by Susan Stoker
And it wasn’t a physical attraction, at least not at the moment. Casey was perfectly aware of how awful she looked. She smelled, was covered in dirt and who knew what else, her hair was in knots on her head, and she had so much grime under her nails, she wasn’t sure she’d ever be able to remove it all. She wasn’t thinking about sex in the least. But somehow, Beatle had looked beyond all the dirt and grime and seen her.
The second she’d looked into his eyes, Casey had known everything was going to be all right. She figured it was because he’d been the one to rescue her. The first person she’d seen after being trapped deep in the ground. A psychologist somewhere would probably tell her it was a result of her captivity and being rescued, but Casey wasn’t sure about that.
They had an emotional connection. She trusted him, and not just because he was on her brother’s team. He’d been gentle with her, but she wasn’t an idiot. She’d seen the anger simmering in his eyes when he’d talked about making someone pay for kidnapping her. She knew he’d probably killed before, and would again. But instead of that making her wary, it drew her closer to him. Like a moth to a flame. She almost needed that banked fury as much as she needed his gentleness. Needed to know if push came to shove, if her kidnappers popped up in the middle of the jungle to take her again, he’d be able to protect her as he claimed he would.
While she’d been thinking about the men around her, they’d obviously been planning their next steps. She’d missed most of the conversation, but blinked when she heard her brother say her name.
“Casey?”
She raised her eyebrows at him in question. Her voice was slowly returning now that she’d had water, but she wasn’t willing to push it.
“Are you okay with all this?”
Embarrassed to admit she’d been daydreaming, she instinctively looked for Beatle.
He was standing a couple feet away, but as if he felt her gaze on him, he turned toward her. He immediately put his hand on the small of her back and asked, “What’s up?”
“I was just asking Casey if she was okay with everything.”
Since she had no idea what was going on, she looked up at Beatle and willed him to understand what she was asking without words.
As if he really could read her mind, he summed up what she’d missed. “Your brother and Ghost are going to San José. They’ll meet with the authorities and get clearance for all of us to leave the country. Blade has a copy of your birth certificate and—”
“You do?” Casey asked incredulously, turning to her brother.
“Yeah, sis. I wasn’t sure what was going on down here, but assumed your passport and other identification would be gone. So I figured it would help speed up the process of getting the fuck out of Costa Rica if I brought a copy of your birth certificate with me.”
“You didn’t know if you’d find me though,” she protested.
Casey felt Beatle take a step back as her brother moved into her space. “The fuck I didn’t. I wasn’t leaving this country without you.”
Tears she hadn’t been able to shed welled up in her eyes. She hadn’t hydrated enough for them to actually fall, but they were there.
Blade took her in his arms once more. She wrapped her own around his waist and gave him her weight. She was tired, so tired.
Once again, she felt a hand at her back, and knew it was Beatle. He continued the explanation. “Blade and Ghost will arrange things so there’s a doctor waiting for us at the capital city. Hollywood, Fletch, and Coach are going to stay a couple miles ahead of us as we make our way to Guacalito, before we all go to San José. We’ll stay in contact via radio. They’ll make sure our route is clear.”
Casey understood what Beatle was saying. In case any of the kidnappers were lying in wait, the other Deltas would take care of them. And if necessary, tell Beatle what spots to avoid.
“Me and Truck will stay with you,” Beatle finished.
Casey let out the breath she’d been holding. She hadn’t realized how important it was to be able to stay with Beatle. She let go of her brother and turned to face him. “How long?”
“How long will it take for us to get to Guacalito?” Beatle clarified.
Casey nodded.
“I don’t know. It depends on you. If it was just us, even without the chopper, and if we were pushing it, we could probably make it by morning.”
Casey’s eyes got big and Beatle grinned. “Yeah, but now that you’re safe, we don’t have to go that fast.”
“I want out of here.”
“I know you do, Case, but you’re also not at your best. I’m not going to make you sicker by pushing it. I could carry you, but we all agreed that it’d be better if you walked on your own two feet.”
Casey’s brows came down in question. It wasn’t that she wanted to be carried for however many miles it was to Guacalito, but she wasn’t sure what Beatle was saying.
One of his hands came up and his warm palm slid under her gnarly hair and cupped the back of her neck. She was sweaty, and couldn’t believe he’d willingly, without any kind of sign he found her repulsive, put his hands on her like he was. “We figured you’d feel less like a victim if you found the strength to leave on your own. You didn’t have a choice about being brought here, but you’ve got a choice about how you leave.”
Casey thought about that for a second and realized Beatle was right. Suddenly she wanted to show her kidnappers that they hadn’t broken her. She didn’t need to be carried anywhere by anyone. Fuck them. She’d walk out of the jungle with her head held high.
“I’m walking,” she informed Beatle.
A look of satisfaction—and pride?—moved across his features before he nodded. “Right. So, me and Truck will stay with you. And the others will do their thing. The second we get to Guacalito, we’ll head to San José, and then home to the States.”
Suddenly realizing she hadn’t even thought about her students, Casey asked, “Astrid, Jaylyn, and Kristina are safe?”
“Yes. They’re on their way back to Florida as we speak.”
Sagging in relief, Casey nodded.
“So you’re okay with all this?” Blade asked from her right.
Casey turned her head, aware of the slide of Beatle’s fingers as they left her nape. She shivered in reaction, but did her best to hide it. “Yeah.”
“You’re okay with me not being with you?”
“You’re always with me,” she told her brother with conviction. “Every second those assholes had me, you were with me. So yeah, I’m okay with you going ahead and arranging things so I can get the fuck out of here. I have a feeling you’d get annoyed with my slow pace anyway. You’re always bugging me to hurry up.”
It was the most she’d said since being pulled out of the ground, and by the end of her little speech, her voice had turned raspy again, but she wanted to reassure her brother that she didn’t mind if he wasn’t by her side. She’d never tell him she didn’t want him there, but it was true. Casey knew she’d only held up as well as she had so far because of adrenaline and a deep desire to get away from where she’d been held. She didn’t want her strong, larger-than-life brother to see her weak.
As if he could read her mind, Blade merely nodded and tugged her into his arms for one last hug. “Stay strong, sis,” he said softly. “I didn’t come all the way down here for you to keel over now.”
She smiled up at him, as she knew he wanted her to, and slugged him lightly on the arm. “Shut up,” she complained. “You aren’t getting rid of me that easily.”
Blade took a deep breath and nodded at Beatle behind him. Casey felt the other man’s hands grip both her biceps but didn’t turn around to look at him. She felt the warmth from his body against her back as she watched the other five men get ready to hike out ahead of them.
“We’ll check in every hour,” Hollywood told Beatle and Truck.
“One click for all-clear and two for danger,” Coach added. “If there’s trouble, we’ll switch to the emergency channe
l for details.”
“Stay safe, guys,” Truck said.
And just like that, Casey was alone in the jungle with Truck and Beatle.
She supposed she should’ve been nervous, but all she felt was relief. She sagged in Beatle’s arms.
“Do you think you can continue on for a bit more?” Beatle asked from behind her.
Casey looked up and saw Truck standing in front of her. She should’ve felt smothered, with all the muscles and testosterone surrounding her, but instead it bolstered her flagging energy.
“Yeah.”
Truck eyed her critically, then looked over her head at his teammate. “An hour, max,” he said firmly.
Casey opened her mouth to protest, but closed it just as fast. An hour seemed like an eternity, the way she was feeling, but she could do it. Hell, she’d just survived essentially being buried alive. An hour-long stroll in the jungle was child’s play.
The canteen she’d been drinking out of appeared in front of her. Without thought, Casey grabbed it and immediately brought it up to her mouth. She’d never turn down water again. Never.
Too soon, Beatle gently took it away from her and Casey resisted pouting like a six-year-old. She needed the water, yes, but Beatle was being smart, making sure she didn’t get too much at a time.
She’d munched on a couple of granola bars earlier, and Beatle handed her another.
“You’ve done well in keeping food and water down, so we’ll try one more. Your body is going to require lots of small meals rather than a few large ones for a while. One hour, Case. Then we’ll stop for the night. I’ll make you some dinner, see if I can’t find someplace for you to clean up, and Truck’ll get you settled with an IV. You’ll feel like a new woman in the morning. Swear.”
“A shower?” Casey asked, looking up at Beatle with big eyes behind the sunglasses she still wore.
Beatle chuckled, and for the first time since she’d met him, Casey could hear true humor in the sound. “You are such a girl,” he teased. “I’m not sure about an actual shower, but hopefully we can find some water to clean up with, because sweetheart, you stink.”
A bark of laughter escaped her mouth before she could call it back. It wasn’t like he was saying anything that wasn’t true. She did stink, but she teased right back, “You’re not much of a gentleman for saying it out loud.”
A finger came out and put pressure on her chin, lifting her face up to his. “I told you before that I wasn’t leaving your side, Casey. And in case you didn’t realize it, I stink too. Whatever funk was in that hole is all over me now, because of the way I’ve held you in my arms. So I’ll be finding us both a place to get clean.”
Casey blinked. Was he coming on to her? It was hard to tell. His face held no humor but she also didn’t see any lust behind his eyes. It relieved her. If he was thinking sexual thoughts in this kind of situation, she didn’t know that she wanted anything to do with him.
Again, proving he could read her easily, he dropped his finger and took a step away. “I might not leave your side, but I am a gentleman. I’d never do anything to make you uncomfortable. Besides, this fucking jungle is the last place I’d try to seduce you.”
“But you are going to try to seduce me?” The question came out without thought. Her eyes swung to where Truck had been standing, only to see he’d moved away and was messing with one of the packs each of the Deltas had been wearing.
She felt Beatle’s breath on her ear when he leaned into her and, without touching her, he said, “Oh yeah, sweetheart. There will be seduction in our future. When you’re ready for me, I’ll be there.”
“I’m scared I might never be ready,” she admitted softly.
“Did they touch you?” Beatle asked in a harsh tone. “Were you raped?”
Casey appreciated how he came right out and asked. He didn’t beat around the bush nor look at her with pity. It made it easier to talk about what had happened.
“No. They pretty much left us alone. I thought for sure that would be the first thing that would happen, but the only interaction we had with anyone was when they brought food and water into the hut. When they took me away from the others after telling them my ransom had been paid, they immediately dumped me in that hole. No one said anything about what was going on, and no one touched me.”
“Thank fuck,” Beatle breathed. Then his intense gaze met hers once more. He reached out and slipped the sunglasses down her nose so he could see her eyes. “You’re going to be fine, sweetheart. I won’t lie though, the next few weeks are probably going to suck. Nightmares, flashbacks, feeling as if you’re being watched…but you’ll get through it. Wanna know how I know?”
“How?” she whispered, not able to look away from him. It was if he were a magnet and she a piece of steel.
“Because you’re related to Blade. And he’s the strongest son of a bitch I’ve ever met.”
Casey’s lips twitched. “Okay.”
“Okay,” he agreed. “So after you’ve visited with a counselor and worked through this shit in your head, I’ll be there. Hell, I’ll be there while you’re doing that, but when you’re ready—really ready—all you have to do is crook your finger and you’ll have me at your mercy.”
Casey smiled. The man in front of her would never be at anyone’s mercy, but it was a nice thought.
“Yeah, sweetheart, you don’t realize it yet, but you will. All you have to do is ask, and I’d move heaven and earth to do whatever it is you want and need.”
Blinking in surprise—she’d never get used to the way he could seem to read her mind—Casey merely shook her head.
“So…ready to go find that shower or bath I promised?”
Casey nodded.
He pushed the sunglasses back up her nose and bent to grab his own pack. He shrugged it on, not taking his eyes from her. When he was ready, he reached for her hand and nodded at his friend. “Lead the way, Truck.”
With a knowing smile, the larger man simply turned his back on them and they were off.
Casey felt like shit and wasn’t sure she could make it to wherever Truck was leading them, but when Beatle squeezed her hand, she took a deep breath and shored up her flagging inner strength. She wasn’t being held against her will. She wasn’t buried in a hole. She was free and on her way home. She could do this.
“Strong as fucking steel,” Beatle murmured from beside her.
As if his praise and pride were shots of adrenaline, Casey immediately felt better. Stronger. She could totally do an hour. Maybe two.
Chapter Five
Thirty minutes later, Beatle knew Casey wasn’t going to make it another minute. It really was amazing she’d managed to go as far as she had since leaving the village. They’d been taking it very slowly, in deference to her, but she needed to stop. She needed tending. She was limping badly and her movements were sluggish. He mentally cursed the Costa Rican government for denying them a helicopter. Truth of the matter was, Casey needed a hospital. Yes, she was strong, but no one could go through what she had and not need to see a doctor.
With merely a chin lift to his teammate, which Truck immediately understood, both men began to look for a place to camp for the night. It was early afternoon, but Casey’s health was more important than going farther at the moment.
He turned Casey into him and, without protest, she gave him her body weight. They were chest to chest and she was panting as if they’d just run a marathon. Beatle wrapped his arms around her waist as she limply leaned against him. “Truck is going to find us a place to camp.”
She nodded against his chest.
He grit his teeth together when she didn’t resist. He instinctively knew that wasn’t like her. That at full strength, Casey would insist she could keep going another ten miles. And that she probably could. But she was done.
He was impressed she’d made it this far. No way she should’ve been able to. Not after all she’d been through. As he stood in the middle of the jungle and waited for Truck to return aft
er reconnoitering the area, he thought about her ordeal.
Something was off about it all. Nothing had happened the way they’d expected. After listening to the short interview with the other women, and hearing the bits and pieces of what Casey had said, this kidnapping was unlike any they’d ever been involved in before.
There were no ransom demands.
The ambassador only raised the alarm when he hadn’t heard from his daughter. She’d been calling home every night, but when two days passed without a word, he knew something was wrong. If he hadn’t acted immediately, it would’ve been a hell of a lot longer before anyone realized the women were missing.
The women weren’t raped.
Beatle was relieved about that, but again, it wasn’t normal. Rape was a common torture technique and tended to make women captives very compliant.
The established village they were found in.
Most experienced kidnappers either stayed on the move or had a heavily fortified compound they brought their victims to. Not a native village in the middle of the jungle.
The more Beatle thought about it, the more uneasy he got. They didn’t even have any idea who’d kidnapped the students and Casey. The only thing the government had said was that they’d gotten an anonymous tip from someone in Guacalito about where they were being held. Nothing made sense.
Something niggled at the back of his mind, but before he could focus, Truck returned.
“There’s a good spot about a hundred yards east of here.”
“Water source?” Beatle asked softly. He wasn’t positive, but he thought Casey had somehow managed to fall asleep standing up.
“Not much. There’s a small stream. Looks like it probably feeds into one of the larger rivers in the area. It’s not wide or deep enough for any kind of full-out bath, but we can use it for washing and refilling our water supply.”
Nodding, Beatle leaned over and put an arm under Casey’s knees. He lifted her into his arms without much effort. The thought that he wanted to put some meat on her bones flitted through his head once more.