Two Dauntless Hearts

by Elle James

  “No can do, ma’am,” T-Mac said.

  Big Jake held the passenger door for Talia. “Ma’am, you need to take the truck and Ms. Marly, and get far enough away that you don’t get caught in the crossfire.” He nodded toward Pitbull. “Stay with them in case something happens and trouble heads your way. They need your protection. Get them to safety.”

  When Talia made no move to get back into the truck, Big Jake’s hands circled her waist and he lifted her into the seat.

  Talia glared. “I’m not going to talk you out of this, am I?”

  “No, ma’am,” Big Jake said. He tipped his chin toward Pitbull.

  Pitbull wanted to be in on the action, and they needed to put a stop to the poaching, but he was just as concerned for the women.

  “I want to go with you,” Marly insisted. “I have a gun.”

  Her words settled it for Pitbull. “Yeah, but you’re not going.” As Big Jake had done with Talia, Pitbull lifted Marly into the back of the truck.

  “At least take the guards with their machine guns,” Talia offered.

  Big Jake nodded. “If you promise to get the hell away from here.”

  Talia gave the two guards their orders and climbed into the truck. “Be careful. I don’t want to have to explain to the US government why five of their finest were killed on a safari.”

  Pitbull glanced at Talia. “Do you need me to drive?”

  “No, my driver is more familiar with the vehicle and terrain.”

  “Okay then. I’ve got your back.” He climbed into the bed of the truck, his weapon drawn.

  Marly tried to duck past him. “I want to help.”

  Blocking her exit, he refused to let her climb out.

  She crossed her arms over her chest. “You’re not the boss of me,” she argued, trying to get around him. “I want to help the animals just as much as they do.”

  “You’d only slow them down. I’m betting you’re much faster flying than running.” His tone softened. “Look. I care about what happens to the elephants as much as you do, but think about it. You’d be a liability and take the team’s focus off the goal.”

  The five SEALs and the two guards had already taken off through the grasslands, running toward the sounds of gunfire and elephants’ screams.

  Marly stared after them, her brow furrowed, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. “What about your team? They might get hurt.”

  “They can take care of themselves.” At least, he hoped they could in the face of poachers and raging elephants. Pitbull wished he could be with them to make certain they all came out of it alive. Those men were his brothers.

  Marly sat back on the bench and held on as the truck sped away from the scene. Her gaze shifted from the men running toward the problem and back to Pitbull. “You want to be out there, too.”

  He met her gaze. “You know it.”

  “But you’re stuck babysitting me and Talia.” She shook her head. “We’re big girls. We can get back to the resort on our own.”

  “You don’t know that. There’s safety in numbers.”

  “Still, you would never forgive yourself if something happened to your teammates.” Marly looked back toward the men as they disappeared over the horizon.

  “We each have our job to do. Whatever happens out there happens.” He nodded toward his team before turning back to her. “And what happens here, I’ll take care of you.”

  The driver slammed on the brakes and the truck skidded to a stop, throwing Marly and Pitbull to their knees and sliding across the metal truck bed.

  An elephant’s trumpet sounded so close, it made Pitbull scramble to his feet.

  Something hit the truck hard, rocking it on its wheels.

  “Hold on!” Pitbull cried.

  He dragged himself to his feet and peered through the slatted side panels at the same moment a huge gray behemoth rammed the side of the truck, knocking him backward. He hit the metal floor and slid toward Marly.

  They were being attacked by a huge bull elephant.

  The truck lurched sideways, tipped up on the left wheels and slammed back on all six.

  “We need to get out of here!” Pitbull yelled. Before the last word was out of his mouth, the elephant rammed the truck again, pushing so hard, the wheels left the ground, again. The entire vehicle teetered for a moment and then fell over on its side.

  As if in slow motion, Pitbull tumbled, bounced off Marly and hit the wooden bench. Pain shot through his back and hip, and he cracked his head on something hard. Finally, he stopped, flat on his back, lying on the side rails of the truck bed with Marly sprawled across his chest, her face close to his. “Are you all right?” he asked.

  She nodded, pressing her hands to his chest in an attempt to sit up.

  The truck rocked again, but it wouldn’t tip any more. This time when the elephant rammed it, the vehicle slid sideways across the ground.

  Marly clung to Pitbull, and he held her tightly to him as the attack progressed.

  After several more attempts to crush the truck, the elephant trumpeted and moved on toward the other elephants in the distance.

  When the beast was gone, Pitbull looked up at Marly. Her lips were close enough, all he had to do was lean up and...

  He claimed her mouth, thrusting his tongue between her teeth in a raw and savage kiss.

  Marly’s tongue met his in fierce response. For a brief moment they lay still, exploring each other’s mouths until they were forced apart by the need to breathe.

  Marly laughed. “I thought we were goners.”

  “You? I was staring the big guy in the eye when he hit the side of the truck.”

  Marly planted her hands on his chest. “We need to check on Talia and her driver.”

  As much as he’d rather kiss her again, Pitbull had to get out of the truck bed and make sure the others were okay.

  Marly crawled out backward, inching beneath the collapsed side panels and awning. When she was clear of the debris, she held back the canvas and some broken slats for Pitbull’s exit.

  As soon as he could, Pitbull rose to his feet, shook off the pain and stiffness and ran for the cab. “Talia?”

  “We’re in the cab,” she said. “I’m okay, but the driver is hurt.”

  Pitbull climbed up on the passenger side of the vehicle, braced his feet on the side panel and opened the door.

  Talia stared up at him, her hair disheveled, a red-and-purple bruise appearing on her right cheekbone.

  “Give me your hand,” Pitbull commanded.

  Talia reached up, clasped his hand and let him pull her out of the cab of the truck and lower her to the ground.

  Marly was there to steady her as her feet touched down.

  Talia turned to face the overturned truck. “What about Henry, the driver?” She stepped away from Marly’s hold and rested her hand on the downed vehicle. “Can you get him out on your own?”

  Pitbull glanced down at the man still lodged behind the steering wheel. “Henry?”

  The driver blinked and moaned. He seemed to be coming out of unconsciousness. He looked up at Pitbull. “What happened?”

  “An elephant tipped the truck,” Pitbull answered. “Do you think you can come out with a little help?”

  Henry glanced at his surroundings and tried to get up. “I can’t move.”

  “Try unbuckling your seat belt,” Pitbull urged.

  The driver hit the buckle and released the belt, causing him to slip farther down. He grabbed the edge of his seat, dragging himself up and over the gearshift. Once he had his feet beneath himself, he reached out for Pitbull’s hand. Between Pitbull pulling and Henry climbing onto the sides of the seat, they got him out of the truck and down to the ground.

  Talia hugged the man, tears trickling from her eyes. “For a while there, I thought you were dead.” />
  “I’m all right, ma’am. Just sore.” He touched his fingers to the dark skin of his forehead and winced. A lump had started to form and was quickly growing to the size of a guinea egg. “The question is how we’re going to get this truck back up on its wheels.” He dropped his hands to his sides and studied the problem.

  Marly stood near the end of the truck, her gaze following the direction the bull elephant had gone. “I hope that elephant doesn’t decide to trample the men.”

  The trumpeting ceased and the savanna quieted.

  “Hopefully, that’s a good sign. Now all we have to do is wait for the guys to make it back to us.”

  Pitbull wanted to go and see what had happened to the elephants and his teammates. But to do so would leave Talia, Marly and Henry without any protection. Another elephant attack, and they’d all be dead.

  Chapter Seven

  Marly knew exactly how Pitbull felt. Every glance he shot in the direction his teammates had gone only made her regret tying him down even more. “I’d feel better if you went after your team.”

  “Yeah, me, too,” Talia agreed.

  Pitbull shook his head. “No, we have to figure out how to get back to the resort.”

  “We can walk. It’s about eight miles,” Talia said. “The radio inside the truck wasn’t working. It could be as simple as a loose connection.” She gave Pitbull a weak smile. “If I can get back inside the truck, I’ll see what I can do.”

  “Let me,” Marly said. “I’m pretty good with stuff like that. I’m always tinkering with my plane, the radio and electronics.”

  Again Pitbull glanced in the direction his friends had gone. “T-Mac’s the technical guy. He’d have it working using bubblegum and a twist-tie.”

  Marly studied the overturned truck, searching for a way to climb up into it.

  “You really think you can get it working?” Talia asked.

  Marly shrugged. “I won’t know until I get a look at it.”

  Talia cupped her hands. “Let me give you a boost.”

  “Please.” Pitbull gripped Talia’s arms and set her aside. “Let me.” He cupped his hands and bent over.

  Marly rested a hand on his shoulder, stepped into his palms and let him raise her up to where she could sit on the side of the truck. “Do you have any tools stashed somewhere inside?”

  “Usually behind the passenger seat, but they could be anywhere in the truck now. I’m sure they got thrown around, as well.”

  “I’ll find it.” Marly pushed the passenger seat forward and peered down into the cab. “I think I see it.”

  She slipped over the edge, braced her feet on the back of the seat and then inched her way into the cab, wedging herself behind the passenger seat and the driver’s seat until she could feel the tool bag with the tip of her foot. But she couldn’t reach it with her hands. She didn’t have room to turn or bend to pull it up.

  Once she was sandwiched between the back wall and the seats, she couldn’t get herself back out. Marly grabbed on to whatever she could, but she didn’t have the arm strength to pull herself up and out. “Great.” Looked like she’d have to do just what she didn’t want to—ask for help from the man who made her crazy.

  Again, she grabbed onto the passenger seat and strained her arms, moving her body mere inches. But if she continued moving inches, she would eventually get out.

  A shadow blocked the light from the sun. Marly looked up.

  “Need a hand?” Pitbull’s voice was both welcome and annoying at the same time.

  They couldn’t stay out there all day waiting for her to figure out how to get out of a tight situation. She needed to fix the radio and make that call for help. What if the men going after the poachers needed medical attention?

  Marly swallowed her pride and nodded. “Yes.”

  Pitbull reached a hand into the cab. Marly placed her fingers in his.

  The warmth and strength reassured her she was doing the right thing. Awareness ricocheted through her body, making it hard for her to breathe normally. The man was sexy, he smelled good and he was oh, so strong.

  He pulled her up to sit on the side of the cab.

  “I found the bag, but I couldn’t bend to reach it.” She glanced back down in the vehicle. “I’ll have to go in headfirst.”

  “Let me.”

  She shook her head. “No, your shoulders are too broad.”

  “Then let me hold on to you on your way down and back.”

  “That should work. I just don’t want to get stuck standing on my head.”

  He chuckled and motioned for her to go back into the truck.

  Marly more or less dove in. Slowly, of course, but headfirst, walking her way down the backs of the seats on her hands.

  Pitbull gripped her hips as she went, and then moved his hands to her thighs and finally to her knees before she reached the opposite door of the cab.

  Breathing had become a luxury with Pitbull’s hands all over her legs and her blood rushing to her head. As she grabbed the handle of the tool bag, all she could think about was what those hands would feel like against her bare skin. “I’m ready,” she croaked as more blood rushed to her head, scrambling what few brain cells hadn’t been singed by her lusty thoughts.

  Backing out the way she’d gone in was a little more difficult, with the weight of the tools and only one hand to work with.

  Pitbull didn’t seem affected by any of that. Before she knew it, he was doing all the work and had her out of the cab and sitting on the side before she could tell him she could do the rest herself.

  Her cheeks heated and she reached out to steady herself, her hand coming into contact with Pitbull’s muscular thigh. If she thought she was struggling to breathe before, she was bordering on hyperventilating now. “Uh, thanks.” Marly ducked her head, afraid she’d give herself away if she looked into Pitbull’s eyes.

  She set the tool bag on the side of the truck and shifted the passenger seat back into position. Then she dropped down inside the truck and stood on the opposite door. The radio dangled from its mount, the wires hanging loose. “I’ll need a Phillips screwdriver and a pair of needle-nose pliers.”

  For the next few minutes, Marly worked on the radio, with Pitbull handing her the tools she requested.

  Once she had the wires reconnected, she turned on the radio and tested the mic. The reassuring sound of static filled the interior of the cab.

  Within minutes, they had notified the nearby park service, who had a truck and winch. They would be at their location within the next hour.

  With Pitbull’s help, Marly climbed out of the truck and dropped to the ground.

  “Here they come!” Talia announced, her eyes narrowing. “One, two, three, four, five, six...seven!” She beamed. “They’re all coming back, and from the look of them, in one piece.” She sucked in a deep breath and let it out in a long, heartfelt sigh. “Thank God.”

  Minutes later, Marly, Pitbull, Talia and Henry were surrounded by the others, everyone talking at once. But before they could tell their stories, the park truck showed up and they all put their backs into getting the two-ton truck back on its wheels. Between the winch, the other truck and all of their efforts, they lifted the truck upright. Talia climbed into the cab and the engine started on the second try.

  A cheer went up from all standing around. Harm and Big Jake bent a couple of fenders back into place to keep them from rubbing on the tires. Everyone else worked to strip away the canvas awning and the broken slats. Soon they were on their way back to the resort, the sun angling toward the horizon.

  Marly sat beside Pitbull in the back of the truck. She couldn’t think past the fact that their thighs were touching.

  Every bump made her slam against him until he slipped his arm around her shoulders and they swayed together. After he did that, she didn’t notice the heat of the day,
the dust swirling around their heads, kicked up by the truck tires, or every bump seeming to chip away at her tailbone on the hard, wooden bench.

  Though they all wanted to know what had happened, they agreed to go back to the ranch and get Henry cared for before they shared their stories. Shouting over the diesel engine would have made them hoarse by the time they rolled into the resort compound.

  As it was, they searched the landscape for rogue elephants or poachers, on their guard for any other threat. By the time they stopped in front of the resort, they were hot, tired and covered in a layer of dust.

  Marly almost wished they hadn’t stopped. Having Pitbull’s arm around her the entire way had been nice. She wondered if he’d want to hold her again, after they’d had a chance to clean up. Her pulse quickened in anticipation.

  * * *

  ANOTHER VEHICLE WAS parked in the parking area in front of the main house. Diesel and Big Jake helped Henry to the house.

  As they neared the door, it opened and a young, handsome man stepped out.

  Talia smiled. “Dr. Thompson. Thank you for coming. We had a run-in with a bull elephant and I’m afraid Henry took the brunt of it.”

  “That’s why I’m here.” He stepped to the side, allowing the men helping Henry to pass through the entrance. “Bring him into the living area.”

  “I am quite all right,” Henry insisted.

  “You might be,” Talia said, “but let the doctor check that bump on your head and anywhere else you might be hurting.” She turned to the others. “Anyone else injured? Dr. Thompson can take a look.”

  None of the men took her up on the offer.

  “We’ll just get cleaned up,” Harm said.

  “The chef will have dinner ready in—” Talia glanced at the clock on the wall “—oh, dear. In fifteen minutes. Just come when you’re ready. No hurry.”

  Big Jake reappeared in the doorway and winked. “We’re SEALs, ma’am. We’re never late for chow.”

  Talia smiled. “Well then, I’ll see you in fifteen minutes.”

  Big Jake left for his bungalow, followed by the others.