by Elle James
Jake’s eyes rounded. “You stood him up at the altar?”
She shook her head. “No, I left him the week before the wedding. I know it was poor timing, but I couldn’t marry someone who wanted a different direction for our life than I did.” Alex sighed. “I found the job with the missionaries and I left the day of my wedding.”
“Ouch. That’s harsh.”
“I know, but it would have been much worse had I married him. I would have been miserable and would have made him just as unhappy.”
“What made you finally realize he wasn’t right for you?”
She tipped her head toward Jake. “Dinner the night before I called it quits.”
“Dinner?”
“He didn’t like that my fork kept tapping my teeth. He was raised by his mother and she had certain ideas about how a lady should behave. She passed those ideas down to her son. Apparently, clinking a fork against one’s teeth is a social disaster.”
“Did he question your manners about the fork?”
Alex’s lips pressed together. “Yes.”
Jake shook his head. “Your fiancé doesn’t sound like the sharpest tool in the shed. What did you do?”
“I canceled the church and hall rental, broke it to my parents and fiancé, and signed up for a mission trip to Africa.”
“And did absence make your heart grow fonder?”
Alex’s lips twisted into a wry smile. “Just the opposite. Being here made me realize just how much I didn’t love Paul and why it would never have worked between us. And it also made me realize how small and insignificant my problems were compared to what so many other people in the world have to contend with.” She smiled at Jake.
“You made the right decision,” Jake concluded.
“I did.” A particularly big bump made Alex’s bottom bounce on the hard metal floor of the truck bed. She shifted to relieve the soreness and ended up leaning more into Jake. He didn’t seem to mind.
He slipped his arm around her shoulders to keep her from banging her back against the railing and continued their conversation. “Does that make marriage and family out of the question for you?” Jake asked.
“I don’t know. I want to find someone who cares enough about me to look past my faults. If bumping my fork against my teeth is considered a huge liability... Well, you know. Why can’t I find someone who likes to see different places, try different things, maybe even leave the States on occasion? Is that too much to ask?”
“Not at all.” He laughed. “I’m sure there are plenty of guys who want to see the world and who aren’t offended by the sound of a fork bumping your teeth.”
She shot a sideways glance toward Jake. He was smiling. “When you say it, it sounds different.”
“I’ve seen a lot of the world, but I haven’t seen it all. There are so many more places I want to visit. Like Ireland. I’ve always wanted to go to Ireland. And Italy to see the Colosseum and Pompeii. And one of these days I’d like to visit Jordan and see Petra. I grew up watching Indiana Jones movies. Our world is more than just where we grew up.”
“Exactly.” She smiled. “My fiancé was content to stay in his own little corner of it. Well, I’m not.”
Why couldn’t she find someone who dared to be different? Someone who’d chosen his own path, not settling for the path that was expected of him?
All these thoughts roiled around in her head as she sat in the cramped space, next to a man who knew what he wanted out of life and had chased his own dreams to get it.
“So, you jumped at the chance to go to Africa.” Jake’s lips curved. “Were you aware of the unrest in many of the African nations?”
Alex nodded. “We were briefed on Niger and the factions functioning within its borders. I guess we were naive to think nothing would happen to us.”
“Well, you weren’t the only ones.” Jake’s lips twisted. “We were surprised that ISIS had made it as far west as your village.”
Alex leaned into Jake’s side, glad he had been at their village when ISIS came to call. “Thank you again for saving me from the ISIS militants.”
“You’re welcome. But maybe we shouldn’t count our chickens until we get to Ouallam.”
As if to prove his point, Kirabo slammed on his brakes, bringing the truck to a halt.
Jake’s arm tightened around Alex, and he pressed a finger to his lips.
A male voice demanded Kirabo get down from the truck.
Alex huddled against Jake’s side, her pulse beating so hard and fast against her eardrums she could barely hear.
Beyond their little cave of crates, someone was harassing their driver.
The truck bed leaned slightly toward the driver’s side and someone grunted. From what Alex could deduce, a man had climbed up the side rails and dropped down on one of the crates. The cracking sound of wood splitting made Alex jump. She swallowed a gasp and held her breath.
The man on top of the crates was searching through them.
Alex captured Jake’s gaze, her eyes wide.
He dipped his head and pressed a kiss to her forehead, followed by one to the tip of her nose.
His lips felt warm, soft and beautiful, distracting Alex from what was going on over their heads. She lifted her chin and met Jake’s lips with her own. If ISIS killed them that day, at least she would have known the kiss of the navy SEAL.
She would have no regrets.
* * *
JAKE HADN’T MEANT to kiss Alex, but when she’d looked up at him with fear in her eyes, all he wanted to do was calm her and reassure her that they’d be all right. One kiss to her forehead led to one on her nose. When she lifted her face, he couldn’t resist.
He kissed her lips, long and hard, pushing his tongue past her teeth to tangle with hers. She still tasted of the bread they’d eaten the evening before.
While someone crawled over the top of their hiding place, Jake kissed Alex. He clasped one hand behind her head, deepening the kiss, while the other hand reached for the knife in the scabbard on his leg. He’d be ready should the person searching Kirabo’s load discover them hiding. In the meantime, he had the person he desired in his arms, and she was kissing him back.
A crate lid was slammed back in place, and footsteps moved from one wooden box to another. Finally the truck bed shifted as someone dropped to the ground.
The door to the cab opened and closed with a sharp bang. The engine started and the truck lurched forward, continuing along the road in the same direction. After they’d been rolling for several minutes, Kirabo stopped the truck, got out and climbed into the back. He shoved the overhead crate to the side and stared down at them. “Are you okay?”
Jake nodded. He was more than okay. He’d kissed Alex. They hadn’t spoken since, but he could still feel the warmth of her lips on his. “Who stopped you?”
“Armed guards from a mining company that operates in this area. They wanted to make sure I wasn’t stealing from them.”
Jake’s eyes narrowed. “Was it Snyder Mining Enterprises?”
Kirabo nodded. “The Niger government has granted them permission to search for potential mining sites in this area.”
“Search?” Alex asked. “But they’re—”
“Not too friendly, are they?” Jake finished Alex’s sentence.
“No. They have approached our village several times. Many of our men have gone with them with their promise of jobs. They haven’t returned for six months.”
“You’ve had no word from them?”
Kirabo shook his head. “None. When we asked Snyder’s representatives, they said our men ran away. They have no record of where they went.”
“Have you brought this to the attention of your local government?” Alex asked.
“We have,” Kirabo said. “Our government has too many other problems with ISIS stirring up trouble and re
fugees crossing our borders. They don’t have the time or funds to come to our aid. But these are not your problems. We will be in Ouallam in twenty minutes, and you will want to hide your rifle while in the town. You can put it in this box.” He pulled the lid off a smaller cardboard box packed with straw and melons.
Jake disassembled the rifle into two smaller halves and buried the parts beneath the straw and melons.
Once the box had been sealed shut and tucked among the others, Kirabo shoved the crate back over their heads and climbed down from the back of the truck.
Soon they were on their way, bumping along the dirt road, breathing in the dust kicked up by the wheels.
“Snyder isn’t searching for mines,” Alex said.
“They’re actively mining,” Jake finished. “And using conscripted labor to get the job done. Otherwise, why the armed guards?”
“They weren’t necessarily keeping people out,” Alex said, “as much as keeping them in.”
Though Kirabo’s statement was correct, and Niger’s problems weren’t necessarily Jake’s and Alex’s, Jake couldn’t ignore what they’d seen. When he reunited with his team, he’d share the photo and its coordinates with his commander and let the folks higher up in the food chain decide what to do with the information.
In the meantime, the truck slowed.
By the sounds of other engines and shouts from passing people, Jake guessed they’d arrived in a town. Until they pulled to a complete stop, he wouldn’t know what town. He hoped it was Ouallam and that he would soon find his brothers, his team.
Chapter Eight
When Kirabo stopped the truck and climbed up in the back to remove the crates, Alex could barely move. She’d been crammed into the tight position for so long her muscles seemed to have forgotten how to function properly.
Jake was up first, reaching back to extend a hand to her.
She took it gladly and let him pull her to her feet.
The bright sunlight blinded her momentarily, and she blinked until she could focus on where she was.
Jake jumped down from the truck bed and held his arms up for Alex.
She sat on the edge and leaned into Jake’s outstretched arms. He lifted her by the waist and set her on her feet, engulfing her in his embrace.
She held on to him until her legs steadied and her muscles responded. Reluctant to move away, she turned in the curve of his arm and faced their driver.
Kirabo stood on the ground beside the truck where he’d parked it in front of an official-looking building. “This is the police building. They will help you to find your people.” He set the cardboard box containing the melons and rifle on the ground at Jake’s feet.
Jake shook hands with Kirabo, and Alex hugged the man, thanking him.
Kirabo left them standing in front of the building and drove away.
Alex prayed he’d be all right and that none of the ISIS folks or the people from Snyder Mining Enterprises had seen him drop off his human cargo. She didn’t want him to suffer any repercussions for helping them escape. Unfortunately, he’d left in such a hurry, Alex hadn’t had the opportunity to load his truck with food for his family.
Standing in the bustling town of Ouallam made the madness of the ISIS militants seem far away.
Jake lifted the box and tucked it beneath one arm. He took Alex’s hand with his other and walked with her toward the building.
Before they stepped through the door, Alex pulled him to a halt. “We can’t take this box in there.”
With a frown, Jake nodded. “You’re right. But I can’t leave it out on the street. Someone could take it.”
“I’ll stay outside with the box.”
Jake shook his head. “I can’t leave you and the box outside on the street. We’ll have to risk taking it inside. As long as they don’t have metal detectors, we should be all right.”
“Great. And if they do?”
“Then I’ll stay outside while you go in and ask to use the phone.” He winked. “I’m betting they don’t have the funding for expensive metal detectors.”
“Maybe not, but they might want to check what’s inside the box.”
“And all they will see is melons.”
“Let’s hope that’s all they see,” Alex said.
Jake carried the box through the door and into the police building, walking with a confident swagger.
Alex stood back as Jake set the box on the floor and asked to use a telephone to make a collect call.
Jake cooked up a story about being an American soldier assigned to train the Niger forces. It wasn’t the truth, but the facts might stir up the locals. He explained that his team had been attacked by rebel forces and he’d been separated from his unit, which wasn’t a lie.
No one questioned the box on the floor. The man behind the desk asked Jake a few questions and checked with his supervisor, who came out from a room in the rear of the building to run his gaze over Jake.
Finally they agreed to let Jake use the phone, and he was able to call back to his base in Djibouti. Within seconds he was on the phone with his commander, giving his location and asking about the rest of his team.
The visible relief on Jake’s face let Alex know his team had made it out of the hot zone intact. The smile he turned toward Alex lit up the room.
He cared deeply about his brothers in arms, and he must have been worried about them the entire time he was working to get her back to a safe place.
When he ended the call, he pulled her into his arms and kissed her soundly on the lips.
She laughed. “What was that for?”
“My guys made it out.” He grinned. “We’re going to be okay.”
She cupped his face and asked, “Were you in doubt? Because if you were, you never let on.”
“You never know what’s going to happen in a foreign country.”
For a moment, Alex basked in Jake’s joy at the news that his men were fine. “So, what’s the plan?”
“The good news is that my team is in the capital city of Niamey. My commander has been in contact with them. They’re arranging for our transport to Niamey as we speak. Someone should be here to pick us up within the next two hours.”
“And in the meantime?”
“We find food.” He led her out the door with the box tucked under his arm.
“Way to woo a girl,” Alex said. “Nothing says you care like offering a woman food.”
“Right. And nothing says a man cares like riding with a beautiful woman in the back of a truck, squished into a place only big enough for a child for two hours.”
“After two days without a bath or shower?” Alex laughed. “You must be so hungry you’re hallucinating.”
“No.” Jake took her hand and brought her to a stop. “I’m serious. You’re an amazing woman. I don’t know any other female who would have made that trek without crying every other step.”
“You underestimate most women,” Alex argued, though she was touched by his words.
“Not the ones I’ve known.” He cupped her cheek. “You’re special, Alexandria. Don’t ever settle for less than what you want. You deserve more.”
She stared into his eyes, her heart swelling at not only his words but the sincerity of them shining in his eyes. “Okay. I won’t settle for less than what I want. And right now, I want food.”
A smile curled the ends of his lips. “Then food you shall have. The man at the desk told me about a café around the corner with the best food in town.”
“And you have something with which to pay for said food?” Alex tapped the pockets of her jeans. “I left all of my possessions back in the village overrun by ISIS. The only thing I have going for me is my passport.” She pulled it out of her back pocket. “And only because I keep it on me at all times, a lesson learned from my mentor, Reverend Townsend.” Her smile fa
ded as she thought about the good reverend and his wife.
“You couldn’t have helped them. The place was swarming with militants.”
Alex nodded. “I know. I hope they made it out. When we get to Niamey, I want to see if we can get someone to help me find them and bring them to safety.”
“I’ll help you as much as I can,” Jake said as he led her down the street and around the corner of a building.
“Thank you,” Alex said. “You’ve already helped me so much. I don’t think I can ever repay you for saving my life.”
“No payment required. It’s what I do. And this must be the place.”
They stopped in front of a building with bistro tables set outside, umbrellas shading the seats from the sun.
As if they were tourists on vacation, Jake held Alex’s chair until she took her seat. Then he rounded the table and sat beside her, his back to the wall of the building.
Alex stared out at the people passing in the street, a little on edge—understandably, she thought—after having the village she’d lived in peacefully for so many months taken over by dangerous rebels.
A man dressed in a white shirt and dark trousers stepped out of the building to take their order. He recited what was on the menu, as no menus were available. The fare was limited and Alex wasn’t exactly sure what the items were, but at that moment, she’d eat shoe leather and be satisfied to have something in her empty belly.
She let the waiter choose for her and asked for bottled water to drink.
A few minutes later, the waiter returned with the water and two bowls full of some kind of soup or stew consisting of fish, vegetables, onions and spices.
Alex dug into the meal, amazed at how good it was. She and Jake didn’t talk until they had finished every last bite. The waiter returned, cleared their bowls and set plates of some kind of kabob in front of them.
The succulent chunks of meat melted in Alex’s mouth. By the time she’d eaten two of the kabobs, she couldn’t swallow another bite.
When they’d finished their meal, Alex could only sit back in her seat and groan. “That had to be the most wonderful food I’ve ever eaten.”