered it as his son charged toward him. He grabbed him up into his arms. He’d gotten so big in the months since Rocco had last seen him. After a moment, Rocco knelt down, setting him on his feet so that he could get a good look at him. He smoothed his hands on either side of his head, down his neck to his little shoulders.

  “Zavi, do you remember the accident?” His son nodded. “Were you hurt?”

  “No. But you were, Papa. Rafiullah told me I had to go with him so that you could go to the clinic. And then I didn’t get to see you again. Where did you go?”

  A memory slammed into Rocco at the mention of Rafiullah’s name-the final piece of the puzzle. He shut his eyes as he absorbed what it revealed. When he’d been unable to stop Kadisha from running back into the compound, he’d given Zavi to Rafiullah Kahn, an area shepherd who had hurried by in the melee. He’d only taken a few steps toward the compound when it blew. Christ. That was why he’d been so certain that Zavi lived. It all made sense now.

  He hugged his son. “I’ve been with the doctors. I’ve been waiting for you. I’m sorry it took so long for us to be together.”

  “Kelly said this is America. A different country.”

  “It is. Do you like it?”

  “I do so far. But don’t they have any children here?”

  “There are lots and lots of children.”

  “Is this our home?”

  “For now. Zavi, who taught you to speak English?”

  “Kelly. She said I needed to know English for when I saw you again. She said I couldn’t speak Pashto anymore.”