Law of Attraction (Tangled in Texas)

by Alison Bliss

  I swallowed hard. “Why would you put yourself in that kind of danger?”

  He shook his head. “I wasn’t worried about me. I knew what I was doing. Had my men stayed, there was a greater chance of us getting seen. Less bodies, less visibility.”

  “But you could’ve been spotted and then you wouldn’t have had any backup.”

  “I was careful. I stayed hidden in the jungle while I surveyed their settlement from the outskirts of camp, learning whatever information I could. But hours passed, and I still didn’t know whether the child was there or not. So I smeared mud all over me from head to toe and made my way across the clearing using a nearby trench. All the flooding from the previous monsoon season had created crawl spaces in the dirt beneath each building. So I belly-crawled from one to another in search of the boy.

  “Within half an hour, I’d gotten my first glimpse of him. He was in the second to last building I checked, and he was still wearing the same clothes his father had described—a blue striped shirt and tan shorts. I wanted to sneak inside and extract the kid right then, but he wasn’t alone. The leader of the rebels group—a man the others called Bishop—was there with him, along with two of his men. The other five rebels were right outside keeping watch for any intruders. There was no way for me to get to the child without endangering both of our lives.”

  I gazed intently at him. “So what did you do?”

  “The only thing I could at the time. I’d already gotten the Intel my team needed. Not only did I know who had been responsible for the son’s abduction, but I’d seen the child and knew where they were keeping him. I needed to relay that information to my team so that we could return to rescue him. I hated to leave him there, but although he was dirty and disheveled, the boy seemed to be otherwise okay.”

  “Thank goodness,” I said, breathing a sigh of relief. “I can’t even imagine what I’d do if someone took Austin from me like that.” When Seth didn’t say anything and only hung his head, concern swept through me. “Seth?” Again, nothing. So I leaned forward and placed my hand on his tense arm. “Tell me.”

  He lifted his head, and his eyes shined with tears that hadn’t yet fallen. “You don’t need to hear any more of this story.”

  “No, I don’t,” I said, giving his arm a comforting squeeze. “But it seems to me that you need to tell it to somebody. So I’m listening.”

  He placed his hand over mine and closed his eyes. “I met back up with my team at our designated coordinates and filled them in on the situation. As soon as night fell, we moved in to retrieve the boy, but by the time we got back to the camp, we found nothing but silence. The rebels had left and…”

  His words faded, so I tried to help him. “They took the child with them?”

  “That’s what we thought. By the time we had arrived, the rebels had cleared out everything. It had only been a few short hours, but everything was just…gone. Except for one thing they’d left behind.”

  My hand flew to my mouth. “The boy?”

  Seth nodded solemnly. “I found him in the building where I’d left him. He was curled up in the corner with his hands still tied behind his back. I’ve never seen so many bruises on one person before. Bishop must’ve figured out that he wasn’t going to get his ransom and had him brutally beat to death. Christ. The kid was only twelve years old.”

  I gasped audibly. “Those bastards murdered that poor boy all because of…money?” Grief for a child I’d never met had tears clogging my throat, and I inhaled a ragged breath. “I…don’t even know…what to say to that.”

  He nodded. “There’s nothing to say. It’s horrible. The worst thing I’ve ever seen. And I’ve seen plenty of dead bodies before in the Amazon. Men who have been tortured by the rebels, women and children who have been mauled by crocs, and even natives who have been burned in fires so badly that they were unrecognizable. But the one thing that I can’t shake from my mind is that defenseless young boy. He didn’t deserve to die like that.”

  “No one does.”

  “No. That’s where you’re wrong. The monsters who killed him deserved to die as punishment for what they did to that kid. And I said as much to my superiors. But the commander-in-chief ordered us to abort the mission and return back to base camp. The rest of my team obeyed that order, but I couldn’t let those rebels get away with what they had done. Not on my watch.”

  “You went after them, didn’t you?”

  “You’re damn straight I did. They only had a few hours head start on me, so I tracked them through one of the deepest parts of the jungle that I’d ever been in.”

  “That couldn’t have been easy.”

  “Actually, it wasn’t all that hard. If you know Junior as well as I think you do, then you know exactly what I can do. My uncle taught me how to track animals when I was no older than Austin. And when you learn from the best, it doesn’t really matter whether its people or animals that you’re after. It makes them a hell of a lot easier to find. Besides, since I was by myself, I was able to move fast and keep a good pace. I caught up with the rebel group by mid-afternoon the next day.”

  Dread filled my stomach with lead. “What did you do?”

  “At first, I watched and waited. They set up camp high on a dry beach along the river where they’d hidden two small boats. If they had just gotten into the boats and floated on down river, they would’ve gotten away from me and escaped before I’d arrived. But, since they’d spent most of the night traveling to their new location, I guess they figured they would rest up before moving on. That wasn’t a smart move on their part. While they were all lazing around in tents, I slipped into their camp and set up some explosives.”

  I blinked rapidly. “So you blew up their entire camp with them in it?”

  He nodded solemnly. “All but one. I’d rigged the explosives with a delayed timer to make sure I had enough time to get out of bounds before the detonation. Unfortunately, Bishop had decided in that moment to leave his tent and head for the river. Right about the time he spotted me and called out for his men, the bombs went off. I hadn’t gotten as far away as I would’ve liked so the blast knocked me off my feet.

  “Bishop ran for the boats, untied one, and jumped inside to start the engine. I had run after him, but it wasn’t until I was almost there that I reached for my gun and found that it was missing. I must’ve lost it during the explosion when I was thrown onto the ground. But I couldn’t let him get away. Not after what he did to that kid. So I pulled the only weapon I had on me at the time—a knife from my boot—and jumped on board to stop him from getting away.

  “He must’ve had some military training because he fought well, much better than I had anticipated. At one point, he actually managed to knock the knife out of my hand and ended up getting to it before I could stop him. Then he tried to shove the blade into my neck.”

  Dear God. My stomach churned as queasiness took over.

  “Our hands were both locked around the knife, fighting for control, but he had a better foothold than I did. My feet started sliding out from beneath me due to the water on the floor of the boat. In all the missions I’ve been on, it was the only time I was almost certain that I’d be the one who was going to die.” He closed his eyes and swallowed hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing up and down.

  I had no doubt he was reliving the moment in his mind and wanted to bring him back to the present. “You didn’t though. You made it through that.”

  His eyes opened and nodded. “Yeah, barely. Bishop and I were both struggling hard for control of my knife, undoubtedly each of us knowing that only one of us would walk away from that encounter. And he was getting the better of me…until I saw his bruised knuckles.”

  “His knuckles? You mean, he had been the one to—”

  “Yeah. I have no doubt that the fresh wounds on his hands were because he had beaten that kid to death himself. It probably happened only moments after I left the camp.” He winced at the thought and ran an agitated hand through his hair. “The mom
ent I saw that, something came over me. I gathered the last bit of strength I had left and then quickly twisted around, plunging my knife into Bishop’s chest. He fell backward off the boat and the swift current washed his body down the river.”

  “What did you do after you killed him?”

  Seth leaned his elbows onto his thighs and threaded his fingers together. “I went back to base camp and packed my bags. After I’d disobeyed a direct order from our commander, I knew I couldn’t continue to work with The Resistance anymore. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind for it.”

  “Did you tell them what you did?”

  He shook his head. “I didn’t have to. They knew the moment I walked in the door. If I hadn’t returned after a few days, they would’ve presumed me dead at the rebels’ hands and notified Junior. But, since I was still alive, they knew that I’d completed the mission. I’d always finished everything I started.”

  I squinted at him in the dimly lit room. “But, Seth, it wasn’t a mission.”

  “It was to me. Those rebels got what they deserved, and I was more than willing to be the one who provided it. They were the same rebels who had been known for raiding villages and raping the women. They had also previously killed four natives just because they’d crossed paths with them. They hurt innocent people. So if you’re wondering whether I regret killing those disgusting men, I’ll tell you right now that I can’t. I won’t. They got what they deserved.”

  A bone-chilling shiver ran through me at how calmly Seth spoke of taking a life. Eight of them to be exact. But no matter what, I couldn’t help but feel relieved that those terrible men had paid for what they’d done to that poor, helpless child, as well as their other crimes. “That’s not what I was saying at all. I don’t blame you. If I was in the same situation and had your kind of skills, then I would’ve probably done the same thing. But…”

  His head lifted. “But what?”

  I paused thoughtfully. “I understand why you did what you did. And I even understand why you kept it all from me. That would be traumatic for anyone. But I…well, I guess I don’t see what any of this has to do with me.”

  “Jesus, Bobbie. How do you not get it? I’m a well-trained mercenary who murdered eight men in a revenge killing, and you’re a single mom who is fighting your sorry ex for custody of your five-year-old son. Not only are we from two very different worlds, but there’s too much blood on my hands now. I’m no good for you…or Austin.”

  Anger sifted through me. “Don’t you think I should be the judge of that?”

  “Not if it risks you getting custody of your son. If Jeremy ever found out anything about my past, he could use that against you in court. I can’t let you risk losing Austin just so we can be together. I don’t even know why you would want your son around a killer like me, anyway.”

  I shook my head. “Are you kidding me? Seth, when I look at you, I don’t see a killer. What I see is a man who, just this morning, pretended to lose an arm-wrestling match to my five-year-old in order to build his confidence.” He wouldn’t look at me, so I put my hand on his cheek and turned his face toward me. “The same gentle man who made paper airplanes with him, built him a tree house, and has been treating my son as if he were yours all along. He loves having you here.” I smiled at him. “And so does his mother.”

  But Seth wasn’t having it. “No, Bobbie. I can’t stay here and taint you both with my past,” he said, pulling away from me. “I only came here because I needed to regroup and get my head back on straight. But then the flood happened, and I wasn’t able to stay with my uncle. When Junior told me about this out-of-the-way bed and breakfast that you were trying to get fixed up, it was too perfect. I only volunteered to do the repairs because I’d needed a place to lay low and figure out what I was going to do with my life. Now it’s time for me to go.”

  I shook my head in disbelief and scowled at him. “Then why bother telling me any of this? You could’ve just left and I would never have known any of it.”

  “Because you needed to hear it. There was no way in hell I could bear letting you think that I was leaving because I didn’t care or because you have a son.”

  “You are!”

  “No, even if you didn’t have Austin, I would still leave. Do you really think I want anyone in this town thinking badly of you because you’re associated with a guy who has a fucked-up past? You’re so much better than that. You deserve much more than someone like me.”

  Damn him. Tears filled my eyes. “Stop it. I don’t want you to leave.”

  “I’m sorry,” he said, starting to rise.

  I shoved a hand against his chest and pushed him back. “Don’t go. Please.” He stilled, but when he didn’t agree to stay, I moved closer, throwing my leg over him and sliding onto his lap in a straddling position. Then I kissed him.

  As my lips brushed lightly against his, his body stiffened against mine. He didn’t necessarily kiss me back, but he didn’t pull away from me, either. That was something, at least. I had no doubt that he cared about me. Otherwise he wouldn’t have risked sharing his dangerous past with me, much less tried to protect me and my son from it. But I needed to remind him how good we were together. Only then maybe he would stop running from his once dark life, and I would be able to convince him to stay.

  I needed him. Now, always, forever.

  My fingertips were on his jaw as I kissed him and rubbed my body insistently against his. The more I pressed him, the harder the bulge beneath my buttocks became. He was starting to cave. I could feel it in the way his lips were softening against mine. But when I slid my tongue into his mouth and deepened the kiss, he grasped my arms and held me firmly away from him. “You’re sure this is what you want?”

  I nodded. “I’ve never wanted anything more.”

  Seth released a breath that relaxed his shoulders, as if a huge weight had been removed from them. “God, I hope you don’t end up regretting this.”

  Chapter Seventeen

  I needed to touch him. All of him.

  His warm lips were on mine, but I couldn’t get enough. So, while I was still straddling him, I slid my hands under his black T-shirt and let them roam over his hard body. Seth yanked the shirt over his head and discarded it onto the floor. Then he grasped my rear and pulled my hips forward, grinding me fully against a long ridge in his jeans as he kissed me again.

  I gasped into his mouth at the sensations he created within me. God, I missed this for the past week. “I need you,” I whispered, rolling my hips over the hard length pressing against his seam. “I want all of you.”

  He pulled back slightly and twirled a strand of my blond hair around his finger. “That works both ways, sweetheart. No more holding yourself back from me. I want all of you, too. No clothing. I want to kiss and touch every inch of your luscious body.”

  Something warm pooled low in my abdomen, and I nodded.

  “Do you trust me?” he whispered.

  I nodded again.

  “Enough to let me play a little?”

  I wasn’t sure what that entailed, and my hesitation was prevalent in my voice. “W-what do you mean?”

  His mouth curved. “I want to help you let go of the fears you’ve built up about trusting men. I want to show you that I’m worthy of your trust. Will you let me do that for you?”

  My eyes lowered to his chest. “How?”

  “Well, after I undress you completely, I’m going to rev up your instincts and let them guide you by blindfolding you.”

  My head snapped up, and my eyes widened. “I, uh…don’t think…”

  “It’s okay,” he whispered as the corner of his mouth lifted. “If you’re uncomfortable with the idea and want to say no, I’ll completely understand. I know it’s asking a lot. But I need you to see that you can fully trust me. You can’t keep me at a distance any longer, Bobbie.”

  I hated the idea of feeling so vulnerable, but if I was ever going to put my trust into another man, it was now or never. “Okay,” I breathe
d out. He smiled and grabbed the edges of my blouse, but I stilled his hands. “I’ll do it. I’m going to run out of clothes if you keep destroying all of them.”

  “All right,” he said, running his hands up the back of my shirt to undo my bra while I undid the front buttons.

  Once the buttons were free, I let the top fall off my shoulders and slip down my arms until it fell onto the floor at his feet. Then I pulled the bra off and dropped it as well. I was only half naked and already feeling my stomach tying itself in knots at the thought of being completely nude. But he must’ve sensed my hesitancy because he had me stand up as he unbuttoned my jeans and pulled them down my legs to the floor until I could step out of them. Then he slowly peeled my panties off, letting them fall to the floor as well.

  Once the painstaking removal of my clothes was out of the way, Seth immediately shifted gears. He stood and maneuvered me onto the bed before picking up his T-shirt from the floor. Using his teeth and hands, he tore a piece of fabric from it, the ripping sound streaking through the air until he had a long strip of material. Then he knelt on the bed next to me and used it to cover my eyes, tying it gently behind my head.

  Seth guided me farther up the bed and onto my back. Had lights been on, I probably could’ve seen through the thin cotton material. But, since the room was dark, I couldn’t see a damn thing. Including Seth. Which had my breath coming a little quicker already.

  Seth left the bed and a rustling sound drifted to my ears. Was he removing his own clothes? I wasn’t really sure. Damn it, I didn’t like not being able to see what was going on around me.