by Aliyah Burke
She was impressed. The door opened and she tensed. Caleb’s hand settled upon the gun at his side but when it dropped away, she breathed a bit easier. A man in a vibrant floral shirt stepped through from the living room. Tanned skin, bushy moustache, and this air of trouble around him. He winked at her when their eyes met.
“Hello, luv. Aren’t you a sight for sore eyes.”
She smiled over his accent. “I take it this is your place?”
He nodded and walked closer. “It is. Not much but it’s home. And I must say, having you in it sure has livened it up.”
The air filled with a low growl, one she knew came from Caleb.
“Thank you, for helping us.”
“I wish I could say I did more. I don’t deserve thanks. The man beside you did it all. He’s amazing.”
She slanted her eyes to Caleb. “I’m beginning to see that.” He never looked at her, just continued to eat and act as if she’d never spoken. Disappointed, she turned her attention back to the man standing before them, gaze flickering between them both.
The nameless man gave her a small smile, one she was sure was supposed to encourage her but truth be told, she was all tapped out. He cleared his throat and shoved his hands into his white knee length shorts.
“We need to go, mate,” he said, his Australian accent more prevalent. “Time to get this lovely home where she belongs.”
Silent, Caleb pushed to his feet. Then he looked at her and she followed suit. She was sandwiched between the men as they drove to their next destination. Each jostle and bump the truck hit caused her pain but she kept it contained. She didn’t even know the name of the man who drove. Caleb’s strong leg pressed intimately against hers and she longed for more contact. He didn’t seem inclined however. It seemed with each passing mile, the look on his face grew even more serious.
The sun had since set and darkness was encroaching when they pulled into a small airport. There were a few older planes, some crop dusters, one large one off to the side which looked like an antique to her and finally the closest one to them, pristine white and on the tail G250. A Gulfstream.
It seemed almost surreal. To be so close to home suddenly she felt almost like she stared at herself from outside her body. Caleb touched her shoulder and she observed him in the low dwindling light of day. She slid over the seat toward him and got out. He had only one bag slung over his shoulder and past him; she stared at the waiting plane. The steps lowered and as she regarded her way home, a tall man strode into view and made his way down to the ground.
He wore a uniform and she frowned as it dawned on her it was one she recognized. Hadn’t seen it in a while but she did know it. The man worked for her Uncle Nik. He didn’t stop at the bottom of the stairs, he continued towards them. Finally, she realized he didn’t just work for Uncle Nik, he was his son, Nikolai.
“Nikolai,” she said, accepting his careful embrace without hesitation.
“Kam,” he replied, kissing her cheek. “I’m so glad to see you.” He spoke in Russian.
“Mind her injuries, Nikolai,” Caleb barked in English. He pulled her away from Nik’s son. “Let’s get going.”
Okay, someone’s in a foul mood. She gave Nikolai a small smile of apology and removed herself from Caleb’s hold as well. “Fine.” Her voice wobbled. Soon. Soon, she’d be with her family again.
Nikolai guided her to the steps and escorted her into the plane. At the top, right before she ducked through, she stole another look back to where Caleb talked to whoever it was. The man hadn’t seen fit to introduce himself and she hadn’t deigned to pry.
“I have a space ready for you to get some sleep after we take off,” Nikolai said, continuing to speak in Russian.
Sleep. Uninterrupted sleep. Sounded divine.
She peeked back out of the plane and frowned when headlights came into view. Something skated across her spine making her shiver with unease and she knew whoever it was, it wasn’t a good thing. Nikolai muttered a curse and yelled to the cockpit and she heard the plane’s engines come to life.
“Let’s go!” he hollered down to where Caleb still remained. “Go fasten your seatbelt.”
She hesitated only to have him glare at her and demand again, this time in Russian. Swallowing her fear, she took a seat and did as he ordered. She flinched when the unmistakable sound of gunfire resounded through the night. Panic raged to life within her and she began to shake. Where was Caleb?
* * *
“You need to get on that plane and see that young woman back home, Caleb,” Deek stated the obvious.
He fought the urge to stare up into the plane. It had been a shock to see Nikolai Andreyevich come down from the interior. He didn’t know him as well as Kami did, which was obvious by the affectionate hug they shared. He…well, he’d seen red—or was that green—and wanted to rip the man off her.
“Thank you for everything, Deek. I couldn’t have done it without you.”
“You would have found a way, mate. I’ve never seen a man so determined to conquer a mountain to find a woman and bring her home.”
He nodded. “She’s…” he trailed off, unsure of how to say it. Alternatively, if he even could.
Deek stared at him from beneath the busy brows he had. “I can see that. Go on with you, mate. Get out of here.”
The rumble of an engine grabbed both their attention. The fast moving vehicle was not one they wanted to meet.
“Let’s go!” Nikolai’s accented voice preempted the sound of the Gulfstream’s engines engaging.
“Get out of here,” Deek demanded reaching behind him into the bed of the truck and withdrawing an AK-47. “I’ll cover you.”
Another vehicle joined the first one. Then another. His sidearm in hand, Caleb shook his head. The odds weren’t looking good. “Come with us.”
The smile barely flashed. “Sorry, mate, this ‘ere’s my home. Ain’t my time to go yet. You get that filly home. Go on, now!” He shot at the approaching vehicles even as he moved to the driver’s side.
Running toward the steps, he heard Deek say something, but he couldn’t make it out, not with the gunfire and the plane combined. He wished him luck and bolted up the stairs, firing off a few rounds himself. Shoving the gun in his waistband, he and Nikolai closed the hatch and they were moving. He secured it while Nikolai headed for the cockpit then Caleb turned to look for Kami. The plane could seat eight and had berthing for four. The two in the back already made up.
She sat in a seat along the starboard side, her face pale and fearful. He did his best to send her an encouraging grin. There was no response from her; she glanced away from him, her fingers tight around the armrest.
He buckled himself in, across the aisle from her and said a hearty mental thank you when the plane picked up speed. Peering out the small window, he watched the three vehicles chasing after Deek and his truck.
“God speed, Deek.”
A burst of speed and they were airborne, rapidly climbing to cruising altitude. Away from the bullets, the jungle, the death, and the nightmares that he was sure would linger around Kami for a while. The force of the takeoff pressed him back into his seat and he turned his head to see the woman he’d come to find.
Tears streamed down her cheeks and he could see the pain overflowing her expression. Her broken ribs clearly pained her. The plane banked port and continued to climb. He wanted to offer her comfort but didn’t say a word, knowing she wouldn’t want to bring attention to her tears.
The moment they leveled off, he left his seat and removed her belt. Her eyes, still full of unshed tears met his.
“Don’t argue, Kam, come on. You need to lie down.”
She went with him. Her body felt frail and tiny, too tiny. He encouraged her toward the aft cabin where he gestured her to lay back on the premade sleeping area then covered her with a blanket. Smoothing some hair from her face he said, “I can give you some morphine if you want.”
“I made it this far. How many hours is it?”
�
�Don’t concern yourself with that. Sleep.”
He watched her succumb to the exhaustion and pain her body had been introduced to and forced to endure. Thick lashes lowered until they resided upon her drawn and pinched cheeks. That strange tugging thing went on with his heart again and he wanted nothing more than to lay with her, hold her, and sleep.
There were things he had to take care of however. He got to his feet and moved to the leather seat he’d first occupied. Nikolai appeared and glanced back to where Kami lay briefly then sat in a seat across from him in the four-club chair grouping.
“I’ve called dad, he’ll alert Aunt Kenya and Uncle Lane. They’ll meet us when we refuel.”
Uncle Lane and Aunt Kenya. Not names he wanted to call them for the rest of his life. Dad and Mom would be just fine. Shit. When’d I start thinking about marriage? He pushed that from his thoughts.
“Where are we refueling?” Nikolai told him and he nodded, mentally figuring how many hours he had left with Kami. “Thanks. I need a phone.”
Nikolai gestured to the side and licked his lips. “Get some rest, Caleb. We’ve got it now.”
The young man pushed up from his seat and headed back to the cockpit. Before he vanished behind the privacy curtain, he cast a final glance over his shoulder and Caleb knew he was looking at Kami. He wanted to snap at Nikolai but kept it contained. She and Nikolai were a not even a year apart and had spent a lot of time together as children. Still, it rankled. They could speak Russian with one another and he was left out in the cold. They had good memories together and despite everything, he feared that when Kami looked at him from now on, he would remind her of what she’d gone through.
Taking the SATCOM system handset from its slot in the wall, he stared at the object for a short time. With a deep breath, he dialed a well-known number. When the other end was picked up, he gave the information he needed to and hung up. He got up and walked to the bar where he made himself a drink. A short toss and it went down then he headed back to his seat, only to pause and reposition in the one across from where Kami lay.
He checked on her, she continued to slumber. Therefore, he tucked the blanket higher over her and brushed his lips along her cheek, knowing he shouldn’t but unable to help himself.
“Well done, Kami. You are an amazing woman.”
She stirred and moved her left hand. The lighting in the plane, despite being low for sleep, glinted off the diamond in her ring. Her engagement ring. She’d put it back on her left hand. It sat there, loose on her finger, taunting him, reminding him she’d agreed to marry…a man who wasn’t him.
Unpleasantness rolled his belly and he fought off a snarl. It wasn’t nice to think ill of the dead but damn it all, he hated Evan. For the simple fact of his connection to Kami. Their personal one. Jerking back from her, he sat across the aisle and tugged a blanket up as he reclined back, using the window as a rest for the pillow and his head while his feet propped upon the table. Unwilling to lay out flat. Then he succumbed to a much-needed sleep.
Both of them slept for the majority of the trip. He woke first and when he came out of the head, he noticed her sitting up on the seat that had been her bed for the trip. Her gaze, tired and drawn, waited for his. He kept his expression contained and could pinpoint the second she became withdrawn. A mask settled over her features and her eyes held his, coolly polite.
“Can I get you anything?” he asked walking by her, ignoring the shaft of pain that look gave him.
“No,” she replied in a whisper.
When he turned around, the door to the head had closed behind her. So I was right. I remind her of what she went through. It didn’t matter. All that had was getting her home safe. And as he took his seat, he ran the past three weeks over in his mind. He couldn’t begin to say how lucky he was he’d come upon her. It was like finding a needle in a haystack. This group, whoever they were, were good. He’d just been better and extremely determined. Despite cutting the head off the snake when he killed Sing, he was certain another had risen to take his place.
He shook his head. Not my concern. Fixing himself an orange juice at the forward galley, he constantly checked the door to see if she’d emerged. After fifteen minutes and she hadn’t, he frowned. Glass down in the cup holder of the table he pushed to his feet and headed for the aft cabin. Outside the door to the head, he paused then lifted to knuckles to rap sharply on the wood.
“What Caleb?”
He smiled briefly at the fact she knew it was him. Or assumed it was.
“You okay?”
“Fine,” she muttered.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath and prepared himself to step back. Then he heard it. A sniff. Kami was crying. He took in the view behind him and noticed that no one else was there. Or rather Nikolai wasn’t. Lips close to the door he said, “Open up, Kam.”
“Go away.”
“Damn it, Kami, open this fucking door or I’ll break it down.”
The lock disengaged and he found himself face to face with her red-rimmed eyes. He pushed his way in and shut the door before leaning on it. Arms crossed he stared at her, she looked so devastated it tore at his heart. Lowering his arms, he opened them and she didn’t even hesitate, just launched into his embrace, her entire body racked with sobs.
Resting his chin on the top of her head, he held her and allowed her to cry it out. He thought about drills, missions, anything to keep from focusing on how good she felt in his arms. She shifted and he tipped his head down to look at her and what he got couldn’t have been anticipated. Her lips met his.
No tentative seeking kiss. This was an all-out assault. Before he knew what happened, he’d wrested control away and dominated the kiss. Thrusting his tongue deep throughout her mouth. She moaned and he swallowed it, not willing to relent. His hands moved down her back and he froze when he hit the bindings around her torso. With a growl, he tore their mouths apart.
“No,” he said.
“Yes!” she answered and grabbed his head, dragging it back to hers.
He could taste the desperation in her kiss. His body didn’t care. The shaft in his pants could have punched a hole in the plane. Forcing himself to ignore the need thrumming through him, he broke off again. His heart pounded as if he’d just completed a fifteen klick run with full gear on.
“Kam—”
She cupped him through his BDU’s and he bit off a curse. His hips thrust forward into her touch.
“Yes,” she said, peppering kisses all along his jaw.
He rumbled and lifted her to sit on the countertop by the sink. Her long legs wrapped around him, pressing his thick erection right against her core. Where he longed to be buried more than he could explain. His resolve weakening, he began to kiss her again in earnest. He moved a hand up to cup her breast only to be met, again, by the bindings. It stopped him. He opened his eyes and looked at the woman whose hand massaged him, her neck exposed to offer more of herself to him. He saw her in all her beauty and glory. But that wasn’t all he saw. He saw the remnants of the bruising from her ordeal. He’d felt the bindings, he’d put on because of her broken ribs.
“Stop,” he gasped, gripping her wrist and halting her. “Stop.”
She brought her head up and stared at him. He could easily make out the longing in her expression. “Why?”
Was she kidding? Her engagement ring cut into his palm where he covered her hand with his. “This isn’t happening here. Not now.”
“You want me.”
“Not denying that.”
“Then why?”
“I won’t be used as a way to wipe memories, Kam.”
She narrowed her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?” Her tone cold and unyielding.
Circling her wrist, he lifted her hand so it was between them. She scowled and glared from his face to her hand and the ring upon it.
“I won’t fuck another man’s fiancée.”
Pain engulfed her expression and she jerked away from his touch. She slid off the
counter and slapped him. “You really are an ass, Caleb Moser. Won’t take what I offer but were more than okay with kissing me when I didn’t want it at the hotel. I was Evan’s then too in case you’d forgotten,” she bit off. “And it didn’t stop you then. But I’m glad you said no, gave me time to remember this was a stupid idea to begin with.” She glowered hard and he barely got out of the way before she stomped by him back out to the main part of the plane.
Alone in the lavatory he dropped his head and braced his hands on the sink. Splashing cold water on his face, he stared at his reflection. I was Evan’s then too. It made him sick to his stomach. It’s for the best, he told himself.
It didn’t matter what lies he told himself, his body couldn’t forget how it felt to have her hands upon him. Holding his cock. Stroking it. What would it be like to experience her touch without clothing between them? He swore a round of curses, dried his hands, and left the small room.
The first thing he noticed was Kami and Nikolai sitting side by side, talking softly. Nikolai glanced at him. Kami didn’t. When Nikolai headed back to the cockpit, Kami put in some headphones and listened to music, keeping him out. That’s how the rest of the flight went.
When they landed, she shook but he knew better than to reach out and try to touch her. Her eyes fixed firmly ahead. He noticed out the small window, her family there waiting. Beyond them, some people waited for him as well. The plane rolled to a stop and Nikolai opened the door to lower the steps. Kami kissed Nikolai on the cheek and began the walk down to the tarmac.
He watched from the top, beside Nikolai as the Strong family was reunited. With a deep breath, he turned to the Russian who had dark brown eyes from his dad and stuck out his hand. “Thank you, Nikolai.”
The man grinned and hugged him. “Thank you.”
Caleb left the plane and headed down, Nikolai on his heels. Lane reached them first, there were tears in the man’s eyes.
“Thank you, Caleb. Thank you for bringing my baby girl back home.” Lane’s arms held him tight and he returned the hug. Kenya was next while Lane hugged Nikolai as well.
