Rescuing Gracelynn (Special Forces: Operation Alpha) (Bravo Series Book 1)

by Anna Blakely

  “Any word from Kole?”

  “He and Sarah are on their way with Jake. They should be here any minute.”

  Nate looked Gabe square in the eye. “I never thanked you. For helping me get her out of that car.”

  “Never have to thank me for that, Carter. You’re part of Bravo and, as far as I’m concerned, so is Gracie. We take care of our own.” When Nate gave him a nod, Gabe went on to say, “I filled McQueen in on what happened and how everything went down. He’ll need a full report from us all later, but that’s nothing you need to worry about right now.”

  Thoughts of official reports led him to ask, “What’s happening with Yavuz? And Rasat and Barry?”

  “Ghost and Fletch recovered Yavuz’ body. They drove it back to the guy’s property and met up with Coach who’d stayed behind with Rasat. Beatle, Hollywood, and Truck went back for Barry. Last I heard, Ryker was sending people in to deal with Yavuz’ and Akmar’s bodies, and Delta team all met back up and were preparing to escort Barry and Rasat to the States.”

  Nate thought a moment. Achim Akmar and Edric Yavuz had been taken care of, but there was still one more guy Nate needed to know about.

  “What about Walker? Any sign of him?”

  “Unfortunately, no. Adrian Walker’s in the wind again. I suspect he’ll stay that way for a while.”

  “Hopefully for fucking ever,” Matt scowled from the other side of the room.

  Nate agreed, though he didn’t think Walker was a threat to Gracie anymore. The gun for hire had been paid to bring her to Yavuz, which he had. There was no reason for him or anyone else to come after Gracie again.

  The door to the private waiting room opened. They all glanced up to see Sarah rushing in, closely followed by Kole and Jake.

  “Nate!” She rushed over and hugged him tightly. “Where’s Gracie? She’s going to be okay, right? Jake said she was going to be okay.”

  “Take a breath, babe.” Kole pulled Sarah to his side. “I’m sure she’s going to be fine.” He gave Nate a look that said he hoped he’d just told his fiancée the truth.

  Nate didn’t want to give her false hope, in case the unthinkable happened. “The doctors are still with her.”

  “What happened? Jake told us the car she was in went over the side of a bridge and into a lake?” Sarah sounded horrified just saying the words.

  “Um, yeah,” he nodded, trying his damnedest not to think about those terrifying moments. “She, uh…she went under, but Gabe and I…we got her back up.” His eyes went to Kole’s, as he struggled to share the worst of it. “She wasn’t…her pulse. She didn’t…”

  Jesus, what was the matter with him? It was as if he’d lost the ability to speak in complete sentences, for fuck’s sake.

  “Nate saved your sister’s life, Sarah,” Matt stepped up beside him. “That’s all you need to focus on right now.”

  With a grateful glance, Nate shared a look with his teammate, who gave him a wink and a pat on his back before heading over to the cushioned chair in the corner of the room.

  “So, what now?” Sarah turned to Nate for the answer.

  He gave her the only one he had. “We wait.”

  The waiting was the worst. Nate felt as though he was being ripped apart from the inside out with the need to see Gracie again. To touch her and be able to tell her how he felt.

  An hour and sixteen minutes later, he finally got that chance.

  “I’m assuming you are all here for Gracelynn McDaniels?”

  Nate’s head snapped up. Standing in the doorway was Gracie’s doctor. He was an older gentleman with nearly snow white hair, but his eyes told Nate he was as sharp as a tack.

  “I am,” he shot out of his chair. Remembering the others in the room, he added, “We are.”

  “I’m Doctor Callahan.” The man shook Nate’s hand. “I’ve been taking care of Gracelynn.”

  “Nate. I’m Gracie’s…we’re…” Shit. He wasn’t sure what to even call himself.

  “Nate and Gracie are together, Doctor.” Sarah stepped forward.

  Kole stood behind her, his hands resting on her shoulders. “How is Gracie?”

  “She’s stable and resting comfortably.”

  “Oh, thank God.” Sarah’s watery praise of relief mimicked Nate’s silent one.

  “Can we see her?” Nate asked, not caring how desperate he sounded.

  “You may. But only one at a time, for now.”

  God, Nate wanted to be the one to go in there, but Sarah was Gracie’s sister. He should let her go first.

  “You go.” Sarah offered before he could, surprising the hell out of him.

  “You sure?”

  She smiled. “Yeah. Trust me, she’ll want to see you first.”

  Nate prayed her sister was right. “Thank you.”

  Sarah grabbed hold of him again and gave him a tight hug. “No, Nate. Thank you. You brought my sister back home to me. I’ll never forget that.”

  Nate fought against the sudden onslaught of emotions and stepped back. “I’ll let her know you all are here.”

  “Take your time,” Kole smiled.

  Nate followed the doctor down the long, white hallway to Gracie’s room. Before he went in, Dr. Callahan filled him in on the extent of her injuries.

  “She’s going to be weak for a few days due to the lack of nutrients and dehydration.”

  “Lack of nutrients?”

  The doctor nodded. “It appears as though Miss McDaniels hasn’t eaten in several days. She was also severely dehydrated.”

  Several days?

  Nate flashed back to that moment in the car. She was trying to tell him she was too weak to hold her breath, but he’d been so busy trying to keep her from dying that he hadn’t paid much attention to her physical appearance.

  A renewed rage toward Yavuz made Nate wish the man was still alive, just so he could kill him all over again.

  “What else?”

  “She lost quite a bit of blood from the gunshot wound, but not enough to cause any major concern. We cleaned and bandaged the tears to her wrists and one of her ribs was cracked. Thankfully, the location of the fracture prevented it from breaking any further during the administration of CPR.”

  During the plane ride here, Matt had triaged Gracie before hooking her up to an I.V. Nate thought his heart would stop when he realized she’d been shot. To find out her rib was broken, too?

  All that time he’d been pushing on her chest…it was a wonder he hadn’t punctured her lung.

  “Jesus.”

  “She’s going to be fine, Nate,” the doctor assured him. “She’ll be sore for the next week or two, but thanks to whoever got her blood pumping again, I see no reason she won’t make a complete recovery.”

  “Thanks, Doc,” Nate shook the man’s hand.

  He didn’t bother to taking credit for the save. It had been a team effort. He couldn’t have done it alone.

  “I took the liberty of giving her some pain medication to help with the rib. Between that and the trauma she’s endured, I suspect she’ll remain sleeping for at least the next few hours.”

  “Thank you,” Nate said again.

  Dr. Callahan nodded his head. “I’ll go fill your friends in on what I just shared with you. You’re welcome to stay as long as you’d like.”

  Nate watched as the kind man turned and walked back toward the waiting room. Taking a deep breath, he then pushed the door to Gracie’s room open and stepped inside.

  Every ounce of air he’d just drawn in escaped with a loud rush.

  There, looking so fragile he thought she might break if he touched her, lay Gracie. Her hands were at her sides and she was hooked up to several monitors. One in particular beeped with every glorious beat of her heart.

  It was a sound he could listen to forever.

  Stepping closer, Nate grabbed one of the plastic chairs, dragging it to the side of the bed without the I.V. stand. Before he sat down, he leaned over the metal railing and pressed his lips to h
er forehead.

  After letting them linger there a few seconds, he rested his forehead against hers and whispered, “I’m here, Gracie. There’s something I need to tell you. Something really important, but you have to be awake to hear it. So, I’m going to stay right here until you wake up.”

  Both emotionally and physically exhausted, Nate kissed her lips before settling into the chair. Reaching between the railings, he took her hand in his and let out a slow, steady breath.

  She was okay. Gracie was alive and breathing, and she was going to be okay.

  Something happened, then.

  One minute, he was just sitting there, watching Gracie’s chest move up and down with each magical breath she took. The next, Nate found himself replaying the horrific scene of that fucking car going over the bridge, along with everything else that had happened.

  Him waking up in the hospital, only to be told she was missing.

  The guilt and shame from finding out she’d been chained to a fucking bed and starved while he and the guys were all sitting around at Jake’s eating pizza.

  Her telling him she loved him when she thought she was going to die.

  Pulling her lifeless body through the water.

  Pushing against her chest, begging her not to leave him.

  Again and again, Nate was hit with the same terror he’d experienced when he thought he’d lost her forever. It played over and over in his mind, ending with the profound relief he’d felt only moments ago when the doctor had assured him she would be fine.

  Then, it started all over again.

  Somewhere in the middle of the vicious, heartbreaking cycle, it happened. Sitting there, with Gracie’s limp hand held tightly between both of his, Nathan Carter broke.

  He tried to fight it at first, but it was no use. Tears fell down both cheeks as he hung his head and wept.

  His broad shoulders shook with silent sobs while he thanked God for not taking her away from him.

  When he finally got himself under control, Nate sat up straight. Using the clean shirt he’d changed into on the plane ride here, he dried his damp eyes.

  Once he’d regained his composure, Nate gave in to his need to be nearer to her and carefully lowered the bed’s railing. He scooted the chair as close to her as he could.

  Resting his head on the mattress near her shoulder, Nate gently draped his arm across her waist and closed his eyes. A few minutes later, while holding the most treasured gift he’d ever been given, Nate drifted off to sleep.

  Throughout the night, Sarah, Kole, and each member of Bravo and Jake took turns coming in to check on both him and Gracie. After vowing to not leave her side and promising to call if there were any changes, Nate eventually convinced them all to go home and get some rest.

  Several hours later, a small, delicate hand began playing with his hair. Suddenly awake, he lifted his head, tears forming again when he saw two gorgeous, sleepy eyes staring back at him.

  “H-hi,” she smiled, her voice dry and cracking.

  “Hi,” Nate smiled back, quickly swiping the moisture from his eyes.

  “We…made it.” Her speech was slow and broken, but the light shining in her eyes let Nate know she truly was going to be okay.

  “Yeah, baby,” he leaned up and kissed her forehead, then cupped the side of her face with his hand. “We made it.”

  “You stayed.”

  Nate didn’t care for the surprise he heard in her soft voice. “Of course, I stayed.” He reached over to the pink pitcher on the mobile tray and poured her a glass of water. Placing the bendable straw between her dry lips, he told her, “I’ve been here all night.”

  After drinking half the contents in the cup, Gracie looked back at him. “No.” She shook her head slowly, her hair making a swishing sound against the stark white pillowcase. “In the car. You stayed with me…in the car.”

  Squeezing her hand, Nate prayed she could see how serious he was when he said, “I would have died before leaving you there alone.”

  Her cute brows turned inward. “Why?”

  Why? “Gracie, do you remember what you said to me? Just before the water covered your face?”

  Gracie licked her lips and nodded. “I remember.”

  “Did you mean it?”

  Her brows scrunched together. “Of course, I meant it.”

  “Say it again.”

  She blinked at the somewhat harsh order. “What?”

  “Say it again, Gracelynn.” He took her face between both hands then. “I need to hear you say the words again. Here. Now. Not because you feel the need to make some sort of dying declaration, but because you want to.” He leaned down and gently pressed his lips against hers. “Say it again, baby,” he whispered. “Please.”

  “I love you, Nate.”

  He smiled wide and kissed her again. “God, Gracie. I love you, too.”

  “Really?”

  Nate chuckled. “Yes, really.”

  Her smile grew even bigger, even as her eyes drew closed and her words slurred. “That’s good.”

  “Yeah, baby,” he agreed. “It sure as hell is.”

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later…

  Gracie stretched her muscles, relieved when she felt not even the slightest twinge of pain in her rib. She was getting stronger with each day that passed.

  Not that she had much of a choice with Nate around.

  The man had been so sweet and attentive, but she couldn’t so much as fix herself a sandwich without him harping on her to go sit back down and let him do it.

  Although, after hearing the story of everything that happened after she’d passed out in the car, she had a better understanding of why he was being so overprotective.

  After she’d been discharged from the hospital, Nate had insisted he stay at her apartment while she recovered. Thanks to Jake, the mess from her break-in had been completely cleaned up.

  Climbing out of bed, she headed to the bathroom for a quick shower. When she was finished, she decided to put on Nate’s favorite shirt…sans panties.

  He’d been taking care of every single need she’d had since coming home from the hospital. With the exception of one.

  The frustratingly caring man was still so worried about her physical recovery, he was afraid to touch her romantically for fear he’d hurt her.

  The only thing hurting her now was the constant ache between her legs.

  Determined to remedy that situation, Gracie headed out to the living room where Nate was typing away on his computer.

  “What are you working on?” she asked nonchalantly.

  Practically slamming his laptop shut, his eyes shot to hers. “Nothing. Do you need something? I can get it for you.”

  Okay…that was odd.

  He started to stand, but Gracie pushed down on his shoulder. Stepping between his open legs, she leaned down and nibbled his earlobe. “As a matter of fact,” she whispered. “There is one thing you can help me with.”

  “Gracie,” Nate started to warn her away.

  Nope. Not this time.

  “I’m fine, Nate.” She kissed his cheek. “I’ve been cleared by the doctor and everything.”

  He put his hands on her hips. “I get that, but you’re still sore. I don’t want to hurt you.”

  Gracie pressed her lips against his neck. “The only thing hurting me is not being able to touch you.” She ran the tip of her tongue along his pulse point, smiling when he tilted his head to give her better access. “Not feeling your touch.”

  “I don’t know,” he whispered, but even as he said the words, Nate’s hands began to move lower.

  Reaching the shirt’s hem, his fingertips slid beneath the grey fabric. He sucked in a breath. “Jesus,” he moved his lips to hers. “You’re not wearing any panties.”

  “Nope,” she smiled.

  Gracie kissed him like she’d been wanting to for over a week. She knew she’d finally won the battle of the wills when his hands moved around to cover her bare cheeks. He gave t
hem both a squeeze.

  “Please, Nate,” Gracie begged shamelessly. “It’s been ages. I need you.”

  “God, Gracie,” he bit her bottom lip. He shook his head, but then said, “Damn it, I need you, too.”

  In less than a minute, Nate’s belt was undone and his jeans and boxers were pushed down around his ankles. Gracie smiled greedily at the way his long, full shaft stood at attention.

  And it was all for her.

  Straddling his lap, Gracie took the pulsating erection in her hand and positioned herself above it. With their gazes locked, she slid her body down over his.

  Nate’s hips pushed upward, determined to get as close to her as was physically possible. Feeling magnificently full, Gracie lifted herself up before coming back down again.

  With her hands on his shoulders, she repeated the slow torture again. And again.

  Finding the perfect rhythm, their bodies began moving at a faster pace. Reaching between them, Nate’s fingers began rubbing her clit, knowing it wouldn’t take long to get her there.

  “Oh, God, Nate. I’m so close.”

  Beneath her, he began to thrust harder. Faster. Then, moving his fingertips in tight circles over her swollen bundle of nerves, Nate quickly pushed her over the edge.

  “Nate!”

  Gracie threw her hands out, grabbing the back of the couch for support. Keeping them there, she held on and rode out her orgasm in a way she knew Nate would love.

  Her hips slid back and forth, the hair on his thighs rubbing against her own legs’ smooth, sensitive skin.

  “Ah, fuck, yeah. Ride me, baby. Just like that.”

  It only took a couple more thrusts before Nate began filling her womb with his hot seed.

  Growling her name loudly, his entire body stiffened beneath hers as his climax hit with full force. She smiled smugly, loving the way he said her name like that when he came.

  Letting go of the couch, Gracie took his handsome face between her hands and gave him a long, luscious kiss.

  “I love you, Nathan.”

  “Love you, too, baby.”