Gabe smiled a little. A cold, unnerving smile. “I told you, she’s mine.” He saw Baldy’s eyes flash with anger. There was no way the guy was going to reach him quick enough to stick a blade into him.
Gabe only worried about Bay. Did she hear them talking? He prayed she was still asleep because if she came out of that tent right now, she could easily become a pawn to Baldy. He was close enough to grab her, and Gabe wasn’t going to let that happen one way or another. His heart beat slow and steady. He was poised. Ready for whatever this bastard wanted to hand out.
Rock it out…
With a hiss, Baldy jerked the knife upward.
Instantly, Gabe’s hand blurred as he slapped the butt of the .45 with his palm and lifted it out of the drop holster in one smooth, unbroken motion. He squeezed the trigger. The blast was tremendous, the kick hard against his hand, wanting to jerk his entire arm upward and backward as the bullet fired. The noise echoed around the meadow like thunder rumbling through it.
Baldy screamed, the bullet striking his hand. The KA-BAR flew upward as he crumpled to the ground. He held his bleeding hand-cursing and sobbing.
While moving forward, Gabe holstered the .45 and jerked a pair of plastic flex-cuffs from the pocket of his H-gear. The man was rolling around, screaming repeatedly. Gabe jerked him up by his meaty shoulder, straddled him and shoved him down hard. He smashed his face into the grass, momentarily stunning him. In seconds, he’d hauled both his thick arms behind him. He’d cuffed so many prisoners over the years it took seconds for him to tighten the unbreakable plastic bands around his thick, hairy wrists. At no point did Gabe lose sight of the men frozen on the path beside the meadow.
Baldy was squalling as Gabe moved away. At that instant, he saw Bay emerge from the tent, her sleepy eyes suddenly wide with confusion.
“Stay there,” Gabe ordered her, drawing his .45 and walking toward the group of men.
Gasping, Bay looked into Gabe’s hard, flat-looking eyes. Her mind reeled with shock. For a split second, his face softened.
“Stay right where you are, Bay,” he said. “Please?”
Nodding jerkily, Bay watched Gabe’s face resume that unreadable SEAL mask as he turned on his heel, pistol in hand as he strode across the meadow toward the men wearing large packs. Bay stared at the man cursing and rolling around on the ground. Fear shot through her as she looked at the blood on his body and face. What had just happened?
Gabe barked at the men in Spanish to shed their rucks, lie down on their bellies and put their hands behind their backs. They obeyed immediately, real fear in their faces. They’d just seen him take down Baldy, and they didn’t want to be next.
Breathing harshly, Gabe went from one man to another, swiftly flex-cuffing every one of them. When he was finished, the meadow was lighter, and he could see Bay standing unsurely at the front of the tent. Baldy was still shrieking in rage. Served the son of a bitch right. Gabe ordered the men to sit up and not move. Instantly, they complied with his order.
Jogging toward Bay, Gabe pulled out his cell phone and hit the number for the county sheriff’s department. He slowed as he approached, his eyes never leaving hers. He gave the GPS location of the meadow and told the dispatcher what happened. He suggested she bring at least four deputies and an ambulance. Flipping the cell phone closed, he dropped it into his pocket.
Bay felt her heart explode with hope. Gabe walked toward her with that lethal, boneless grace, his narrowed, glittering eyes holding hers. He flicked a glance toward the bald man. And then he shifted his full attention to her. She felt an overwhelming sense of protection enveloping her, warming her, easing her fear.
“Gabe…” she whispered, automatically stepping forward. He opened his arms to her, his face allowing her to see the love he held for her alone.
“Come here,” he said thickly. In seconds, Gabe swept the woman he loved into his arms, holding her, holding her tight. He groaned and pressed his face into her hair, felt her tremble as she slid her arms around his waist.
“You’re safe now,” Gabe growled near her ear. He inhaled Bay’s sweet scent, felt her warmth, her soft cheek brush against his. Easing her back just enough to stare down into her eyes, Gabe said, “I don’t know who these guys are, but this one was coming toward your tent.” His voice lowered. “I wasn’t going to let that happen, Bay.”
Shaken, Bay felt his hands holding her firmly. She looked again toward the angry, cuffed man. “I— My God…”
He nodded. “It’s okay, baby. You’re safe. No one’s ever laying a hand on you again….”
*
THE SHERIFF’S DEPUTIES arrived ten minutes later. Bay stood by the tent, arms wrapped around herself as she watched Gabe talk with the head deputy, a redhead about forty-five years old. The meadow was flooded with sunlight. The sky was a light blue.
She shivered because it was barely above freezing. The paramedics from the fire department were taking care of the bald man with the hand wound. His murderous small eyes made her shiver, and she turned away. They starkly reminded her of Khogani’s black, lifeless glare.
Biting her lower lip, Bay had so many questions for Gabe. How did he get here? She watched him in the distance, her heart opening fiercely with joy. He’d saved her. Again. Gabe had protected her. A crazy bunch of emotions rolled through her. Every once in a while she saw him turn to look at her, as if to check and make sure she was all right. And every time she felt Gabe’s heated gaze upon her, an incredible flood of love flowed through her.
The bald man walked away with the help of the two paramedics, his right hand wrapped in white gauze. A sheriff’s deputy came over with his camera, taking a photo of the KA-BAR lying in the grass near her tent. He picked it up with gloves on and placed it into a brown evidence bag. Then, he turned to her, notebook in hand, wanting to interview her. What could she tell him? Not much.
Gabe hung on to his thinning patience. He’d just wrapped up interviews with the head deputy and turned, walking quickly back to where Bay stood. She looked alone, and he could see the stark, worried expression on her face. And then she gifted him with an unsteady but soft smile of welcome.
“How are you doing?” he asked, placing his hands across her shoulders. Gabe had to touch her.
“I’m okay. More confused than anything else. That gun blast ripped me out of my sleep.” She saw his mouth quirk with apology.
“I knew it would. I was hoping it wouldn’t come to that, but the guy went for a knife.” Gabe’s voice softened. “I’m sorry, Bay. This isn’t the way I wanted to come back to you.”
He so desperately wanted to kiss her. “The deputy told me this dude I wounded is wanted by the FBI and ATF. He’s a major drug runner. Those guys with him carrying the rucks are mules. The deputies found cocaine in bags in their rucks.”
“Oh, my God.”
He gently squeezed her arms. “They were coming through here at dusk and dawn every day since you’ve been here.”
Stunned, she blinked. “This meadow…it was where I grew up…it was so peaceful….”
Gabe nodded. “I know that, baby. Everything changes. I’m sorry.”
Her mind worked furiously over his statement. She lifted her hands, resting them on Gabe’s arms. “How do you know that? I mean—”
Gabe smiled wearily. “Baby, it’s a long story. What do you say we get your gear wrapped up and we’ll go home?” He touched her cheek with his fingers. “I know your mother is worried sick about you. We can talk after she knows you’re safe?”
For a moment, Bay swayed in his arms. Home. The word had such power over her. She still couldn’t believe Gabe was here. Holding her. Giving her a tender look of love that said so much without anything being said at all. “Yes,” she whispered.
“Why don’t you give your mother a call and let her know we’re coming in? Don’t say anything about what happened, just that you’re coming back home with me. We can fill her in on the details once we get there.” Gabe glanced at his Rolex. “It’s o
nly 0800. I’ll get things packed up here.”
Nodding, Bay hungrily absorbed his embrace. His hands were strong without being hurtful. She stepped away, dizzied by the sudden turn of events. With her cell phone, she made a call to her mother.
*
“CAN WE TALK NOW?” Bay asked Gabe as they entered their small cabin. They’d spent an hour with Poppy and Eva-Jo. Everyone was glad she was home again. And so was she. Bay shut the door quietly behind her and watched as Gabe set the tent and duffel bag that belonged to her father, Floyd, behind the couch. He took off his cap, running his fingers through his short hair.
“Come on over.” Gabe motioned to the couch where they’d spent many happy nights with one another.
A flicker of fear moved through Bay as she sat down next to him. She curled up, one leg beneath her, facing Gabe. He looked incredibly exhausted, and she reached out as he eased back and slid her fingers across his hand. “It was you who put that jaguar carving there for me to find, wasn’t it?”
He rubbed his face. “Yeah, it was.” The look in her half-closed eyes touched him deeply. Gabe felt Bay searching, trying to put all the pieces together. “When you left here,” he began, his voice husky with emotion, “I asked Poppy where your favorite hideout was as a kid. She told me Stony Bottom. I grabbed my gear and took off after you. Luckily, you were there.”
Bay dragged in a ragged breath. “Gabe…I’m so sorry. I hurt you so much, and I didn’t mean—”
“Baby, it’s okay. I understand why.” Gabe tipped his head toward her, soul-deep tiredness in his tone. “I was a jerk that night out in the parking lot. I shouldn’t have yelled at you, shouldn’t have… Hell, I was in the wrong all the way. I let my anger at the therapist blow up, and I took it out on you. That’s not acceptable.” He managed a slight, pained grimace. “It’s me who should apologize, Bay. Not you. Okay?”
Her heart fluttered and she absorbed his fatigued smile. They were both run into the ground in different ways. Gabe had fought so hard to help her. “I didn’t mean to break your trust, Gabe.” Bay touched her brow. “I’m trying to learn about my emotions, but damn, they whipsaw on me, out of the blue. The music and noise, the crowds at the gym got to me that afternoon. I felt like a piece of raw meat.”
“I know,” he murmured softly. “It took me two weeks of watching over you from my hide to get it. Dr. Torrance said you’d eventually hit the wall, and you did. I had a lot of time on my hands, Bay, while I kept you company up on that hill. You were trying to stand on your own two feet. You’re not the kind of person to lean on others. You’ve always been strong and independent.”
“But I wasn’t strong.” Bay studied him through her lashes, her voice tight with regret. “You needed a break from me, Gabe. You were trying to do everything for me all the time. I saw you hurting, and it hurt me.” She pressed her hand against her heart. “I wanted to get well as fast as I could. I didn’t want you having to be standing strong for me at every turn.”
“Poppy gave me an ass-chewing about that,” Gabe admitted wryly, moving his fingers across hers. “She said I was burned out, and I needed to give you some space. I didn’t listen to her, and she ended up being right. I was wrong.” Tears glistened in her eyes, and Gabe would have given anything to see the pain in them dissolve. “Baby, I was stretched too thin. My emotions caught up to me, and when you had that panic attack in the gym, I nearly lost it. I’d tried so damned hard to protect you, and when you listened to that therapist instead of me, something broke inside me.”
“Oh, Gabe—”
“Stop saying you’re sorry, Bay.” He grimaced. “You shouldn’t apologize because you’re battling one hell of a trauma. I should have let you try your wings. I shouldn’t have blamed you for trusting your therapist. Sitting up on that hill for two weeks gave me a new perspective on myself, you…and us….”
“I know what you mean,” Bay admitted, leaning her brow against his shoulder, feeling so very, very ancient and old. “When I held the jaguar carving in my hand,” she whispered, “everything else came back to me.” Bay lifted her head as she felt him tense. Gabe turned toward her, startled.
“What do you mean?”
“I remember us, Gabe.” Bay touched his bearded face, giving him a searching look. “I remember everything. You carved a jaguar for me before I left and went on my last deployment to Afghanistan without you.”
The hardness in his eyes melted and as she saw his lips part, a powerful sense of protection overwhelmed her. The sensation erased Bay’s anxiety and fear. “I remember how I escaped out of that cave now.” She told him because he had no idea of how she’d evaded Khogani, either.
Gabe sat quietly, listening to Bay’s memories, holding her hand. He released her fingers when she was finished. “You’re the most incredibly brave woman I know,” he whispered unsteadily, sliding his arm around her shoulders, drawing her against him. Something old and fearful dissolved within Gabe as he realized Bay finally knew all about them. About their love. As she eased beneath his arm, nestling her head against his shoulder, he allowed a gutted sigh of relief to flow out of him.
Bay wrapped her arm around his waist, holding him with her incredible woman’s strength. Gabe felt his entire world alter and shift. Shift back to where it had before all this had happened to Bay. He knew things were different, however. They’d taken a step forward, but, God, there were so many other steps ahead of them. Still, Bay remembered….
“I never stopped loving you, baby. Not for a second,” Gabe whispered against her ear, kissing her temple.
“I know….” Bay choked, simply allowing herself to love Gabe with every cell of her being. “That’s why you followed me when I ran away.”
“You didn’t know what we had, Bay,” he said wearily. “I did. I figured I’d just hang around and make sure you were going to be safe, that’s all. I know you needed downtime. You had to have it. I hadn’t backed off or given you the space you needed, either. In a sense, I was smothering you.” His mouth turned down. “That’s really why you ran. I forced you to run.”
With the strength of his arm around her, she surrendered to Gabe. “I wish my reactions would just go away.”
“They will in time, baby. You just have to be patient with yourself. I have to give you your space, too.” Gabe managed a strangled laugh. “Love is supposed to set us free, not suffocate us to death.”
She nodded, absorbing his quiet strength, his rock solidness that was now an important anchor in her life. “I was falling in love with you all over again, Gabe.” Bay lifted her head, her face inches from his. His eyes darkened and flared with hunger. For her.
“Even not knowing about our past together, I still fell in love with you all over again.” Bay stretched forward, her lips barely touching his. Never had she wanted anything more than Gabe’s mouth upon hers, his male stamp, his strength and caring that she knew he could give her so well.
Groaning her name, Gabe dragged Bay into his arms, lost in the fragrance of her as a woman, her soft lips yielding against his. Her arm wrapped strongly around his shoulder, her other hand framing his face, clinging to his lips. He felt her smile beneath his mouth, boldly move her tongue teasingly against his. Oh, God, he wanted Bay so damned badly the explosiveness of need nearly edged out his steel control over himself. Her mouth was wet, cajoling, gently biting his lower lip and then moving her tongue sweetly across it. A deep shudder worked through Gabe. She was hungry, assertive, and this was his woman he knew so well.
The uncertainty of the wounded Bay was gone. In its place, to his surprise and pleasure, was the very brave woman he’d met in Afghanistan last year. Her fingers moved up into his hair, massaging his tight scalp, sending wave after wave of electrical jolts down through his body. Her breath was hot, moist and flowed across his cheek and nose. She was as eager and hungry as he was. Another shudder worked through Gabe as her hand moved beneath his shirt, her fingers spreading fire across his chest.
With a growl, Gabe tore his m
outh from hers. They stared at one another, breathing hard like two animals warily circling one another. Bay gave him that heated smile that made his body grow so damned hard he wanted to double over in pain. The look of her drowsy blue eyes glinting with gold was all he needed. In one swift movement, he stood up, turned and slipped her into his arms.
Bay sighed, her entire body quivering with need for Gabe. “Where are we going?” she asked breathlessly, clinging to him, her head resting against his shoulder.
“To bed,” he growled, holding her gently, “to love you…”
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
IN HIS LIFE, Gabe had met and known many kinds of fear. But the one at his doorstep with Bay appeared insurmountable. He had no experience with a woman who had been raped. As he laid her gently on the bed, her hair fanning out in soft brown curls around her flushed face, he tasted fear. Always, as a SEAL, he’d push through fear, ignored it and not allowed it to control or distract him. This time, it was completely different.
Moving up beside Bay, his arm beneath her neck, her body next to his, Gabe leaned over, moving his mouth tenderly against hers. When he eased away, holding her gaze, he had never been more scared.
“Listen, baby, we’ve got to talk before we go any further.” He moved several curls from her right cheek, holding her blue and gold gaze. He wanted her so damn badly he could barely think, much less talk. With the way her eyes grew shadowed, Gabe knew Bay sensed where this conversation was going.
She slid her hand along his shoulder. “I don’t know how I’ll react, Gabe.”
He pursed his lips, hearing the uncertainty in her husky voice. Bay looked normal, healthy, eager to make love with him. Everything looked so damned right and perfect.
Nervous, Gabe cupped her cheek. “I’m not going to lie to you. I need you so damn much I don’t know which end is up anymore. But things have changed.”
His chest tightened as he saw her eyes grow moist. “I’m afraid if I touch you in the wrong place, do something wrong, I’ll send you into a panic attack.” Or worse. He felt trapped with no exfil point. Leaning over, Gabe brushed a kiss to her brow. “You’ve got to help me, Bay. You have to let me know what you want, the way you want it, okay?”
Never Surrender Page 24
