by Mary Abshire
“I know,” she said, glum.
They ducked under branches and even climbed over a few as they continued on the path. They reached a ravine with rocks and ankle-deep water. It lapped at his skin and cooled him. Emily walked carefully while her head moved from side to side as if she were scanning the area.
“I see a flag.” She pointed.
The marker clung to a wall of dirt. Branches stuck out of the wall and a rope hung nearby. She stopped and took hold of the line.
“Looks like they want us to climb,” he said. “Have you ever done this before?”
“No. Have you?” She tugged on the rope. “It feels secure.”
After he tucked his shirt partially in his shorts, he took the rope from her grasp. “No, but it can’t be too difficult.”
He tugged on the line before he reached up and began climbing. Muscles tight in his arms, he pulled himself up while he pushed his feet against the wall for added support. By the time he reached the top, his arms began to quiver. He struggled to grip the rope lying on the ground. Digging his fingers into the earth, he finally managed to wrap his hand around the line and drag the upper half of his body over the top of the wall. He swung his legs around and then kneeled to gaze down at Emily.
“You make it look so easy,” she said, shielding her eyes with hand above them.
“It’s not. Grab on and I’ll pull you up.”
Once she had a good hold on the line, he backed up several feet and gripped the rope. Digging his heels into the ground, he began tugging the cord. His muscles tightened all over again. The rope slid slightly in his grasp, rubbing and burning his palms. Jaw clenched, he pulled the line toward him. Sweat dripped into his eyes and burned them. Relief trickled within him when he saw her hands. He took slow steps closer as he continued to pull. She was almost half way over the wall, but not enough. One slip of the line and she would fall. Her arms were dirty as she held onto the rope. When he finally reached her, he gripped one of her wrists and put all his strength into drugging her over the edge.
“Fuck that’s hard,” she said as she crawled on the ground.
He sat, breathing heavy and heart pounding. “Next time, maybe we should stay on the same path as the others.” His biceps and shoulders ached.
She brushed off her clothes and arms as she rose. “We better get those positions. I’m going to be upset if we don’t.”
Andrew stood and checked his palms. Both burned and the cuts he’d acquired from climbing the stack of trees were bleeding.
Emily touched the underside of his hands. “Damn, that looks like it hurts.”
He lowered his arms. “They’ll heal. We should get going.”
Emily headed for the woods. “I really hope we don’t have many more obstacles left.”
“Look at the bright side, we have to be over half way done.”
A flag had been nailed to the tree where the rope had been tied around it. To the right, the trail continued. He followed her into the woods.
“I’ll stop later and get some supplies to treat your hands,” she said.
“You don’t have to do that. I’ll clean them up and they’ll be fine.”
Twigs snapped under their steps.
“There’s ointment we can get to help them to heal quicker,” she said. “Besides, I don’t want your rough hands scratching me.”
It warmed his heart to know she wanted to take care of him. “So you have plans for me to touch you later?”
“Well, yeah.”
“You better get some quick-acting stuff for me. My hands are already itching to touch you.”
Knowing she welcomed his touch made him want to do it more. If his hands hadn’t been so bloody, he would’ve have groped her. But he didn’t dare since he would’ve left his bloody print on her for all to see. Realizing he had his shirt dangling from the waistband of his shorts, he took the top and wrapped it around the hand bleeding the most.
Smiling, she glanced over her shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll get you fixed up.”
Her words brought life to his dick. Did she mean his hands or something else? He preferred to think the latter.
They walked through dense trees as they ascended to higher ground. When they reached an area with sunlight, he noticed a large scratch on the backside of her arm.
“Did you know you’ve got a cut?” he asked.
“Yeah, I can feel it. Nothing we can do about it.” She used her other arm to scrub it over her forehead.
Her current state of health and nonchalant attitude toward it worried him. Her strong mind and personality was a benefit and a weakness. He feared something she considered minor would turn into something major. Heat exhaustion could lead her to pass out and that wouldn’t bode well for either of them.
He gripped her arm and brought her to a halt. “Are you doing okay? Tell me the truth.”
She took a deep breath and gave him a lazy blink of her lashes. “I’m fine. Really thirsty and getting tired.”
“Do you want to stop for a bit?”
“No, definitely not. We need to keep moving. I do better on the go anyway. If we stop, I’ll have trouble starting again.”
She slipped from his grasp and continued on the trail. Her determination to get through the course seemed to match his.
“You’re right, if we don’t get this job, I’m going to be mad too,” he said.
She chuckled. “Getting to this demon is taking a lot of effort. And I thought the last one you went after was difficult.”
The demon who had been a mother and a nurse had been a challenge to get near to kill, but now it seemed as if his task had been a piece of cake compared to the demon he had to get close to this time.
“Do you ever regret working with me?” he asked.
“No.”
“It’s not easy. You ended up in jail once and then you almost died.” The memory of her near-death experience from being poisoned by the demon nurse would haunt him forever. He feared for her safety. He feared for life because if she died and he was still on Earth, he couldn’t be certain he could get her into heaven. Losing her would devastate him.
She stopped and faced him. “I made my choice. Don’t you dare take it away from me.”
The fire in her eyes energized his heart. He brushed his fingers above her brow, scooting her damp bangs aside. “I love you more than anything, but I don’t want to see you hurt. I can’t lose you.”
“Then don’t. Let’s stick to the job we have to do and move on. What happened is in the past. Let it go.” She turned and continued walking.
Unease stirred within Andrew as he followed her. He couldn’t forget the past, not when the events had happened weeks ago. Not when her life had almost ended. Worry would remain with him as long as they worked together. But he couldn’t leave the woman he loved, the only one who renewed him with life and brought joy to his heart. She was his breath, his essence, his reason for everything. His love for her had no end. Needless to say, fear for her would remain strong until he could get her into heaven. He’d have to be more alert and careful hunting the demons he had to destroy.
The challenges of his tasks continued to grow. One thing was certain—as long as they were together, they could overcome any difficulty.
Chapter Seven
Emily’s thirst consumed her thoughts as she stepped past the last of the trees, reaching a clearing. Don’s SUV sat idle to the side of the dirt road. He was leaning against his car with his head tilted down to the phone in his hands. Sunglasses hid his eyes. The back of the vehicle had been left up. Her entire body felt sore and numb, but she continued to push her legs. She needed water before she collapsed from exhaustion.
Don lifted his head. “Congratulations. You finished.” He stepped away from the SUV. “There’s water in the back.”
Emily strode toward the open trunk. “Are we the last ones?”
“No, there’s six left in the group that hasn’t finished from the other side,” he said.
“O
ther side?” Andrew questioned as they stopped near the cooler sitting in the back of the vehicle. He tucked his twisted shirt into the side of his shorts.
Emily grabbed a bottle for Andrew, handed to him, and then took one for herself. The cold moisture trickled down her wrists and gave her a slight chill. She hurried to remove the lid and down the water.
“You two were the only ones to take the second route on the course. The path you took is more of a short cut, but the challenges were more difficult. The other route would’ve taken you in the opposite direction and led you to the south end of the woods instead of the north, where we are now. There are more obstacles to face had you gone the other way, but none that were too strenuous.”
His words jumbled together as Emily gulped her drink. She’d heard short cut and difficult. The rest blurred together much like her thoughts. The cool fluid flowing into her seemed to be her focus. She finished her bottle seconds before Andrew.
“Can I have another?” she asked.
“Take as much as you want,” Don said. “When you’re ready, we’ll leave to get the others.” He left them and headed toward the front of the vehicle.
Emily set her empty bottle to the side of the cooler. “I don’t think I’ve ever felt this thirsty before.” She claimed another bottle buried in the ice.
“Not even with me?” Andrew asked as he dug for more water. “I could’ve sworn you were thirsty when you—”
“That’s a different kind of thirst and you don’t need to go into details right now.”
He pressed the bottle to his lips, trying to hide his slight grin. Even in their state of exhaustion the man had sex on the brain. How was that possible? As she drank her water her gaze lowered to his well-defined torso. Sweat coated him, but the desire to grace her tongue over each curve of solid muscle was one she fought to resist. She was beat, but her hormones still functioned. Maybe they weren’t so different after all.
They finished their drinks and set the empty bottles near the side of the cooler. Don opened his door in the front and climbed into his seat.
“Are you doing okay?” Andrew asked softly.
She nodded. “You?”
“Ready for this day to be over.”
She took hold of his hands and twisted them so his palms were up. The moisture from the bottles had mixed with the dried blood and had created a mess. “We need to clean and treat these.”
He balled his hands and lowered them. “The only thing left is the self-defense test. After we finish, I’ll take care of them.”
Emily suspected he ached and hurt far more than he wanted her to believe. He’d helped her repeatedly with the obstacles they’d faced along the course. The toned physique of his body had always led her to believe he was strong, but when he’d pulled her up and helped her climb the last steep wall, she realized the man had incredible strength. She wouldn’t have made it without him.
“If you’re ready, we need to go,” Don said, sitting in the front seat.
“Let’s sit in the back,” Andrew said.
She walked around him as he closed the trunk. Don started the engine and the smell of diesel quickly surrounded them. Emily opened the door before she climbed inside and took a seat. Andrew sat beside her. The car moved seconds later.
“You may have to help me get up when we get back to the gym. I don’t know if my legs will move now that I’ve sat down,” she said as cool air from the vents soaked into her damp skin.
“I can carry you into the gym.”
“I don’t think that would look good.” It would give her a weak appearance and she couldn’t let such an act hurt their chances of getting the security positions.
“You guys completed that last obstacle really well,” Don said from the front.
They shifted their attention to Don.
“Climbing that high wall?” Andrew asked.
“Matt and I and a few others spent several weeks setting that up. It wasn’t easy.” His dark shades reflected in the rearview mirror.
“It wasn’t easy to climb either,” Emily said.
“Have you two worked together long?” Don asked.
“Long enough,” Andrew said.
The short drive took them to a different side of the wooded area. Matt had parked his SUV off the road. Men who’d completed the course were sitting on the ground and drinking water. Many had their shirts off. Don stopped a few feet from Matt’s car. When the cool air ended, Emily sighed heavily.
Don exited the car, leaving them in the back. He strode toward Matt.
“Come on,” Andrew said before he pushed the door open. “We should sit by the others.”
He slid from his seat and then held his hand up for her. She didn’t want to move because she knew she would ache. Someone in the group yelled and Andrew turned his attention. Emily peered past him. Four more men came jogging from the woods. Several men clapped and cheered for them.
Andrew faced her and leaned against the side of the SUV. “He said there were six left. Four just came out.”
“We’re waiting on two more,” she finished for him.
He left the door open and returned to his seat.
“I have to confess…” She swallowed before continuing. “After you helped me climb that wall, I started to think I wasn’t going to make it back.”
“You should’ve said something. I could’ve carried you.”
“You have to be twice as sore as I am. I couldn’t burden you more.”
“I haven’t done any heavy physical training in a long time, but I’m still in top shape in case you haven’t noticed. And you would never burden me.” He took hold of her hand and gripped it.
His words comforted her. Yes, he was quite fit, but the amount of effort he put into helping her so they could complete the course had to drain him. She was willing to bet he wouldn’t say so until later. Typical man.
“I think we should spend the evening soaking in a hot bath,” she said.
“Now that sounds relaxing and fun.”
“I’ll scrub your back and front. Then you can wash mine,” she said, smiling.
He squeezed her hand. “Now is not the best time to talk dirty. It pains me to say it, but let’s hold off until after the tryouts.”
“You’re right. We need to get through the next part.”
Concern pricked at Emily. She feared she wouldn’t be able to defend herself properly in her weakened state. She hoped the military men were exhausted as well to level out the playing field.
Grass swooshed as Matt approached. He stopped in front of the open door. “How are you two holding up?”
“Hanging in there,” Andrew said.
Matt grinned. “We all watched as you two climbed the ravine and the last wall before you made it out of the woods. You two did well.”
“Thanks,” Emily said.
“I know we discussed this yesterday, but did you happen to bring your résumé?” Matt asked.
“The truth is we didn’t put one together because our clients required us to keep their names confidential,” Andrew said. “It was in our contracts.”
“I see,” Matt said. “Were they businessmen, celebrities, or politicians?”
“We’ve worked for political figures mostly, and not all were American,” Andrew said.
“How did you get into the business?” Matt asked.
“I grew up with someone who has connections,” Emily quickly answered. “I worked for him on the side for years.”
Although Andrew had asked to let him handle the résumé issue, she thought she could put him on the right path if she mentioned Troy.
“I’ll let the client know you don’t have any documentation,” Matt said.
“We’re loyal to our clients,” Andrew added. “I can’t break our word or the deal we gave them.”
“Understood,” Matt said before he walked away.
“Sorry about that,” Emily said.
“It’s fine. I’m glad he didn’t press the matter.”
> “Did you catch when he said everyone was watching us during the course?”
“At least we gave them a good show and not the kinky kind.”
A loud whistle drew their attention to the woods. The last two men appeared. Others clapped and yelled.
“Finally,” she said.
Andrew twisted to face her. “Can you make it through the next part?”
She took a deep breath. “I’ll make it. And if they pair us up, I think you should take me down.”
“You don’t mean intimately, do you?”
“No, I’ll blow you a kiss as the signal. Then kick out my legs.”
“Why don’t you put me down instead? You’re much better than I am when it comes to self-defense.”
“Because the demon is a woman. She’ll want a strong man to protect her more than a woman.”
“Smart thinking.”
“I hope the others are as tired as we are. Otherwise, we could be in trouble.”
If Emily went down a few times, she couldn’t guarantee she could get back up.
The men separated and loaded into Don and Matt’s cars. Minutes later, they were on the dirt road heading to the gym. Each bump Don hit helped keep her awake, but the jerky movements reminded her how sore she was. The bulky man on her right kept his eyes closed while the others remained quiet. Maybe they were beat too.
Back at the gym, Emily pushed herself to get out of the car without Andrew’s help. Her muscles ached, but the more she moved, the better she felt. Matt declared a ten-minute break to freshen up and use the facilities. After she used the bathroom, she did a couple of stretches. She didn’t bother to clean the scrape on her arm to avoid opening the wound again.
She returned to the gym to find the coolers near the wall under the televisions and two sets of boxing gloves on the mats. Don sat on a bench by the heavy weights, talking to Matt. Since they’d brought the coolers inside, she decided to take another one. Bottle in hand, she headed to the mats.
A few men walked out from the locker room. The one with the ghost rider tattoo glanced her way while she was downing water.
“Where did you get that?” he asked.
She lowered the bottle and pointed. The men backtracked to the coolers.
