Colton’s silence was apparently all the answer that she needed.
“Kitten,” he hedged.
“Don’t call me kitten!” she snapped. Reaching out, she tried to push him away. “Isn’t there someone else here I can speak to? I’m done listening to your lies.”
“Camila—”
“No! You took advantage of the situation. You’re just as bad as those other men who kidnapped me—you wanted something for yourself so you just reached out and took it!”
“I didn’t force you to do anything,” Colton said in a low voice.
“Force me? No. You seduced me, making me think you were interested in me as a woman. Not as the daughter of Miguel Rodriguez. Was that your plan all along? Get me into bed so you could go through my things? Go away. Just go!” she shouted.
Hunter hurried over, eyeing the two of them. “Let me talk to her, C-4,” he said, calling Colton by his nickname.
“C-4?” Camila asked as Colton stood and moved back across the aisle.
“His SEAL nickname,” Hunter said, kneeling down in the aisle beside Camila. “There was no one better to search though a damn caco field riddled with explosives than our own explosives expert.”
Camila looked momentarily astonished and then sank back into her seat, shutting her eyes. She trembled as Hunter began speaking in a low voice to her, and Colton felt knots forming in his stomach. Sure, he’d rescued her, but at what cost?
She wasn’t wrong in her accusations that he’d used her.
He’d fucking loved every minute of her in his bed, but when push came to shove? It had happened exactly like she said. He’d wanted her for himself and taken her back to his room. Spent the night loving her body. A brief pang of regret filled his chest.
Camila began to quietly sob again, and Colton watched as Hunter stood, shooting him a look. Fucking wonderful. The woman he’d wanted was only a few feet away, and she didn’t want a damn thing to do with him.
Chapter 16
Camila opened her eyes, glancing around the hospital room. An IV was taped to her arm, providing her body with much-needed fluids. The hospital gown she had on was itchy and uncomfortable, not to mention the most unflattering piece of clothing in the world. The thin blanket covering her did little to ward of the chill. She shivered slightly, her eyes roaming the stark room.
“Knock knock,” a cheerful voice said.
Camila looked over, seeing a nurse in scrubs peering into the room. She had long, strawberry-blonde hair and a stethoscope around her neck.
“I’m actually one of the pediatric ER nurses,” she said, walking into Camila’s room.
“ER? Like the emergency room?”
“Exactly. I’m not one of your nurses, but I wanted to come up and introduce myself. I’m Alison Garrett. My fiancé Evan works with Colton over at Little Creek.”
“Little Creek?”
“The Navy SEAL base nearby.”
“Oh.” She was baffled. Colton had sent someone here to check in on her? She’d been so exhausted, she hardly even remembered landing in the U.S. One of the other men on the plane, Hunter, had helped her down to the ambulance. Colton had watched from afar, looking like he wanted to help.
She’d refused to let him anywhere near her.
“I know there’s a lot going on right now,” she said, adjusting the stethoscope around her neck. Camila’s eyes were drawn to the big diamond on her ring finger.
Alison saw her looking and held up her hand. “I just got engaged,” she said, sounding somewhat giddy. “We had a baby boy a few months ago, so it seemed like the right time.”
“Congratulations,” Camila automatically replied. Her eyes ran over the petite woman. She was small and lithe—it was hard to imagine her with one of the massive guys Colton was with.
“Evan’s on a different SEAL team, but we all know each other. Not many of the guys on Colton’s team have girlfriends—just Hunter. You met him already. His girlfriend Emma is British and just moved here. Anyway. I work here at the hospital, so Colton asked if I’d check in on you. And if you have any questions or anything, let me know. I’ll do whatever I can to make you more comfortable.”
“How long will I be kept in the hospital?”
“I’m not sure,” Alison admitted. “It depends on the extent of your injuries. But Hunter probably already explained that we have a temporary visa for you to stay in the U.S. Unless you’re hoping to return to Colombia?”
Camila shuddered. “Aside from my friends, there’s nothing for me there.”
“Right. Well, it’s a lot to think about, I know. You can stay with any of us while you’re recovering. Evan and I have a new baby, so we may not be the best choice, although of course you’d be welcome. My best friend Rebecca is actually due any day with her little one.”
“Wow. Lots of babies,” she murmured.
“Yep. We like to tease the guys that they’re falling like dominoes. Every guy on Evan’s team actually has a wife or girlfriend. We all look out for each other. I know you don’t know any of them yet, but if you ever needed help, they’d be there, no question.”
Camila nodded, unsure.
“Hunter and Emma said you could stay with them,” Alison continued. “Of course, I know Colton would have you in a heartbeat, but I’m not sure—”
“Absolutely not,” Camila said, shaking her head. The last thing she needed was Colton around confusing her. Pretending to be interested when he only wanted information he thought that she had.
“He does care about you,” Alison said softly. “I know it’s not any of my business, but—”
“No, it’s not any of your business. I appreciate you coming to visit me, but Colton? I’m not interested in seeing him right now.”
“Right. Well, I’m just downstairs in the ER if you need anything. Sorry if I talked your ear off. I’ve been on maternity leave for several months. I can’t tell you how great it feels to be around adults again.”
Camila smiled. She’d never imagined having a normal life—a husband, a child. Hunter had said she could get a visa to stay here in the U.S., but then what?
She’d never worked before. She’d left Colombia without a single thing. Not that she begrudged the men from rescuing her—being sold in an auction would be a fate worse than death. And if she’d somehow escaped on her own?
Those men would still come for her.
Find her.
There was no one left to be trusted, aside from her closest friends. Instantly, her mind flashed back to the café where she’d left Rosa behind. What had happened to her?
She closed her eyes, listening to the machines around her. There was too much to think about. Too many complications.
The very last thing she needed was another man telling her how she should live her own life.
***
“So, you’re all set,” the nurse said the next afternoon. “You could stay here in the hospital another day if you needed, but Hunter sweet-talked us into letting you leave.”
“Just doing my job, ma’am,” Hunter insisted.
Camila watched in astonishment as the older woman blushed. Goodness.
“Let’s get you home then,” Hunter said, walking over to help her stand up. “Emma went out to pick up a few things—clothes, toiletries, and girly crap like that. I’m sure you’ll want to go shopping yourself, but as for now? You’ll be able to relax and recover without needing anything. And like I already said, you can stay with us for a few weeks and rest up. Get your bearings.”
“Thank you,” Camila said, smoothing out the sweatshirt and sweatpants she’d been given. It was a far cry from the designer clothes she was used to wearing, but at the moment, comfortable sounded just about right.
“We’re going to need to swing by base to get you processed properly,” Hunter said. “It’s not exactly the usual immigration process, but these are special circumstances. You’ll get your ID and papers. And then we’ll go over some options after you’ve had a chance to recover.”
/>
“How long is my visa good for?” Camila asked.
“Ninety days. But that’s just until we can get you approved to stay in the U.S. if you want. You should be able to get a permanent visa—a green card, because of your situation. The government will be interested in finding out any knowledge you can share about your father or the Rodriguez Cartel. But going back to Colombia isn’t a safe option,” he said in a low voice.
“I understand,” she said, tears smarting her eyes.
Was she happy that she’d been rescued or sad that she’d never return? Her entire life had been flipped upside down in simply a matter of days. She barely knew which way was up at this point—not when she’d been shaken to her very core.
Her father was gone. Her belongings. Her life.
The bodyguards she’d trusted for years were her enemy. And Rosa?
“Hey,” she called out to Hunter as he led her out of the hospital room.
“Is something wrong?” he asked. His hands slid into his pockets as he turned back toward her. His tattoos showed beneath his short-sleeve tee shirt, but he otherwise looked nothing like the tattooed men who had taken her.
The men here seemed to be as good as the others were evil—save for Colton, who’d taken her to bed only to get what he wanted.
“I want to find out about a friend of mine back in Colombia. Is there a way to do it? She was with me in the café when I was kidnapped. I want to make sure she’s all right.”
A concerned look crossed his face. “Can I ask her name?”
“Rosa Martinez.”
“I’m sorry,” he said quietly.
“Sorry we can’t find out about her?”
Hunter took a step closer to her, his hand resting lightly on her forearm. She looked up at him in confusion, seeing the truth written across his face. “She didn’t make it,” he said quietly. “She was kidnapped as well—her body was recovered.”
“No,” Camila said, stepping back, trembling. “No, that can’t be right.”
“I’m sorry,” he said, his voice gruff. He looked slightly uncomfortable but didn’t leave.
“How can this be happening? My father, my best friend…. It just doesn’t seem fair. Everything was fine just a couple of days ago. And now?” She shrugged helplessly. What words could even begin to describe her grief, the magnitude of her loss.
She’d come here with nothing. Lost everything. And the only friend she seemed to have at the moment was the leader of a Navy SEAL team. The very same one the man she hated more than anyone in the world was on.
How convenient.
One man was trying to help her; one man used her.
She hastily scrubbed the tears from her face as other patients and hospital staff eyed her curiously in the hallway. “Let’s just get out of here,” she said, her voice cracking. “Let’s get the papers or whatever I need and just go.”
Hunter reached toward her again, his hand resting lightly at the crook of her arm as he guided her forward. She could cry later—in the privacy of her room or bed or wherever he was taking her to spend the night. She’d recover for a day or two and then get her life back in order. Find out what type of job options she had. See if she could access any of her accounts. The Colombian government might have frozen her father’s assets after his death, but she had separate bank accounts. Someway, somehow, she’d get what was hers.
Then she’d find somewhere to stay. Something to do.
She was a survivor, and being thrown for a loop wasn’t going to ruin her life.
They walked out of the hospital into the bright sunlight, and Camila shielded her eyes. “My SUV is right over there,” Hunter said, pointing toward a large black monstrosity. What was it with boys and their toys?
Some things were the same worldwide.
He opened the passenger door and helped her climb in. “We need to quickly swing by Little Creek. I’m sure you’re exhausted, but we’ll get the paperwork we need and get you settled in. Emma should be back by the time we are.”
“All right,” she said, sinking back into the seat. She closed her eyes, enjoying the warmth of the sun coming in through the windows.
Hunter climbed into the driver’s side, and the engine roared to life a moment later. “Do you need anything? Food or drink?”
“I’m fine. Let’s just get this taken care of.”
“Roger that,” Hunter said, easily maneuvering the large vehicle out of the parking space. They drove down a highway, and a few minutes later, they were turning down a tree-lined road. Hunter flashed his military ID and spoke to the guards at the gate, giving them her name. The men guarding the entrance cleared them to drive through, and soon they were pulling into a large parking lot.
Camila climbed out of the SUV, the salty scent of the ocean hitting her instantly. “We’re near the water,” she said, surprised.
“Yep. We’re on a Navy base. Most are close to the ocean.”
“Right, I didn’t think about it. I was in Miami a week or so ago. I just didn’t think of Virginia as being by the ocean—but of course it’s on the coast.”
“Well, it’s not exactly tropical like Miami,” he said with a chuckle. “But it gets hot in the summer. And if you like beaches, Virginia Beach is one of the best when the weather is right. Let’s head in,” he said, cocking his head toward the doors. “We’ll get your stuff and get out of here.”
Camila looked toward the large building on base and hesitated.
“Is something wrong?” he asked.
“No. It’s nothing,” she muttered, finally walking the way he’d indicated.
“Colton?” Hunter guessed.
She bristled. “He works here, too, no? Of course I wouldn’t be happy about seeing him.”
Hunter blew out a sigh. “That he does. And I realize that you’re pissed as hell at him. But you should know, he’s the one who pushed for us to move in and rescue you. We didn’t have authorization to go after you. We didn’t have a reason to in the eyes of the U.S. government. Our mission was to get your father and get out. Colton was the one who made sure you were safe.”
“He was?”
“Yep,” Hunter said, pulling open one of the doors to base. “We were sent there on a different op. It’s no secret that the U.S. and Colombian governments were both interested in your father. We planned to bring him in and question him.”
“But he was killed instead.”
“Not by us,” Hunter assured her. “But Miguel Rodriguez was a very dangerous man. Running drugs and women doesn’t exactly get you a lot of friends.”
“No, it doesn’t,” she agreed. “My own bodyguards turned against me.”
“Let’s go in here,” Hunter said, ushering her into a front office. “We were lucky that we got someone from State to swing by and push this through.”
“What state?”
Hunter chuckled. “Sorry. One thing about the Navy? We’ve got loads of acronyms and shorthand terms for every government agency. The State Department handles passports, visas, immigration, and the like. This isn’t exactly typical procedure—but like I said, this isn’t a typical situation either. Luckily, they were willing to come to us to get you processed after your release from the hospital. When you’re up for it, I’m sure they’ll have some questions.”
“Of course.”
“Good morning,” a woman in a sleek suit said, rising up from one of the chairs in the waiting area as they walked in.
Camila glanced down at her own baggy sweatpants. She hadn’t even had a proper shower yet—just a quick sponge bath when she was getting cleaned up in the hospital. She looked and felt horrible. At least her clothing concealed some of her bumps and bruises, but nothing could hide the dark circles under her eyes. Or the bone deep ache she had inside.
“I know you’ve been through a lot,” the woman said after she’d introduced herself. “Let’s make this quick and painless, and you can get home to rest.”
“Great. Just let me know what I need to do.”
“What’s so funny?” she asked sourly.
“Women are all the same.” He raised an eyebrow, daring her to challenge him. “You’ve been through hell, and you’re concerned about a picture?”
She shrugged. “I’m the one who has to look at it all the time.”
Hunter held his hands up. “All right, I know when I’m beat. Emma would probably say the same thing. And you’ll meet her soon. Let me just wrap a few things up, and we’ll head on out.”
“Okay,” Camila said, sinking down into the chair. She was completely and utterly exhausted, and at the moment, she wanted nothing more than to curl up in bed and sleep for a few days. She didn’t even care that she’d be staying with Hunter and his girlfriend. Anything was better than being dragged from place to place with no end in sight.
With no hope of escape.
The door to the office opened a moment later, and her eyes swept up to see Colton standing there. Shock shot straight through her, and she stood up from her seat, backing away. Glancing around the office, she saw a woman typing at a computer, but Hunter was nowhere to be found.
Damn it.
“Camila,” Colton said, his voice rough. He was dressed in camouflage fatigues, his dark eyes focused on her, looking rough and ready to take on the entire world. He took a step toward her, his combat boots loud despite the carpeted floor, and she shot him an accusing look.
“I told you I didn’t want to see you,” she said.
“I understand. I know you’re upset about what happened, and I can’t change that. I sure as hell can’t fix it right now,” he said, glancing around. “I’m sorry for the way everything happened, but I just wanted to give this to you.”
She looked suspiciously at his outstretched hand, a cell phone resting in his palm.
“Take it,” he said. “It’s for you.”
Seduced by a SEAL (Alpha SEALs Book 10) Page 10