RunningWildAmazon

by Reece, Christy

  Retrieving his cell from his pocket, Aidan made his first call.

  ***

  She didn’t want to wake up, but Aidan wouldn’t stop nudging her. Finally realizing that he wasn’t going to stop, she opened her eyes enough to glare up at him. “What?” she snapped.

  The man had the audacity to grin at her. “We’re almost there.”

  Things moved in a blur after that. He allowed her a few minutes in the bathroom and then hustled her off the plane. They got into a black SUV and were whisked off the tarmac as if they were on an undercover mission. Aidan sat up front with the driver, and Anna was in too much of a daze to do more than look out the window. All she could see were giant trees and the occasional car as they zoomed down a narrow, well-paved road.

  Half an hour later, they arrived at a small pier where a sleek black speedboat was waiting for them. Aidan got out, opened the back door for her, and then hurried her onto the boat as if he was hiding her from someone.

  Aidan jumped onto the boat, started up the engine, and they were off.

  Slightly more alert now and more than a little confused, Anna asked, “What’s going on?”

  Without looking at her, he gave an abrupt, “Not now.”

  He was distant and distracted. His eyes were alert and roaming, as if he expected a battalion of enemies to swoop down on them out of nowhere.

  She might be bleary-eyed and feeling like she was living on her last ounce of energy, but she could recognize that this wasn’t the time to try to get information. When the time was right, she would insist on answers. Bottom line was, she trusted Aidan. If he was worried for their safety, there was a reason.

  So she stood beside him as he drove the speedboat through emerald waters, relishing the warm wind, the scent of the ocean, and the exhilaration of being with the man who had starred in her dreams for so long. She was exhausted and yes, even traumatized, but she wasn’t one to look a gift horse in the mouth. Reality would rear its ugly head soon enough and allow everything to crash down on her. Until then, she’d ride the wave of this real-life fantasy for as long as possible.

  As abrupt as a flash of lightning, a change came over Aidan. The stiff set of his shoulders relaxed, and his hands on the steering wheel loosened their death grip. He even slowed the speed of the boat so she no longer felt as if they were in a race. Apparently, he had decided that they weren’t being pursued.

  And now she wanted answers.

  “Okay, Thorne. Spill it.”

  He kept his gaze straight ahead as he explained, “Garcia and Ruiz are in the midst of a war. Until this thing dies down, everyone who was at the compound is at risk. That includes you and me. We’re going to hang out on a private beach for a little while until this thing blows over.”

  Her heartbeat thundered. “What about Carrie?”

  “Angela and Jake have taken her to an undisclosed location. She’ll be safe.”

  “But why would they blame us? We tried to help.”

  “Neither Ruiz nor Garcia are the type to listen before they start killing. If there’s the slightest indication we had anything to do with his daughter’s death, Ruiz would kill first and not have a bit of regret when he found out he was wrong. Garcia’s only slightly less dangerous. Once they understand we hurt no one, they’ll concentrate on each other. Until then, I don’t want you or Carrie to be collateral damage.”

  She knew there were more questions she should ask, but reality was setting in quicker than she had anticipated. The small amount of energy she’d mustered was disintegrating at a rapid pace. If she didn’t get some food and rest soon, she was certain she was going to do a face-plant.

  “How far are we from our destination?”

  “Ten minutes, tops.” He grabbed a pair of binoculars from beneath the dash. “You can see it from here.” He pointed to what looked like a tiny dot to her.

  Putting her eyes to work when they could barely stay open kept her occupied. She could make out what looked like a little island, but she couldn’t tell how large it actually was. The closer they came, the more she could see. It dawned on her then where they were.

  “This is where Riley and Justin got back together, isn’t it?”

  “Yeah.”

  She remembered Riley telling her that it was like paradise. A beautiful white sandy beach, aqua blue water, a gorgeous house, and a large sparkling swimming pool. Riley had said the island was like heaven on earth.

  Anna had wondered how much that feeling had had to do with being there with the man she loved. Lowering the binoculars, she looked over at the man driving the boat. She had a feeling she was about to find out.

  Aidan didn’t know if he’d ever seen anyone as tired as Anna still staying upright. In the Army he got used to pushing aside his fatigue. Didn’t mean he wasn’t exhausted now, just meant that he had a goal in front of him. Once he reached the goal, he could let go. Until then, he moved forward. Anna was apparently of the same mind.

  Slowing the boat to a putter, he eased over to the pier. Once he had Anna settled in the house, he’d return and take care of the boat. The boathouse on the other side of the island was obscured from view and would hide that the island was occupied.

  He could feel Anna swaying beside him, doing her best to stay on her feet. The boat settled gently against the dock, and Aidan grabbed the rope. “Stay here till we’re secure.”

  He hopped up onto the dock, tied the rope, and jumped back into the boat. “Want me to carry you?”

  She’d ordinarily shoot him a fiery look and snap out a sassy reply. In a telling sign of her exhaustion, a smile barely tweaked her mouth. “You get me horizontal, I won’t be able to get vertical again for at least twenty-four hours.”

  “That’s not a problem. There’s nothing for you to do here but sleep, eat, and rest.”

  “I can’t.” She looked at him then, and he saw again her willpower. “Not yet. I have to shower. I have to—”

  She didn’t need to finish the sentence. Even though she had rinsed off at the compound and a little on the plane, some of Elena Garcia’s blood was likely still on her.

  “I understand,” he said gently. Stepping back up on the dock, Aidan held out his hand. “I’ll come back and get our stuff in a few minutes. Let’s get inside.”

  Anna knew she was the biggest wimp, but the minute she stepped up on the pier, it was all she could do not to hold out her arms for Aidan to carry her up to the house. He had to be just as tired as she was, probably more so, because while she’d snoozed on the plane, Aidan had been on the phone. Unable to completely lose herself in a deep sleep, she had opened her eyes several times. Each time she had looked around for Aidan and found him at the other end of the plane speaking in low tones on his cellphone.

  She made it off the pier and stopped to look up at their destination. The house was beautiful and quite large. Riley had described it as a plantation-like house with a colonial feel. After she’d slept for about a week or two, Anna looked forward to exploring.

  A hard, muscular arm draped around her shoulders. “We can go as slow as you like.”

  She knew Aidan was just being his gallant, overprotective self, but being treated like an invalid didn’t sit well with her. She straightened her tired shoulders, took a breath, and started up the hill. The sooner she got there, she sooner she could get a shower and then collapse. The steps didn’t look all that steep, but halfway there, she had to stop.

  “I can carry you the rest of the way.”

  “Nope. I can make it.” She threw him a teasing look. “Just don’t let go, because I have a feeling if I lost my footing, I’d tumble back onto the pier. If that happens, I’m sleeping there tonight.”

  His arm tightened around her shoulders. “I’m not letting you go.”

  Her exhausted brain refused to read anything into those words. Her heart, which wasn’t nearly as tired as the rest of her body, leaped on the words like a starving lion pursuing a gazelle.

  She stepped up onto the porch with a g
iant, heartfelt sigh.

  “I’ll show you around tomorrow.”

  She watched as he opened a small, hidden compartment beside the door and tapped in numbers. Seconds later, she heard a lock disengage. Aidan opened the door, and she stepped inside.

  Anna was instantly washed in a welcome, beautiful coolness and, for the first time in days, felt at peace.

  “Come on. There’s a bedroom at the back of the house. While you shower, I’ll fix us something to eat.”

  She wished she could tell him that she was too tired to eat. While that might be technically true, she also knew if she didn’t get something substantial in her stomach, she’d wake in a few hours with a migraine. Not eating always did that to her.

  “Sounds wonderful.”

  Aidan led her to a bedroom, and if she hadn’t been so focused on getting into the shower, she was sure she’d be oohing and awwing over its beauty.

  “Bathroom’s through that door there. Should be plenty of towels, soap, shampoo. If you need anything else, let me know.”

  When she didn’t move, he nudged her gently, and she headed in the right direction. Stopping at the door, she said, “Aidan?”

  About to leave the room, he turned. “Yeah?”

  “Thank you for taking such good care of me.”

  “I’ll always be there if you need me.”

  As he walked out the door, she couldn’t help but wish he’d said just one word: Always.

  Chapter Twenty-one

  Aidan calculated he had maybe forty-five minutes to an hour of upright time left in him before his body refused to obey his commands. He had a lot to do during this time frame. He moved the boat to the boathouse, and once he was sure there were no traces of their arrival, he carried their backpacks to the house.

  When he went to the bedroom to drop off their gear, he heard the shower running full force. At last Anna was getting the shower she so desperately wanted.

  In the kitchen, he opened the fridge and was relieved to see the food had been delivered and was to his specifications. Since he hadn’t wanted any deliveries after their arrival, he’d had to move fast to get everything in place. Fortunately, Riley had taken a few minutes from the cleanup at Garcia’s compound to give him an idea of Anna’s favorite foods. He opened the freezer and was pleased to see three cartons of the ice cream Riley insisted would thrill and delight her friend. The thought of thrilling and delighting Anna sounded damn good to him.

  Having lived on his own for more than half his life, he was at ease in the kitchen. He wasn’t a gourmand by any stretch of the imagination, but he could put together a decent meal. As tired as he was right now, a cheese omelet and toast was the best he could do. It’d give both of them the protein they needed and would be easy on the stomach.

  He put all the ingredients on the counter. As soon as he heard the shower cut off, he’d start the omelet. For now, he had a call to make.

  McCall answered on the first ring. “Everything okay?”

  “Yeah. We finally got here. How’re things going?”

  “Ingram and Kelly are still sorting through the mess. The sickest of the men have been transported to the hospital. Sinclair and Gates should be arriving there shortly to help out.”

  Aidan knew that Elite operative Brennan Sinclair and his new partner, Olivia Gates, had been on assignment in Puerto Rico.

  “They’re back already? How’d it go?”

  “Better than we could have hoped,” McCall said. “Three children rescued and already reunited with their families. Their abductors behind bars. No deaths.”

  “Can’t ask for better than that.”

  “You got that right.”

  “Any word on what’s going on with Garcia or Ruiz?”

  “I’ve been on the phone with both of them. Garcia is being more reasonable. Probably because he’s been able to talk to his son. Once he comprehends everything that’s happened, I’m certain all his hatred will be targeted at the Ruiz family.”

  “What about Pablo Ruiz?”

  “He’s not going to be as reasonable or cooperative.”

  Grief had a tendency to make even the most sensible person blind. Pablo Ruiz had a reputation for being a coldhearted bastard with a strong sadistic streak. Considering the fact that he’d made his young daughter marry into a rival family with the intent of murdering as many as she could bore that reputation out. How reasonable was he going to be now that his daughter was dead and his evil plan had been uncovered?

  “The men I told you about, Diego and Salvador, were two of the handful who didn’t get sick. What’s their story?”

  “From what we’ve been able to piece together, both were on Ruiz’s payroll.”

  “They knew Carrie Easterly wasn’t a medical doctor when they abducted her, didn’t they?”

  “Yes. If they had brought a medical doctor to the compound, they feared their ruse would be up before Julio could die. Bringing Dr. Easterly to him and claiming they thought she was a medical professional bought them some time.”

  And to hell with abducting an innocent woman. Diego and Salvador’s punishment would never be harsh enough, in Aidan’s opinion.

  “Mallory and Delvecchio get Carrie settled into a safe place?”

  “Yes. She wasn’t too happy about it, but when we explained that if she didn’t hide, she could be putting her family in the US in danger, she changed her mind.”

  “Has the poison been identified?”

  “Not yet. We’ve learned that Ruiz has his very own chemist who mixed up the poison. Good news is there were no more fatalities. The doctors stabilized everyone.”

  “So Julio is going to make it?”

  “Yes. Juan Garcia sends his thanks for your help.”

  Helping to save Julio Garcia’s life was definitely a mixed blessing. The man and his family weren’t good people, but being on the good side of a drug lord was safer than being on his bad side.

  “Carrie and Anna did all the work. I’ll be sure to let her know he’s grateful.”

  “Get some rest,” McCall said. “I’ll be in touch when things change.”

  Aidan put aside the phone. Since he could still hear the shower running in the master bedroom, he went upstairs and took a quick shower in one of the guest rooms. Feeling almost human, Aidan threw on a pair of shorts he had left behind last time he was here. He then went to the bedroom down the hallway and snagged something for Anna to wear.

  Figuring Anna would be finished with her shower by now, he headed downstairs. He frowned when he entered the master bedroom. The shower was still running. He was about to knock on the door when he heard a distinct, heart-wrenching sound. She was crying.

  Pushing the door open, Aidan’s heart almost cracked in two. Through the frosted glass door, he could see that she was sitting on the floor of the shower, sobbing into her hands.

  Opening the shower door, he said, “Anna?”

  She raised tear-swollen eyes to his. “I still had her blood on me, Aidan. It was in my hair. And bits and pieces of…of...” She shuddered. “How could I not know that?”

  “It’s gone now, sweetheart.” He held out his hand. “Come on. Let’s get you dried off and some food into you.”

  She took his hand and allowed him to pull her to her feet. Ignoring a beautiful, naked woman shouldn’t be that big of a challenge. He was so tired that his libido should be way below zero. The fact that this beautiful, naked woman was Anna Bradford made all the difference. Grinding his teeth till his jaw ached, Aidan pulled her from the shower and grabbed a bath towel from the nearby shelf. Even though every inch of his body ached to carry her to bed and devour her sweetness, he dried her from head to foot with quick efficiency.

  Besides, Anna didn’t need him mauling her. She needed comfort, warmth, and security. He intended for her to get all three.

  Satisfied she was dry enough, he took another towel and wrapped it around her body, hiding her loveliness and allowing his breath to return to almost normal.

  H
er dark eyes like large bruises in her bleached-white face. The trust in their depths gave him the strength he needed to say, “Hang on. Be right back.”

  Anna figured at some point she would be embarrassed by what just happened. Having a man see her naked was unusual on its own. Having that man be Aidan Thorne was too close to a fantasy come to life. Of course, that fantasy also included him being wild with desire for her. It definitely didn’t include him pulling her off the shower floor, drying her body as if she were a child, and then covering her back up.

  He appeared again, this time with a lavender sleep shirt in his hand. Feminine without being frilly, the shirt was something Anna would have picked out to wear. Who did it belong to? One would think she would be too exhausted or emotionally overwrought to feel even an inkling of jealousy. One would be wrong.

  She didn’t know if the jealousy was clear on her face, but for whatever reason, he gave her one of his gorgeous smiles and said, “My sister’s.”

  With a boldness that surprised her, she dropped the towel and raised her arms. As if he’d done this a hundred times for her before, he put the shirt over her head and helped her slip her arms into the sleeves.

  When he stepped back, she dared a quick look at his face, and her entire body flushed with heat. He might’ve been treating her like she was a child or an invalid, but the burning heat in his eyes said something else.

  Showing off his self-control once again, he went to the door. “Come eat when you’re ready. The kitchen is on the right side of the house, near the front. Second door on the left.”

  Losing all breath, Anna leaned back, grateful the shower door was behind her. There was only one man who could make her both weak in the knees and feel as though she could soar over treetops.

  She turned to the mirror and was reminded once again of all that had happened. She had thought she was handling things rather well. By pushing aside the images and focusing on the present, she had been able to drive the horror to the back of her mind. But when she’d stood under the hot gush of the water and had looked down at her feet, blood had swirled around her, splattering on the shower floor. Elena Garcia’s blood.