by Elle James
The man thanked him profusely for his help as he gathered his things and his family around him.
Dawg kneeled down in front of a little girl and spoke to her. Beth couldn’t hear what he said, but the little girl grinned in the darkness, her teeth shining a bright white.
Beth’s chest tightened. Though they’d lost so much, they still had each other. The family had remained intact, thanks to the Deltas.
Beth had heard how Boko Haram terrorists had lined up many of the villagers, planning on killing them, execution style. And she’ learned how the Delts had come to the rescue before that tragedy could take place.
On her way over to where Dawg still helped the man and his family, Beth stopped to check on a man lying on the ground.
He lay on the ground as still as death.
Beth leaned over him and pressed her fingers to the base of his neck, searching for a pulse. Just as she found it, his hand snapped up and gripped her wrist. He pressed a handgun to her temple, and he spoke crisply in English, “You will listen to me very carefully, or you will die.”
“Seriously?” Her gut clenched.
“Do as I say, and I won’t hurt you,” he said.
“Okay,” Beth said in her calmest tone though she was shaking inside. “What do you want?”
“I want out of here,” he said. “Alive.”
“And how do you propose to do that?” she asked.
“If anyone comes close, you will tell them to back away. You will walk with me to the edge of the village as if I were any other villager. Now, help me to my feet. One wrong move, and I will kill you.”
“You do realize that if you kill me, they will kill you?” she said.
“But you will die first.” He tapped her temple with the barrel of the weapon. “Do you wish to risk it?”
She sighed. “No.”
With the gun in his hand pressed to her temple, he pulled his feet beneath him and lurched to a standing position, leaning heavily on one leg.
For a brief moment, the gun slipped from the position against her temple. Beth bunched her muscles, ready to spring away from the man and his threats. But the barrel of the pistol pressed to her temple again, reminding her of the finality of a bullet to the brain.
Once the man was steady on his feet, he moved the gun to point it at her side, half-hidden from view by her body. “Now, walk,” he said.
Beth moved toward the edge of the village, careful not to jostle the man and his gun. She wanted to live to see another day back in the States where she had a date with a handsome Delta.
Though he moved with a limp, he set off with purpose, heading away from the people congregating around the center of the village. As they neared the outskirts of the village, a shout sounded behind them.
“Beth?”
Her heart skipped several beats at the sound of Dawg’s voice behind her.
“Keep moving,” the man beside her said, jabbing her in the ribs with the hard metal of the handgun.
She winced as pain shot through her. Still, she kept moving.
Dawg would realize soon that she wasn’t going of her own accord, and he’d come to her rescue.
“Beth?” he called out again. “Wait up.”
Beth ignored him again, getting closer to the edge of town. Though she wanted to be rescued, she was afraid her captor would try to shoot Dawg.
Dawg followed, closing the distance between them a little at a time. “Beth, wait.”
When Beth and her captor reached the edge of the village, Beth ground to a halt. “I got you this far, you can make it on your own now.”
“Not without you. You’re my ticket to freedom.”
“Look, I’ve got too many people waiting for me to help them. You can make your escape without me.”
He pressed the gun into her side. “Or you can die now.”
Anger rippled through her. This man was one of the men who’d destroyed the village. She’d gotten him this far. But to let him walk away from the devastation without any resistance wasn’t right. Not after what he’d done to the innocent people of the village.
“Go on. Keep moving,” he said, his tone firm, his hand unwavering on the gun.
“No.” Beth stood her ground, praying the man didn’t fulfill his promise to kill her. “Go ahead, run into the brush. I’m not going with you. And if you don’t go soon, I’ll yell and alert the villagers that you’re among them. Without the rest of your friends, you are nothing. They will kill you in a slow, painful death.” She tipped her head back toward the village. “And that man following us is a trained killer. He’s coming for me. You only have seconds to make up your mind.” She glanced over her shoulder at the silhouette of Dawg moving toward them in the darkness.
The man looked too, giving Beth the opportunity she’d been waiting for.
She shoved him hard and dove to the ground, rolling to one side.
The terrorist stumbled, the injury on his leg making movement awkward. Then he took off, running into the brush and darkness.
A moment later, Dawg caught up with Beth. “Are you all right?” he asked, pulling her into his arms.
She nodded and pressed her cheek to his chest, so very glad they were alone and away from prying eyes. Her body shook, and tears filled her eyes. “He told me was going to shoot me.”
“Th man you were with a second ago?”
She nodded. “He was one of Boko Haram. He wanted me to go with him as his ticket to escape.”
He held her at arms’ length and stared down into her eyes, his own eyes reflecting the starlight. “How did you get away?”
“I told him I wasn’t going with him, and that the man behind me was a trained killer. When he looked, back, I shoved him hard. He took off.”
“That’s too bad he got away. But then I’d rather he get away than put a bullet in you.” Again, he crushed her in his arms and pressed his lips to hers.
The same electric current she’d felt with him back in Texas rippled through her, making her want to hold him tighter, to lie with him naked and make love with him through the night and into the morning. But they were in enemy territory. Not to mention, they couldn’t act on their feelings. Not in theater. They could both be court-marshalled and kicked out of the military. Whatever they were feeling had to stay on the down low until they returned to the States.
But it felt so good to be held. And what would it hurt to steal one kiss?
Beth tipped up her chin. “I know this is wrong, but I want to do this. No…I need to do this.” She pushed up on her toes and brushed her lips across his.
He crushed her in his arms and returned the kiss with a searing one of his own, claiming her tongue and holding her like there might be no tomorrow.
When, at last, they came up for air, Beth laid her cheek against his chest. “We should get back to the others before they come looking for us.”
He nodded and smoothed the hair back from her forehead before pressing a light kiss there. “I don’t know if I’ll be able to keep my hands off you for the duration of this deployment.”
She wrapped her arms around his waist, hugged him hard then stepped away. “We have to. We can’t let this ruin our careers. We’ve both worked too hard for what we have. I refuse to let you get thrown out of the Army, and I won’t leave unless it’s on my own terms. Come on. The helicopter pilot didn’t want us to stay too long,”
Dawg captured her hand and brought it up to his lips. “At least we have something to look forward to when we get back home.” He brushed his lips across the back of her knuckles and released her.
They walked back to the center of the village together where they found the rest of Dawg’s team preparing to leave.
Beth found Corporal Ramsey and collected the medical kit. The helicopter landed, the pilot waiting for the Deltas and the medical staff to climb on board. They loaded quickly. Every second they were on the ground was an opportunity for the enemy to fire on them.
Once everyone was accounted for, the Blac
k Hawk lifted off the ground and flew back to their base.
Beth was glad she’d gone, even if she’d almost been kidnapped to shield a terrorist during his escape. Dawg had hugged and kissed her like he really did like her and want to be with her. The spark was still there, giving her hope for the future. A future that might see her settling down with a Delta.
After checking her patients, Beth headed for her quarters, peeled off half of her clothes and laid down on her cot, enjoying the cool night air. She lay there for a long time, thinking about Dawg, about Jonathan and about her career. The more time she spent with Dawg the more she liked him.
Was it love?
Maybe.
She hoped they would have the opportunity to find out.
Chapter 9
Dawg handed Beth out of the helicopter, knowing how exhausting the night had been. She stumbled and would have fallen if he hadn’t been there to help steady her. Together, they walked toward the camp.
Dr. Parker was waiting for them as the team ducked beneath the camouflage netting. Some of his teammates made a beeline for the shower facility.
Since Beth stopped in front of Dr. Parker, Dawg did, too.
“Any more casualties?” the doctor asked.
Beth shook her head. “No, sir.”
The man’s eyes narrowed as he studied Beth. “Are you all right?”
She nodded, her cheeks flooding with color. “I just need a shower and a good night’s sleep. Are our patients resting easily?”
The doctor nodded. “No complications, thus far.”
“That’s good. I’ll check in on them in the morning.” Beth smothered a yawn. “Right now, I’m way beyond tired.”
“Don’t let me stand between a woman and her bed,” Dawg said with a grin.
Jonathan’s brow furrowed as he watched her walk away. “Can I buy you a cup of coffee?”
Dawg was tired and wanted to hit the shower then bed. He smelled of smoke from helping villagers salvage belongings from their damaged homes. But he also wanted to know why the good doctor wanted to speak with him. “Sure.”
They walked to the dining area where a coffeepot was kept with a healthy amount of coffee grinds for those in the military to enjoy.
A carafe of coffee was already on the burner keeping warm.
Dr. Parker pulled out two cups from his cabinet and set them on the counter near the coffeemaker. He poured coffee into the two cups and set them on a table.
Dawg sat in front of one of the cups and lifted it to his lips.
Jonathan dropped onto the seat opposite Dawg and launched into the discussion. “I sense something happening between you and Lieutenant Drennan.”
Dawg tensed. He hadn’t expected the doctor to say anything like that, and frankly, he didn’t know what to say in response. “Excuse me?” he said to buy time while he digested the topic of the doctor’s conversation. “There’s nothing going on between the lieutenant and me. That would be against policy.”
The doctor nodded. “Precisely. Fraternizing while deployed can get you an Article 15, or worse, court-martialed.”
Dawg nodded. “I know the regs.”
“Good. I’d hate to see either one of you lose your careers because you didn’t know the rules.”
“I appreciate your concern, but there’s nothing going on between me and the lieutenant,” Dawg repeated.
“Even if we weren’t in theater, Army regs discourage relationships between officers and enlisted.” Dr. Parker gave Dawg a pointed stare.
Dawg dipped his head once. “I understand.”
“You both have very promising military careers,” the doctor continued.
Dawg set his cup aside, tired of the man beating around the bush. “Is there something you want to get off your chest, sir?”
Parker sighed. “I want the lieutenant to be happy, no matter who she chooses to spend her life with. She’s a special, giving person, who needs someone who can provide for her the life she so richly deserves.”
“I admit, I like the lieutenant,” Dawg said. “And I agree, she deserves happiness. But she has to make that determination of what makes her happy.”
“Or who.” Dr. Parker met Dawg’s gaze, his eyes narrowing.
“She would be the best judge of the who.” Dawg sat up straighter and wrapped his hand around his cup. “Sir, is that all you wanted to discuss?”
The doctor nodded. “It is. Your team did an admirable job tonight against overwhelming odds.”
“How’s Dash?” Dawg asked.
“He’s recovering nicely. We need to get him back to the States soon, so he can get his physical therapy started.”
“Thank you for taking care of him. My team is my family.”
“You need to make sure that’s not all the family you need. Your job takes you away a great deal of the time. It’s not much of a life for those left behind.”
Dawg’s lips curled slightly. “That’s so very true. It’s a major consideration in any relationship. But I’ve seen it work for some of my friends. It’s how you love your family when you’re with them that makes the difference.”
“Sometimes, even that isn’t enough when the distance and time are too great.” Dr. Parker pushed to his feet. “Get some rest, Sergeant.”
Dawg rose from his seat. “Yes, sir.”
The two men parted ways.
Dawg walked away from the camp, just far enough to get out from under the canopy so that he could see the stars.
Everything Parker had mentioned had gone through his mind on numerous occasions, leaving him with the same question…was he the right person for Beth?
Beth was an amazing nurse and a wonderful human. She cared about people and her friends.
And she was an incredible lover, full of passion and warmth.
If he truly cherished her, he’d want only the best for Beth. Was being married to the doctor the best thing for Beth?
He was an officer. That would keep things straight so far as the military was concerned. The man was brilliant as a physician and surgeon, according to what the medics and locals had to say. But was he as good at relationships as Beth wanted and needed?
Dawg was convinced he and Beth would be good together. They were both passionate in bed, but also about their work. Yet, when they were together, they were totally focused on each other, not the next mission or patient. That’s what she’d needed from her doctor-fiancé.
Had Dr. Parker come to his senses since losing Beth? Would he give her what she needed?
Should Dawg step back and let them figure it out without him interfering and adding to the confusion?
He shoved a hand through his hair and decided all decisions could wait until after he’d had a shower and a good night’s sleep.
One thing was certain, when he’d seen Beth held at gunpoint by the Boko Haram terrorist, he would’ve moved heaven and earth, and sacrificed his own life, to save her. Though they’d only been together for a short time, they’d discovered they had so much in common and had bonded over dogs.
So, they weren’t both in the medical field, and they both were deployed often. They at least knew what it meant to be a part of the military and understood they had signed up for that lifestyle.
The difference between Dawg and Dr. Parker was that Dawg knew when to focus on family over another potentially exciting assignment. If he’d had the choice between volunteering for another deployment or marrying Beth, he would’ve chosen marrying Beth. No question.
Dawg headed for his tent, grabbed his toiletries and hurried to the shower facility, which wasn’t much more than another tent with a single pipe connected to a water tank. The trickle of water and a bar of soap was enough to wash the dust and camouflage paint from his skin. He rinsed, dried off and slipped into PT shorts. When he stepped out of the shower tent, he almost ran into someone about to enter. He gripped that person’s arms to keep from bowling him over.
“Dawg,” a familiar voice said in the dark.
Beth.
>
His hands tightened on her arms. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she echoed.
The conversation he’d had with Dr. Parker rushed back into his mind. Dawg dropped his hands from her arms. “Going for a shower?”
She wore a robe, flipflops and carried a towel and her toiletries. “I’m hoping it will help me relax.”
He snorted. “That cold dribble of water? I doubt seriously it will relax you.”
“Well, being clean would go a long way toward making me feel better.” She looked up into his eyes. Starlight reflected off her irises. “You might be used to being shot at or held at gunpoint, but that was a first for me.”
“It might be a while before you get over it. Some never do.”
She nodded. “PTSD.” Beth reached out and touched his arm. “About earlier…”
“I shouldn’t have kissed you.” Dawg jumped in with everything Parker had said still weighing heavily on his mind.
Beth laughed. “I thought I was the one kissing you. But that wasn’t what I was going to say.”
Dawg frowned. “I meant I think it’s a bad idea to kiss while we’re deployed.”
“I was going to say thank you,” Beth said. “For being there when I needed you. And you’re right. We shouldn’t have. And I shouldn’t have initiated it.” She held up a hand as if swearing in court. “I promise not to initiate a kiss until we get back stateside.” Her smile lit the night, making Dawg’s heart pound harder.
“Do you want me to stay until you’re done?” he asked.
“That won’t be necessary,” Beth said. “You need to get some sleep. I’m headed that direction after my shower.” She turned toward the tent, stopped and turned back. “For the record, that kiss was every bit as good as the ones back in Texas. I don’t regret it in the least. It was totally worth the risk.” Then she ducked into the tent, leaving Dawg outside with his pulse pounding and with the urge to follow her into the tent, strip her naked and make love to her there in trickling, cold water.
He drew in a long, slow breath, held it and let it out in an attempt to get a grip on his desire.
