by Angela Rush
Hawk chuckles, “Calm down. We will get word out as soon as we can. You need to rest and gain your strength so we can move you. We are still in enemy territory and we have to be careful with communication. We wouldn’t want to give away our location and bring the drug lords down on us.”
“Oh, Ok. I’m sorry.” I whisper. Tears fill my eyes and begin to spill down my face as reality sets in. Shame cascades over me for being so careless. Why did I let this happen to me? Unable to hold back the flood any longer, tears roll down my cheeks. I have held my emotions in for as long as I can. Like a dam breaking, I begin to sob.
Hawk scoots closer and gently slips his arms around me. He lifts me to his chest and begins to stroke my hair and whisper soothing words in my ear. He is so gentle there is no way I can get control of myself now. Loud sobs escape my lips as I cling to him like a drowning man clings to a life preserver. It takes quite a long time for me to regain my composure. Once I have stopped sobbing, he raises my head and places his large calloused hands on both sides of my face wiping my tears with his thumbs.
“Don’t cry, love. I won’t let anything bad happen to you again. I promise, I’ll keep you safe.” His deep baritone voice comforts me as much as his gentle caresses on my face.
“Thank you, I sorry for having a moment. I so ashamed I let this happen to me. And I’m just so relieved to be away from those men.” I heave a shuddering breath as I am still recovering from my episode.
“You have nothing to be ashamed of, love. Those bastards should be the ones who should be ashamed for what they have done to you.” Hawk’s face is a mix of sympathy and anger. While he can look terrifying, it comforts me. Looking in his eyes, I feel safe, knowing he is with me.
It should have seemed ridiculous. We didn’t know each other. Why would he want to protect me? It’s just because it’s his job, right? But in that moment looking into those gorgeous eyes, I felt like the most precious person in the world. There was no doubt he would be true to his word and he would keep me safe. Once the tears have abated, sleep claims me again as I feel safe in his arms.
Rough hands are groping me! The pain won’t stop. I can’t breathe and the fear is overwhelming. His fist connects with my face. Pain sears through my face at the impact. Now, He’s removing my clothes. I know with certainty he is going to rape me, there’s nothing I can do. My hands and feet are tied. I need help. I must get away somehow. Please, God help me!
As I jerk awake, I feel a warm hard body behind me. Fear consumes me and I try to get away. Where am I? My captors were never with me when I woke. Rough hands are trying to hold me down. I fight as hard as I can, but he is too strong and I’m too weak. Hearing someone calling my name, I try to focus on the words.
“Charlotte! Charlotte! Wake up, love. You’re having a nightmare.”
It’s Jordan, Hawk, he’s here with me. We’re in the safe house away from my torturers. Instantly I relax in his arms. He must have lain down on the bed with me and fallen asleep, too. He continues to try and sooth me. He pulls me closer to his warm body and rubs his hand down my hair.
“You’re alright, love. You’re safe with me. I’ve got you. I won’t let you go.” He croons as he lays his cheek on top of my head. I sigh and snuggle in. It’s been so long since I’ve felt safe and even longer since I’ve been held by someone. I know I shouldn’t do this, but it feels so good, so right. I must have dozed back off to sleep, because a little while later I am awoken to my warm blanket pulling away from me and I hear voices over by the door.
“I thought you two should eat. I have some MREs for you.” A deep voice rumbles from over by the door. “How’s she doing today?”
“Thanks, Deadeye. She does need to eat. I’ll wake her in a bit. The fever is gone, but she hasn’t slept well. She keeps having nightmares.” Hawk replies. I lay quietly and listen to them talking.
“That’s understandable after what she’s been through.” Deadeye states after a pause he continues. “What’s going on here, Hawk? This isn’t like you man. You’ve never shown this much interest in a woman before. You haven’t left this room since we got here two days ago.”
“I honestly don’t know. I’m drawn to her, her eyes, her smile. I just can’t leave her. She’s the same woman that spoke to us in the airport. Did you recognize her?” Deadeye shakes his head. “I knew the moment I looked at her on the trail who she was. I’ll never forget her beautiful eyes. It’s like it was just meant to be for me to find her again. I need to know that she is taken care of and while I know you guys would do right by her, I just need to be the one to take care of her, Ok?”
“Alright, as long as you don’t let it interfere with our mission. We are here to take out a target. We haven’t made any progress in the time we’ve been sitting here babysitting. The trail went cold and we haven’t gotten any new leads, but I feel like you aren’t concerned about that anymore. Your sole focus is that woman. She’s not our mission, man.” Deadeye declares.
“Dammit I know, Deadeye!” Hawk says sharply. “I can’t explain it. I need to make sure she is safe, protected. You know we can’t just leave her here and we can’t risk disclosing our location by using communications to get her out of here. Lopez’s men are everywhere. I can’t take the chance of them getting their hands on her again. She will just have to stay with us for the time being, until we can make arrangements for her to be evacuated from the country and back to the States.”
“Ok Hawk, I trust you with my life,” Deadeye’s voice is laced with sincerity. “You know that. Just don’t do something crazy that gets us all killed over a woman.”
“You know that I would never do that,” Hawk’s voice is a low rumble as he tries to speak quietly. “I have always put my team first. Semper Fi.”
“Semper Fi!” Deadeye replies with a chuckle. “You know that I will have your six, Hawk. I will do whatever you ask of me.”
“I know,” Hawk replies. “I am in your debt always. Help me take care of her? I trust you like a brother. She’s means something to me.”
“Ok, Hawk. I’ll help you, man.” Deadeye states. “The SEAL team is trying to gather more intel on this group. They have a satellite phone that can’t be intercepted by the gun runners. They have reached out to a friend of theirs. John ‘Tex’ Keegan. He’s a medically retired former SEAL and some kind of computer genius. Wolf said it’s fucking scary the shit this guy can do with technology. Hopefully we will know more soon.”
Hawk walks over to the bed and brushes my hair back from my face and places a gentle kiss on my forehead. He settles back into bed with me. He wraps his arms around me and pulls me close. I sigh because it feels so good. Why would this big badass Marine want to take care of me? I have no idea, but I’m going to let him for now. I’m just to tired, sore, and hurt to fight it. However, I can’t let these brave men get hurt on my account though. So, if it comes down to them getting injured or killed and me going back to my kidnappers. I will have to go back. No questions asked. As bad as it was, somehow knowing that I caused the man behind me to be hurt would be worse than anything I would endure at the hands of my captors.
Hawk gently shakes my shoulders. “Wake up, love. You need to eat.” I open my eyes and look into his intense gaze. It takes my breath to think about what he had said to Deadeye. I try to sit up, but I’m still weak and awkward. He helps me to sit and starts to arrange the food on the tray so we can eat. He takes a fork and scoops up some rice and vegetables. Shock rolls through me when he lifts it to my mouth. He’s feeding me. Opening my mouth, I take in the food. It is really good and warm. It’s the first real food I have had in months. After only a few bites nausea rears its ugly head. Pushing the food away to stifle the bile rising in my throat, I shake my head in protest.
“You haven’t eaten much.” Hawk states with a tone of reprimand in his voice.
“I just can’t. It’s making me feel sick and I don’t want to throw up what I have managed to take in.”
“Ok. We can try again later. Now
we need to get you to the bathroom so you can get cleaned up.” Hawk replies. He begins to clear the food away and untangle the blanket from around my body.
“But you haven’t eaten.” I say. “You need to eat too.”
“I’m fine. I had eaten earlier while you were sleeping. I’ve had enough. Besides you will feel better after a bath and getting your hair washed. I know ladies are obsessive about their hair.” He winks and laughs softly. “I haven’t washed it since the day we got here and I’m sure you wash it more often than that, but with your broken ribs I didn’t want to have to move you too much.”
“You washed my hair!” I exclaim as my face flushes with heat wondering just how much of me, he saw.
“Yes, and the rest of you the day we got here. I had to see where you were hurt, and I couldn’t with all the dirt, blood, and debris on you. I’ve only done the basics since.” Hawk replies without any remorse in his tone. I blush profusely and make a noise of protest. “Look, I know you are probably shocked that strangers gave you a bath while you were unconscious, but I promise you that Deadeye and I were respectful of you. We only did what we had to do in order to take care of your injuries.”
I sit in silence while I contemplate what he has revealed. While my rational mind knows what he said it true, I am still freaked out that he has seen me naked. My face is flushed. My breathing is rapid and shallow. It’s like I’m a teenager again meeting a boy for the first time. His hand touches my chin and raises it, so that I’m forced to meet his gaze.
“I’m not sorry I did what needed to be done, love, but I am sorry that you are upset about it.” Hawk states in a soft voice that is filled with an emotion I can’t fully comprehend.
“It’s…it’s ok.” I whisper. “I was just surprised and a little embarrassed. No one has bathed me since I was a small child. I’m supposed to be the caregiver not the recipient.”
“Nothing to be embarrassed about. Even in the condition you were in, I was hard as brick while I bathed you. I know that sounds unprofessional, but I couldn’t help how my body was responding to yours.” Hawk confesses.
Now my face is on fire. I have never had a man express himself to me so bluntly. The fact that it’s a Marine with a body to rival Adonis is even more overwhelming. I’m afraid I’m going to pass out if I don’t get my breathing under control. Sucking a deep breath in, I hold it for a moment. Huffing it out, I blurt out the first thoughts that come to my mind.
“You can’t say things like that to me when you are supposed to be taking me to get a bath. I won’t be able to think of anything else except your hard on while I’m in the bath.” My voice has risen almost to a squeak by the last sentence.
Hawk belly laughs. “It’s good to know you will be as uncomfortable during your bath as I will be.”
He proceeds to help me up, ignoring my protests. I can’t believe the pain in my chest as I move. The broken ribs obviously have not healed much. Hawk removes my IV fluids and flushes some saline through the line and clamps the lock on the remaining tube left in my arm. Supporting my weight, he leads me to the small bathroom. Without saying a word, he slides the boxer shorts down my legs. He taps my leg for me to step out of them. I can only follow his directions. I can’t speak or even think with him this close to me removing my clothes. He helps me to sit on the toilet and then turns his back.
“I’m sorry to not give you the privacy I’m sure you want, but I’m not taking a chance on you passing out again and hitting your pretty little head. It’s had enough damage to last a lifetime.” Hawk says. He reaches into the bathtub and turns the water on. “Bath or shower?” he inquires as he checks the water temperature with his hand.
“Shower.” I reply weakly.
It takes a minute for me to be able to pee with an audience, but once I’m done, he reaches for the hem of the t-shirt I’m wearing. “Arms up!” he commands. I comply and feel my nipples harden at the sudden draft that wafts over them in the cool room. “Stay.” He again commands. He is taking his clothes off! There is no air in this room. My breaths are shallow and rapid as I watch his clothes come off. I shouldn’t be looking, but I can’t tear my eyes away. His body is bulging with muscles. It’s even more magnificent than I had imagined in my dirty dreams.
His large pectoral muscles standout from his chest. They ripple with his every movement. He has an 8 pack of abs that beg to be touched and they lead down to a V that disappears into his underwear. His thigh muscles ripple as he removes his underwear. Trying not to stare at his dick, I am in awe at how magnificent he is. He is large in comparison to what I have had experience with. He notices me staring.
“I know this is awkward, but we would make a colossal mess if I kept my clothes on while giving you a shower.” Hawk explains as he lifts me up and sets me into the warm spray of the shower. I should protest that I can do it myself, but why would I do that?
Once I am steady on my feet, he steps in behind me. He pushes me back into the down pour of water to wet my hair. He turns me so my back is to him and he begins to lather my hair with shampoo. It feels so good to have someone wash my hair. My body is reacting to the intimate act violently. I begin trembling and I’m not sure how much longer I will be able to stand. Placing my hands on the side of the shower to steady myself, I feel him move closer to me. He puts his arm around me and holds me next to his body as he gently soaps me from head to toe. Once he has rinsed my body and hair, he quickly washes himself and his hair. He reaches behind me to turn off the water. Then he grabs a towel and begins to dry me off then himself. He picks me up as I begin to falter and steps out of the tub. Sitting me on the toilet while he places a clean t-shirt over my head and slips some clean boxer shorts on me.
“Are you alright?” he asks concerned. I just nod. I don’t have it in me to speak. I can’t believe how tired I am from just taking a shower and I didn’t even do anything.
“I’ll be right back I just need to get my clothes on.” He states as he steps out into the bedroom.
I sit there in shock at what has just taken place. No one has ever done anything like that for me before. He was gentle and never touched me in a sexual way, but I have never been more aroused in all my life. My nipples are peaked, and I have already moistened the boxers he placed on me. I am trembling with want and a fluttering in my lower stomach is slowly falling to my sex.
He is back then and sweeps me into his arms gently being mindful of my ribs and carries me to the bed. He lays me down gently and covers my shaking body with the cover. He must think I’m cold from the bath, so I’m not going to tell him any different. He places a hand on my forehead with a concerned frown on his face.
“You don’t feel like you have a fever. It’s too warm in here for you to be cold.” He states. I don’t reply. I just snuggle down into the cover and close my eyes. I’m so weak. The shower has completely depleted my strength. He climbs in the other side of the bed and wraps me in his warmth to still my chills. In moments I am asleep and dreaming of the shower all over again.
Chapter 6
Hawk
“Have we gotten any more intel on the gun runners?” I ask the group of men sitting around Charlotte’s room.
“From what we have gathered, the guys we are after have moved out of the area. The place we attempted to raid the other day when we found Charlotte is one of their hideouts, but those men that were holding her are not part of their crew. They were apparently squatting on their property.” Wolf, head of the SEAL team informs me.
“How’s she doing? Will she be able to travel soon?” Mozart inquires. “We will need to be ready to move once we get word on their location. However, we don’t need to risk her life. We can regroup and even have another team come in to take over if we need to extract her out of here.”
“She’s doing fucking amazing considering her injuries. I know those ribs have to hurt like hell, but she never made a sound when I got her up and made her take a shower.” I inform the group. I feel proud of the woman and her strength. “I�
�m not sure about travel just yet. She was so exhausted from the shower she fell asleep immediately upon hitting the pillow.” A chorus of chuckles sounds around the room.
Sitting on the bed next to her I can’t keep from running my fingers through her soft hair. Deadeye is sitting in the chair next to her bed while the rest of the men from both teams take up chairs around the room. Charlotte’s eyes flutter open and begin to dance around the room, flitting from one alpha male to the next. All of the men on these teams are large, muscle bound men. They are dressed in camo and have weapons strapped to their bodies. They are always alert and ready for anything. It’s comforting to know they will help me keep her safe.
“Good afternoon, love. Are you ready to try and eat again?” I question her as all eyes in the room turn to look at her. She looks overwhelmed at all the testosterone radiating around the room. She tries to sit up while keeping the cover over her chest. She is still very weak, so I assist her into a comfortable position on the bed. The t-shirt I put on her is thin and snug over her breasts. We had cut her bra off when we brought her here, so the shirt is almost obscene. I don’t want anyone else looking at her.
“Yeah, I’ll try.” She says looking around at all the men in the room.
“I will get something warmed up.” Dude a brown headed man from the SEAL team says. He is near the door and heads out it in a flash.
“We are glad you are awake and seem to be feeling better.” Wolf tells her. His concern for her is easy to see. Again, I am thankful to have not only my team, but his as well to help me keep her safe.
“Let me make some introductions.” I tell her. “That’s Deadeye sitting there next to you. The blonde knuckle head behind him is, Straw. Next to him is Mercury, Wallace, Tank, and Ace. Behind them are Virus, Worm, and Hack. We are Marines Special Ops also known as Raiders. The SEAL team is sitting at the foot of the bed. The older guy that just spoke to you is Wolf. He’s their leader. Next to him is Mozart, Abe, Cookie, and Benny. The guy walking in with your food is Dude.”