Freedom_A Captivating and consuming contemporary romance

by J Grayland

  “Not sure, she just looks... uncomfortable.”

  “Well, maybe it's cos that little British fucker hangs around her like a bad smell.” With eyebrows furrowed I turned to look at Jax “He's harassing her?” I say in a low growl.

  “I wouldn't say harassing but I'd say he’s interested in getting into her honey pot,” Jax throws out with a grin. “Can’t say I blame him too much. That little honey pot has been drawing quite a lot of attention around here, but him?” Jackson nods towards Mike. “I'm keeping a close eye on that one. I don't trust that little fucker” he drawls. We both stand and watch their conversation and I watch as the expressions on her face change, her eyes narrow causing a small crease to form on her forehead at something the pretty boy has just said to her. Then he places a hand on her arm, and I feel myself walking in their direction cursing under my breath. “Motherfucker”.

  Watching her stiffen at his touch on her arm, she takes a step back from him, forcing his hand to drop down against his side and, I hear her voice waver as she says to him “Well Mike I'm going to go get some sleep. I am exhausted.” Turning to walk away from him she walks straight into my chest with a thump, and through narrowed eyes, I look down at hers then glance over at Mike.

  “You Ok?” I ask her.

  “Yeah… I'm fine” she nods. Pushing a loose strand of hair behind one ear.

  “Goodnight Casey, I'll see you in the morning” I hear the British douche bag say before he quickly retreats backward making his exit back to his room. She steps sideways to try and get around me but I step in front of her.

  “Does he bother you?” I ask her and she shrugs one shoulder “A little, but he seems pretty harmless I also have to work with him.”

  “Work being the prime word here, that doesn't give him the right to bother you,” I tell her. She looks over to where blondie disappeared into his room then looks back at me “Like I said he’s harmless, he's got a big ego but I think that's all he’s got” she smiles.

  “The harmless ones are the ones that you always need to watch closely,” I say looking down at her smiling face.

  “Good job I have you to do the watching then isn't it,” her smile now turning into something playful and wicked.

  Leaning down with my mouth close to her ear, I breath in a low rough tone “Don't worry Doc, I can assure you I am watching everything you do,” I hear a quick sharp intake of air from those luscious lips of hers, before she steps back from me and looks up through those huge blue eyes framed by long silky lashes and stammers.

  “Thank you, I appreciate what you do.” My eyes search hers, trying to take in everything in this brief moment, then I look down to where she’s nervously rubbing her hands together.

  “Do I scare you Doc?” I asked motioning to her hands with a slight nod of my head.

  “Err... no, it's just strange.”

  “Strange?” I ask.

  “Yes, this is the first time you have said more than two words to me” and there it is the slight lift at the corners of those gorgeous plump lips, her body now showing a submissive innocence but that mouth, that mouth shows naughtiness and trouble. I arch a brow in response “That's because I don't get paid to talk to you, I get paid to protect you” my voice now deep and husky and I see her shudder in response, our eyes connected for a brief moment until she breaks it.

  “Well again Thank you I won't keep you from your job.” As she turns to walk away I place my hand on her lower arm and she turns quickly to look at me. “Just remember, if the blonde douche bag harasses you, let me know because Doc? YOU are my job, and I always do my job thoroughly.” I watch as her cheeks flush red before she pulls away and walks back to her room.

  I walk back to the tent we have set up across from the medical staffs quarters. Jax is sitting in a deck chair with his feet up on a wooden crate, mug of coffee in one hand and a Yankees cap pulled down low over his eyes. “So?” he drawls out.

  “So nothing” I shrug.

  “So you mean to tell me that while you were over there” he pointed out with his coffee mug, “that you just looked at her and through ESP she knew what you were saying? Geez, Nate, you're in the wrong business with that kind of power” he laughs.

  “Fuck off Jax,” I said pulling a cigarette from its crumpled packet in the front pocket of my jeans, I slide it between my lips, light it and inhale deeply then blow out a long stream of white smoke into the night air.

  “She's scared of something Jax.”

  “Yeah, the blonde Brit.” He states without even looking at me.

  “No,” I say, shaking my head. “There's something more.” Jax scoots closer to the edge of his chair, leaning his elbows on his knees “Like?.”

  “Not sure, I haven't figured it out yet. But I will”

  “Hey, bud, where she is concerned I don't mind doing some investigating,” he says wiggling his eyebrows.

  “Don't even think about it” I spit out and Jackson raises both his hands in surrender.

  “Okay, okay chill, I didn't realize you wanted to tap her, hell I know when to step back , she's all yours boss.”

  “It has nothing to do with getting in her pants you asshole.”

  “So let me get this straight” Jackson muses poking a finger into the air, “you don't want in her pants but you don't want me in there either?”

  Dropping the cigarette onto the dirt floor and squashing the butt out I look up at him through narrowed eyes. “Like you said, I'm the boss”.

  I walk over to the tent, pull the flap back on the door and drop down onto the canvas cot folding my arms behind my head. Jackson follows behind me and sits down on the cot opposite.

  “What the fuck is going on?” He levels his stare at me.

  “Leave it alone Jax.”

  “Hell no, I ain't never seen you like this over a piece of ass.”

  Sitting up quickly and facing him, I growl. “She isn't a piece of ass.”

  “OK, ok she's not JUST a piece of ass, but something is going on. You've been watching her a lot more than the other two.”

  “Maybe that’s because she is a beautiful fair-haired woman in a country that would just love a fresh piece of meat like that to put on the black market. Do you know how much she would go for?” I spit out, anger and frustration buzzing through my body making my fists clench. Seeing my anger Jax lowers his tone and sighs.

  “I know I've thought about the exact same thing and the one thing I can't work out is why did IMA send her? I mean. they have always sent male civilians out here because this part is known for the sex slave market....so why?”

  I shake my head perplexed by the same thought. “ I have no idea, that’s why I sent an email to Paxton I want to see if he can find out anything more about IMA and the contract they have with the military for this base.”

  “Good, Paxton will dig like a dog looking for a lost bone I know how much he hates Peterson” Jax chuckles.

  “There's just something not right, I can feel it,” I said rubbing my hand across the back of my neck.” “Well I trust your spider senses bud and I damn well know if we’re both feeling uneasy, then something is definitely wrong.”

  “Let's just hope we’re both wrong and watch her like a hawk.” “Well, I can think of a lot worse things to be doing” Jax smiles. “Just keep your mind out of the gutter and your eye on the target ok?”

  “Yes, boss,” he says giving a mock salute.

  Chapter Eight

  Casey

  Walking back to my room I close the door and slide the bolt across to lock it, then lean my back against it letting out a sigh of relief. Not only had I once again escaped the claws of Mike but Nate as well. Geez, what was it with these men and their stereotypical Alpha male personalities. It's bad enough having to work with Mike in the close quarters of the medical rooms, with his accidental touches and brushes against some part of my anatomy, and that sick thought makes me shiver in disgust, and then when I finally get a reprieve from Mike's unwanted attentions Nate’s th
ere watching my every move and quite frankly I was starting to feel like a bloody gold fish in a bowl, it was getting maddening and claustrophobic, just the thought of being in a small enclosed space with Mike and his ego made me feel ill in the pit of my stomach and it wasn't as though I hadn't tried to put him off. Not only had I told a little white lie about having a long-term boyfriend back in Sydney but today I had actually told him to his face to back off because not now, and not ever, would I be interested in anything with him, and all I got from him was a sickly sweet over-exaggerated smile.

  Pulling off my work scrubs and pulling on a pair of grey sweatpants and a t-shirt, I sat down on my bed cross-legged, grabbed the iPod off the small table next to it and pushed the earbuds into both ears, scrolling through the list and pressing “play” and the soothing sounds of Enigma floods into my brain. Leaning back onto the bed and closing my eyes, I let it take me into a deep slumber.

  When the alarm on my phone beeps loudly to wake me up at 6 am, I groan and hit the snooze button that’s set for an extra 5 minutes. I actually feel like I have a hangover- my head feels foggy and aches but this ache isn’t caused by alcohol, it’s a familiar ache that I get when my brain works over time. I had taken this contract to try and help myself heal but it seemed like it was doing the opposite. Between the overabundance of male testosterone and the constant watchful eyes of everyone, it was starting to feel uncomfortably suffocating.

  Sighing and pulling myself out of bed, I splash some cold water onto my face from the small wash basin and resign myself with the thought of taking a long shower later after my shift.

  Pulling on a pair of calf-length dark shorts and a navy scrub shirt, I pull a brush through my hair and gather it into a messy bun on top of my head, fixing it with a hair clip, then I pick up the international calling card because today I need to call Flynn. I had managed to send him an email letting him know that I had arrived but today I really needed to hear his voice. It was the one constant thing in my life that always made me feel better. Clipping the two-way radio and my pager onto my pants and tossing a stethoscope around my neck I lock my door and head over to the mess tent for some much-needed coffee.

  Walking into the medical tent I am shocked to see the thunderous face of Nate as he leans across the table in the Commander’s office “You are kidding me right?” he growls into Commander Simons face.

  “I'm afraid not Mr. King. That is part of the contract with IMA. Dr. Tyler has been assigned to work in the local village medical clinic for the day, it is part of her rotation, all the medical staff does it.”

  “Yes but she is a civilian MD, not military, so send one of your own, they’re trained for it.” He grates out.

  “Calm down King, she's not going in on her own, there’ll be other medical staff and a team of MP's.” Commander Simons states authoritatively. Nate starts to pace back and forth in the small cramped room, rubbing a hand over his face, suddenly he stops and looks up to me.

  “So, how do you feel about this?” he asks. Folding his arms across his chest. I shrug at his question as I sit down.

  “He's right, it was part of my contract....I'll be fine.” Nate bends down in front me and rests both hands on the arms of the chair.

  “Look at me” he demands in a low voice, taking a deep breath in. I slowly lift my face until I am staring straight into those steel gray eyes of his. He looks almost combustible, a muscle ticks in his jaw and he looks like he is using all his strength to contain himself until I finally say “I'm ok with it.” His head drops for a split second as he lets out a frustrated sigh then he pushes himself into a standing position “Fine, let's do it.” He throws out over his shoulder as he yanks the door open and leaves.

  Jax and Nate got into the SUV with Mike and me and we were accompanied by two other vehicles, a jeep with two MP's and behind that a small military truck that carried supplies for the local village. I found out that a local nurse ran a medical center from the back room of her home. She took care of all the locals as much as she could and once a month the base took her out supplies and some medical assistance to help her out. It was a great idea but the look on Nate’s face told me that he was not happy at all. Jax in his usual cheerful way was doing all the talking while Nate concentrated on the road. I'm amazed he could manage to stay on the road with his eyes constantly checking the rearview mirror and zeroing in on Mike. Jax hit Nate on the top of his arm “Chill bud, it will be fine, you worry too much.”

  “That's my job...bud,” Nate said slowly emphasizing his sarcasm.

  Jax turned in his seat to look at me. “So Doc how are you doing?.”

  “I'm fine, thanks.”

  “You know I love your accent right?” he said with a huge grin spreading across his face.

  “Yes I do Jax, you have told me several times before,” I said shaking my head at him, “But that's ok because I like yours too.” Jax's smile falters and he now looks quite serious.

  “Hmm, accent? Me? Noooo, we don't have accents but you guys do” he looks back and forth between Mike and I and I burst out in laughter.

  “You’re kidding me right?” I ask him “You honestly don't think you have an accent?”

  “No mam not at all.” He beams back at me.

  “Ok if you insist” I smile at him.

  “No, now you've started you need to do some explaining little lady, what is weird abouts the way I talks?” he drawls out in an over the top Southern accent. I am still laughing and when I look at Mike he’s chuckling away to himself as well.

  “Ok first weird American word that comes into my head is Fanny pack? What on earth is a fanny pack?” I ask him. Now Jax looks at me with a really confused look on his face.

  “It's, ya know, one of those little bag things that you clip around your waist.” Trying to contain my laughter I look at Mike again and Jax asks “What's so funny?.”

  “Taking in a deep breath I say “Ok, in Australia a fanny is a woman's vagina, so when you say fanny pack I get a vision of a little backpack stuck on a vagina.” We laugh again and Jax is still looking confused, then says “Ok, sooo, what do you call your ass then?.”

  “A bum, a bottom or an arse” Jax points a finger at me and starts to laugh with us. “Ah, now see I like the cute little way you say that word arse,” he says emphasizing the letter R.

  Nate turns his head and looks over at Jax, “Trust you to have your mind in the gutter.”

  “What?” he shrugs “ I can't help it if the woman has a sexy voice now can I?”

  “Jax” Nate warns.

  “Oh come on now Nate how much more tantalizing can she get, she's smart, beautiful, talks sexy and comes from one of the most wicked places in the world I mean hell, almost every deadly spider and reptile lives there, shit I bet she's even got a kangaroo for a pet” Jax says looking straight at me. I shake my head at him “No Jax, not a Kangaroo, but I do have a 10-foot crocodile in the backyard.” Jax’s eyes grow as wide as saucers.

  “Really?”

  Nate slaps him on the shoulder.“No you fucktard she's being sarcastic.” Jax rolls his eyes at me then turns back around in his seat and goes back to staring out the window.

  The village was small maybe a dozen dwellings I couldn't really call them houses, they were a patchwork of different types of wood and metal, clumped together to form a structure. We pulled up outside one of these structures and Nate jumped out of the SUV turning around to look at me “Stay here until it's been cleared, Ok?” I give him a nod in response.

  A small woman came out of the house to greet Nate. She looked tiny standing in front of him I couldn't see much of her face because she had most of it covered by a white scarf she was covered from head to toe in a long sleeved off-white colored dress, the bottom of it gathering dirt as it grazed along the dusty floor. While they talked the MPs walked around the area and checked outbuildings and any concealed areas. When they seemed satisfied the area was clear, they nodded to Nate and then they started to unload the supplies from the truck. N
ate turned and nodded to Jax “Ok Doc it looks like all is good to get out.” Jax said. As soon as I opened the door of the SUV the heat rushed in like an oven. I am so glad I wore a cool thin shirt and cargo shorts today. The only annoying thing was the scarf I had to keep wrapped around my face, it combined with my sweat, had a bad habit of sticking to my skin and making it itchy.

  “Doc, this is Salina. She's the village midwife” Nate said, introducing me to the small framed woman standing in front of me. I extended my hand to her and she took it very softly with both hands.

  “I am very grateful for your help doctor.” She spoke softly, her English surprisingly good. “Please call me Casey.”

  “Please, we must get you inside quickly, I fear even the dry bushes out here have eyes and ears on us.” She steered me into the small building and down a corridor to a back room. There were several people sitting on the floor and leaning against the stained walls of the room more women than men one woman looked to be about seven months pregnant, another woman held a very tiny baby wrapped tightly in a bright orange wrap, so all you could see were a tiny set of closed eyes with long black eyelashes that swept across beautiful olive skin. I walked further into the back of the room to where a tattered old mattress lay in the corner with two small children huddled together. Salina stood beside me and said “These two are very sick, very hot bodies for 3 days now,” I dropped my bag on the floor and pulled out my stethoscope and placed my hand on one of the Children’s forehead, then gently against his back. He felt hot and his skin was drenched in perspiration. When I pulled up his shirt to listen to his chest I noticed the rash instantly I did the same to the other little boy and he had the same rash. After giving them both a thorough examination, I looked up at Salina. “Are these two brothers?.”

  “Yes,” she answered.

  “Looks like they both have measles. I'll give them both a shot of penicillin and I will leave you something to help get the fever down and if you can give them a bath with some oatmeal in the water it will help soothe the rash. I'm guessing they’re not vaccinated?”