Gone to Dust

by Liliana Hart

  Miller felt sick inside. She couldn’t imagine the horror of living through that nightmare. “Your parents,” she said.

  “They had to move from the town I grew up in. They were too ashamed to stay there. They live in the city now, where there’s enough people so no one knows their names. My mother hates it.”

  “How long do you have to live like that?” she asked.

  “Forever,” he told her. “The contract with The Gravediggers is for seven years. But it doesn’t change my past. I can’t go back and right the wrongs that have been done. There’s still the fact that I killed an innocent man.”

  “What do you plan to do?”

  “I used to know,” he told her. “I’ve spent the last two years planning every way I could think of to kill her. And knowing that I would probably die with her.”

  “What changed?” she asked.

  He touched her hand with the tip of his finger—just a simple touch—but she felt it to her soul, and then he said, “I’ve decided that there are things worth living for.”

  CHAPTER TWENTY

  “I’m too tired to sleep,” she told him.

  “That makes no sense,” he said. “Just close your eyes.”

  “Oh, great idea,” she said wryly. “I don’t know why I didn’t think of that.”

  “I’m sensing some sarcasm.”

  “You’re going to be sensing a knuckle sandwich if you keep that up,” she said, but she found herself smiling. “Why weren’t you sleeping?”

  “How do you know I wasn’t?”

  “You were too still,” she said.

  “Seriously, how come nothing you say makes sense? You’re supposed to be still when you’re sleeping.”

  “Yeah, but you were trying too hard.” She unzipped the tent door and pushed back the flap, crawling out into the night air.

  “And now we’re going outside,” he said from behind her. She could practically hear him rolling his eyes. “I’m not going to be happy if I have to end up amputating your feet because you’re not taking care of them.”

  There was a break in the canopy of trees, and there were a multitude of stars, brighter than she’d ever seen, and they cast a reflection off the pool of water. She looked back over her shoulder and saw him coming out of the tent. He’d pulled his pants on, but left them unbuttoned, and he hadn’t bothered with a shirt. His gun was in his hand.

  “I’m sure it won’t come to that,” she said. “They’re already feeling much better. You’re a good doctor.”

  He grunted and she moved closer to the water’s edge. The waterfall roared from the other side, and the water was constantly changing and swirling.

  “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?” she asked. “It looks like the stars are dancing on the water.” She could just barely see her own reflection, and then his wavered next to hers as he stood close behind her and looked over her shoulder.

  “Beautiful,” he agreed and kissed her neck, sending shivers down her spine.

  His hands reached around and he cupped her breasts through the thin silk, and his thumbs brushed across her nipples. She felt the urgency in him. Gone was the teasing and playful banter. And she felt herself being swept into the same desperate race to claim him as hers.

  He stripped her shirt over her head and let it fall to the ground, and then he turned her in his arms so he could kiss her completely. His lips sealed against hers, slanting across them, and he ate at her mouth with a hunger that drove her wild with need.

  “You make me crazy,” he said, lifting her with one arm in an impressive show of strength and stripping her long johns off with the other hand. She wasn’t wearing underwear. “Even when I’ve had you, I want you again.”

  She whimpered as his hand slipped between them and cupped the wet heat between her thighs. The heel of his hand pressed against her clit, and his teeth raked across her jawline. She couldn’t remember how to breathe. There were too many sensations rioting inside her body, and she was completely under his control.

  “You’re so wet,” he whispered against her ear, sending an electric tingling across her sensitive skin.

  “Elias,” she said, her eyes rolling back in her head as he pressed a little harder with the heel of his hand.

  His finger traced the lips of her vulva, teasing the area around her clit but never touching it. She was moving against him, and she hadn’t realized she wrapped her legs around his waist. But his hand was in the way of what she really wanted.

  He slid a thick finger inside of her, and then another. She was shaking with the need to come, but he held her back, just on the edge. And then his hand was gone and she was left gasping for more.

  “Don’t stop, don’t stop,” she begged.

  “Only for a second, baby,” he promised.

  He carried her to one of the boulders that surrounded the falls. It was big and flat, and kissed by the starlight. He sat her on the rock and didn’t waste any time shedding his pants, so he was as naked as she was.

  He was beautiful. There was no other word to describe him, and she drank in her fill of him, reveling at breadth of his shoulders and thickly muscled arms. And then down to the ridged abs that made her want to take a bite out of him. And then her gaze dropped lower and she felt the heat of anticipation roll through her.

  “You said only for a second,” she reminded him.

  “I got lost looking at you. You look like a mermaid, sitting on that rock in the moonlight. And if I’ve never said it before, I’m crazy about your body. You have the kind of body that can be made love to or ridden long and hard.”

  “And yet you’re standing all the way over there.”

  His mouth quirked and he moved toward her. And then before she knew what was happening he had her wrists in his hand and she was stretched out across the rock like a ritual sacrifice.

  “I guess we’re choosing the ridden long and hard option,” she managed to get out.

  His mouth clamped down on her nipple and talking was no longer an option. She arched against him. Her body was no longer her own—sensations sizzled beneath her skin and her cries became desperate.

  “I need you,” she begged. “Please.”

  And he didn’t keep her waiting. She felt him probing against her, and he took her mouth in a kiss that rocked her to the core as he slid deep inside of her with one thrust. His fingers twined with hers and her legs wrapped tight around him. And then he rocked them both to oblivion.

  AS EXHAUSTED AS he was, sleep didn’t come easy for him that night. He held her in his arms, listening to her soft, even breathing as she slept. He hadn’t meant to tell her the truth. And he’d seen the horror on her face as he’d retold the story of his death. He’d never said the words out loud to anyone before, and it wasn’t easy to relive the second time around.

  He waited until dawn broke to get up and get dressed. He let Miller sleep, and honestly, he wasn’t sure if he could’ve woken her if he’d tried. He wanted to let her get all the rest she could, so he slipped out of the tent and went to the water’s edge to wash his face.

  His phone let off a quiet beep that started slowly but began to get faster, and he took it from his pocket, seeing the alert from Elaine that the boat had been breached. She’d also alerted that there were signs of incoming aircraft. Even as he saw the alert, he heard the sound of choppers in the distance quickly getting closer.

  He’d been expecting it. Diego had been paying too close of attention to Miller, and he would’ve recognized her photograph when he’d seen it, even with the different hair. There was no doubt he’d immediately alerted Cordova and called in all the reserves they had.

  “Oh, shit,” he said, and ran back to the tent. “Elaine, pull up all possible escape routes and places we could hide. Caves … Anything will work at this point.”

  Complying … stand by.

  “Miller,” he said, putting his hand on her leg and shaking it.

  Her eyes snapped open and she must’ve heard the urgency in his voice, because sh
e followed him out of the tent on all fours.

  “They’re fine, before you ask,” she said, taking the clothes he tossed at her. He hoped she was telling the truth, but he could only take her at her word. “What’s going on? What’s happening?”

  “Elaine signaled that the boat had been boarded. There’s also incoming choppers. You hear them?”

  She nodded and, stripping off the long underwear, put on clothes similar to the ones she’d had the day before. “Do you think they’ve seen us from the air?”

  “The choppers aren’t in range for a drop yet, but it won’t be too hard to figure it out. They’ll see the trail we cut through the jungle, and it won’t take too much to figure out we’d probably stop in a clearing like this one for the night. We’re covered here for now, and they won’t be able to see us from the air.”

  There were two choppers, military issue, that circled the islands. The boat had been boarded, but there was a good chance they had boots on the ground long before they stepped foot on the boat. Cordova wasn’t stupid. He’d known they’d have set off on foot to try and beat them to the punch.

  “Those are cartel mercenaries in the choppers,” he said. “They’re mostly former military who needed to actually start getting paid for their jobs, so when the Black Widow took over this territory, it was easy pickings to hire them. Diego would’ve gotten back and reported to Cordova that I’m with you, and whose boat we’re on.”

  “Whose boat are we on?” she asked.

  “On paper, it belongs to Julio Cortez,” he said. “The Black Widow’s son. He runs a large arm of her business, mostly in Eastern Europe. His holdings are so vast, even he doesn’t know what he has, so it was simple for us to dummy accounts and property in his name. Cordova is bringing in the big guns on the chance that I really do work for Julian, and thinking that the son might be trying to overthrow his mother and getting hold of Solomon’s table is the best way to do that.”

  “Lovely,” she said. “Eve said that this organization is on her radar. If they’re such horrible people, why does she let them keep existing?”

  “It’s a game of patience and strategy,” he told her. “It’s not just about taking out Julian Cortez in Eastern Europe, or Cordova in the South American territories. It’s about gathering all the intelligence that can possibly be gathered, knowing exactly how many arms of the organization are up and running, and who the major players are before an attack can be implemented. Because if you take out everyone, but you miss one hidden person who has the power and influence to keep things running, then you’ve got to start all over and wait years before you can orchestrate the same kind of takedown. I can give Eve credit for one thing—she understands the mindset of espionage and covert ops better than anyone I’ve ever met.”

  He packed up their supplies and took down the tent on the chance they got lucky as hell and no one saw their tracks up the mountain. And then he shoved everything beneath the roots of a large tree, the gnarled appendages gaping in places big enough for animals to hide.

  “Elaine is looking for alternative routes. She’s got an infrared of the map, so she’ll be able to see areas that are hard to find. Walk around a little and let’s see how you’re doing.”

  “I told you I’m fine,” she said, walking around in a small circle. “I was stupid for not mentioning it to you sooner.”

  “Not stupid,” he corrected. “But there’s a time and place for hardheadedness. Injury isn’t one of those times.” He looked down at his phone and swore. “Elaine, we’re really on a time crunch here. Have you found anything?”

  I’m sorry, Elias. You are in a position that is difficult for me to run probabilities. All the water obscures potential hiding places. From what I can see, you are at the top of a cliff. The only escape is back down.

  He’d had a feeling she was going to say that. He’d been able to tell as they’d been climbing that escape routes were going to be limited. The falls roared behind him, and he ran back up to the edge, climbing on the large boulders to look down on the other side. It wasn’t a comforting sight. The drop was long, and they’d have to jump out far enough to miss the rocks at the bottom and land in the pool. And then there begged the question of how deep the pool actually was.

  “Oh no,” Miller said, shaking her head when he turned to look at her. “You’re out of your mind.”

  He jumped down off the boulder and came toward her just as the crack of an assault rifle came from his right. He ran toward her and took her to the ground, taking the brunt of the fall, and rolling them across the ground and behind the cover of trees. Another round was shot off and he pulled his weapon, wondering how badly they were about to be ambushed.

  But when he looked to the area where the shots had come from, he saw one of the sweetest sights he’d ever seen. Deacon lay high up behind a rock, laying down steady fire as he was able to see Cordova’s men coming up the trail Elias had cut the day before. The Gravediggers were there, and he was guessing they’d all decided to hell with Eve’s orders of staying out of things.

  And thank God they were all on the same side, because even though he’d walked the perimeter through the night and had checked in with Elaine, he hadn’t known they were in the area. Though he was going to have to have a little talk with Elaine about not sharing information. Of course, she was programmed to do what she was told, and someone with the clearance to override her system would’ve had to give the orders for her to stay silent. Which meant Eve was involved. He guessed maybe she’d decided to play her hand after all.

  No one in the world was trained like they were. And the mercenaries didn’t stand a chance against them, even outnumbered as they were. He knew the rest of the team was scattered strategically, and they’d slowly dismantle Cordova’s men so they had the opportunity to escape.

  “We’ve got to go,” he told Miller, reholstering his gun.

  “What’s happening?” Fear laced her voice for the first time since he’d known her. She’d been through hell and back, but this was real, and being caught in the middle of live fire was enough to put the fear of God into anyone.

  “The cavalry is here,” he said. “And we’ve got one shot to get the hell off this mountain and get to an extraction point.”

  “But my brother …” she said.

  “We’ll find your brother. But if he’s on this island, he’s going to hear the gunfire and stay hidden. He’s well trained. He can survive as long as he needs to. Now come on.”

  Her eyes widened and the fear turned to terror as he pushed her toward the edge of the waterfall. Gunfire rang out from all around them, but he stayed focused on the goal and he sheltered her body with his for protection.

  When he got her up on the boulder, her body went rigid. It was a menacing sight—the water was powerful as it rushed over the precipice all the way to the bottom, crashing against the rocks and spewing up mist as it hit.

  “I can’t do this,” she said. “This is the equivalent of jumping out of a helicopter into the middle of the ocean. Except there are rocks at the bottom.”

  “We’re going to jump past the rocks,” he said. “I’m going to be with you every step of the way. You’re going to have to trust me.”

  “You, I trust. But I don’t trust what’s at the bottom of that waterfall.”

  He grabbed her by the arms and pulled her in close, kissing her with everything he had. “This seems like a good time to tell you I love you. On the count of three,” he said. “One, two …”

  She was so startled she followed his instructions without an argument, and they got a running start and jumped out as far as they could and fell into the unknown below.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE

  Miller was somewhat certain she was alive. She’d always been under the impression that there was no pain in death, so she had to be alive.

  Frigid water closed over her head, and she took in a mouthful of water as she tried to kick her way to the surface. The force of hitting the turbulent water had broken her hold o
n Elias, and she had no idea where he was or if he was okay. And if he was okay, she was going to kill him when she was finally able to draw a breath.

  Her lungs burned, and panic started to engulf her just as her head broke the surface. She coughed up water and then sucked in a deep breath, only to be pulled under again by the force of the churning waters. A hand grabbed her ankle and then pushed her toward the surface again, and she sputtered and coughed as she tried to swim to the rocks at the edge. Elias lifted her onto the rocks and she rolled to her back, staring at the sky and trying to catch her breath. He was grinning like a fool. The damned lunatic. He actually thought that was fun.

  “I’m really mad at you for that,” she said, panting.

  “I figured you would be.”

  “Did you mean it?” she asked. “When you said you loved me? Or was that your way of getting me to jump?”

  His grin faded and he leaned down and kissed her. “I meant it. But we’ve got to move.”

  Shots could still be heard from all around, and he knew Deacon would probably stay in place since he was playing the role of sniper for the day, but the others would be surrounding and herding Cordova’s men into a smaller radius like sheep before they were about to be slaughtered.

  “I love you too.”

  “I know. Let’s go.”