by Julia Bright
“We do,” Adam called out from the kitchen. She heard a noise behind her and turned to see Adam standing in the doorway. “We’ll operate with night vision, and we’ll use the thermal camera to look into the house before we go in. Trust me, we’ll take precautions.”
“I trust you. I think more than I trust law enforcement, which for me is a huge deal.”
She turned back to the computers, searching for information on this pervert. So far, it looked like the guy really did work alone. They broke for lunch then headed back in, searching for more information.
At three, the guys left. Marissa and Kelsey kept tracking down every word written about the man. They dug deep into his online persona and his real-life issues. He’d been divorced twice, and there was no one else who lived with this bastard. She guessed that made sense because few people would put up with him keeping a child to have sex with.
Close to nine, she was too hungry not to eat, so she made sandwiches for them. They’d brought two computer into the kitchen to keep looking and tracking.
Kelsey put down her sandwich and stared at her. “So how are you doing?”
Marissa thought about saying she was okay, but she wasn’t. The tears developing in her eyes would show Kelsey the truth. She’d tried to hold it together, to be brave, but the cracks were showing. This case put the truth in front of her face. What she’d gone through had been horrible.
“They were going to do to me what is being done to this girl.”
Kelsey nodded. “They were.”
“How can I ever go back to work? I haven’t processed everything, and I know I’ll have to talk to someone. Hell, it’s hard to look in a mirror. They took so much.”
Kelsey’s lips thinned, and her brows narrowed. “Your hair will grow back.”
“I know. And Jackson is great about it all. He’s not said anything negative so far. I just feel like they took me and replaced my soul with someone I don’t recognize.”
Kelsey shook her head. “I know it may feel that way, but you’re still you. Maybe a little changed, but you’re still the woman who would fight for justice.”
Marissa threw her head back and laughed. “I’m knowingly breaking the law just being here.”
“But this is justice. That creep doesn’t deserve to be on the streets. He’s been caught multiple times, and no one will keep him locked up.”
She nodded. “I don’t get that. You know, when we booked a person, we were told to let justice run its course. I couldn’t help but look into some of the cases. Usually, I ignore what happened next. Some cases I was most passionate about ended with the guy getting off.”
“That sucks.”
“At the time, I buckled down and tried to dig deeper and do better, but no matter how hard we work to get the bad guys behind bars and save the good guys, it’s not enough.”
“It’s going to be tough, but I think you’ll make it through this, Marissa. You have heart, and you have spunk. You also have the three of us here to talk to. Canyon rim therapy may help too.”
She lifted her brows, her interest piqued. “Really?”
“We’ve been known to have sex up there.” Kelsey giggle and pushed back from the table and opened the refrigerator. She grabbed the pitcher of tea, the smile still on her face.
“Really? Wouldn’t that be a little uncomfortable?”
“A couple of blankets, the back of the truck, the sun going down and the stars coming out, it’s not uncomfortable. It’s nice. It’s helped Adam.”
“Helped him, how?”
“He has bad PTSD in the past. The war fucked them up. Jackson may not say much, but he’s had a hard time too. Then his dad is an asshole.”
Marissa nodded. “I got that when I met him.”
“Our guys may be big and strong, but inside they are still the boys who want approval. Jackson’s dad will never approve of him. The man is a jerk,” Kelsey said.
“When I was with the family, his dad had nothing but glowing words for Randy and contempt for Jackson. What his dad didn’t know, is Randy was into the drug scene for a while. He never got caught, but the FBI was watching people in that area because it got bad for a while. Randy was one of the guys the agents thought was selling drugs.”
“Really?” Kelsey asked.
“Yes. I haven’t told Jackson yet. I mean things happened, and then I was abducted. There hasn’t been time.”
“You need to tell him soon,” Kelsey said.
“I will. After they get home and Jackson has had a moment of sleep, I’ll tell him.”
“Speaking of the guys, I’ll check in and make sure the police radio for that area is silent.”
A wave of exhaustion hit hard. “I’m going to stretch out on the couch.”
“You could go to bed,” Kelsey said.
She shook her head. “No, I want to know if everything went well on their mission.”
“If there’re any problems, I’ll tell you.”
“Thank you.”
Kelsey gave her a hug before she headed back to the computer room. Marissa stretched out, her mind reeling over events. Too much had happened recently, and she feared nothing would ever go back to normal. This was her life now, the pain, the fear, all of it mixing together to become the dark hole that seemed to be growing in her soul. The only thing that made her feel halfway better was Jackson.
20
Jackson pushed opened the door, praying it didn’t make a sound. He was ready for anything. He had on night vision, and Adam had out the infrared camera. They’d invested in high tech communication devices, like the ones they’d had as Rangers. All they had to do was whisper, and their message would come over loud and clear in the earpiece.
“Clear,” Adam said.
“Going left.” Jackson turned down the hall and headed to the man’s bedroom. They’d walked the perimeter, searching for heat signatures and found two rooms occupied. He guessed the bastard didn’t actually fall asleep with his prisoner because he feared she’d kill him.
Rage bubbled up inside as he thought about this girl. He’d seen the fear in Marissa’s eyes when she talked about the threat of being sold. He understood the girl they were saving today would be traumatized for a long time.
The door to the room where the larger heat bubble lay sleeping was the only thing between him and the bastard now. Anger would make him sloppy. He took a moment to push it away. After a few deep breathes, he opened the door and stepped in. The guy wasn’t in bed though.
“Fuck,” Jackson said before shoving the door hard, knocking into someone. The grunt told him he’d struck the guy hard. He moved fast, reaching for the M9 Bayonet on his thigh before pivoting around the door. The man had his gun out of the holster, but not raised as Jackson pushed his hand up, sinking the knife into his stomach. Shock filled the man’s face, and he dropped his gun. Jackson couldn’t stop with just one strike, he had to hit again. He pulled the knife out, flipped it in his hand and brought it down hard on the guy’s upper chest, sinking it deep.
The door bumped his leg, and he saw Adam there beside him. “Shit.”
“Yeah, shit,” Jackson said as the guy dropped from his hold.
“Let’s go,” Adam said.
“We need to call the cops from his phone.” Jackson moved to the side of the guy’s bed and found his phone. The photo that came up when he clicked the power button was of a child being held down. He wanted to throw up.
Jackson took the phone over to the guy he’d stabbed and used his thumb to open the phone and dial 911. The operator came on, and Adam mumbled something, then covered his mouth to scream. That should get someone out here. It may take a while, but they’d come.
Before leaving, Jackson took the phone to the door where the child was being held, sliding it under the door. Maybe the kid could get out of her bed and talk to the cops.
They left the house, jogging the mile back to where they’d parked. The sound of sirens split the air, drawing closer. He removed his gloves and tossed th
em into a Ziploc bag. They’d brought burner phones with them instead of the phones tied to their names so those would need to go too.
Adam slid into the driver’s seat, and he hopped into the passenger seat. They planned to go the long way to avoid being on the same road as the cops. He sank down in the seat, worry filling him. “Do you think I killed the guy?”
“Maybe. We went in clean and came out clean. There isn’t a trail on us. We haven’t stopped, and no one saw us on the road until now.”
“Shit, I didn’t mean to kill him.”
“I know. He attacked you. I can’t say I’d be sad if he were dead. This man destroyed lives.”
“I’ll send a note to Kelsey, telling her we’re on our way home.” Jackson reached for the phone in the console and typed out a text that said they were done, but no specifics were given. They were all using burners, but there was no reason to get lazy.
Two hours later, they were pulling up to the house. Someone had left the porch lights on. Marissa would be waiting for him, and that thought made him happy. His chest swelled with pride as he thought of her. He didn’t deserve her. She was too good.
Jackson stepped into the quiet house, seeing the light over the stove was on and one down the hall. He turned to put his bag down when he spied Marissa on the couch. Jackson needed to clean up first, so he went to the laundry room and stripped, tossing the blood-stained clothes into the washer. He dropped in two soap pods and sprinkled in about a cup of some power Kelsey said would help get rid of any blood residue. Maybe he should toss the shirt, but it was black, and no stains would show.
He showered and washed fast but wasn’t quick enough. After rinsing the shampoo from his hair, he looked up and saw Marissa removing her shirt. She stepped into the space and took the soap, rubbing it over his chest then lower. He stirred to life as she stroked him with her soap covered hands.
“Thank you,” he choked out before his lips met hers in a fiery kiss.
Marissa tilted her head, changing the angle. His tongue went deeper as he pulled her closer, trapping his cock between their bodies. He slowly pumped his hips, praying he didn’t hurt her. She didn’t stiffen and didn’t jerk back, so he kept moving. He needed to feel all of her, but she was still injured. Guilt filled him. The last thing he wanted was to hurt her more than she already was.
Using every ounce of control he had, he softened the kiss and took a step back. She complained as water rushed over his body when he stepped back into the spray.
He met her gaze and shook his head. “You still have significant bruises.”
“I need to feel you.”
“Not in the shower where your body is slick. I could easily hurt you in here. That’s the last thing I’d ever want to do. You’re too precious to me.”
She sighed, and he cupped her chin, tilting her head back. Their gazes held and his heart expanded.
“I care too much about you to hurt you. Let me finish rinsing, and we can go see how gentle I can be while I make love to you in our bed.”
Her lips turned up, and he couldn’t keep from kissing her. She tasted so good and felt right in his arms. His cock ached, and his balls pulled up at the thought of sliding into her.
When he pulled back this time, he felt like his heart had stayed with her. Slowly, they’d been weaving connections together, and now, those feelings were entrenched. He didn’t want to ever find out how his life would be if they separated.
“I’m falling for you, Marissa.”
“Really? I’m bruised and battered. I look like shit. My hair was chopped off. I have scars on my scalp where hair will never grow back. I look terrible.”
He shook his head then reached around and cut off the water. The towels were right beside the shower, and he grabbed two, wrapping her up in one before drying himself off.
“What I say is serious. I don’t want you thinking I don’t mean this. You see, Marissa, it’s not your hair or how you look, it’s you. If you lost your hair forever, if you were scarred or if something else happened, I would still love you. You could change your outward appearance a hundred times, I’d be fine with it. I love you, not your hair or how you look.”
“You love me?” She stared up at him, her eyes wide with disbelief.
“Yeah, I know we haven’t been together long, but I have these feelings for you. You’re more than a pretty face, and you’re more than some badass. You’re an amazing person who challenges me to be better. I love you.”
She reached up and cupped his cheeks. “I’ve put my career first for so long, and then this happened. I never thought I’d have the chance to fall in love. I’m so screwed up. When I was in that house, all I could think about was you, how I felt about you. I know without any doubt what I feel for you is love. I just need to get my head on straight.”
“Babe, I have no doubt we were meant to be together. You’ve had some wild and crazy things happen. No pressure. But know this, I love you. If your hair never grew back, you’d still be the same wonderful person I love.”
She surprised him by moving fast, wrapping her arms around him, her cheek pressed against his chest. He felt the tears flow. He needed to be patient with her. He was excited to have her back he wasn’t thinking about how much trauma she’d been through.
After a short moment, she leaned back and met his gaze. “Please make love to me now.”
“Are you sure?”
“Yes, I need to feel you.”
In a quick move, he reached behind her legs and picked her up, carrying her to their bed. She was light as a feather, and it scared him. She’d lost too much weight while she’d been in captivity.
She pulled back the covers after he placed her on the bed and he watched as she removed her towel, tossing it to the floor. He hated the faded bruises, the cuts, the scabs, but he loved having her home. He was caught in a balance of rage directed at the men who’d caused her harm, and delight because she was with him. He knew there would be no cure, no easy fix.
He knelt on the bed and their gazes connected. Awe filled him. Marissa was so strong. His emotions grew deeper, and he lowered, kissing her bruised ribs, then the bruise on her hip. He sat back, wondering how he could be gentle enough to not hurt her.
Her brows creased. “What’s that look for?”
“I want to make sure I don’t hurt you. You’re so bruised.”
“I’ll be fine. It’s not as bad as it was before.”
“I know, but I still don’t want to hurt you.”
She cupped his cheeks and pulled him down for a kiss. “I’ll be fine.”
He had an idea. “How about you roll to your side?”
Marissa’s lips turned up in a seductive smile before she rolled over. Her ass looked so good he lowered and kissed the curve before licking up her spine.
“You turn me on so much. I’ve thought about making love to you again so many times.”
He lined up, adjusting to make sure he wouldn’t hurt her. His heart ached for her. She’d been through so much. Her body beaten, her mind tortured, and yet, here she was. He loved her, no question, and he would be patient, allowing her to recover fully.
He slid in and pleasure washed over him. Every day, he’d make sure this woman knew she was cherished.
Marissa arched her back, pressing her ass against his hips. She groaned, and he stilled. “More,” she begged.
With slow, deliberate moves, he made love to her. He reached around, finding her clit, taking her higher. He was about to burst, and he wanted this harder and faster, but she was injured. When she came, her muscles tensed. She shouted his name into the pillow. He came a moment later, his body shaking as he fought to restrain himself and not hurt her.
After they finished, they lay in silence, her stroking his arm, him staring at her bruised body, wondering how long it would take for her to heal.
“How did it go tonight?”
A lump formed in his throat and he swallowed over it, knowing his answer might make her upset. “I might have kil
led him.”
She turned, her gaze finding his. “What?”
He blew out a breath, wishing things had turned out differently. “He heard us and woke up. When I opened the door to his bedroom, he jumped me. I had to use my knife, and I struck him twice.”
“Jesus, you could go to jail for this.”
“I know. But that girl is safe.”
“This is…”
“What?”
She huffed out a breath and shook her head. “It’s not that I don’t agree with what you are doing here, it’s just going to take me a while to get used to it.”
He nodded. “I get that.”
She rolled over, facing the wall and worry filled him. What if she turned them in? He’d put Adam and Kelsey at risk by bringing her here. But she’d promised she wouldn’t turn them in. He had to believe she would keep her promises. Life was messy, and he wished it would just get easier, but he had little doubt that wouldn’t happen anytime soon.
21
Slowly, Marissa was feeling like herself. Each day at the ranch made her think less and less of the asshole who’d captured her, and more and more of a future where she was happy. Marissa had found a therapist in town and had met with her each day for the last week. The doctor in Cheyenne had checked her out, assuring Jackson she wasn’t suffering from any internal bleeding, just soreness from being bruised.
The FBI wanted her to come in and do a full rundown of what happened. A part of her didn’t want to head back to DC, but she couldn’t have the FBI come here. They already suspected Kelsey and Adam had done something. If they looked too deeply, they’d find evidence, and this would all be over. She would have to leave in the morning. Jackson had insisted he travel with her. At first she’d said no, but honestly, she wanted Jackson by her side.
For dinner that evening, Adam had smoked meat, and they had a feast on the screened-in porch out back. They laughed and talked, having a great time telling stories. Her love for Jackson had grown each day. She felt more in control now, no longer like she would fall apart at any moment.