“Follow me.” He grabbed her hand and led her to a tall, gnarled tree a few feet ahead.
He stopped at the large base and turned to Darci. “Okay, up you go. Ever climbed a tree before?”
“Yeah, but not in a very long time.” She looked up. “You want me to climb that?”
Dawn approached; it wouldn’t be long before the sun would be up. Jack wanted to be off the island by that time.
“You can do it. Come on, darling, up you go.”
“I don’t know about this.” She placed a foot on the trunk. “It’s been awhile.”
“You’ll do fine. I’ll be right behind you.”
She reached up, grabbed a branch and hoisted herself up. “To catch me when I fall or to look up my skirt?”
Jack grinned as he followed her up.
“Both.” He nudged her along. She climbed carefully and Jack tried not to look up her skirt. When he heard shouts below them he urged her along until they found a branch big enough to sit on.
He nudged her far enough out that he could move into position behind her. Once he settled on the limb, with his gun propped beside him and knife beneath his thigh, he reached for Darci and pulled her back against him. She came willingly and settled between his thighs, her head resting on his chest.
Below them men crashed through the brush, still searching. He felt Darci stiffen when one of them stopped directly below to light a cigarette. Jack tightened his arm around her waist, silently telling her to be still. The guy would never know they were there if they didn’t make any noise.
He could feel the tension in her muscles, her hands squeezing his legs. One wrong move could give away their location and they’d be back where they started.
The guy below them leaned against the trunk smoking and taking his time. If Eva were to find him like this she’d kill him for sure.
Darci’s breath came in quick, shallow pants so Jack carefully wrapped his other arm around her and lowered his lips to her ear. “Relax,” he murmured in a voice barely above a whisper.
He moved a hand up to her chest and pressed gently, forcing her to slow her breathing to match his. She didn’t fight him, simply laid her trust in his hands and let him help her. Soon she leaned against him, relaxed. The guy below them finished his cigarette and moved on.
“Is he gone?” Darci tried to peer down.
Jack did a visual scan of the area. “Yeah, and I don’t see any more flashlights.”
“Is it safe to get down now?”
He wanted to say yes, they could move, but something told him to stay put for a few more minutes. Eva wouldn’t give up easily. It wouldn’t surprise him if her men turned off the flashlights and waited for them to move.
“Soon, but not yet.”
“You think they’re up to something?” Her voice sounded tired.
Jack kissed the top of her head. “Use the time to rest for a few minutes. I’ll let you know when it’s time to go.”
Her head moved up and down and she went limp against him. She had been through hell the past few hours. He knew from experience what that could do to a body. There were parts of this night he knew nothing about. Like what had happened after Heath carried her off and how she’d managed to escape.
“Don’t let go of me.”
Jack tightened his arms around her, knowing she had drifted asleep. “Never.” Why did it sound so permanent? Why didn’t he mind?
*
“Where’s the boat?”
Jack wondered the same thing. They stood on the sandy beach with the sun just starting to rise, staring at an empty dock. Waves lapped gently against the sand. A peaceful morning, but Jack felt anything but serene.
“They left us here.” Darci put her hands on her hips.
“They didn’t leave us, honey, they just hid the boat somewhere else.”
Darci turned to him. In the morning light he could see dark circles under her eyes, stress lines around her mouth and the paleness of her skin. He’d allowed her to rest for a half hour before they were on the move again. The stress of their situation was catching up to her. The sadness in her eyes weakened him.
“We aren’t leaving?”
Jack cupped her shoulders. “We’ll be leaving soon, I promise. We’re going to make it off this island. I promised you a dinner and I never break my promises.”
That earned him a smile. “Looking forward to it. What do we do now?” Fire sparked in her eyes. Much better.
“We search the island for a boat.”
*
Darci opened her eyes. Why she was lying on the ground? She had the headache of all headaches. Maybe she’d just lie there for a minute. As she looked around, she saw someone had used large leaves and sticks to make a shelter. It bowed over her head and completely covered her, protecting her from the hot sun.
Jack.
Fully awake now, Darci sat up and looked around the empty space. How long had she been out?
Swallowing her unease, she searched for a doorway. It took her a minute to find where the leaves were slightly parted. She moved them aside and looked out. Ocean in front of her. Camouflaged in the jungle bordering the beach. She bet that if she climbed out of her nifty little hideaway she’d never find it again. It blended perfectly with the vegetation around her, which she suspected was the intention.
Once again, Jack had surprised her with his Navy SEAL skills.
Ducking her head in, she replaced the leaves and scooted back until she sat in the middle of the hut. Enough light came through the leaves that she could see just fine, with a nice cross-breeze blowing off the ocean and the taste of salt in the air. All in all it, pretty comfortable.
All of that was just peachy except for one thing; no Jack. She didn’t know where he’d gone, what he was doing, if he’d been captured. He’d taken the time to make sure she’d be safe, but what about him?
Darci ground her teeth together. He’d made the shelter for her when her migraine came on. Dehydration, stress, he’d said. He told her she needed rest and she’d only slow him down, so he built this hidesite and told her to stay until he returned.
Letting out a short breath, she looked around her, undecided what she should do. If she went looking for Jack she might get lost, then she’d never find him. But what if he needed her? If she stayed here, she’d never know. What if he didn’t come back?
She didn’t want to think about that. He would come back. He had to. How else would she get off this island?
With a sigh, Darci stretched out on the sandy ground and closed her eyes. She could sleep for a week, but she too wired. Too worried. She wanted Jack here. Safe. He hadn’t slept either and he was in worse shape than her. She only had a couple of bruises. He was covered in them and he had an open wound that had probably started bleeding again.
Darn it, Jack, where are you?
*
Darci sat on her knees inside her stick house, afraid to breathe. She had been waiting here for what seemed an eternity and still no sign of Jack. Was it Jack outside? She couldn’t be sure and she knew better than to look out in case it wasn’t. He didn’t usually make noise when he walked. The person outside rustled through the leaves as if searching for something. Or someone. She listened closely. More than one? She couldn’t tell.
Wringing her hands together in her lap, she waited and listened. She trusted Jack had done a good job hiding her, but that didn’t ease her fears. What if they found her? They would take her back to that house.
Oh, God, come back Jack! They were right outside the door now. She sat still as stone, trying to see through the gaps in the leaves without avail. She couldn’t see a thing. Maybe they couldn’t see her either.
Pressing a fist to her mouth, Darci listened to the footsteps shuffling dangerously close. One more step and they would trip over her. She needed a weapon. But had none.
“Find anything?” an unfamiliar male voice asked from somewhere on the beach, making her jump.
“No, but there’s something…” another voice answered f
rom above her.
“Is there something there or not? It’s hot and I’m hungry. I say let them scour the beaches. We’ve been all over this island.” He sounded irritated and short.
“Yeah, I’d like to see you tell them that. Give me a minute while I check this out.”
“Check what out? All I see are leaves.”
“Yeah, I know, it’s just—”
“Oh, for Christssake, come on. I’m outta here. We’ll tell them we didn’t find anything.”
The man above her hesitated. Darci knew he’d found her. Her heart beat so hard she thought it would beat right out of her chest. Sweat trickled down her back.
The leaves covering her head rustled and she stifled a scream. He’d found her. Any minute now he would pull off her cover and grab her. Despite her fear, she knew she could fight back. She knew enough to defend herself, but with two of them…
“I’m going back. You can stay here and dig through leaves by yourself.”
She heard his voice trail away, and stared at the roof of her shelter, waiting for it to slowly be lifted. One of the leaves moved, parting slightly.
“All right, all right, I’m coming, but you’re telling her.”
Darci’s breath escaped in a rush.
“Oh, God.” She doubled over and clutched her stomach, feeling sick. If Jack didn’t show up soon she was going to lose it. A woman could only take so much.
“Come back, Jack,” she moaned.
*
A boat. She could hear the whine of the motor in the distance.
Darci rose to her knees and reached for the leaves making up the doorway, then paused. Heath or his murdering sister? What if it wasn’t? She didn’t want to miss her chance to flag down a passing boat. This might be their way off the island and she didn’t want to blow it.
The boat drew closer and louder. The motor revved up like it ran at top speed.
She heard it approaching the beach in front of where she hid. What if the two guys from earlier had come back to investigate further? This time they would find her for sure.
A cold finger slid down her spine. Not again. She couldn’t do it.
She heard the boat power down. Close enough to be right on the beach.
Darci sat, frozen in place. They knew. They’d found her.
The leaves blocking the door were tossed aside and a tall figure ducked through the opening.
“Hi, honey, I’m ho—”
Darci screamed and threw a handful of sand at him. It hit him in the eyes and he reared back. She took the opportunity to escape and shoved him backward. Blinded by the sand in his eyes, he didn’t see it coming as she scrambled over him, desperate to escape. She wasn’t going back to that house.
A hand clamped around her ankle, dragging her to the ground. Kicking wildly, she fought to escape. Stronger than her, he held her easily. Twisting, Darci searched for a stick or something she could use for a weapon. Her captor had other ideas.
He released her foot, but he didn’t let her go. She barely managed a crawl before he swept her up and threw her over his shoulder. One of his hands clamped on her waist and the other around her thighs, holding secure. He sprinted across the sand away from her safe hideaway and Darci felt her head swim. Little black dots swam in her vision. Her stomach roiled. Closing her eyes, she willed her stomach to settle down. She would fight when she could stand again.
She felt herself being lifted, suspended in the air, before he deposited her onto something soft. The ground beneath her rolled along with her stomach.
“Find something to hold onto, sweetheart, it’s going to be a bumpy ride.”
Jack!
Darci opened her eyes and stared at the familiar broad shoulders. Relief washed over her and tears welled in her eyes. How could she not have known?
Relieved, she grabbed onto the side of the sleek boat as Jack backed them out onto the water. He didn’t have to worry about her holding on. This boat sat too close to the water for her taste. She liked big boats with big sides that didn’t feel like a boat. Ships, that’s what she liked. Big, smooth, felt like home. This was a piece of fiberglass with a motor. Not so good.
“Jack,” she said over the roar of the motor.
“Yeah?”
He turned the boat around.
“I’m sorry.”
He cast a grin over his shoulder. “I like a little wildcat in my diet, keeps me young.”
Darci laughed. What was she going to do with this man? He didn’t hold grudges and he rolled with the punches, always coming out on top. And boy was she happy that he was driving the boat and not one of the bad guys.
The boat leaped forward, pressing Darci into her seat as the front lifted out of the water. She held on for dear life and closed her eyes. She couldn’t watch because at this speed they were bound to get in trouble.
Two seconds later she opened them, feeling sick. She had a death grip on the edge of the boat and gritted her teeth every time they bounced over a wave.
She looked at Jack. The muscles in his shoulders and back bunched and rolled beneath his dress shirt as he maneuvered the boat with apt hands. Fearless and strong, he’d made good on his promise. He’d gotten her off the island.
A bubble of happiness welled up in her throat as the truth hit her. They’d made it off the island. They were both safe.
“We’ve got company,” Jack yelled.
Not what she wanted to hear. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a bigger boat closing in on them. Bigger and probably faster.
“Darci, I’m going to need your help.”
That meant she’d have to let go. She liked it right here.
The boat did the jig now, bouncing off the top of the water. Bounce, jolt, bounce, jolt. Torture on the body. Her hair flew wildly around her face and the wind stung her cheeks.
“Come here, Darci.”
He called her Darci, not sweetheart or honey or babe. Not good. It meant things had gotten serious. She didn’t like serious. She’d had enough of serious.
Finding strength, she pried her fingers off the edge of the boat and rose shakily to her knees. The jolt and bounce of the boat tossed her sideways and she landed hard on her rear. Scowling, she pushed to her feet and this time held onto a seat as she made her way to Jack’s side.
The windshield had been demolished. Only the jagged edge remained, so the wind hit him full force.
“What happened to the windshield?” she shouted over the wind.
“Bullet.”
“What do you want me to do?”
“Drive while I hold them off.”
Darci looked at the steering wheel and Jack’s strong hands gripping it. He wanted her to drive? She’d never driven a boat before. And what exactly did ‘hold them off’ mean?
“Jack…”
Something whizzed past her ear. Jack threw an arm around her shoulder and covered her with his body.
“Both hands on the wheel, keep this heading,” Jack instructed in her ear as he placed both of her hands on the wheel.
Another bullet whined past their heads.
“Got it?” Jack asked, already moving away.
Darci nodded, feeling his hands slip away and control being placed into hers. She could do this. Just another new experience in this perilous journey. Something to write home about. No, scratch that. She could never tell her family what she’d been through. They would never let her out of their sight again. No need to worry them with details.
Bracing her feet, she took over the driving while Jack reached past her legs and pulled out the gun he’d been carrying on the island. He moved away from her then, holding the weapon like he meant business.
A bullet shattered what remained of the windshield. With a scream and a jerk of the wheel, Darci wondered if leaving the island had been such a good idea after all.
Chapter Six
‡
Jack returned fire. His back to Darci, he sensed her cringe with every shot. The report from a semiautomatic weapon was loud an
d powerful, especially to someone not used to it.
The boat behind them closed the distance. He could see two shooters on the deck. They fired another round and he ducked, shooting back. Their bullets hit the boat, lodging in the fiberglass.
“Darci, stay down,” he shouted, not liking her out in the open. It made her an easy target.
“I’m trying,” she yelled back as another bullet ripped through the boat. “They’re terrible shots.”
Jack pulled back inside the boat and put his weapon down. He moved to Darci’s side and nudged her out of the way, taking the wheel from her white-knuckled hands.
“What’re you doing?” she asked when he had taken the wheel. “Why did you stop shooting? They’re still shooting at us.”
“They aren’t aiming at us.” He jerked the wheel right then left.
Darci quickly grabbed something to hold onto and ducked as another bullet whizzed by. “What are they shooting at then?”
“The motor,” Jack said grimly. Their only hope now was to evade bullets. If one hit the motor, it would blow and that would be the end of them. They didn’t have far to go. Once they reached more populated islands they’d be safe.
“The motor?” she shouted. “Won’t that…” Her eyes widened. “Oh, no. What are we going to do?”
“You’re going to stay down. I’m going to do a little E and E,” he said, nudging her toward the driver’s seat next to his leg. He wanted her by his side, away from the back of the boat and the bullets.
She sat down, looking stunned. Jack wanted to comfort her, but closed off the emotion. He couldn’t afford distractions right now. Darci would handle this the same as she’d handled everything else so far: with strength and grit. She was a far cry from a weeping lily and he had every intention of returning her safely home to the family she talked about with such warm affection.
“What’s E and E?”
Turning the wheel so they skidded sideways then back again, he said, “Escape and Evasion. It’s a tactical maneuver—get down!”
Darci dropped her head between her knees on command and Jack sliced left, narrowly missing a bullet as it zinged past, right where Darci’s head had been. Jack cursed a blue streak and swerved right.
SEALs of Summer: Military Romance Superbundle - Navy SEAL Style Page 106