“So tell me,” he said, and she tried to focus on his words and stop thinking about his raw masculinity. “Why is this personal to you?”
Haylee blinked. Heat flared in her cheeks and she thanked God he couldn’t see her face right now. And then it hit her what he was talking about. Mexico. The cartel. Why she was here. Not why she was taking a personal interest in him.
She pushed trembling hands down her jeans, smoothing fabric that didn’t need smoothing. “My best friend. She got a hold of some fake opioid pills—and she died.”
“I’m sorry to hear that.”
Haylee sucked in a breath. Why had she told him? But it didn’t feel wrong. Not at all.
“Thank you. Nicole was a good person. She had shoulder surgery and she got addicted to the pain pills when it didn’t heal quite right. Not because the surgeon did anything wrong. It was just her physiology. She’d get clean, then she’d start using again. But the doctors stopped prescribing the pills to her—so she found another way.”
His hand entwined with hers. Squeezed. She liked it.
“She had everything to live for, Wolf. She shouldn’t have died. And she wouldn’t have if the pills had been normal.”
He squeezed again softly. “You don’t know that. Opioids are dangerous even when they aren’t fake.”
Her throat ached. “I know. But she’d beat it before. She could have beat it again.”
“Maybe so.” He sighed. Let go of her hand. She felt the loss much more sharply than she would have liked. Why did his touch matter? She hardly knew him. “My sister is a user,” he said, surprising her. “She hurt her back getting thrown from a horse and then she had a baby and injured it further. She’s in and out of rehab. Her husband left her. Just fucking disappeared. The kids are in state custody, though my parents keep trying to get them…” He shook his head. “Sorry. Shit, that’s not what you wanted to hear. This isn’t about me.”
She rushed to reassure him. “No, it’s fine. Really. And I’m sorry, Dean. Sorry you know what it’s like to have a loved one addicted. It’s not easy.”
“No. My parents—their whole focus is those kids. Taylor and Jack. They’re six and four. But my parents are older, and Cheryl lives in California, so getting the kids isn’t just a matter of being their closest relatives and being willing to take them.There are a lot of hoops to jump through.”
It was her turn to reach for him. She squeezed his arm. “I know it’s difficult. You must be so angry.”
“Fucking pissed. But there’s nothing I can do about it.”
“You feel helpless.”
“Yeah. And considering what I do for a living, it’s not something I’m used to feeling.”
No, she didn’t imagine that was easy for a guy like him.
“All right, everybody up,” the guy Wolf had called Saint said as he got to his feet. “We’ve still got some ground to cover before the night is over.”
Chapter Four
Wolf didn’t know why he’d told Haylee those things. Talking about his sister and her addiction wasn’t something he did. It was too personal, too painful. He and Cheryl were only a year apart in age and they’d been close growing up. He was older and he’d taken his big brother duties seriously. Cheryl had been so tiny that he’d felt protective of her, even when they were small and he was supposed to be picking on her instead. He’d saved his aggression for the neighborhood boys and guarded his baby sister like a bloodhound.
Fat lot of good it had done since he ultimately couldn’t save her from herself. Cheryl had been so petite and pretty that she always got her way. Even with his parents. She’d had scarlet fever as a child and she’d nearly died. From then on, his parents indulged her more than they disciplined her. She’d always been so sweet-natured that it hadn’t seemed to matter.
But then, when she got old enough and wanted to start riding horses, they’d told her no. They simply couldn’t afford it. So Cheryl had put that dream on hold until she’d started working as a teen and could pay for her own lessons. She’d done great and she’d been so excited when she’d started riding barrel racers.
Then came the ugly fall when a horse landed on her during a run and broke her back. She’d only been nineteen. He’d been in the Army by then and hadn’t been home when it happened. She’d gotten through with painkillers and rehab, but she hadn’t ridden again. Then she met her ass-wipe of a husband and got pregnant, and her back pain flared up once more. She’d had such a hard time going to term. As if once wasn’t enough, she’d done it again.
Wolf still didn’t know where the breakdown happened. He didn’t know when she’d started using or what’d happened between her and Bo. He only knew that Bo was a deadbeat dad and Cheryl was too lost to pull herself out this time. He hadn’t known it was happening, and he’d feel guilty about that for the rest of his life. She hadn’t told him.
The first he’d heard of her relapse was when his parents called to tell him a month ago that the state had taken the kids and Cheryl was in rehab. She’d been using meth of all fucking things. In front of her children. She wasn’t the same girl he’d known. They’d grown apart when he’d joined the military and left Iowa. He wasn’t there to protect her anymore, and he didn’t know how to get that girl back again. Or even if he could.
He’d consulted a military attorney who’d explained there was very little he could do. So he sent money home to his parents, who’d hired a lawyer of their own to help them get custody of the kids. Wolf made good money with combat pay so he could afford it. He didn’t buy things for himself. Why would he? His needs were few and he had enough. Clothes, food, a roof over his head, his truck. His medical care was courtesy of the US Government.
He still had enough discretionary income to go out with his friends. And sex was free—or no more than the cost of a couple of drinks or a meal. He was content with his life. He didn’t need more. He didn’t have time for more.
The team moved through the darkness of the jungle with the hostages, not turning on lights in case the cartel was tracking them up the mountain. In truth, Echo didn’t know where the cartel might have men stationed, or how determined they were to regain the hostages. They’d lost twenty men in that camp, and they’d probably lost a couple more in the gun battle on the river. How much risk were they willing to take? Maybe none, but it was hard to know that.
Wolf and his teammates stayed on alert as they started down the other side of the mountain. Saint called another halt for a few minutes once they were on the downhill side. Cindy moaned as she fell onto her rear and Gem hunkered down beside her, saying something in a low voice while she nodded. Then he reached into his pack and withdrew a syringe of painkiller, injecting her with it while she turned her face and cried softly.
The rest of the hostages were holding up. They talked in quiet voices and some went over to sit with Cindy once Gem finished with her. Haylee dropped to the ground and stretched her legs in front of her as Wolf sank down beside her.
“You okay?”
She looked up at him, the moonlight catching her eyes. They glistened with what he thought might be tears. His heart clenched. Odd reaction to have for a woman he didn’t know.
“Yes, fine. Just tired. How much farther?”
“Two hours to make the drop zone in time. More than that and we’ll shelter in the jungle until nightfall.”
She smiled at him and something kicked him in the gut. What the hell was going on here?
“That’s a pretty good non-answer, Dean.”
He snorted. “It’s not a non-answer. Two hours to make the pick up. If we don’t, we’re stuck for another twelve hours.”
Which wasn’t ideal. The sooner they got these people out of there, the safer they’d be.
She stretched her arms forward, grabbing onto her feet and pulling herself downward. Flexible. Hmm…
Stop.
“Two hours sounds better than three miles through dense jungle. That’s what I meant. You phrased it in time rather than distanc
e.”
“Honestly? Distance isn’t the important part of the equation. Time is.”
“Will we make the distance in two hours?”
He glanced over at the knot of people around Cindy. “Maybe.”
Haylee was smart enough to know what he meant. “She’s done incredibly,” she said, pitching her voice low. “For someone suffering so much.”
“Yes. She’s not a quitter. That’s the most important quality she needs right now. It’s more than some people have.”
“Is this what you do all the time? Go and get people out of bad situations?”
“Not all the time.” They also went after terrorists, drug dealers, and human traffickers. Not that he was going to tell her that. It was too much information for a civilian—a reporter—to have. “We go where we’re sent.”
“Well, I’m glad they sent you here tonight. I don’t think we’d have lasted much longer.”
No, they definitely would not have. The religious group the dentists and assistants came from was big by church standards but not so huge they could afford to pay a large ransom. When the demand came in, the church had gotten the authorities involved. How HOT got the assignment Wolf didn’t know. But it was good they had.
“So what are you going to do when you get back home?” he asked.
Haylee brought her knees up and hugged them. “I don’t know… but I do know I’m not giving up on this story yet.”
He didn’t like that. “Don’t come back here, Haylee.”
“I won’t. But there’s so much more to know, and I’m not quitting. Nicole deserves better.”
“That’s your friend?”
“Yes.” She let out a sigh. “I miss her. She got cheated out of so much in life.”
Wolf put a hand on her shoulder. “I know. And I’m sorry.”
She put her hand on his. He liked the feel of her warm palm on his skin. “I’m sorry about your sister, too. I hope she gets the help she needs. I hope she can break free.”
Wolf didn’t let the despair get to him. Not out here. Not now. But it was there, simmering away like a cancer. “I hope so too.”
Saint stood and Wolf levered to his feet and held out his hand to help her up. “Come on, Haylee. Time to get moving again.”
She put her small hand in his and he closed his fingers around it, feeling a wave of protectiveness toward her. He tugged her up, resisting the urge to tug her against his body and place a quick kiss on her forehead. Since when did he give in to sickly sweet gestures like that anyway?
Before he could do anything idiotic, he let her go. They stood there in the dark, breathing each other in, saying nothing. Then the column began to move and the spell was broken. Wolf shouldered his rifle and doubled down on his determination to get this group of people to the pick up zone on time. Once that happened, this mission was over. He’d never see Haylee Jamison again.
Haylee trudged through the darkness with Wolf behind her. In front of her the column moved steadily. Behind her too. But it was only Wolf she was aware of. What was this fascination she had with the guy? Deprivation, maybe?
She hadn’t dated in so long now. The last guy she’d gone out with was more than a year ago. She’d just been so focused on her work and on building her reputation as a writer. She wanted to work for a major newspaper. It would make her mom so proud. And it would be the fulfillment of a lifelong dream.
She’d been focused, building her portfolio, working for the paper who’d hired her to cover Hill affairs, taking on freelance jobs. Anything to get the experience she needed to apply to a place like the Post or the Times. She’d tried them when she’d arrived in town, but they weren’t impressed with her resume at that point.
She’d dated a couple of guys here and there, but no one seriously. She couldn’t even remember the last time she’d had sex. In fact, in spite of her body’s obvious interest in Dean, aka Wolf, she didn’t think she’d ever had truly memorable sex with anyone. It was always vaguely disappointing, even if she did manage to get off.
And yet her body was incredibly attuned to the man behind her. He touched her to offer comfort and her skin tingled. He occasionally caught her when she stumbled, and her entire body went up in flame.
Seriously, her hormones must be out of balance. That was all it could be. Because Haylee had never in her life had sex with a man she’d only just met. She’d never even wanted to. But she thought, if the circumstances were different, she wouldn’t mind being naked with Wolf even though she didn’t know him.
In fact, it was those thoughts that kept her going. She didn’t know how far they walked, or how long it took, but suddenly they were on a plateau. The moon shone down, illuminating the vast field of rock and scrub, which was so different from the jungle they’d emerged from. The sky was beginning to lighten off to the east, the first fingers of pink starting to creep above the horizon. Haylee’s heart leapt into her throat as she spun to Wolf.
“Did we make it?”
He grinned, his teeth flashing white in the gloom. “Yeah, we made it.”
“Oh holy cow. Thank God.”
The former hostages milled about. Saint told them to rest and they plopped onto the ground with groans and sighs. She noticed the commandos didn’t drop their guard though. They kept their weapons at the ready and turned in steady circles, scanning the area. The group wasn’t completely exposed, as there were rocks and small trees, but it felt more open than what they’d come from.
It only took fifteen minutes before the faint sound of something stirring the air reached them. It didn’t sound like an aircraft at all. And yet the military men looked up and began to urge them to rise.
“Are they coming?” Haylee asked. “To rescue us?”
“Yes,” Wolf told her. “Two Black Hawks. Just a few more minutes and we’ll be airborne.”
Haylee chewed the inside of her lip. Once they were on those helicopters, that was it. They were out of here and she might not see him again. He might get on a different helicopter than she did. And why not? They weren’t on a date. He’d done nothing except talk to her throughout the night. It meant nothing more than that.
“Thank you,” she said, her heart throbbing in her chest.
“We aren’t there yet, Haylee,” he said, sounding slightly amused. Teasing.
“If I… If I don’t see you again,” she began.
He tilted his head to the side. “We’re getting on a helicopter together.”
“Yes, well… I mean this is it, right? We’ll be safe and you’ll go rescue somebody else.”
“Yeah, we’ll go rescue somebody else. But not right away. Still, when we get to the base in El Salvador, that’ll probably be the last time we see you.”
There was a knot in her throat. How silly. “I just wanted to say thank you. You saved me—not only in general, but also from the man who attacked me. If you hadn’t been there…” She didn’t like to think of it.
He skimmed his fingers along her cheek and she bit back a gasp. “I was there. Any of us would have done it, but it was me and I’m glad. You’re lovely, Haylee. You deserve to be cherished by a guy who knows how to do that, not attacked by a rapist asshole. Later, once you’ve thought about everything that happened for a bit, you might be sickened by what I did to him.”
She shook her head vehemently and then regretted it because his hand fell away. “I won’t. Really, I won’t.”
“That’s good.”
The helicopters were closer now. They weren’t loud, not at all. Not like she’d expected. But they disturbed the air around them enough that if you knew they were coming you’d notice it.
And then the first one was there, dropping out of the sky and hovering just above the ground. The second one dropped down as well, staying clear of the first.
“Follow your leader to the helicopter he takes you to,” Saint directed. “Do exactly as he tells you and we’ll be on our way in moments, ladies and gentlemen. Stay in the same orderly line you’ve been in. No runn
ing toward the craft. No scrambling onboard. Do as you’re told.”
Haylee saw the guy with Cindy bend down to pick her up. Her arms went around his neck as he sprinted toward the helicopter. The rest of the group followed the men they’d been with, splitting evenly between the aircraft. The helicopter was higher off the ground than Haylee had expected. She halted, unsure of herself, but Wolf’s hands closed around her waist and then she was being tossed up to the man who hung over the side, waiting for her. He grabbed her wrists and pulled her in and then Wolf was up, falling onto the seat beside her. Haylee trembled as her gaze slipped over the metal interior, the soldiers in uniform, the pilots up in the cockpit as they controlled the craft and kept it hovering.
A few moments later, the rotors began to beat faster and the helicopter pitched forward, lifting into the air with startling speed. Haylee turned her head to look at the landscape below, the plateau and the jungle, the mountain they’d crossed. It was still dark over the terrain, but the higher they went, the more pink filled the sky from the bottom up. Her heart beat fast and tears sprang to her eyes as the enormity of everything she’d been through hit her.
She could have died. She was still alive, thanks to these men. Thanks to the man beside her. She focused on his profile, studied the hard line of his nose and chin. His face was still hidden, covered in greasepaint, but then he turned and those pale eyes speared into her.
“You’re welcome,” he shouted over the thwopping of the rotors.
Chapter Five
The flight to El Salvador didn’t take long. Haylee thought they must have been in the air for an hour or so. She didn’t have her phone or computer anymore so time was kind of relative. Her luggage was lost forever, which made her sad because her mother had given her the set as a college graduation present. But the sun steadily rose in the sky and the fingers of pink turned to flame as the sun slipped over the horizon. Considering she hadn’t been sure she’d ever see that again, she was overcome with happiness.
HOT Justice: A Hostile Operations Team - Book 14 Page 4