RunningWildAmazon

by Reece, Christy

  “I…”

  Just that one hesitant word told her so much. How silly to think anything would be different. Aidan wasn’t going to suddenly change his mind about seeing her. He believed that any kind of relationship would put her in danger. Telling him that she would be willing to take that risk would be ludicrous. No way in hell would he agree.

  “It’s okay,” Anna assured him. “I’m fine.”

  He was silent for so long, she thought they’d lost their connection. “You there?”

  “Yeah. I—” More silence and then a muffled, “I gotta go.”

  Blowing out a shaky sigh, Anna dropped the phone on her lap. Call her crazy, but she felt a million times more optimistic than she had before the call. The few words Aidan had said, combined with his awkwardness, was the most telling conversation she’d ever had with him about his feelings for her. She’d known he cared about her and had been sure that if circumstances were different, he would have pursued a relationship. But Aidan was always direct, blunt to the point of hurting her feelings on more than one occasion. Even when it hurt, she had been glad to know where she stood with him. The phone call tonight revealed something she hadn’t anticipated. He was hurting. And not in the I wish we could see each other naked kind of hurting.

  For the first time since leaving him, Anna felt optimism where Aidan was concerned. No, it didn’t negate that he wouldn’t allow himself to have a relationship with her, but now that she knew for sure how much he cared, she believed it could work itself out.

  Refusing to listen to the little voice inside her that told her this kind of optimism was delusional to the point of insanity, Anna settled back into bed and fell asleep with a small smile on her face.

  ***

  Lake George, New York

  “Of all the stupid-assed, idiotic, asinine things to do, that had to be the dumbest thing you’ve ever done, Thorne.”

  At any other time, Aidan might have found the situation amusing. Not only had he just made a fool of himself with Anna, he was sitting in his bedroom muttering obscenities and insults at himself.

  When he’d taken the time to check his messages and had heard the loneliness in her voice, he hadn’t wasted a moment in calling her back. Not because he was concerned for her safety, which should be his number one priority. No, he had done it because she’d sounded exactly the way he felt—lonely and aching for the one person he couldn’t have.

  Impulsiveness was not in his DNA. Nor was hesitancy in speaking his mind. So the only explanation he had was the fact that, dammit, he just needed to hear her voice.

  Reaching up to kick his own ass wasn’t enough punishment for the sheer selfishness of his actions. Calling her likely gave her some kind of hope. He didn’t want her to have hope that they would ever be together. Hope led to disappointment. He’d disappointed Anna enough already.

  If he succeeded in this plan he and McCall had worked up, and Simon Cook was put behind bars where he could no longer hurt the innocent, then and only then would he contact Anna again. Calling her just to hear the sound of her voice had been nothing more than a selfish indulgence on his part. He would not do that again.

  He was saved from trying to figure out the proper punishment for himself when his cellphone sounded with a familiar tone.

  “What’s up, McCall?”

  “Can you get back here tonight? We’ve got a situation and need as many team members as possible.”

  “I can be there in a few hours.”

  “See you then.”

  Pushing his personal issues to the back of his mind, Aidan headed out the door to tell his family goodbye.

  ***

  Phoenix, Arizona

  After finalizing her notes for her last patient of the day, Anna logged off her computer for the night. Even though she didn’t have a private practice, she took on the occasional client when asked. Truthfully, it was her favorite part of her job. So much so that she had already decided that when she earned her doctorate, she would open a private practice.

  She had learned an enormous amount by working for The Timothy Foundation, but developing relationships with individual clients was where she felt she could do the most good. She hadn’t yet decided when or where she wanted to open her practice, but she still had a few months to decide.

  She grabbed her purse hanging on a peg behind her door and headed out of her office. As she wound her way around a small maze of sofas, chairs, and desks, she abruptly noticed the silence. The office was empty. Most everyone else who worked here had families or significant others at home.

  Refusing to give in to the self-pity that hovered right above the optimistic glow still gleaming from last night’s phone call from Aidan, Anna shoved the pitiful thought as far down as she could and trudged down the hallway toward the elevator. Most of the lights had been turned off, but the office was well lit enough for her. Still, for the first time that she could remember, she felt uneasy as she walked through the empty building.

  Anna unsnapped the clasp on her handbag and touched the pepper spray inside. Knowing the weapon was there and would be in her hand in a half second gave her extra courage. She no longer worried that she was paranoid or being silly. She had ignored those feelings once before and had been abducted. Being prepared saved lives. She’d rather decide later she was being silly than wake up dead, regretting it. Stupid thought, but there it was.

  Her heart racing for no accountable reason that she could figure out, Anna stepped onto the elevator and pressed the button for the first floor. Just as it was about to close, a large hand appeared, grasping the edge of the door to keep it from closing. Gasping her surprise, Anna jumped back a couple of feet and grabbed hold of the pepper spray.

  A man she’d never seen before walked onto the elevator. “Evening, ma’am.”

  Sixtyish, with thick white hair, a deep tan, and hazel eyes, he had a smile that was both impersonal and polite. “Didn’t realize it was so late. Looks like everybody else had the right idea and went home earlier.”

  Anna gave a vague smile, acknowledging his statement. There was nothing about the man that was the least threatening or weird. He looked like someone’s kindly grandfather. But listening to her instincts would always be her best defense. If this nice-enough-looking guy was actually a psycho, being trapped in an eight-by-eight box with him was not a good idea.

  Just as the door was closing shut again, she muttered, “Oops, forgot something in my office,” and ran through the open door.

  She turned back to see an expression of concern on the man’s face. Okay, so maybe she had overreacted. Better safe than sorry.

  She waited a couple of minutes, giving the elevator time to land on the first floor and the man to walk out into the parking lot. She stood at the window and watched as he came out of the building, looked at his watch, and turned to go down the sidewalk.

  Shaking her head at how spooked she’d been, Anna pushed the button for the elevator again. The instant it arrived, she jumped on and pressed the first-floor button. Just to be on the safe side, she hit the close button to prevent any other late-leaving employees from boarding.

  The door closed without incident, and Anna breathed out a relieved sigh. She returned the pepper spray to her purse but kept her hand on it just in case. The car traveled to the first floor without stopping. Her earlier concern gone, she thought again about the phone call from Aidan last night. When she woke this morning, she’d actually double-checked her cellphone log just to make sure he had indeed called her and that it hadn’t been a dream. Sure enough, his number was on the list.

  She walked out of the building with a smile on her face. Maybe she was a fool for being optimistic, but since she’d had almost no hope before he’d called her, how could she not feel upbeat?

  Okay, admittedly, one awkward phone call wasn’t exactly a declaration of love, but it was definitely a sign that he was thinking of her. And maybe if he missed her enough, he’d go after Simon Cook once and for all.

  At that
thought, her smile slipped. What if something happened, went wrong? No, she wouldn’t let herself think that way. Aidan was in danger almost daily with LCR. She had witnessed firsthand how he reacted to danger. He could handle himself.

  Later, she would wonder if she hadn’t been so lost in her thoughts of Aidan and had been more aware of her surroundings, could she have prevented what happened next.

  A giant hand grasped Anna’s upper arm and spun her around. The pepper spray gripped firmly in her hand, she faced her assailant. She caught a glimpse of a large man with empty eyes an instant before she pressed the spray button. The liquid hit his face, and he let out a loud yowl, releasing her arm. Anna took a running start to her car. She slammed face first into another man. Swinging her arm up, ready to spray this guy, too, she was stunned into immobility by the immense pressure on her wrist.

  “Drop it, bitch.”

  Anna let loose a scream that she was sure could be heard in the next city. Adrenaline pumped like a geyser through her bloodstream, and she vaguely noted a dull pain in her wrist as she was forced to drop the canister. She answered the assault with a right hook to her attacker’s jaw and followed with a targeted kick to his kneecap.

  The guy let go of her wrist, but more hands grabbed her. Brutal fingers dug painfully into her shoulders. She fought against the man holding her, her frantic brain wondering just how many assailants she was going to have to battle. A fist slammed into her face and then into her stomach. Retching and gagging, she struggled in the man’s arms, but he had too firm of a grip for her to move more than a few inches. She raised her eyes to face the man in front of her and could do nothing but wince as his fist headed toward her face again.

  “Stop!” a man shouted.

  It was too late. The fist connected with her face but her pain-dimmed mind acknowledged that he must’ve pulled back at the last second, because the impact wasn’t as stunning as the first hit.

  Anna turned her head slightly and saw the man from the elevator. A rush of gratitude flooded her that he was still around and was going to help her.

  “Dammit, I told you I didn’t want her hurt,” the man said.

  He wasn’t going to be her savior.

  “She hurt me. I paid her back. Fair’s fair.”

  Knowing she was losing the battle to stay conscious, Anna focused on the white-haired man, who appeared to be the ringleader.

  “Who are you?”

  His expression still just as kind as it had been before, he gave her a small apologetic smile. “Sorry, Anna.” His gaze shifted to the man holding her. “Keep her still.”

  She saw the hypodermic needle in his hand and jerked frantically, trying to get away. “No, no, no!”

  “Don’t worry,” the man said, that scary smile going even wider, “it’ll make you forget the pain.”

  She was hurting so much, she barely felt the pinprick in her neck. Within seconds, her vision blurred even more, and events began to unfold in slow motion. All fight within her disappeared, and powerful arms lifted her. She was floating, and then something solid but soft appeared beneath her body.

  She heard a male voice she thought probably belonged to the older man say, “Dr. Cook will be upset that you were hurt, but he’s going to be extremely pleased with you.”

  Dr. Cook! As she drifted into unconsciousness, her mind screamed a silent, I’m so sorry, Aidan.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  Bogota, Colombia

  Except for the hideous bruises on her face, she looked exactly as he had envisioned her. Wanting their first meeting to be as spontaneous as possible, Cook had deliberately not asked for photos of Anna. Beneath her injuries, he could clearly see the loveliness. And he could easily understand Thorne’s affections.

  His ire still up from the injuries she never should have sustained, he said softly, “If the men weren’t already dead, I would have had you bring them here. I’m in need of new lab rats. They got off lucky.”

  “I made them suffer a bit. It was unfortunate that we didn’t have time to find more-competent men.”

  Cook grimaced, gave a small shrug. He would reveal the truth to his loyal employee soon enough. “I found myself unable to wait any longer to make her acquaintance. The things I’ve read about her since learning her identity spurred my imagination.”

  His gaze returned to the unconscious woman on the bed. “You talked with her in the elevator?”

  “Yes. Only briefly. She has excellent instincts. I’ve been told my face could rival Santa Claus’s for kindness. She wasn’t taking any chances, though.”

  “Doesn’t surprise me. Thorne wouldn’t fall for just any woman. She would need to be a match for him in every way.”

  “Considering what she’d been through, the self-defense training wasn’t a surprise. However, the fact that she nearly incapacitated two men twice her size was a bit alarming.”

  “A woman of beauty, intellect, and strength. I cannot wait until she wakes up so we can get acquainted.”

  “She started to come around about an hour before the plane landed. I gave her the second injection, per your instruction.”

  “She’ll be out for at least another six hours. When she wakes, she’ll have a few unpleasant hours ahead of her. Plenty of time to put the rest of my plan into action.”

  “Are you sure you want to proceed as we’ve discussed? It’s not too late to change direction.”

  Cook’s shoulders stiffened. “This plan has been in the making for a long time. Just because I’m ramping up the timetable doesn’t mean I’m any less committed.”

  As if realizing he’d overstepped his boundaries, Patrick gave a silent nod and took a step back.

  Cook relented slightly. Patrick had been his loyal servant and companion for so long, it only made sense that the man would show concern. While Cook had only ever felt affection for one other person in his life, he could recognize the emotion in others.

  “You will be taken care of, Patrick. Your retirement is secure. All that I have will go to you.”

  “I appreciate your generosity, sir.”

  “Nonsense. Who else would I leave it to? Everyone I care about is gone, or will be very soon. I’m taking matters into my own hands, as I always have. Going out on my own terms and in this manner is all I have left.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Now, leave me alone with her. We’ll be contacting Thorne soon.” Cook turned back to the unconscious woman. “In the meantime, I’m going to have a private talk with dear Anna. Even though she can’t respond, it’s my hope that she can still comprehend at this stage in her unconsciousness. I want to prepare her for our forthcoming adventure.”

  “Should I restrain her? Despite her small size, she could still fight back. When she wakes, she could do damage.”

  “No need.” His mouth lifted slightly. “On waking, Ms. Bradford will not have the energy of a newborn lamb. The second injection you gave her was one of my favorite creations. For several agonizing hours, she will find it almost impossible to catch her breath between writhing in pain and vomiting her guts up.”

  Patrick wrinkled his nose in disgust. “Sounds quite unpleasant.”

  “It will be for both of us. However, I think it will be the most effective way to control her. She’s already proven she’s strong and tenacious. But when your gut is roiling, it’s amazing how amenable one can be.”

  His expression showing a hint of fear as well as respect, Patrick nodded and backed away farther. “I’ll be close by if you need me.”

  Cook turned back to the woman on the bed. “I have everything I need to, um…what’s the phrase? Get this party started.”

  ***

  With a slight grimace of pain, Aidan adjusted his big body on the cushioned airplane seat. Flying first class had its perks, but even with the extra comfort, his side still ached like a sore tooth. Getting kicked in the ribs by a size-thirteen boot would do that every damn time. After the excitement had passed, one of the medics had wrapped his ribs up tight,
but he’d be hurting for a few more days. Frustrating, but he’d endured worse.

  The op had been bigger and more successful than anyone had anticipated. Not only were several young women being returned to their lives and their families, a group of sleazy human traffickers were behind bars. The icing on the cake had been the apprehension of one of the most-wanted criminals in the world. Darius Ronan had his fingers in various illegal pies, and they had lucked out when he had appeared during one of their ops.

  LCR had a very specific reason for wanting to bring Ronan down. He was responsible for the kidnapping and torture of both Declan Steele, Sabrina’s husband, and Sabrina herself. His elusiveness had reminded Aidan of his search for Simon. But now Ronan was behind bars. Aidan hoped this was a portent of good things to come in his own frustrating search.

  Sabrina and Declan were now headed for a well-deserved vacation. He hadn’t told his partner about Simon Cook or the new op he was about to embark upon. He’d never told Sabrina about his past. He trusted her in every way possible, but talking about what happened without any hope of resolution had been too damn painful. Now that there was hope, he would tell her when she returned from her time off. Telling her before she left would have meant one thing—she would have delayed her vacation to help him out. He couldn’t do that to her or Declan. After all they’d been through, they deserved this time together.

  McCall had suggested, and Aidan had agreed, that Elite operative Olivia Gates would be the one to help him implement his plan. Gates was Brennan Sinclair’s new partner. Tall and blond, she was similar in looks and coloring to Mellie, as well as Amy and Kristen. Maybe it was too easy, but the hope was that Simon would think that Aidan was attracted only to a certain type. The more convincing they could be that this was a real relationship, the better the chances that Simon would fall for the ruse. Having Olivia look like his type couldn’t hurt.